fernandfj

I'm a big fan of Fage 0% with fruit. It's tasty and has lots of Protein. You could also have Fage o% plain and add a mix of nuts and splenda.

We share the same surgery date and I 'd like to congratulate you on your achievement. You know how hard you have worked and the results show it. Don't fret about what others who are ignorant of what you have been through might say. You did this for you and you have done great.

Just over fIve months post op, down 107 lbs. WOHOO!!

Excellent news on dropping the meds! Leaving meds behind and just feeling so much better physically are wonderful NSVs! Dropping clothing sizes, while getting expensive, is also surprisingly fulfilling!

This is my go to thread for encouragement! Great job everyone and I wish everyone even more success in 2016!

Congrats! Keep up the hard work and that goal is yours!

@@CowgirlJane, good luck in fulfilling those goals!! My aim in 2016 is to get to goal and maintain while adapting to my new lifestyle featuring healthy eating and exercise. We are also expecting our first grandchild and I hope to be healthy enough to play with them! I also want to find peace and calm after going through a few troubling years of personal and professional anguish. These past few months have put me in a position to make these goals achievable, and I am most thankful for that!

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I will talk to my DOC about getting my hormone levels checked ASAP and will up my Water intake (a detox won;t hurt either!). I am most hopeful that I will work through this and get back to balance! Thanks again for the advice and support!

My family really opened up yesterday about how rough the transition since surgery has been for them. Bottom line, the last few months I have been a royal pain in the butt to live with. I seem to be permanently seething. I don't blow up, I just seem to hate everything happening and never am happy with anything. My responses are sharp and I seem to have completely lost my sense of humor. Worst of all, I didn't really see it. But when my wife and son laid things out by chapter and verse, it was pretty clear. It also turns out that all my friends have been asking my wife about my irritability. I know that many speak about the excess testosterone form the fat melt off and its effects, but how do you deal with it? I love my family dearly, and I know that things must have gotten really bad for them to raise the issue. I am making an appointment with a therapist to discuss this, but any tips on what I could do from those who have passed through this would be very much appreciated!

Wow, this thread is a god send. I'm in the same boat - I only recently (YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) internalized the changes that have taken place physically since my July surgery. I looked at a picture at the beach taken two years ago and one taken last week and I did not recognize the guy in the second picture. My wife must have thought I was going nuts because I just kept staring at the two pics side by side on my tablet. I've lost over 100 lbs but I never really saw it until yesterday. I still saw myself as the same guy I was before my surgery. Conversely, when I was so much bigger, I didn't see myself as that big, either. It was only when I saw the pictures from my son's wedding in late 2014 that I realized how large I had gotten. I am hoping that I will now begin to really see the changes that have taken place!

@@Dub - your cook out pictures rule!

All I can say is.. BELIEVE!!!!! I know I doubted how far I could go when I had my surgery five months ago and I am constantly amazed by what I have been able to achieve so far. I've stuck to the program and lost a bit over 100 lbs in five months. More importantly, I feel better than I have in years. No more pain and no more meds! I feel like a brand new person. You get as much out of this whole process as you put in, so just stick with what your doc and nutritionist tell you, get in your Water and Protein and the positive results will come.

I'm five months out as well and like you have been really limiting my intake. My NUT says that sweet potatoes at this stage are OK, although only after Protein. I haven't tried them yet, however. I am slowly starting to expand my food repertoire as I really am getting tired of a a very limited range of foods so far (made even more limited by my sensitivity to lots of foods post surgery). It's worked well and I am happy with my results, but I know that in order to be successful further on, I will need to expand the types of food what I am eating. Good luck!

What a marvelous and thoughtful post. You have achieved so much and I aspire to have your attitude when I am two or three years down the road. Thanks for inspiring us and showing s how it should be done! I pray your hopes for 2016 to be even more fulfilling than 2015 comes true for all of us!

Congratulations on all you have achieved and overcome! Thanks so much for sharing - your words are inspiring and helpful to those of us who are much newer in the game. Your words make it clear how far we all have to travel travel on this journey. Good luck in reaching your goal n 2016 and sorting out the remaining issues!

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and insights! Congrats on being nine months out and on your determination and self awareness. Having those qualities is a key to succeeding. I am still in the free fall stage, but I am worried about what will happen when maintenance comes and when my picky sleeve starts tolerating more and more foods. We will all eventually have lapses - we are human, after all! What makes the difference between a lapse and a course change is attitude. And your attitude seems to indicate that you will get right back on course. Good luck and keep us posted!

It's IV weight gain - don't fret. Most surgeons load you up with IV liquids after surgery to make sure you are hydrated, knowing that getting in liquids the first 48-72 hours after surgery can be difficult. Stick with the recommendations given you for Protein and Water and the weight will right itself. This is a long process and you will lose your weight at the rate your body dictates - no faster or slower. You will be OK!

So, it's Christmas eve. AT this time of year, I send more time reviewing what happened over the past twelve months. It's been an incredible journey for me, going from really being depressed about my state of health to beyond hopeful after dropping over 100 lbs. No present is better than what I have given myself with the surgery and the work afterwards - a brighter, healthier future. I;m very happy and thankful for that. I also seem to be getting over the testosterone rage from all the testosterone flooding my system after the fat loss. The past few weeks I have calmed down,and I thank God my wife had the patience to ride out this storm with me. Now I look forward to what will come in 2016 and beyond. I will look at my family this Christmas and be thankful that I will be around longer to enjoy them. What a great gift! I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a bright and joyous, and much lighter, 2016!

I know exactly how you feel! I finally had to stop myself from looking at other;s stats and focusing on how far I've come. Also, the suggestion above about NSVs is dead on. The numbers don't mean as much as dropping 14 pant sizes and 4 shirt sizes! That is an incredible accomplishment. Even more impressive are the health benefits you list. You are kicking butt, my friend!

CONGRATS!!! It's an amazing feeling to see those waist numbers shrink! The other day I looked in the mirror and for the first time in years my chest was actually bigger than my gut!

The first week or two is not easy. Your body is sore, you are weak from getting used to lower calories, and you are uncertain about what will happen. Stick to the program, get in your Protein and Water, and just wait - positive results will come. You are in for a life long marathon, not a sprint, so just take it slow and easy. It will get much, much better!

I was sleeved five months ago and if I eat too quickly, too much or something too fatty, the slime comes. If it goes on for too long, you lose you food as well. It only happens a few times however, as you quickly learn what to do and how much to eat. I've learned to sample new food and if no reaction happens within about ten to fifteen minutes, I know I can eat it. I have also learned to eat slowly and to stop eating before I reach my max capacity.

Almost 5 months out, feeling great and 101 lbs down! Before - 350 lbs. Nov 2014 After - Dec 2015 250 lbs.

I have been using the Now Foods whey Protein isolate available on Amazon. I found it when searching for unflavored Proteins. It mixes well in my morning smoothies and is cheaper than many unflavored alternatives.

That is incredible! Congrats on a wonderful achievement and for paving the way for those of us behind you!