Dub

The "Coffee Nazi" (that's what my daughters call me) does this: I HAVE MY COFFEE EVERY MORNING!!!!! I just figure it into my day's menu. That is one thing my Nut. and surgeon knew from the start. We as a team, planned around my daily coffee with half and half. The alternative of me not having my coffee would not be pretty. No. Not pretty at all... We are so on the same page. That is how I proceeded. I knew I had the right surgeon when he said, "Sure you can....I have 2 cups a day....why can't you". I knew right then he was my guy ! Damn.....this sounds like a divine drink. I need this in my life. Morning coffee is almost as good as afternoon margaritas...........

I was leaving work yesterday after a long day. Tired. Ready to get to my vehicle and make the interstate commute home. Was already thinking about my playlist for the ride home. I am a production supervisor in a large manufacturing plant. At one time, I seemed to know everyone there....and know them fairly well. The place has expanded and grown significantly over the years. Lots of new faces. So, I'm walking down the main aisle with my tired mind lost in my thoughts about my music and a couple phone calls I needed to make to arrange some schedule changes. Waving at and speaking briefly with some folks as I walked on by. Nearing the main plant entrance I hear a horn blow and look back and see a dude riding up on his material handling cart. He's a big guy, too. Appears to be fairly tall, young and really, really heavy. He's taking off his work gloves and extending his hand. We introduce ourselves and he said he's seen me around the plant and I'd been losing a large amount of weight and he was simply hoping I'd share how with him. I was straight up with him and gave him a fast rundown of the my sleeve surgery process and how, where, why it unfolded like it did. I was 100% honest with him and broke down the costs and how our insurance was not so great.....covering only 50% of the actual surgery cost, but not the related tests and things that are required. I told him how it was actually significantly cheaper for me to have self funded the deal. Crazy scenario, but true. I urged him to pursue a couple different avenues for finding out further information on how to fund the surgery. He had very specific questions as to what I could eat, what I could take for meds and what I could drink. He wanted to know what days off were like and what working days felt like. We talked for at least 30 minutes and I tried to think of the the things he'd not asked that I could answer, too. He thanked me profusely and I can say that I instantly felt like the last 14 hour workday was erased.....I had recharged my batteries. I felt absolutely great. I can only hope that he'll be able to sort things out and find out the information that he needs to find out to better make his battle plan. So....I'm almost out the main entrance....but then veer on a new course. I stopped off at the nice gym we have at work and spent 30 mins working out before refilling my 30 oz Water bottle and getting in the car for the well hydrated ride home. Life is good. I am grateful for each day....but yesterday was really cool. I looked at this guy and could see in him the same desire to change that I had......the same confusion as to how......and I'm hoping that things will line up for him. I know that our HR department and our benefits are lacking in regards to wls. I need to study up on the various financing options and have this information readily available....contact info and such so I can be better prepared for the next such conversation I have with potential wls candidates. Thanks for reading my ramblings. I hope that today brings another such conversation with someone like this young guy. I hope that each of you have this experience and can feel a sense of calm and relief in the person you are talking to. It is a powerful moment and one that is very rewarding. To date, it's one of the very best NSV's I've had.

It's the little things that really hit home as cool NSV's. Last week.....getting dressed at the gym.....crossed my legs and couldn't believe how easy it was. Now....when I go out to restaurants.....I always request a booth. Last week at work I even sat at one of our booths in the cafeteria. Everyone complains about how small these things are....yet there I was....sitting there and was completely comfortable.

On a daily basis I enjoy the Beans I love.....brewed strong how I enjoy it. I use Splenda and whatever creamer that catches my eye in the grocery store. I go with sugar free creamers or half&half. I sometimes use Fairlife milk as creamer, too. They make some amazing milk !!!

That is great. What an awesome experience.

There are no less than 4 different flavors of Pot Tarts in the food pantry here at the house. Everyone else loves them. I reach past them to get to my Protein powder canisters. Once I eliminated the junk from my diet the cravings for such crap went away. I don't even notice the stuff anymore.

I basically eat the exact same things post-op as I did in my old life..... Except I just eliminate anything with sugar, starch and much lower sodium content. No more beer, either. What's left? Proteins & fats. I get at least 60 grams of Protein in each day and 120oz+ of Water each day.

Diet Snapple K-cups..........lemonade tea version. Grab a large cup and fill with ice.....put it in the Keurig and drop in one of these K-cups and let the magic happen. Calorie free and full of excellent flavor.

Pre-op liquid diet sucks.....no way around it. Lot's of benefits of it, though. You'll feel a sense of pride and gain some self confidence as you get into it.....becoming your own cheerleader sort of thing. "I got this". "Hell yes....I own this". It'll get you rolling along and after the first week.......bigtime scale victory will be noted. Mine fell over a period of 13-14 hour workdays and days off. By far.....by a tremendous margin....the work days were the easiest. I was not distracted and thinking about it.....just spaced out my shakes and drank 57 gallons of Water in between. lol. Don't sweat it unduly. It's just a brief period of time that you'll back o with pride knowing you did something that took you closer to your improved health and better ensured a safe surgery. It's really not so bad.

Ginger Ale sipping while taking the dread meds it is.......now get that thing blasted to hell and back and begin to feel better quickly. I have never experienced kidney stones and hope to never do so. Some of the toughest people I've ever known have told me how bad they are. Feel terrible for you and hope that you get some well deserved relief ASAP.

I waited two months......had a glass of wine. I've always been a beer drinker.....wine is not something I care for. Waited a month or so later to test the waters with vodka & 5 calorie cranberry juice/drink. I will enjoy one of these before going out.....and order mixed drinks with low calorie mixer or simply on the rocks when I am at the bar/club/party. Slow sipper.....mainly nurse the drinks. I didn't have wls and commit to losing this weight so I could avoid having fun. Be cautious as you test the waters and know your limits.

Thank you everyone for your support and extremely kind words. The folks here on this sight have been a secret weapon and source of strength, wisdom and absolute truth at a time in my life where these ideals were scarce. I am a better man for getting to know you all. You have been a sounding board for my thoughts, planning and helped shaped how I felt about my life in general. I am so very grateful for the inspiring people here on Bariatric Pal and their acceptance of my erratic arse. I'm glad I didn't have to walk this walk alone. The harsh realities of being overweight and the toll this takes on health, relationships and capabilities is all but overwhelming. My friends here helped me to see this and to help me embrace weight loss surgery and with refining a strategy that has been working thus far. You've helped me in much deeper ways, too. You've helped me deal with life during & after some initial success with the weight battle. You helped me when this occurred and I found out that even though I was gaining leverage over the source of my frustrations.....it wasn't a cure-all for eroding relationships and years of living as I had. It is almost as if I've been living in a fog for years....now it's gone and I can see with great clarity. Everything isn't perfect and ideal. The wls is certainly a little bit of magic.....but it has a limited sway over the rest of my life. You, my friends, have helped me immensely with gaining insight on the areas left uncured by wls. Thank you so very much. Once I get further along.....maintain at goal for a while.....deal with the excess skin that's surely going to be there....heal and continue on with my progress......yes....I'd very much like to speak on wls for my bariatric center's briefings and seminars. I'd love to share my story with potential patients who are seeking a tool to get the results they are desiring. It would really make me feel good to answer their questions and perhaps alleviate some of their concerns and fears. I don't want to sugarcoat anything, but to simply speak on my own experiences.....good, bad & ugly. I don't begin to know how to thank you. You were there in the very beginning for me. I was a wreck. I didn't know which way was up. Your encouragement and insight was....and continues to be.....highly, highly valued and appreciated. Be proud of what you have personally accomplished and take great pleasure in knowing the guidance you offered was taken to heart by the Leslies, Jessies and Gregs of your world. You were there for us and we are each in better places because of this. Thank you so very much.

Well......you can always wait around and become as bad off as I did a dozen or more years down the road. If I'd have taken action of some substantial and fundamental way at age 33......I would't have found myself feeling old and broke down by my mid 40's. It took finally being wiped out with the fun symptoms of a disc injury that finally, finally got me focused on making a lifestyle change. I went with a sleeve. I have only one regret. One. It is why....why.....why did my stubborn arse not do this much sooner ???? I'm just now able to reflect back and uncover some of the reasons I didn't take that action at 33. Part of it was that I had great self esteem and was very active. 60+ workweeks on average, days spent hunting, golfing, fishing, boating, etc. If something fun popped up on the radar.....count me in. I was there. At some point, however.....the bad eating habits and activity level just failed to be in sync and I failed to reconcile this. I knew how to lose weight and would do so......but discipline was like a switch that was thrown own and off.......and when it was off, wow.....serious pounds would show up. Health issues and recovery from these really narrowed down my fun. Since there was no formal gym time taking place....and the fun outdoors had always been my main source of activity....bad situations occurred. Now I'm starting to get back to where I need to be. The sleeve has been a most powerful tool. I realize now that my health isn't the only benefit I'm seeing. Turns out that I was having serious self esteem issues as well. I was letting myself stay stuck in rut......carved out a pattern of living and was hiding within the confines of this small window of life. Now....I am going through examining everything about my life....it's all on the table. It's all up for negotiation. The unhealthy aspects are being eliminated. I'm finding that change is needed and I no longer fear that change. Some of the changes are small.......some are tremendous and a little bit scary. It's been a great time of self discovery and examination of what I'd like to do to set myself up for the future. Spare yourself the next decade of sliding off into bad habits and unhealthy way of living. I went down that road and paid the price. I was absolutely blessed to be allowed this second chance. I'm not saying to have surgery. Only you can make that decision. Gain the most insight and educate yourself as much as possible before committing to wls. Don't hesitate to make a change, though. Commit to getting healthy and act on this. Put forth the effort in ways that are safe and will give results. If you are not already doing so...then begin frequent exercise and establish a good way of eating. Get these fundamental behaviors in place on your own.......you'll need them if you do decide to have wls....and you'll benefit from them anyway. I wish you the very best and hope that you gain support from your family. They may have to warm up to the idea and be better informed as to what wls surgery is and what it can offer. Seeing you become dedicated to healthy behaviors will certainly help gain their support. You are among friends here, too. This is a very special place with some of the coolest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

It's a longer list than I care to admit. Giving up carbs, in general, is huge for me. Getting active in my gym.......another huge even.

Thanks.......it's just that my meal size currently is tightly limited.....thus the V8 drinks every day. Those and the ton of vitamins I ingest. Grilled veggies are good in my book, too. I actually did some tonight. Didn't eat them yet.....but grilled them for my tribe. I'm sleeved......almost 5 months out. I have used my sleeve to lose a good bit of the unwanted weight....and will continue to lose......and lose.....and level out and maintain. That being said......I did not have wls to become a monk. I did so in order to improve my life. Having a drink every now and again is part of relaxing and being comfortable is important. Prior to surgery, I had this discussion with my surgeon. He said that there was nothing from my former life that I couldn't have, within reason, in my post-op life. He was right. No worries as far as I'm concerned. Throughout history there have been no big developments without the presence of the fairer sex. I'm all about some female intuition and guidance. Without this there can be no progress. I succumbed to this way of thinking a while ago........

The unit of measure that my surgeon has always given me is in terms of 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup or full cup. I'm coming up on my 5th month since surgery. He has me on three 1/2 cup meals of Protein. On gym days he suggested that I perhaps add a fourth meal if needed. He is adamant that I stick with the 1/2 cup meal size and to eat it slowly over the span of 20+ minutes. I now stick to the meal size.....and I certainly eat much slower than I ever have in my life......but truly do need to slow down even more. Way more. I cut off drinking anything about 15 minutes prior to eating and I never resume drinking for well past the recommended 30 minutes. As long as I stick to the 1/2 cup volume I have no problems. If I eat more.....or faster.....or both, then it is not a fun experience. It is an experience that is memorable in a bad way. Very memorable. Three weeks ago my wife drug me out for dinner. I wasn't really feeling like going out....had worked a long night shift, got off that morning and stayed busy most of that day. I did manage to get a 90 minute power nap....hot shower and a cup of coffee before heading out with her. She chose a local steakhouse that was absolutely packed with folks waiting outside. She walked in....came back out in just a minute and took me to an available table. Wow...chic got us seated immediately. The table was in the bar area....very loud bar area. Waiter shows up....she orders a salad and says to wait on putting in her dinner order......I go with a rum drink and instructions to not let it get empty. Hey, when in Rome.... This meal went on forever, it seems. She did the salad thing....then ordered a steak. I think they must have had to go out back and slaughter the cow as it took forever to arrive. The waiter honored my request on the endless rum drinks and I was generally okay with the waiting. I go to the restroom and return and there are a plate full of wings sitting there. Wife said she knew I'd always liked their wings and had taken the liberty of ordering them for me. I slammed down the rest of my drink.....waited about 30 seconds and jumped on a wing....then another. I slowed my roll and eventually did eat 1/2 the order and brought the rest home in a to-go box. I was absolutely miserable. Stuffed to the gills.....painfully so. Exhausted. Getting sleepy from the food after the rum.......and sitting in a ridiculously loud bar area while she agonizingly worked her way through the steak, baked potato and salad. Pure misery. I'll never happen again, brother. Never. Next time we went out was last weekend....different steakhouse. I hate going to steakhouses, too. I'd much rather grill my own and save the money. Anyway......we had better seating (a booth....a tight looking booth....spot that I'd have avoided like the plague before due to being so damn big......slid right into the booth like I owned it) and a better waiter. I rolled along with the rum drinks and enjoyed myself throughout the meal. Very late I did order a 6oz filet and house salad. I had some of the eggs from the salad....and two very small bites from the filet. I took the rest home and made two more meals out of it. I do worry about never eating fruits and vegetables....even though I'm taking Vitamins like crazy. I have recently begun having a V8 every day. I either buy the original, high Fiber version or the spicy hot version. 50 calories that I can certainly justify. I have seen that even at my current limited eating volume that weight loss isn't guaranteed. The "broscience" that is kicked around here that "we can eat virtually anything and lose crazy weight that first year" does not apply to me. I know because I've even had periods where I gained weight. It was 6 weeks back. I'd returned to grazing behaviors. Nuts & cheese and snack crackers and dip. Finishing off leftovers from having house guests stay. Not good. Back on track and the losing resumed. Scary stuff, but it taught me a much needed lesson. I need to do things that keep me active as hell and keep the metabolism elevated. If i don't......not good. This week I've been nursing a tweaked achilles tendon....something new.......I've been watching the scale with fear, too.

Awesome !!!!! The real work actually begins now.....following the pre-op diet. Things are fairly simple and easy after the surgery.....just eat what you are supposed to in the manner you are supposed to. No more....no less. Very simple. No hunger. No real work. Stay on track and enjoy your results.

Great thread.....always makes me grin to read the cool stories in here. Well.....had a NSV myself yesterday. I put on a pair of cargo shorts and shirt and wore 'em out and about on my excursions. The NSV part of this is that I haven't worn shorts outside of the house in years.....years. Oh, and the shirt.....was a size that I didn't think I'd be able to wear until late this coming Summer. It's actually too baggy right now. Fun stuff.

You are far, far from alone. You've found a great place to hang out and bounce thoughts and ideas around with folks that have been where you are. It absolutely sucks to not have family support. That is something that is beyond your span of control. Right now it's time to rally and focus. Don't worry about things that you have no direct control over. Simply take care of the details that you can.....such as getting all your ducks in a row leading up to surgery.....following your eating plan and getting your mind wrapped firmly about the changes that you're making to claim your health. Any type of surgery has risks. I've heard the spiel each time I went under for repairs to my knees, ankle, hernia repairs and etc. Each time I woke up feeling relieved that it was over and all that was left was to heal and recover. I'm a special kind of stupid, though, in that I'm always tearing something up in some misadventure or another. Oh well......having fun has it's risks, too. Nothing is as risky as living at the weight I was last year, though. The Grim Reaper's shadow was creeping over me. Stroke, heart attack or worse was a real threat. Now......nothing could be further from my mind. The sleeve was a gift. The benefits it has delivered have been rolling in ever since. It starts with small things....scale moving in a great direction, clothes getting loose, aches and pains subsiding.......then it leads to other events.......having blood pressure go into normal range, after falling into "low" range briefly....lol at those low bp feels....never before had I experienced it. I was at Best Buy reaching down to get a CD from the lower shelf and I almost.....almost blacked out. It took a huge effort to get upright and breathing. Turns out my bp meds and the 3 week post-sleeve weight loss had joined forces bigtime. Funny stuff. I will wager this for you...........Those unsupportive folks will change their tune once they see your resolve. They will see that you aren't waiting around for a miracle, but taking steps and applying your effort and focus to make this happen. They can't help but be impressed by your dedication and work. It takes dedication and effort on your part of the sleeve to work. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The stuff about being able to eat anything the first year and still lose lots of weight is bullcrap. It may apply to some.....but not to everyone. Eating the right foods is the crucial part for me. Sugars and starches will cause my losing to stop and weight gain to occur. I know this because I've had it happen last month. No.....losing weight takes effort on your part.....with or without wls. Once your family sees you putting forth this effort every single day.....and your weight coming off......they will most likely come around to supporting you. Don't hold your breath, though......just do your thing. Get healthy and reap the benefits of getting there. You'll find your stride and never look back. I have nothing but respect for you making this change. You are young and have a great life waiting for you. Don't sweat the pre-op diet and post-op first weeks......simply stick with the plan and work through it. It's a brief phase and you'll get on to losing very quickly if you stick with it. Go buy a full length mirror and get ready to see the progress....take lots of pictures along the way so you'll never forget what happens if you don't stay with the plan......and then look back and see how far you came and how good you feel. You've got this. Your new life is waiting......

Excellent thread topic. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses. I'm far, far away from maintenance mode....but it sure is cool to think about it. I have tremendous respect for you both and for the others that will be replying and sharing their secrets to success. Good stuff to contemplate this glorious sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand.

One of my favorites is to by some Haas avocados, red onion, tomato, cilantro and limes. Slice, dice and mix with a bit of S&P and enjoy the guacamole that results. Love this stuff.

I stayed on Protein shakes for 4 weeks and was glad to avoid the "mashed potatoes" phase. I know that slider foods would be a temptation issue. So glad I avoided them. Now....I'm at 4.5 months and my surgeon has me on 3-4 meals a day.....each consisting of 1/2 cup of food. "Food" for me is defined as chicken breast, tuna, salmon, steak, sandwich meat & cheese, nuts and other high protein foods.

Quest chips are good to go in my book ! If you really wanna make 'em great.........mix up a fresh batch of guacamole and a pitcher of skinny margaritas and let the good times roll. FWIW......it takes some exceptional music....at least an album's worth to slice, dice and stir a proper batch of guacamole......thirsty work. A pitcher of skinny 'ritas should suffice for said efforts. All that is required is a bag of Quest chip goodness and somebody to enjoy them with.

Great thread !!!!