VDB

Good on you, paulc! You will thrive with this surgery. You will never regret it.

Lots of fresh limes, no problem, almost 3 mos. post by-pass

Ditto for me, historically weight loss brought on increased libido...always wondered why the wife would start cooking extra caloric after a while

You are very smart to get this done so young. I am 64, wish I had done it a decade ago.

At 11 weeks post op, my body is healing nicely and I am already able to do many things I could not before, including walking. I swim much better, faster, easier. I don't know how old you are, but clearly if you are like others, this will save your life...and make your years more fulfilling. For me diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood fats, edema were going to kill me young....now all gone, all better... you will not regret this.

Trev, way to go. You will never regret it. My gbp has ensured that I will live, that 5 major health problems are gone just 3 months into it....

I would add, in the TMI category, I would like to be able to look down and see my private parts without a belly in the way!!! I also would like to sit on a wooden or metal folding chair without breaking it. After 70# down and almost 3 months, the victories keep coming. I can bend over and weed my garden without getting down on the ground, and when I do get on the ground, I can get up without using something to rise. I actually bought a T-shirt, extra large tall, at JC Penny yesterday, I honestly cannot remember buying a garment in a regular store. Good thread, thanks!

Getting out of a chair! I had to build a platform for my leather chair since it became too big of an effort to get out of. The first thing I did when I hit 50# down was dump the platform. Everyday, I get out of my chair a bit easier.

Major moobs here, but then almost everything was major . Except that, darn. I am almost 70# down and seeing shrinkage finally, the legs, back arms etc all reduced first but the great middle is finally going away. Weight loss is the biggest ingredient, but lots of focus on core development in aerobic swimming and intensive weights etc. is building more muscle.

I found that the restriction on lifting (nothing over 10 pounds for six weeks) was my biggest challenge. I pulled it off ok, I just kept thinking about those very delicate tissues which had been cut and reconnected, and how easy it would be to rupture them, and how ticked my wife would be if I had to go back into surgery.... so I just hired strong 19 year olds to get my heavy lifting and major yard work done....

I have learned that these weeks when I don't lose are part of my weight loss. For some reason, this 80% Protein, 20% good veges and fruit way of eating produces a very non-linear loss. I have adapted to it by keeping my calories around 1200 a day, get my Water and protein grams in; weighing every 10 days; and frankly just relaxing and knowing with this formula I will lose the fat guy who lives on me. I recently did ten days without loss, but then in the next three days dropped a pant size!

Debbie623, thanks, good article and recipes. I really need to vary my Protein more, that is the takeaway from all comments, and schedule my meal times. It is too easy just to not eat! THANKS EVERYONE. JAMES, great suggestions.

Sounds like a plan, you will enjoy the beach much better! When I was finally diagnosed with diabetes (2) I had likely had it for a decade without knowing it. I already had significant neuropathy in my feet, and quickly blew through the typical drugs and was on lots of insulin and four other meds, some debilitating. Now, only a small bit of insulin each morning, and I am maintaining really good blood glucose readings. Whew!

I will be at 11 weeks post by-pass this next week. Good solid weight loss, over 60#. Was hungry through weeks four but now by 11 have almost no hunger pangs, less every week. I have missed a few meals but not many. I get my 80oz of H20 no problem. Still in mushy, mainly eating Protein powder/powdered milk mixed; low fat cheese, cottage cheese, soft cooked poultry, soft cooked pork, white flaky fish, home-made Protein Bars. One of the problems is that I feel no desire to eat protein, even though I force it down and eat an average of 80g a day. Today, I took a protein break and just ate some healthy veges and fruit, trying to see if a break would help with the protein overload. HELP! Don't want to derail an excellent start of this WLS. Any tips from you veteran WLS folks on getting through these blocks? Do you schedule your meals? How much do you vary your types of protein? Thanks!

Sorry about your possible delay -- it is worth the wait, as it is an amazing surgery... you will get all of this behind you!

Madeline, Several things I don't know, such as your age and relative health prior to surgery. I am 64 and had lots of problems, such as diabetes getting worse, etc. I was 180 # overweight, and have read that recovery is tied to initial weight, age, and pre-surgical health. For me, there would have been no way to go on a trip such as you describe at 3 weeks post surgery. I was still sore inside (treated with Tylenol), I was still needing lots of extra sleep, and had just started mushy phase. My digestion was still problematic, frequent bathroom breaks required. However, people are very different, age, health etc. My gut level, though is that it is not realistic to have such a long trip, given what major re-routing of "innards" has occurred. My healing, at 10 weeks post is much better than even two weeks ago. I was able to gently start my aerobic swimming at 6 weeks, but it did make me sore, but now am at 75% workout and maintaining well. Good luck. Thanks, john

Maverick, you are a bit wacko. But, you have lots of company. We have all given food immense power over our lives, our health, even our relationships. This surgery is about taking that power back. I notice we are about the same size, my starting BMI over 50 as well. With just 10 weeks since my bypass, my diabetes is almost gone, off all blood pressure meds, crippling edema gone, much more flexible, blood work great, and almost 70# gone, my BMI down to 43, I can't imagine any favorite food on my addictions list that could even come close to equaling these fantastic results! I have gone through many sizes of jeans -- 54 waist, to 52, to 50, to 48 -- just got into a pair of 46's yesterday, and ordered 44's and 42's so I have them when I get further down the BMI chart.

This does not apply to me since I am retired, but I have a small farm/huge garden/small orchard and I thought I would get right back out, but found that I needed a full month to feel good enough to work.

I also find that clothing size reduction is the most motivating factor around weight loss. I keep smaller jeans hanging in a visible place, knowing that soon I will fit into them. When I do fit, it is a celebration. I only weigh when I wake up and feel like it, usually every two weeks.

B-52, what do you juice in the morning? I have a good juicer but have not used it since the surgery, focusing on protein such as egg whites in the am. Thanks, John

I was openly honest with all comers about the fact that I was going to have surgery. I decided that when weight loss became obvious I would be transparent with those who asked questions, if they were kind people. If they were people with bad info about WLS, I would keep it short or just polite unless they were a**h***s. Now, at almost 11 weeks out and close to 70#, it is becoming noticeable. When they ask about if I lost weight, I just say (after patting my stomach) "I got my internal plumbing redone with WLS", or "Al Roker and I have something in common!". If they want more info, I explain what gastric bypass entails. Today at the public pool where I swim 3x a week, someone who knew I had WLS surgery said "Looking good!". Most (90%) are appropriate. Some of my many relatives got a bit irritating by asking every time they see me (which is almost daily) "How much have you lost?" . Now I just say "Not sure, don't weigh frequently, but feeling healthy!". Most get the idea.

WannaBe -- My psychologist said he rejects about 5%. They also get paid regardless of approval, around here anyway. Most psychologists (I am one of them) would not accept testing tasks if the results and payment were tied together -- that would be viewed as unethical.

No. Day of surgery on

I can understand the worry, but don't! The standardized tests such as the MMPI I filled out simply look for trends about how you think and view life. They also pick up inconsistencies and untruths, so it is important to just be honest. During the interview, it is good to have copies of your previous info given to the Bariatric Clinic, such as your highest weight etc. so you can be consistent. I am a psychologist, have never done this type of assessment for bariatric patients, but having done lots of testing, can tell you this is an important step. Having gone through the surgery, it is important to be ready for it, and if someone were emotionally unstable, the results could be bad and even harmful to the patient. If someone is having the surgery for the wrong reasons, such as that a family member forced them to have it, the testing picks this up.

Surgery on April 21 this year. Ten weeks out now, down 40 in first month, down 28 in second....