Rogofulm

Hi Susan, I'm at 267 today. As always, thanks for doing this! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy and Successful New Year!!!!! Rog

This is a great opportunity to find out how much fun you can have without drinking. You know how they say we shouldn't drink fruit juices because they are pure sugar with no food value? That goes double for booze. Besides... Catching a buzz leads to other less than optimal choices -- eating, driving, and otherwise. Yeah, I'm a Dad. But think about it, okay?

It sounds like you're doing fine. But I worry about your Protein and Fluid intake. Heads-up – my doc said getting your protein level up quickly and maintaining it throughout is the best chance of preventing hair loss. He also said that hydration is a key to skin elasticity. Armed with that info, I try to get in 80-100 grams of protein and 100+ oz. of liquid every day. Anything else is gravy. Besides those two stipulations, my doc's only other rules are to take multi-vitamins and Calcium-citrate-plus-D every day, and keep carbs as low as possible. For me that means no starches or sugars (including alcohol). Here's my plan. Maybe it will help you get some ideas. Good luck! Rog Below is a "typical" day's menu: As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss. Okay, here's an example of my day: I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work. I count my morning Protein Shake as a meal, not a fluid. (30 grams of protein) 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.) After that, I drink a 24-oz. tumbler of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips) Then I walk for 40+ minutes. Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies if there's room. About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack. At around 4:00 or 4:30, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies or a V-8 if you're getting enough protein at other times.) Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.) Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, fish, chicken, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies. Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening. If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or sugar-free popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or still hungry, another yogurt or protein shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only provides 700-900 per day.) So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work. The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. Beef or turkey Jerky is my on-the-fly meal. A 3 oz bag is over 30 grams of protein and about 200 calories. The sodium can be high, so watch for that. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home. I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal". In the meantime, this eating plan is working really well.

Yes indeed, congratulations to you!!!!!

Thrilled!!!

Yup, I'm cold too. Funny thing is that before my surgery I was always hot and my wife was always cold. Now it's the reverse and we have totally flipped how we set the thermostat.. We are both in our 50s. Should I be worried about her feeling warm????!!!

I take prescription Protonix (generic=Pantoprazole). I went off it after 2 weeks and felt like crap. I've been back on it ever since and my tummy feels fine. BTW... I used to get terrible acid before surgery. Took several Zantac every day. Not any more....

Premier Protein, chocolate flavor here too. It's my Breakfast every single day. I've had at least one every day for over 6 months. I got kind of sick of them after the 4 weeks of liquid, but I'm okay with them now.

After reading up on the three most common procedures, I decided on the sleeve. I think the lap band has the highest failure rate; not because of the procedure itself, but because it's the easiest to misuse and cheat. I've seen/heard/read of many people converting from band to sleeve. The bypass seemed too extreme for the 110 lbs I wanted to lose and I worried about the malabsorptive aspects of the procedure. It seems that more daily supplements might be required to replace nutirients that aren't absorbed. Also, I got the impression that the skin used to create the new pouch is very elastic. I worried about it stretching and allowing me to cheat it as well. So the sleeve seemed to hit the Goldilocks spot right in the middle. It's permanent. It allows for more nutrient absorption than the bypass. The remaining portion of the stomach is less stretchy. And this is a biggie.... The area of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone ghrellin is in the section that is removed during surgery. The Wikipedia article on ghrellin states that the sleeve procedure reduces ghrellin levels 60% long-term. So that sealed it for me. You will have to decide which procedure is right for you based on your research and conversations with your doctor. As others have stated, the answer will involve the amount of weight you need to lose, your co-morbidities, and your ability to stick with different levels of follow-up care. Good luck with your decision!

I was wondering if that was you! Sorry you missed it. Several people brought carb-free meals for everyone to sample. I, of course, brought a turkey Jerky sampler. :-) Keep making good choices and enjoy your Holidays!!!!! Rog

Beautiful! Congratulations!!!

If the scale isn't cooperating, focus on your clothing. Do NOT start slacking; that will only sabotage your program. Occasional nuts are okay, but I find that when I start eating them I have a hard time stopping, and it slows down my progress. We all tend to look in the mirror, and what looks back at us is the weight we still need to lose. You're so early in the process. Before too long, you should start seeing real changes. Look forward to the new you, not backward. If you keep making the right choices, it will come off - promise!

Congratulations on maintaining so well for 3 years! You are truly an inspiration! And thanks for sharing your struggles and what you learned from the NUT. That's the kind of discussion those of us in the early parts of the journey need to hear. I wish you the best of success in re-engaging your program. It worked before, and it can work again!

Congratulations and Merry Christmas!

Hunger pangs can actually be thirst in disguise. If you are feeling hungry 1-2 hours after eating, drink your fluids. It helps, and you need to do it anyway. Good luck!

I say, "Thanks very much, that's what I'm going for!" Fact of the matter is, I only intend to make this journey one last time, so I'm basking in the moment knowing full well that in a couple of months the compliments will start drying up. Who knows when the very last "Wow, you look great!" will come? And anyone new I meet from here on out will have never known me as a big guy. So while this has been a great ride, I know the real work is ahead... without all those motivating compliments. So enjoy them while they last!

170. Thanks, Susan!

Bariatric Support Groups are great! I consider sharing my experience with pre-op patients to be an important part of my program. Whether it's in person, or in forums like this one, I want to provide tips and set a good example for newbies, and that helps me stay on track. At our hospital support group, most of the session is spent answering the pre-ops' questions. The flip side of that is the post-ops don't get much of a chance to discuss their issues and get the support that they may need. So our group has started having two back-to-back sessions: one for everyone, and one for post-ops. We time it so that the post-op session begins as the pre-ops leave for their nutrition class/weigh-in. And the post-op folks are encouraged to attend both sessions. I share this as an idea for other bariatric support groups out there who may be facing the same dilemma. We've only done it once so far, but it worked very well so I expect we will continue it.

My favorite pre-op lunch? A dozen Buffalo Wild Wings (very spicy), with french fries, carrots with blue cheese dressing, and 4 large glasses of iced tea. Now? 4.5 oz of leftover steak and maybe a few green beans; and no drinking for 45 minutes. I enjoyed my eating more then, but I feel much better now. Bottom line? Now is better!

Congratulations on a very successful year! You look wonderful, and I know you feel even better!!!

First of all, congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. You may even be getting to the end of it. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the weight will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again like crazy! You did the right and courageous thing sticking with Protein for Thanksgiving, especially in the face of such criticism. And here's what I'd say to unsupportive people... Thanks for your concern. Listen, I've started hundreds of diets over the years, and look where they got me – miserable and unhealthy. So I've decided to go with a modern technique that's proven to be the most effective weight-loss tool there is. It'll still take a lot of hard work, but I'm optimistic. I'm really excited about it and I hope you'll be happy for me too. It's a really cool procedure! If you're interested, I can tell you about it... I find that most people are hooked at this point and want to hear more. Information is what gets people on board. And then they stop judging. But if they still insist on giving you a hard time, tell them, "Look, I've made a major decision to improve my health and turn my life around. If you can't be supportive, then I'm afraid I can't be around you right now." Then go find supportive people to hang out with, go to a bariatric support group in your area, and spend time on forums like these. Good luck and keep making the right choices. It's SO worth it!!!!!

Yeah, I guess I'm more vain than before. But as @@Katcloudshepherd said, "I'm more "vain" if you consider being more concerned about my appearance than prior to surgery." I dress better now, tuck in my shirt more often, and enjoy being surprised by how I look in the mirror. And all the compliments encourage a little vanity too! But the reality is that if we are truly successful in our journey, before too long people will get used to us this way. The compliments will slow down or stop, and hopefully we'll also get used to seeing ourselves as a normal-weight person. I imagine at that point, the novelty of our new slimmer looks in the mirror will wear off, and the vanity will ebb. So I suppose my philosophy is that a little vanity is okay during our journey – if it helps us stay on course.

Height loss? Gosh I hope not!

All my friends and co-workers know and are very supportive. And if anyone asks how I lost 95 pounds in 5 1/2 months, I tell them, "Good clean livin', diet, exercise....and bariatric surgery." It's usually good for a laugh. Everyone has been great, and many people are fascinated by the surgery and ask lost of questions. If anybody has disapproved, they've kept it to themselves. So it's all been good!

I was a Type 2 diabetic on Janumet pills and Lantus Solo injections. My pre-op A1C, with meds, was 6.9, down from 13.5 before meds. Got sleeved on June 24, 2014, and a week later went off all my diabetes meds and my daily tests were normal. Yesterday, 5 1/2 months post-op, I met with my endocrinologist who told me that my A1C was.... 5.6! That's below the 5.7 threshold for pre-diabetes, so as far as he is concerned, I'm no longer even pre-diabetic. The apnea also went away a week or two after surgery and I was able to give up the machine. Cholesterol hangs on 6 months or longer, I'm told, and that was true in my recent labs. @@TiaMarie, Congratulations on making a wonderful decision to take control of your health and your life! Good luck!!!!