BigTink2LilTink

Yeah about two to three weeks post surgery. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Like other's have stated here, you may need to go to a fiber additive like Metamucil or Miralax. I was about 10 days post op before I could pass my first bowel movement. After that my surgeon had me on Metamucil that I took every morning for about a year. If I go more than 4 to 5 days without passing a stool then I'll take some Metamucil and I'm good again.

I did it last year. It helped me through a stall. However by day 4 I was having some seriously massive headaches. I may do it again once I break out of the 240lbs range with my weight. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Where did you get those compression pants at? Most of my compression stuff I got from Sports Authority before they went bankrupt. I find a lot of stuff like my compression shirts from Walmart, and Dicks Sporting goods store. I haven't ordered any offline yet, but I heard the brands from Eastbay aren't too terrible in quality and are cheaper than the Nike stuff. Most of my compression gear is either Rebok or Champion/Starter. I love my compression stuff though, especially now that its cold out. It does help with keeping me warmer during the winter months.

Keep grinding at it everyone and you'll get there. Starting to see that tiny crack of light at the end of the tunnel here. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

So here's where I'm at right now. Still grinding away at this weight loss stuff. About 15/20lbs away from my goal. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

LOL.....Not just wiping my friend. I have become flexible enough that I can actually see my coco hole now....Don't ask, just understand I can stretch and twist my body in ways that I never could before I lost the almost 360lbs of mass. But yeah its the little things that we can do now that none WLS (i.e normal weight/ non-overweight) people take for granted.

You got this guy. My highest weight that I had ever seen on a scale was 597lbs about 2 and a half years ago. When I had my surgery in Dec of 2014 I was at 463lbs As of this morning I was back to my current weight of 242lbs. I've been floating between 242-250lbs give or take over the last few months. But yeah you can indeed lose a lot of weight off of your body by getting this surgery and following the plan of attack your weight loss and surgical team puts in place for you. You just have to stick through it and put in the work. Because no matter what, its still work. This tool only works if you put in the work needed to make it work.

So you having your surgery done at DesPres hospital or will he be doing it at Barnes or DuPaul?

If you go to the Android market place look for Sports Apps. Be Strong. There they have a bunch of different exercise apps but I use their plank app for tracking my planking. They also make a squats app, pull up/push up apps as well. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shvagerfm.plank&hl=en

Welcome to the thread Greg, glad you could join us. You said you have having your surgery in St. Louis in a few days, do you mind me asking who your surgeon is? Also I am in St. Louis as well and if you ever want to reach out to someone that is local in the area I'm more than willing to meet up and talk. My only advice, once the surgery is done, follow the meal plans. Don't cheat it cause you will pay the price. I know my black ass sure did.

I have a plank app on my Android phone that I use that goes over the different types of planks there are. I started off doing knee planks in 1 minute intervals for three sets. Then I would move to the traditional plank set and try to go at least 45 seconds to 1 minute intervals for three to five sets. (Traditional plank is where hands are up in like a push up stance but shoulders and back are flat straight. Then forearm planks are like the same as traditional except that you are on your forearms instead of straight up with open palms down on the ground. Those I do for 45 seconds to a 1 minute intervals for three to five sets. Finally raised hand/leg planks are the hardest ones for me to do and I tend to do those in two to three interval sets for about 15 to 30 seconds each.

Planks have helped me and my mid section out a lot.

What type of compression shirts are you wearing? Cause not all shirt makers are the same. I have worn, Rebok, Champion, Under Armor, and Nike compression gear. I tend to get a slimmer look and feel on the Nike and Under Armor shirts than I do the Rebok and Champion. You may also want to look at going down a size perhaps. When some of my older stuff wasn't compressing down the mid section enough I dropped down a size in that seemed to do the trick for me.

That should be it as far as meat is concerned. Way way to early for you to be trying tougher strands of Protein at this point. It should be soft chicken and soft tuna. Stay the hell away from beef/pork/veil for now. As for other protein sources that you can try right now, maybe peanuts (nuts in general) quinoa is a good source of protein, and eggs. Soft scrambled or boiled eggs you should be able to consume right now. But like what other would say here, follow up with your surgeon and nutritionist and go with their recommendations first and foremost.

Oh yeah I had a change alright. I went from very little body hair and medium range in facial hair to full on beard and body hair all over my body. I heard that its cause we're release some stored up testosterone that is in our fat cells. With the rapid burning of fat in our body post surgery expect the second puberty for us guys to happen. You'll probably get ache more, and your sexual urges may increase. I know mines did on all accounts.

I think with me sometime when I look back at all the complications I had to deal with post surgery that puts me in a mind frame of regretting having the surgery done. But over all, no I wouldn't change what I've done. My health and outlook on life are more positive now than they ever have been in my entire adult life. I for the most part feel better and can do things that I couldn't even imagine I would ever be able to do just a few years ago. If I could go back I would still have the surgery for sure, but I would better prepare myself for the changes I was about to embark on and maybe removed some toxic people out of my life months instead of weeks before I had the surgery.

Do I regret having the surgery, no way. I wish I didn't suffer from the complications that I did suffer through, but I have no regrets on having the VSG done. Honestly I probably could have benefited from doning it sooner (like while I was still in my 20's) when my doctor initially tried to get me to do surgery. Losing the weight and feel/looking better was one thing. No longer being injectable insulin dependant was the main reason for my having the surgery. Anything that I could do to get my type 2 diabetes either removed or under better control was what I was after. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

The only "banned" item I can consume now with little to no issues at all is bread. And even then I limit the hell out of it as to not over do it. I seem to tolerate toasted bread better than soft chewy breads. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

My surgeon actually put bread/rice/pasta on the "banned forever" list of foods. So I'm not suppose to eat it. Reality for me though is that I waited almost 18 months before I tried to eat rice. And till this day it still can fuck with me if I over do it. At most I can do a 1/2 of a 1/2 cup of rice. So maybe 1/4 cup. But again if I consume it too quickly its coming right back up. A lot of times the puking make it not worth it to me. Quinoa was an ok substitute for rice and it's rich in Protein which you will need post-surgery. But for me it's still didn't have the right consistency too actually 100% replace rice for me. So I guess that's why I never really fully embraced it as a rice replacement if you will. But there have been others on here that had made the transition from rice to quinoa and haven't looked back. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Also to add, every one is different, our bodies react to surgery and weight loss and gains differently. As long as you are losing and continuing to get healthier in your journey then that is all that really matters. If its a pound on month or 10lbs in a month, as long as its pound(s) that habe no chance in coming back, then Celebrate. Because you are doing the right thing, and believe it or not you are moving forward. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

At 3 months about 60/65lbs, around 6 months 115/120lbs and by a year out I was about closer to 175/180lbs gone. Now mind you before I had even had the surgery I spent that summer and fall trying to lose as much weight as I could. Hell on the two week liquid diet phase pre-surgery I lost like almost 60lbs in 14 days(by far the hardest 60lbs I had ever lost). So in May of that year when I decided to have the surgery I was around 525lbs. Got myself down to aorund 490lbs when I started my liquid diet in prep for the VSG. Was at 463lbs when I had the surgery that Dec. And by Mar of the following spring (3 months out) I was in the 360lbs range. I beleive I was fully out of the 300lbs range by Jun/July but would have to go back and look and my post logs to confrim. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Wow you look amazing. Like two totally different people. Congrats on all your hard work.

Oh I still go to the gym. Need to really focus in now before the new year flood of people rushing to the gym starts. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App Also hate how the phone app always post my pictures sideways. It sucks.

Wow you're looking fabulous there madam. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App