craigcu

@@Alex Brecher
Looking pretty GQ. Here's a thought. We need a calendar for 2016 with the men of bariatricpal.

You don't see many pics from guys on style because some of us would like adult giranimals to match clothes together. It's like my style maturity stopped when I gained my weight.. Stuck at about 1990..

vsgann, you are my hero!!!

Hi All, I was sleeved May 19. Minor complications the week of surgery with dehydration and black stool, but resolved with another trip to hospital and haven't been back since. I'm down 66 lbs from surgery date and 86 lbs from program start date (feb 15). Dropped 5 pant sizes, 3 shirt sizes and no longer diabetic or hypertensive. I completed the Couch to 5k training app on my 48th birthday (oct 4) and ran my first full 5k that day. I haven't run that far/that long since 1988 when I was in the marines. It wasn't fast mind you.. but it was all running.
I still have ~85 lbs to goal (but I just hit the halfway point, so major victory there!!). I'm signed up for two 5k races (biggest loser 5k this weekend) and rock N Roll 5k in vegas in novemeber. I don't like to run, but these are small goals that keep me working out.
Yes, food and going out do not hold that same appeal to me either. Its more chore than you would think because I just don't enjoy food like I used to. But I'm ok with that because my kids are becoming more active because I am more active. we look for active activities to do instead of movies, etc. We took our first hikes up here in the northwest, bike rides, etc.
I actually eat 5 - 6 meals a day, targeting 1500 calories, and 90+ grams of Protein. I've stopped the muscle loss and added 7 lbs of muscle my third and fourth month post op (I lost 21 lbs of muscle first two months Post op). Monitoring the muscle loss and growth has become very important and delivers many NSV's. If your not watching those numbers, you should be.
I miss my Vitamins sometimes, I don't get all my Protein in sometimes, I have the occasional carb splurge (usually feel like crap after it), etc. But I don't beat myself up about it either. Working out is still a chore, so nothings gotten easier, I think I am mentally just less resistant to it any more because I have seen the changes to my body and my attitude, and thats worth a lot. No seatbelt extensions needed when flying, can fit into a booth at a restaurant without a struggle.
I wish I had done this 5 - 10 years ago, but we all have to come to this decision point when we can.
I'm going to great wolf lodge with my kids this halloween weekend and while I'll still be self conscious about taking my shirt off in the Water park, I know I won't tip over the raft my kids are in, I know I won't have to worry about the chair in the pool areas breaking beneath me and I know I am doing something about my weight, which many around me can't say. Whenever I see other really obese people around me, its like I wish I hard a card or something to hand them to try and get them to see what could be possible for them. I know thats a crazy thought, but having been on that other side, I wish everyone who had our struggles..
Best to everyone and good luck in hitting your goals...

WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!

I have been taking a probiotic for the last five days and I am THRILLED to say that I have not one

I'VE.GOT.TO.CARRY.MY.ASS.TO.THE.BATHROOM.RIGHT.NOW incident since.

If you aren't taking them, and you regularly have poop emergencies, try them. I am cautiously optimistic, but so far, so good. I think I may be reclaiming my bowels.

Aggie, I'm in Seattle as well and would be glad to discuss more in person or on phone if you want. I used pssc and was very happy. You should switch if you are not comfortable, as this needs to be a long term relationship..
Pm me and be glad to provide any other connections or info from my perspective.. Join the Washington state Bariatrics Facebook group as well..

vsgann, you are my hero!!!

Damn, I was really hoping "this" would clear up when closer to goal.. Gotta be a probiotic fix for this poppy pants issue. Walking my kids to school in the AM has been, err.. problematic>>>>

Yes, the mind is the hardest organ to fix. I wish they had cut into that more than my stomach!! The three week blues are completely normal. Happen to everybody.
Going out to dinner, advice: don't go to your normal restaurants, pick new ones because the old habits and experiences won't be there. Great time to try small new things.
But honestly, it's hard., the surgery was the easy part. But, I'm 5 month post op and ran my first 5k today and down 86 lbs.
You will do this and more.. This too shall pass ( spoiler, the 70 lb stall is much more depressing!!

Yes, the mind is the hardest organ to fix. I wish they had cut into that more than my stomach!! The three week blues are completely normal. Happen to everybody.
Going out to dinner, advice: don't go to your normal restaurants, pick new ones because the old habits and experiences won't be there. Great time to try small new things.
But honestly, it's hard., the surgery was the easy part. But, I'm 5 month post op and ran my first 5k today and down 86 lbs.
You will do this and more.. This too shall pass ( spoiler, the 70 lb stall is much more depressing!!

goto your local Vitamin store and pick up some different singles and pick your flavor. Some Isopure flavors I could not stand, glad I didn't order a case. So flavors were very strong, so I just added Water in my water bottle tonitand it worked fine..

vsgann, you are my hero!!!

vsgann, you are my hero!!!

Aggie, I'm in Seattle as well and would be glad to discuss more in person or on phone if you want. I used pssc and was very happy. You should switch if you are not comfortable, as this needs to be a long term relationship..
Pm me and be glad to provide any other connections or info from my perspective.. Join the Washington state Bariatrics Facebook group as well..

Scars show you have lived and usually are earned. My scars are a badge of honor. I'm fighting the fight and so are you ( so are we all). They will heal and other things will occur, then you won't even think about these again... You will be ok..

As others have said, your feelings are very common in the beginning. I'm almost 2 years out and had regrets for a few months, mostly due to some complications.
However, after a few months I started feeling great and loved all of the changes that accompanied the rapid weight I wanted so badly.
I've been at goal for a year, and I don't think I've ever been happier.
Be patient, follow your Dr's instructions and I'm sure you will have zero regrets in the near future.

Yep, I'm closing in on the two-year mark since my sleeve procedure, and the scale reads 147 pounds this morning. At 5'10", that brings my BMI down to 21.1, and that's a number I could NEVER have imagined after life as a size 5X, tipping the scales at 378 pounds! I'll be 56 years old in April, and I can honestly say that the last time I weighed less than 200lbs was in junior high school. I'm still coming to grips with the ridiculous amount of weight I had carried around all those years, all the abuse my poor body endured...it really is amazing that I am even here to share this experience! So, if any of you readers out there are still hesitant about "taking the plunge", all I can say is DO IT...Do it and don't look back!

People are here for many different reasons. I'm not here to get support. I'm here to read about other people's experiences, to post things that might be helpful to other people, and to have a place to record my weight loss that shows me a cool graph.
One of the major (and most common) errors in thinking regarding an online forum is that people are there for the same reason you are.

Many times, nasty is in the eye of the beholder.

If people want validation for their bad choices, I'm not going to give it.
If people want honest to goodness support for things they are truly struggling with, they've got my support and empathy. And I've given it time and time again.
This is a public forum, not the campus of a liberal arts college. Tact and tone may vary.

I would report the behavior to the hospital administration. If they don't know there is a problem, then they can't fix it.
There is no reason for a medical professional to question a patients personal health decisions.
The hospital I had mine done at has bariatric training for the staff working with the bariatric patients. There is even sensitivity training.
I got very lucky when I had my surgery done- no nasty comments or bad care.... But then again I am one of the hospital administrators so they better not have!!
Sorry this happened to you!
By the way, congratulations on your surgery. Welcome to the losers bench .

Haha! She looks so stinkin cute and innocent, but if you mess with her babies, there will be hell to pay.
Making comments like that when someone is going IN to surgery and just coming out are so inappropriate. Emotions are all over the place and the last thing you need is your caretakers making you feel uncomfortable or causing you to doubt your decision.

Wow, sometimes it I can believe how I'm still surprised how professionals allow their personal opinions to cloud their professionalism.

Before surgery I was 320, surgery day I was 305 and as of Monday I'm 205 ..

It's been 16 weeks and I'm down 100 lbs. I still cannot believe especially when I try on clothe.