familyguy

Buckfever --
I was in exactly the same boat -- about 260 and 5'11". I struggled over making the decision on everything from the medical stuff all the way to the social impacts. Ultimately, I convinced myself of three things, 1) that I didn't wan't to live the rest of my life carrying around all the extra weight, 2) that I couldn't reliably lose it on my own, and 3) that relative to doing nothing the surgery was safe. I was sleeved on November 25th and now I'm down to 216 and it feels amazing. Everything feels better -- clothing, sleeping, sitting, walking, breathing, on and on. I haven't felt this good since I was 25.
My surgery and recovery were basically a breeze -- two days of feeling like shit and then a very rapid recovery. I took a week off work (office job) and that was plenty. I don't eat a whole lot and that feels fine (in my new world). The social stuff (which had me freeked out) is actually simple. In group settings, no one notices. For sitdown meals, I go to a restaurant and order something small and easy to eat and enjoy it. It's actually quite liberating not obsessing about food all the time.
Clearly a very personal decision, but as a guy who was worried about many of the same things as you (in a similar lower BMI situation), my only regret is not having done this sooner....good luck.

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

I really like your advice about matching the type of surgery to the kind of overeater you are. I remember going through the decision process and much of the information was purely medical (i.e. description of "plumbing" changes and likely outcomes). The VSG is working for me as a former large volume overeater.
If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meal (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a half piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch. Seriously. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but then snack on junk all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds.

Great post and very interesting to read. Stick around please, we need more people like you!!

Im 3 days post op. Wandering around the house thinking about anything but food. I walked to the fridge and opened it up and started scanning.. About 2 seconds later I started laughing. Old mechanical habit

Great post!! Thank you for sharing.

I am literally a week away from my 1 year surgery date and I can say that your post really helped to put things in perspective for me. Thank you for share both your 1st and 2nd year post surgery outlooks. I can't wait to see where I am at a full 24 months out from surgery.

Wow, this is nearly identical to my experience 16 months out. I completely agree with the comment about wanting to "advise" other folks to look into the surgery. As you said, it comes off as "judgey" in my head, but, I just know how much of a positive change it has been for my life.
I also think it is funny how I view myself. I don't think I ever saw myself as large as I really was. In the same respect, I still don't believe I see myself as skinny as I really am in the mirror... It takes me seeing pictures of me with other friends in the same image to register with my brain... Not sure if that makes sense? It's all about point of view I guess.
One other thing, it took a while, but, I think my brain, eyes, and stomach have all come around to agreeing what the right portions are and when i'm actually full. This took a while to learn for sure. I also think it's interesting now, how something I would consider a "large portion" differs from what it was prior to surgery. There are just times where I feel like I may have eaten too much and get conscious about it, but, it's actually smaller or equal to what an average person would have eaten at same setting.
Thanks for the post.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

It's been just about two years since my VSG and I thought I'd share an update. I've copied my post from one year out below so that you can have a point of reference.
In sum, VSG was really the best thing I ever did. While it has only been two years, my life as a big fat dude is sort of a distant memory. Let me share some of the observations I find most interesting...
Positives:
I'm basically at peace with food. By that I mean that I enjoy and appreciate food, but it's just no longer a monkey on my back. I weight 186 pounds (5 pounds greater than last year and about 85 down from my peek of 272). There are just so many things that you can do at a lower weight that are either impossible or unpleasant at a higher weight. I played golf all summer (walking the course), do hot yoga twice a week, play squash, mountain bike, etc.. In the gym, I can do pull ups and dips. These things were out of the question before. I shop for clothes at regular stores and beyond being able to find my size anywhere (medium / large shirt, 34" waist), clothes just fit and feel better. Oddeties
I see overweight people and think they're crazy for not doing something about. I was flying home from a business trip a few days ago and saw a woman that weighed about 300 pounds shove herself into a first class seat, ask for the extra belt and then eat huge sub sandwich and a bag of chips that she brought on the plane and wash it down with a few cocktails. I wanted to send her the WLS clinic immediately. This is obviously terribly judgmental, but it's true. I still sort of feel like a big guy in my head. I used to always make fun of myself as a defense mechanism when I was huge. I would say things like "not bad for a fat guy" and people would laugh. Every once in a while I say the same thing and people just look at me puzzled. I still feel like I perpetually need to lose 5 or 10 pounds. My lowest weight post opp was 175 and though people said I looked too thin, I felt great. I'm 186 now and would really like to be 180. That's crazy talk to someone that's 2, 3, or 4 hundred pounds, but there you go. Annoyances -- not much to report, but here are a couple.
I still cannot eat and drink at the same time -- there is just no room. I'm used to it now, but it sure would be nice to wash down dinner with a glass of wine, Breakfast with a cup of coffee. Instead it's drink a cup of coffee, then eat breakfast. Ditto for other meals. I still take 20mg of omeprozole daily. With it, I'm fine. Without it, I have some heartburn. Since this hasn't changed in two years, I'm resigned to taking it perpetually. Advice -- Everyone is so different so take this for what it is...
If you're into alcohol pre opp, you're in for a challenge post opp. While you can't eat tons of food after WLS, it's just as easy to drink and you don't have hundreds of extra pounds to absorb it. I get into trouble with this every once in a while. If you're pre-opp and thinking about the surgery, consider what kind of overeater you are. If you just have a huge appetite and eat portions that are too large at meals (a bottomless pit), then this surgery will help you a lot. I used to be like this and now a big meal is a piece of chicken and a half cup of veg or starch -- even at two years out. HOWEVER, if you eat reasonable meals but have a problem snacking on junk food all day long, I don't think VSG is very effective. I can eat whole bags of dorritos, large portions of ice cream and drink whatever, i.e. slider foods. VSG just doesn't help with this stuff and it's easy to snack all day long and pack on the pounds. I was on this site constantly leading up to and after my surgery and really appreciated hearing everyone's story. I'm rarely here anymore, but thought I'd share some perspective especially for those considering surgery and needing some extra support or wondering what the future might be like. Feel free to comment or PM me.
Family guy
My Post From One Year Out
November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go....

Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears:
I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises:
I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to.
Annoyances:

Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. lunch with Iced Tea, Dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case.
Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas:
Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.