OKCPirate

umm, I'm sure they have, but they didn't have YOUR surgeon and YOUR new stomach. Ask him about Green Tea. I did that for 6 weeks post surgery.

Plain whey protien powder and then flavor it the way you like. Stevia, cinnamon, extracts. Play evil scientist and have fun.

I really liked John Oliver, but he did a great job with this story... Very nice story about how what you read about science in the popular press can be completely wrong. (NSFW, language)

@@Alex Brecher " It’s definitely something to consider before getting surgery. You might also want to ask yourself if you’re overly hungry now, or if you’ve been eating for other reasons, like boredom or comfort or poor choices. " Ummm, if we were all of the above we should...?

I'm sorry, I should mention this is personal observation, not scientifically proven, but I have only had those retching episodes at altitudes over a mile for 72 hours.

All men on the planet owe the inventor of this a beer. @@treblecutie23 - Congrats. That is an amazing NSV. It is startling when you don't recognize yourself for the first time. I remember getting to class late, and all my favorite hide outs were gone. I almost considered bagging the class. It was a great confidence builder not to wimp out. Please feel free to share pictures of your downward dog. (I mean just for pointers and encouragement).

I hope you are not doing pureed foods this early. I got a medicine cup and just sipped on it all the time. Be gentle with your new tool, let it heal. Be careful with how much you lift, that puts a great deal of pressure on your core.

@@LindaLena - You know the only problem I have had is when I go from OK to CO. After a few days of being a mile up, my diaphragm seems to tighten up. Just follow the doctors instructions. You can practice eating slow for one meal a day. Which is helpful to make sure you are listening to the signals from your sleeve.

It's a major change. It should be scary, akin to starting a new job, or getting married. You have a couple of weeks to start trying out Protein drinks (try Isopure Clear, not to everyone's taste but it does get you 40g of protein while you are on clear liquids). Walk a bunch. It helps with the nerves and gets you in better shape. Feed your spiritual side: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659 And finally get a vision of what is to come: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/ (You will love being able to cut your toenails without planning...trust me) Good luck.

@@Sharon1964 - I made a list of things I wanted from my surgery when I started this process. The purpose was to help me from freaking out and keep my eye on the prize. It was an interesting list, and it did have a number which I am fairly sure I can't hit without surgery. I may never do the surgery because frankly I am quite happy where I am. I accomplished all the goals I had initially and am maintaining where I am. I don't think of my weight as a limitation for anything and I can't find any health benefit in losing more. So you might want to factor in my experience as you ponder with coffee.

That was my week

@@Kindle - thank you. I am confident it will be all right. Spending time with the love of my life helps.

@@Recycled - dude it was either you or @BigViffer who mentioned the hormone dump and feeling weird and dealing with conflicting emotions and feeling like a wussy in the Guy's Room. On the other side of the coin, my sex drive went through the roof...the only thing I can liken it too was adolescence again at 52. However once I found that thread it all made sense...which is what this site is supposed to do. Once I figured out what was happening was I able to channel it constructively. However the sex was REALLY GREAT.

BTW, when I got worried and depressed, I used to read through this section: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/ It has never failed to lift my spirits.

Thanks for that brave before picture. That kind of looks like the skin I know is going to have to go on me. I'm trying to psyc myself up to do what you are doing. I salute your courage. I wish you a speedy recovery.

@@beggingtobehealthy - yes. On top of dealing with REAL issues relating to your relationship with food, and feeling deprived during the transition, the hormones stored in fat are dumping out at a rate you have never dealt with. (I would watch Pretty Woman and cry...if you knew me, you would know that was a real signal that something was off). Please give yourself some grace during this transition. Welcome to the other side and enjoy some great walks which help a bunch with stress and weight loss.

I hold a minority position in that I really like the Green Tea Isopure. Not asking you to like it, but it was great to get those 40g of Protein in after I was cleared for liquids. Try it out, if you like it, it will keep the energy up while you are healing.

I can't figure out why women put up with the crap the fashion industry throws at them. Your sizes are not uniform. Many items are designed to break down after a few wearings. Many items are just not comfortable. (ex: High heals) I have shoes that I purchased a year after college that have been resoled which are still great. I have books Brother's shirts from 20 years ago that still look great. I don't know why you don't demand better. RANT: I occasionally run into Walmart to grab something, but I feel dirty when I do. I feel like I am supporting some illicit far-eastern slave trade or something. NOTE: This was a RANT. If it was supposed to be 100% completely factual content, it would have contained links. This is strictly my opinion and I'm not asking anyone to share it. END RANT

I get the rant. I always thought of myself as a healthy, albeit big, fat guy. I could perform, still exercised and led a vigorous life. Hey I looked like Teddy Roosevelt, and he did great things. But I could not ignore the health warning lights that were showing up. If I had chosen to ignore them I'd be diabetic, or have a heart attack. I'm glad I chose the path I did. And actually everyone who counts in my life is very glad that I did.

Yes, I take prescription strength Vitamin D and testosterone. The brain is a complicated organ. I'm just thankful we live in an age where we can try to make it better. It is both "art" as well as "science" but I have a good team working on it.

@@VSGAnn2014 - Good point, I knew the facts of the story because I was working against a proposed NY law that required mental health people to report people who "might be violent" which I objected to for two reasons: 1) I thought it would keep people who needed help away from it 2) Mental Health people were not perfect predictors But remembering which article I found the information 3 years ago...well I'm not perfect. How does this article work: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/state-mental-health-system BTW, the person who pointed out the limits of mental health professionals in predicting violence was my counselor, who was also the Chair of Consoling and Pyscology at his university.

Try using a little ginger and mustard. Way less fat than Mayo and I think it tastes great.

@@Kindle - For no good particular reason, for the last couple of months I have noticed myself in depression. It seemed to be getting deeper for me. It was as if everything that went wrong would add an extra 5 pounds to my shoulders. Little stupid things were dragging me down. So my doctor wrote a script for wellbutrin. I'm getting the initial start up side effects that are possible. Legs are restless (think Thumper from Bambi) and some hand tremors. The odd thing about the drug is you get a host of side effects early, but you don't know if its going to work for you for a while. But the reason for the post is to share a piece of advice I found when researching the drug..."the drug is a tool to help get you to a place where you can actually deal with the issues that got you here." I thought that was good council. Something WLS people can relate to.

I find I find my meaning in strange metaphysical places, like chat rooms.

I'm going to make a generalization (and I hate generalizations, because I am ridiculously libertarian), I will bet she was dependent on someone else to pay for the surgery. I think self payers should be exempted from psyc evaluations. I did my own internal work with my own counselor in making the decision, and I don't need the stamp of approval of someone I barely know. BTW, please don't think that mental health people are better at predicting behavior than others. (see Psychiatric expertise in the prediction of ‘dangerousness’ is not established and clinicians should avoid ‘conclusory judgments in this regard.’'" https://lackofresultswamh.com/disability-and-violence/psychiatric-drugs-cause-violence/