Dub

Taken the day before my October 2015 surgery: Take a week or so ago....at the 6 month point:

Never been a big gum chewer. I did use it wen I was quitting smoking many years ago.....it helped then. Now.....I have mints or even the mint flavored chewable Vitamins.

She sounds like a petty childish pain in the arse who isn't worth the time of day. Who says stuff like that? She needs to get a life.

Oh......it will work. It will most certainly work wonders if you allow it to. All it takes is a desire and some effort on your part and it happens. Listen carefully to your surgeon and follow their guidelines and you will profit tremendously.

Has anyone received instructions how to avoid this ? I can't figure out how to correct avi pic downloads......they general come in sideways or upside down. Could use some help if you know how.

Not a stupid idea at all. I'd only warn that the pre-op two weeks can seem to last forever......I'd most likely live normal this weekend and then do the all liquid two-day at some point during your two week countdown. Congrats on your upcoming surgery. Best decision I've made in decades.

I'm still at the stage where I'm trying to lose weight at a high rate. Avoiding stuff like bananas and Peanut Butter at the moment. Last night's dinner is how I've been rolling....mostly all Protein and fat. Grilled tuna & lobster with teriyaki, butter and wasabi.

The first month is tough. You are getting shed of the surgical inflammation and Fluid retention. You WILL lose much unwanted weight. Your choice of foods that you eat will seriously determine what kind of weight you lose.....high Protein.....low carb.....will spare muscle and help you to burn fat and burn it a rate that will amaze you. The pre-op diet and the first month after are the hardest parts. Somewhere around 8 weeks out I began to feel like a new man.........and every day since. Relax......take deep breaths......you are headed for great places. Relax.

Sure feels good to get away from 6XL shirts.

Heck yes!!!! You'll be singing, no doubt about it. Just don't do as I did last month.........in a strange bar.......in a strange town.......standing on stage with a mic in my hand.........my song gets que'd....,.and kill off the shot and chaser and let it ride....... For the record.......I have zero singing skills and would never be caught dead doing such.........but I was having great fun that week. It was a great week in every way. A week where I was free and realized it. Free of a good bit of the weight......and free of the old mindset. Responsible bar hopping was enjoyed and I was at peace. Suffice to say I won't be picking up any mica anytime soon, but that mojo which came to me that week is here to stay. I wish the same for all us WLS folks.

Oh.....trust & believe you will get to that point.....and get there sooner than you may ever believed. If my arse can do it.....anybody can. I was a freaking broke down and tired dude at the time of my surgery. Back was on freaking fire from an injury and knees were shot. Hernia about to explode out of my belly like something from an alien horror movie, too. 6 months later and I feel like a new person in every way.......a new person who still has a long, long way to go, but very happy that I had the sleeve surgery. Trust & believe. You will have so many great moments ahead where you'll see the scale or the mirror or find some newfound ability-capability and you'll bust out in the biggest grin. Sleeve surgery = best decision I've made in a long, long time.

It is a most unique place. First time I went there I was all about golf. Loved the game and enjoyed watching the pros on television. That all changed when I stepped out onto the grounds of The National. The beauty of the place simply blew me away. It is immaculate in it's perfection.....grass, trees, sands, gently rolling elevation changes......a gorgeous piece of real estate. Now that I no longer really have interests in golf....I still enjoy getting out there and walking the course. Everything seems to bloom right on time every year in early April. It's our best weather month here, in my opinion.

@@Womanvsmirror You nailed it on the scale variations. Back in the beginning of my bariatric process in June 2015, I shopped around online and bought the "big boy" model. It was the first talking scale I've ever owned, too. Grrrrrrrrrrr. Used to hate hoping on that thing and hearing it proclaim the big numbers so loudly. Has no volume knob, either. Good thing it doesn't have volume control.....'cause there are days now where I'd crank that thang up way too loud and proud. I have another set, too. It routinely weighs me 3-5 pounds less than the Big Boy scale does. The scale can give you the same number for days on end......yet you KNOW there is work being done in your body. It certainly isn't the only metric, but it's on that cling to. I weigh almost every day after waking up. Can't help it. I need to see that number. It helps keep me focused on my behaviors and the overall impact to my goals. As stated before......there have been times when scale didn't move for a week.....yet I'd have to use new holes on my belt. It's a strange dynamic that's at play in our post sleeved effort..... Some only weigh every so often. I gotta get my scale fix daily. Right or wrong.....doesn't matter to me....hoping up on there makes me feel good. @@Womanvsmirror You nailed it on the scale variations. Back in the beginning of my bariatric process in June 2015, I shopped around online and bought the "big boy" model. It was the first talking scale I've ever owned, too. Grrrrrrrrrrr. Used to hate hoping on that thing and hearing it proclaim the big numbers so loudly. Has no volume knob, either. Good thing it doesn't have volume control.....'cause there are days now where I'd crank that thang up way too loud and proud. I have another set, too. It routinely weighs me 3-5 pounds less than the Big Boy scale does. The scale can give you the same number for days on end......yet you KNOW there is work being done in your body. It certainly isn't the only metric, but it's on that cling to. I weigh almost every day after waking up. Can't help it. I need to see that number. It helps keep me focused on my behaviors and the overall impact to my goals. As stated before......there have been times when scale didn't move for a week.....yet I'd have to use new holes on my belt. It's a strange dynamic that's at play in our post sleeved effort..... Some only weigh every so often. I gotta get my scale fix daily. Right or wrong.....doesn't matter to me....hoping up on there makes me feel good.

@@Womanvsmirror I used to hate having my picture taken....avoided it like the plague. I took my "before" shots to post in my profile pics here. Took them the afternoon prior to my October 2015 sleeve surgery. Nothing interesting.....just a couple candid pics of guy who was ready to change his life by getting healthy. Now.....I have no aversion to the camera and roll along with whatever friends, family or work folks wanna do as far as photo ops are concerned. Still don't have anything really cool taken. I went on vacation during The Masters this year and didn't get the chance to get out there on the course and have some cool pics taken there. I no longer fool around with golf, but I love the beauty of Augusta National and enjoy walking the grounds during the practice rounds.

Last minute advice? Relax.......its gonna go smoothly. Plenty of room on the Loser's Bench......come claim your spot.

I really don't have Snacks any more. Three meals and I'm done. coffee and Water are the snacks.

Very impressive.

Interesting chart. Thanks for posting it.

Awesome !!!!!!!!

My doc is firm on me staying with chewables. He said he doubts the pills get a proper chance to digest in my sleeve. I don't know.....I can say that they don't turn my urine the neon colors they used to when I was pre-op. Maybe he's right. There are a wide range of flavors of chewable Vitamins. Some taste like hell......some are really good. Keep searching and you'll find a good one for you.

I look in the mirror and I see......veins. Lots of 'em. Visible veins that I can see my pulse pumping in. Arms, legs, neck, forehead.......it's like I'm an IV nurses dream patient.....or a vampire's. Six months into this and down a few pounds....feels really good. It is great to slip on a pair of jeans that I'd never thought possible....in sizes that I haven't worn since I was 17 years old. I'm on the very last hole on my favorite belt........ Onward and downward.

Well......Game of Thrones Season 6 is back.....whew.....the title of the first episode must have been......Nobody comes out unscathed......or something like that.

It was way more easy post op for me. No hunger then and still no hunger at six months.

So.........the Premier Protein doesn't clump up in hot coffee? That sounds like a great solution. No downside. We get our coffee and simply cur it with our needed protein. Gonna try this soon.

Every visit has been with my surgeon. He almost always has a cadre of new medical students along with him but he's always been who I've seen. I've never had any follow up appointment with the center's nutritionists. I had an appointment, but she was unable to keep it due to her vacation. We were to have a phone appointment next....which she didn't keep. Basically the only face to face with her was on the initial pre-op group class I had with her. It's all good, though.....the surgeon has been very specific of my portion size the type of food to eat. There's not a hell of a lot I'd likely get from the nutritionist. lol. She does stay active on our center's private Facebook page for patients.