fernandfj

@@Dub - great post! How do you post pictures!

What an inspiration thread! Congrats to everyone for the great success and God Speed for the future I am a week short of five months out form my surgery and my life has changed. I can move, I am off meds. I feel better than I have in years. I am down from a 50 waist to a 38; 2XL (snug) to L (fits loose) in shirts; 100 lbs overall! The journey has had its ups and down, and I am blessed to be supported by a wonderful and (very tolerant) wife! It has been so worth everything! here go the pics: Before - Nov 2014, 350+ lbs Dec 2015 - 247 lbs

I questioned what I had done the first few days, but as the weight came off and I felt better, the regret ended. Now at almost 5 months out and 100 lbs down, I know it was the wisest decision I ever made regarding my health!

Hard to believe it's almost been twenty weeks since my surgery and I am down 99.2 lbs from my high weight prior to the pre-op diet! I am having a hard time with food, as more and more things seem to upset my stomach. I still do best with rare and raw meats, but how much carpaccio and sashimi can you eat before you can't stand it anymore? I even purchased a meat grinder to start grinding my own fresh meat to make raw kibbeh and beef tartare! I know many find the thought of raw beef overwhelming but it sits best n my stomach and any day I can avoid returning my food is a victory. My surgeon says that this stage will last a month or two more, and I can't wait until I can eat a greater variety of things. Lots of NSVs the past few weeks. I have dropped over 10 inches in pants waist sizes and I'm now using L shirts and they fit loosely! I get pulled aside at work all the time by people telling me how great I look after the weight loss. I did this to be healthy again, but the positive reinforcement is wonderful! I am having trouble however keeping up with my exercises. I have gone from 7 days a week to 3 but I've added strength training with resistance bands in addition to my cardio work out. I actually feel guilty when I go two or three days without exercise! Now I just need to turn my guilt to action and get back to a good exercise rhythm. I also can't shake my compulsion to weigh daily. I am dutifully recording what I eat on myfitnesspal.com and that seems to ease my obsession with weight and I recently went away for a week and did not weigh myself but right after I came back I'm at it again daily!☹️ Life is good right now and I am still really happy I did this. My wife remains my biggest fan and supporter and I know that I could not have come as far as I have without her! Tomorrow I have my monthly check in with my nutritionist and we'll see how that goes. She is co concerned that my weight loss is too fast and I may be losing more muscle mass than she'd like. We'll see what she says tomorrow. I am happy with the weight loss and know that I am in better shape now than I have been in many years.

I've been drinking decaf since about three months out, but only sporadically. It hasn't been a problem. But as in so many things it depends on the individual. Your always better off talking to your surgeon and nutritionist to get their input and then make an informed decision to try or not. Good luck!

congratulations! You're doing great!!!!!

BCBS is difficult to deal with - at least it was for me. I submitted alt the necessary information per their brochure. I was then asked for more information and when I questioned it they said they would review again. It took a month, but then they turned around and approved (It was the federal BCBS program). It's so confusing that you have no idea what is needed - which I think is the plan all along. I stuck with it and prevailed, but it was not easy and frustrating.

AMAZING!!! Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration!

My wife has been my biggest support and fan throughout the process. My weight has yo-yo'd throughout our marriage and she has always worried about my health. We pledged that we would do what was necessary to be with each other into old age, and I dropped the ball the last few years as my weight ballooned. She stuck with me, and I think she is happier about my weight loss and lifestyle changes than I am! I could not have come as far as I have without her. I am blessed that my marriage has always been strong and loving, and we have been through a lot and always emerged stronger. My undertaking the surgery and making the lifestyle changes has demonstrated my commitment to a better, more active life for us in the future and that has strengthened us even more. It is important to realize that the dramatic changes that come as a result of WLS will affect everything and everyone around you. If you embrace that change it can be transformative.

Congrats!!! I guess it takes our brains a while to catch up to what we have done. But it's good to enjoy what you have achieved and how you got there. I understand where you are coming from, however. I look in the mirror and I recognize that I have lost weight, but I feel I have a long way to go. My wife and doc can't understand how I don't see my progress. I do, it's just that I also have a goal in mind and that is what I am striving for. Congrats on how very far you have come and good luck in achieving your goal!

Allen, congrats on taking the steps to make the best informed decision you can. I have learned quite a bit on this site and have found much sage advice worth following. One of my biggest lessons is learning about others' experiences and seeing if it applies. So, let me tell you a bit of my story - I am now about four months out from surgery and thought about it for a while beforehand. For me the final straw was when I started having serious mobility issues. I could live (and had been living) with the high blood pressure and sleep apnea, but my size started interfering seriously with my quality of life. All possible solutions always began with, first you have to lose some weight, then... After researching options with local docs, I opted for a sleeve. It has not been easy - no one who ever called it the easy way out could have possibly been through it! As many have mentioned, you have to change your lifestyle permanently. But the benefits are incredible. In four months, I con longer have high BP, and I no longer use a CPAP. I am walking, running, moving freely - no mobility issues at all. I fit in things I couldn't before. I am not limited by my fear of what I can or cannot do physically. It's a new life. There have been negatives and it isn't easy, but the upside so far outweighs any downside by far. If you are committed to the change, it will come. Use the knowledge you can find here to inform yourself and I wish you luck whatever decision you make!

I'm a bit over 70 lbs down from the surgery (July 29) and about 87 lbs overall since the pre-op liquid diet. I haven't had a real stall in that time, although I sometimes go a three or four days with no loss. I am averaging about 900-1000 calories per day and 100-110 gms of Protein and 60-80 gms of carbs daily. That amount of food fills me up all day and I feel no hunger - I don;t thin I can do more ta this time even if I tried! I do 30 min cardio 5x per week and strength training every other day. So far it all seems to be working. but I am waiting for that first stall to really hit.

Thanks for sharing your story and providing a much appreciated perspective from over a year out. I lived in Angola for two years near my peak weight of almost 350 lbs. and I lived many of the quizzical looks you mentioned. I wish you continued success in your WLS journey and your professional endeavors!

I've tried alternative procedures to tighten my skin (cold laser, radio frequency and cavitation) and they have helped especially around the belly. My little flap isn't a flap anymore at least. I opted for this because a plastic surgeon I trust told me that he would be unwilling to operate until I was a year out from my weight stabilizing. Sine I am only four months post op I thought I'd try something different and early on.

Thanks for the perspective I've from the other side. It's great to hear from people two plus years out to know what's in store if we stick with it!

I'm 3.5 months out from surgery and my weight loss progresses although it is slowing down. I am down 82 lbs from my high weight and 66 since surgery. I am feeling great and I have dropped from a 50 to a 42 waist and from XXXL to L in shirts. I am really happy with my results so far! My eating has been a problem. however. I have discovered some really good items in the store here that I am eating an awful lot of - the soups and protein cereals. I am having a hard time digesting cooked meats, and once a week on average the meal comes back up. The protein cereal in particular goes down real smooth and feels wonderful in my gut. I have slowed down my eating and taken ever smaller bites but it hasn't helped. I know its not that I ate too much or too fast as the problem usually occurs about 1 hour after eating when I just can't seem to digest something. I get hiccups, then I start salivating so much that I can't talk because my mouth fills up. After about 30-45 minutes of this, the food usually comes up. I've told my doc and nutritionist and they say that this can happen and all I can do is power past it and note what causes the problem. They suggested searching for alternatives, hence my new found love of protein based cereals! It's strange, I seem to be more fixated on food than ever, but not on quantity. My worry is whether or not something new will stay down. I seem to do much better with raw foods (sashimi, carpaccio, kibben nayeh) but I am started to get tired of raw stuff. I also have such a small capacity in my stomach (maybe 3 oz) that I fill up with my protein and barely get to the veggies. HOWEVER. IT IS WORTH IT!!!! I haven't felt this good in years and I am off all my meds and my CPAP! The only thing I take is omeprazol and my vitamins! I really enjoy being able to get up and move around without pain. It's wonderful to walk up a flight of stairs and not feel like my heart will beat so hard it will pop out of my chest. Getting the surgery was definitely the best thing I did for myself in quite some time!

Thanks for sharing your story and inspiring those of us earlier on the journey. What you say is dead on, especially about owning the process. Congratulations on a year of great success and a new life!

I found this recipe online and found it really tasty: http://www.maureenabood.com/2011/09/21/kibbeh-nayeh-the-raw-truth/ A Lebanese friend also gave us a great tip. If you have any raw kibbeh left over, just grill on both sides on a non-sticks pan with no oil. It's really good and not fried!!

Everyone's system is different, but kibbeh nayeh (raw kibbeh) is one of the few meat dishes I tolerate well. I eat it about once a week and haven't had any problems. My weight loss has been going at a nice steady clip and my surgeon told me that it was ok so long as I had a small portion (no more than 3 oz).

This is just one more example of how strong you are. You are on the right path. God Speed.

Happy Birthday! Enjoy the day!

I was operated 7-29 and get stalls of a week or so regularly. My doc and nutritionist tell me its normal. While the weight loss stops, I keep on getting smaller, so something is working! Just keep with the Protein and Water and the weight will keep coming off!

That's a very fair question to ask, but risk tolerance is very personal. I am 3 months post surgery today (yeah!!!!) and I can tell you that I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Prior to surgery, I was having serious problems with basic mobility. Getting up from a chair was a hassle, and I dreaded having to pick up whatever I dropped. My back hurt all the time and my knees made walking uncomfortable. My weight had yo-yo'd for decades,and the last few years only went up. I used a CPAP every night and had high blood pressure. Three months later, and my blood pressure is normal. I no longer need the CPAP, I am exercising every day and i feel more alive and energetic than I did in my 20's! Have there been tough times, yes, but the way I feel is worth the effort. I had surgery because I felt my body was winding down and I needed to take control. This is serious surgery and you have to be prepared to put in the work; to fundamentally change how you deal with food and with exercise. I advise anyone thinking about this surgery to carefully weigh whether or not they are willing to make the necessary adjustments in the way they eat and work as hard as needed to make this work. Good luck in your decision!

Congratulations! Excellent job!

I was just cleared for more solid foods about 3 weeks out and had a tuna tartare appetizer. That meal, plus subsequent tuna sashimi and carpaccio meals showed me that I could tolerate raw meats and fish far better than cooked! I am still eating exclusively from the appetizer menu!