Dub

I'd post me at my worst as my avi pic......but there's no way all that flab would fit within the confines of the tiny avi pic spot. That's why I put it in my profile pics. Fat, tired, hurting and about broke down......just 8 months ago. No flattering angles....just a front and side pics of a guy who was ready to break free from that and reclaim his health and activity level. Now......life is much improved. I can't even begin to imagine how much better it gets by Summer 2017. Yup.....everyone please keep the faith and stick to your plans. You will be so glad you did. Life gets so much more fun and easy when the pounds melt away.

I've tried all the Chike flavors and can recommend each of them with high levels of confidence that you'll probably like them. The absolute worst powder I ever tried is unjury strawberry. I thought I was going to hurl every time I tried it. Into the trash the can went. Never again.

I read this initial post......and thought you were joking with us. So......I laughed....thinking that you really served that one up good and would get several bites. You did and you did. Then I see the joke is actually on me in that.......you really did this. You aren't kidding around. At 12 days with a healing stomach that has been 85% removed and sutured......you went all in. You did what we all wanted to do but were scared. Not sure if this makes you a hero or just insanely brave, but in either case I'd suggest sticking with the shakes and Water until you can meet face to face with your surgeon, NUT and the person who did your psyche evaluation. You really need some understanding that each of these three can provide. Your safety and future wls effectiveness are at stake. I'm not trying to be a jerk.......but seriously......proceed with caution. You are in healing mode right now.

http://doubleshot.com/drinks.html#protein-dark-chocolate I'll not fool with them again until I'm safely at maintenance level with my weight. Way too much sugar for my goals now. Tasty, though.

First off.......you have rocked the band and done a hell of job in utilizing it to get excellent results........and have lived with those results....through what life has thrown your way. I have huge respect for you in this. You haven't trumped up excuses to hide behind. You've ceased the opportunity and have truly kicked ass. It takes just a few minutes reading around here, at other wls sites or in the two support group meetings that I've attended to find many who simply didn't get their minds wrapped around it before having the wls. I'll likely never go back to another of those support group meetings. It was draining and filled with anything but motivation.....but a gathering of sympathy and validation of bad habits. I suspect those that are successful are busy getting on with their lives and moving into new stages of healthy living.....and posting less or not in attendance at the various support experiences. Maybe I'll reach that point one day....where I'm no longer thinking in terms of being "on a diet". I'll be just living and thriving and not thinking about the bariatric aspects so much. I sure would hate to have to fact my surgeon in a future meeting.......where I'm sitting across from him with a sob story about how I ate around my sleeve. He is very, very clear during all the pre op discussions. He doesn't do revisions in cases where it was patient failure. Very clear on this.

@@OutsideMatchInside response struck home. I wish I'd managed my post-op "crazy time" much better. I was very quick to draw conclusions and demand a change......when I should have served myself an extra dose of "shut the hell up" each day and remained steady, calm and centered. The hormone rush and desire to break away from sources of perceived lacking fulfillment would have been best tempered with more careful planning out an overall 3-6-12 month plan and adhering to this. The plan would include basics: goals, food consumption measurement, exercise planning, budget for new clothes and new activities.....etc....etc. I don't regret any of my actions, but I do think that I would have been better served by thinking long and hard before I acted. It was like I relived my teenage years all over again.....but in fast forward. In summary, wisdom has come well after the fact and consideration of the impact your actions will have on others should be thought long and hard over. Moving forward now out of my teenager years.....and into my second go'round at 20'something again.

Those little canned sugar bombs ???? They do taste great but have a high amount of sugar. Be warned.

Don't accept the stall. Don't accept it one bit. You gave a solid gameplan in your opening post. If you do those things....you will break through.

Think of it at a gut check in the sense of it being a hurdle to get past. If you can't muster the willpower to get through the brief pre op diet.....are you truly ready for the surgery itself? It's not that bad.

I took three weeks off with an abdominal hernia repair at time of VSG

Stick with it and drink plenty Water. It gets easier.

8 months ago was 60" waist and 6x shirts. Now wearing 42" waist and 2x shirts.

People find a way to afford the costs of having plastic surgery each and every day. I'm not worried about loose skin.

8th month post op and I'm very glad I acted on the decision to have the sleeve surgery done. Getting rid of a big chunk of the unwanted weight has left me feeling so much better. I've certainly not faced all the challenges in a great way, but I've been able to stumble my way through it up to this point. I've lost over 190 lbs of the 230-ish lbs I want to lose. I think I'll be there by the one year mark. You have to overlook a lot if the negative posts you see. Most of them are simply folks griping about a specific hurdle they are trying to get over. They are probably pleased overall.

You are investing in your health all along. Someone that takes action to improve their health and takes care of themself is certainly going to be helpful to finding happiness.

Did you have an expectation of experiencing dumping with the VSG surgery ?

I chew sugar free gum all the time. I simply don't see a risk.

Congrats to all the smokers who have taken action to quit. I've lost track of how long I've not smoked.....12 years....15 years? Not sure. I do remember how I felt progressively better each week that I was smoke free and that it became easier as time passed.

Perhaps you'd better read up on everything from much more reliable sources of information.

Cranberry sauce, Jello and pudding. Used to like 'em all.........now, though....won't touch them with a ten foot pole. Disgusted by them.

Guys in NCAA Football and the NFL would go apshyt over gaining 10 lbs of muscle in a year.........

This link has nothing to do with anything in this thread other than "snowflake" reminding me of a cool movie.......

no rushing, @@Dub too easy to hurt yourself that way! True dat !!! I tend to break down on form....the very thing BigViffer is trying to demonstrate for his bride.....when I rush. That sounds like an ideal gym. I'm wishing that was the case with mine.

See, that is the one thing that will bother me the most. I definitely don't want to be seen as the poser that hangs in the gym for vanity's sake. However, I believe most of the people in my gym would see it for what it is intended. But that thought would be in the back of my head for sure. I doubt very seriously anyone is gonna think you are a poser. You've got the muscle credentials to prove them wrong. I was merely thinking of the impatient denizens who are working through the sets and ready to jump on the gear. My local gym has grown to a membership level that, in my opinion, far exceeds it's capacity. It takes forever to get a session in sometimes. I guess I tend to have a low tolerance for things that impede my old man routine as I'm going through my session. It's funny.....took me years to get my butt back into the gym....and now I rush when I'm there.

Well said @@jintycb Well said. I agree, completely. I think that timing and acceptance has a lot to do with some of the basic and oft repeated questions. I think these are factors as much as laziness is. I remember the workshops and classes I attended during my pre-op checklist. There were some really lively and heated discussions among the groups over base level stuff when it was presented. It was obvious that some simply were not ready to accept the changes and effort that was being asked of us. Later on.....after some time has passed......things get real and the questions resurface and get asked here. Over and over again.......... It's all good, though. When it ceases to be....I'll just scale back my coming here.