OKCPirate

I agree, but there is nothing like coffee in the morning to get ...eh things moving.

It was more of a way of stopping more breast threads . I won't claim infallible knowledge, but I'm an eager end user and fan.

I'd add "leaks" constipation and TMI, ladies and boobs. And I second the suggestion that the links should be sent with the welcome email.

I enjoyed reading through this post to remind myself why I was and am doing this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/?hl=you%20know%20when%20you

@@oldmike - I'm sorry for B-52's experience. I have been blessed that I'm still enjoying meat. Grilled meat and BBQ vital to this southern boy. I have no problem enjoying it, but in much smaller serving sizes. I mix my own sauces and I have never considered using stevia until @@dlappjr mentioned it. Will try it this week. The biggest advantage to those who love meat...you can get the really good stuff to grill and since you will only eat 4 ounces at a time I splurge at whole foods getting the best cuts of grass fed, no antibiotic stuff. It tastes great, melts in your mouth. I enjoy cooking up a big spread when the boys are here especially with their buddies. As far as good red wine goes, again a little of very good stuff goes a long way. Any leftover wine makes a great reduction sauce.

I like the sugar free ketchup, kids don't, so I have both on hand.

@@dlappjr - I was actually a little irresponsible Jan-April this year. I was like a kid in a candy store (52 years old, 36 years of sexual experience, single, money, and now suddenly slim with a hormone charge). A year out and things have leveled out. I still feel great, but I'm not acting like a teen in heat any more. So be careful during this initial phase. It's fun, but there is HPV (won't kill you, but could give you throat cancer down the road and also leads to crappy time for females) as well as all the well know STD's out there. But if you are married, enjoy lots of hot monogamous sex.

@@kranky813 - you are worthless and weak. You don't deserve that sleeve, you are unworththy of it Geez come on, you are a FUB (fallible human being). You had a moment when you went back to old scripts/tapes/DVR recordings and paid the price. You learned anew there is a new reality. That's what this tool does. Be thankful. It's like bumpers at the bowling alley...you could say its cheating, but gutter balls don't help you get better either.

#1 - I worked through this book: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1436729032&sr=8-13&keywords=bariatric+book #2 - gave up alcohol (three day taper) #3 - Diet soda #4 - Caffeine (two week taper) #5 - Began pre-op diet two weeks before surgery. Did lunch as my slow eat practice meals for three weeks prior to surgery. Also discovered I liked Isopure green tea from GNC. RESULTS: No sudden no caffeine headaches post surgery. No soda cravings. Knew rote skills for slow eats. Was emotionally prepared. Extra Protein from Isopure kept my energy levels high.

I can recommend an outstanding surgeon in Mexico who will get it done for $4500. If you are highly motivated and can do your own research, why spend more, get into a US hospital where the infection rate can be really high and be stuck with a crammed semi private room? I'm just not liking managed care and lawsuit avoidance medicine. I self pay nearly everything now days.

After a couple of months on Match.com, I think I finally found the "one." The numbers are interesting: I sent 149 emails via their site I received 61 back 15 coffee dates 6 real dates 3 multiple dates 1 possible match that had to be aborted because of serious signs of mental illness And finally She showed up and we have been going out for the last three weeks and it keeps getting better every time we go out. I kept track of the numbers this time because I know it's easy to get discouraged and think, what's the point? I'm not saying this is easy. To tell you the truth, I'm busy, but I put dating time in my schedule. It was as important as exercise to me. It takes mental energy to think about how I was going to make an online approach. Some of my tactics worked, others didn't. But I tried different things. Eventually it all came together. So what about the women who didn't make the cut? I don't leave ladies hanging. If I don't sense there is chemistry, I just let them know. I find they knew before I did. The women respect guys who don't leave them hanging. Five of the women I met online are now Facebook friends. They were nice people, or I would not have even reached out to them. Bottom line dating is a numbers game. If you think about the odds against finding the right person by simple random chance outside of college, well those odds are very long. It is work, but it's work with benefits and fun if you do it right. Good luck in your search.

@@purz59 - I had mine in Mexico, so no they didn't. But I was also off the table quickly which helped. Dub's surgeon was kind enough to suck out the gas before they patched him up so he didn't have a problem. GasX strips do seem to work as does as much walking as you can do. Be sure to bring slip on shoes and shorts so you feel confident getting out in public Good luck

There is a reason I never trusted a fart the first 6 weeks of my sleeve. It mostly seemed to be with diet and not the sleeve. As you get back to normal food and if you still have this issue, that's when you need to call the doc IMHO.

Good luck, can't wait to hear how you did. (HINT: GasX strips, up to 4 at a time and walk as much as you can. See you on the other side.

Thanks for having the courage to share and face this. You are in one of those really difficult areas to work on. For those who have not thought deeply about how hard eating/body image issues are as opposed to any other negative behavior...it is different, smoking/drinking/drugs are not mandatory for life....but eating is. It is a challenge to admit the problem and tough to overcome. So my heart goes out to you during this time and wish you the best in your recovery. Remember it isn't just for you, but for you to be the best and healthiest mom you can be for your kids.

Everything I'm reading is the quality of the surgeons vary WIDELY. Choose the surgeon well, not the price point. You are going to be in compression garments for a while. It hurts worse than the sleeve and you are highly restricted in movement for 3 weeks or longer. Best tip was rent and adjustable hospital bed to aid recovery during those three weeks. I don't know your age, but the more muscle you can add the better. Lots of Water and Protein to minimize lose skin. Moisturize, stay out of hot water, and tanning beds. Give your skin the best chance you can to get its act together. If it doesn't, well you are at least in a better position to deal with plastics.

Make sure they get you a bipap, it adjusts automatically and doesn't need constant sleep studies for calibration. The better you sleep, the more weight you will lose. And don't think you are just stuck with one mask. There are many including breathable fabric ones that worked very well for me. http://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/what-is-bipap-therapy-machine-bilevel-positive-airway-pressure

John Dillinger was asked "why do you rob banks." "Because that's where the money is" was his reply. Ladies, if you are not having any luck, you might want to try your hand at sites where 90% of the people there are men. You may find the premise of the sites repugnent, but I have found that the "law of large numbers" in marketing is vital. If you are only reaching 100 possible people that is not a big enough pool, you have to reach thousands to find a good possible match. So with that in mind, based on conversations with very real, and normal women, have now had sucess at non-traditonal dating sites: Ashley Madison - yep the adultery site has paid off for three single women I know who found single guys. There are singles there. The best part - 90% of the people on the site are men. All the women created profiles letting people know they would not date married people. Downside, you need thick skin to get past the creepy emails. Why does it work? Because there are single guys who are poking around there. It's just going to where the money is. SugarDaddy.com - What? A site where guys "support" a woman? Is that like prostitution or something? Again 90% of those on the site are men. From what the ladies who I know who used this site said is "most are busy professionals who want companionship, and a relationship, but don't have the time at the moment." If you don't want someone who wants to move in after the second date, this may be a good place to try. Just be truthful in your profile that you don't want financial support, but you are not needy for time either. For the sake of intellectual honesty, Tinder also has a huge male population, but at my age, I have not heard of anyone having success there, but if you are younger, it might work. I just have no first hand knowledge. Sometimes you have to try finding a guy through unconventional means. Give it a try let us know how it works.

@@ReneK - "Myspace" wow, I have not even heard that name for 10 years Congrats, and way to meet before that site became irrelivent @@Mom26 - Indeed I will. I need to shift focus on growing a relationship in this forum.

@@dancingqueene - be thankful. I spend a few weeks with one and realized "oh no, Borderline Personality Disorder Case Study." But check this post out for encouragement: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/354255-hey-you-out-of-the-dating-pool/

Be sure to work with your doc on your meds before surgery. Some work, some don't and some we just don't know. Meds for depression and other mental health issues are unpredictable enough without the WLS aspect. Please google your meds with the type of weight loss surgery you are having and take your research to you doc. Hopefully you can put a plan together in advance. At least that will be one thing off your mind: http://www.newlifebariatricsurgery.com/uncategorized/medication-absorption-after-bariatric-surgery/

@@Ashlegal - do it, it will tone you like nothing else, and the balance and flexibility are great.

FYI, not bad, 85 calories, 7 g of fat, 4 g of Protein, 1 g of carbs.

Thanks, I'll do the math and cut this down for one, but it sounds great. :-)

What convinced me to get the surgery was the rate of success of maintaining the weigh-loss over 5 years. Its about 5-8% for behavior modification or 80% with WLS. That was what did it for me. I have gone down and way up for too long. This was the best chance of long term success and I grabbed it, despite being a BIG skeptic. Be sure to look at this before making a final call: Look up Weight of the Nation (HBO special) and figure out just why it is so hard to keep it off after you lost it (HINT look here too: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=0) and you will see that your body is really conspiring against your weight loss. Don't write off the surgery just yet. And look, you could just say, "yeah this guy is like a reformed whore or smoker, really holier than thou"...but all I did was run the numbers and look at the research and it was an easy call to make.