Dub

Had a slice of pizza Hut thin crust Supreme a week or so ago. Couldn't finish it. Thought I was going to hurl. Used to love that stuff. Doughs, pastas and breads just don't sit well on my sleeve. Don't miss them, either.

LOL.

Not a requirement, but it is how I approached it. Low carb for the two months leading up to the liquid diet. Getting acclimated to low carb living was a great thing for me. Much easier on the post-op side as a result. It's essentially how I live now with an occasional exception.

Good deal on this morning. So true how the carb heavy stuff is easier to eat. The meats are really something to tackle. My most recent discovery on "bad stuff"......was a single slice of thin crust pizza. It took forever to eat 2/3 of it and I didn't like the way it felt sitting there. No thanks. No desire. I would have bet anyone....any amount of money that I was a pizza-for-life dude a year ago. Funny turn of events.

Excellent thread topic. NUTs should hit the above points firmly in their intro classes. food funerals are only cheating yourself. I stumbled a bit when I thought I was gearing up for bypass. There were things that I knew would be forever off the menu and I indulged in some of them. Closer to my surgery date my surgeon strongly suggested I consider the sleeve. It was what he really felt I should have and I decided to do so. The knowledge that all things in moderation would be the plan down the road made it immediately easier to drop the food funerals.

Outstanding !

That is wild. Maybe you've simply amped up your metabolism to a very high level ?

Thank you. It's powerfully motivating seeing folks reach their goal weight and thrive there as you have done. Pic was taken about a month ago was outside goofing around with my son. It is going to feel great to reach that point where I remind myself to eat more to keep from losing weight. Wild concept to get my mind wrapped around considering it's been the other way for so long.

I took my iPhone and a remote battery back up that was good for 3 charges. I downloaded a book and some movies to it the day before surgery. I didn't want any visitors. I just wanted to get in there and get home and heal up. It was unreal how often nurses, surgeon, hospital staff members and such were in and out of my room. The meds from surgery had me sleepy, yet every few minutes here came someone else in my room. Take some comfortable shoes like Crocs or something that you can slip on/off with ease. You'll be glad you have them while you are walking laps every couple hours.

Absolutely. Clearly you are in a new phase now and need calories to maintain. Can't be going around starving. I get it. Looking forward to reaching that point some day down the road, too.

Surgery was at 9:00am. I was released the next day around 4:30pm. No complaints and no complications. Very smooth and easy process this whole time. Only regret was not doing this sooner.

Just a regular dose.....such as a the standard pre-mix shakes (11 oz size, I think?) or the normal serving size of the powder, Water & ice in a shaker bottle. I'll often make one with more ice than normal.....leave it in my car and sip on it after walking out of the gym. If you are weight training and want to cut down on the muscle soreness.....look for a low carb BCAA powder that mixes well with water and sip on that during your workout. Some of them taste great and really do help.

Same here on the no gas pains. I suppose it's common for air/gas to remain trapped in the body as they are puffing in there during surgery to better see and create space to work. I was very fortunate not to experience this. I have no idea why there'd be actual flatulence. Never had that, either. Maybe it's the meds that are used ?

Long term shifter here, too. My normal shift runs from 6:45-7:15 and rotates between days & nights. 3 & 4 shifts consecutive with days off in between. In a 28 day cycle I work 14 days. I actually work the regular shift plus another 60-90 mins daily and work on some of the scheduled days off, too. I let my shift schedule be part of my weight problem for a long, long time. Fast food on the way to & from work and fried garbage from our cafeteria in between. It's a miracle that I didn't die from that lifestyle. Now.....my shift schedule is actually a strong part of my weight loss......an asset, even. I get up at 4:00am and enjoy an hour of coffee and sports center & news. Shower and hit the road and drink 30 oz of Water on the way. Breakfast is at my desk around 7:45. Tuna, chicken breast, steak or similar. First dose of Vitamins, too. lunch is usually around 1:00 when I'm back at my desk and preparing for a mid-shift meeting. dinner is where I've made changes.....used to wait until I got home.....now I eat at work. Each of the meals finds me taking in 20-30 grams of Protein, low carbs and possibly some fat. I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to walk around quite a bit. This is much needed. Staying in motion helps my worn out knees and keeps my back loose. As I'm walking around my job site, I carry along a water bottle and refill it as needed. I take in a minimum of 120 oz water every day. My current problem is that I don't rest enough on work days.......or days off for that matter. This needs to change as I can feel my back acting up recently. I don't want to regress with it. I typically go to an awesome gym 2 miles from my house on days off. Work days find me in the gym at work (right beside the cafeteria that I no longer visit) getting in a quick high rep count session.

BEAST mode, bro !!!!!!!!

What is a pouch ?

@@Elode you are rocking the results and looking wonderful. Absolutely rocking it !!! Well done, lady, very well done. Enjoy that candy. @@VSGAnn2014 that is too funny.

That is what it's all about right there !!!!!!

Very happy for you and proud of you. Outstanding results. Your story is very similar to my own. I get it. Feeling good is a powerful motivator for me to keep pushing and take it all the way. Congrats !!!!

I will not even begin to attempt to address the ways in which insurance companies can aggravate you to no end. My only advice regarding them is to contact the bariatric administrator employed by your insurance company.....review your case in detail with them and make sure that YOU are driving that bus. Don't assume your surgeon's staff has everything laid out for you. My only other pieces of advice are to relax and to begin losing today....don't wait until the surgery to lose weight.....begin getting it off right away. The goal is to lose weight.....not to wait around, right ? I promise you that the discipline you demonstrate now will be rewarded and will pave the way to very good initial results when you have your surgery.

I was just a couple cases of beer and a few pizzas away from hitting the 500 lb mark, bro. Shooting for 250 as a level daily weight. Surgery was less than 4 months ago and I'm well over halfway there. I know it's going to slow down a bit....but I'm thinking that the two year mark you stated is well within the realm of reality.

You and your white belly are still on my bad list, but I'll tell you that, if they don't have Starbucks, you'll know you're in no part of the world. No Starbucks will have to be my first sign that I've left the world as I know it. The different language should be my first indication.....but, just being honest here.....I don't do the English language justice on my even my best days....much less after rum and tequila........

Are you really going to leave it there? Do you always pitch and then turn away before seeing whether the pitch has been caught? Where are you going?!!! I'm no dentist, but.... Can't say. Won't say. I'm sorta in Her Majesty's Secret Service type of thing.......I could tell ya....but then I'd sworn to uphold the code.........007 stuff. Suffice to say it's gonna be a destination of sun, fun, Water, rum drinks and tequila shots while watching scantily clad beauty parade around and laugh at the pale big guy in the boots 'n swim trunks tipping his hat. Those boots and that cowboy hat may be the only possessions I retain as I may decide to never come back. Who needs or wants the pressures of a job.....and the day to day drama? Not me. I pity the fool who gets in my way. Boots, hat and a handful of Protein bars and I'm out. Lawd.....I hope they either have Starbucks or Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in that part of the world...............gotta maintain my addictions.

Ah......getaway travel nightmares. I'll say this......It's all worth it once you get there on some vacations. I've got a leisure trip planned that would have me chewing through a chain link fence to get to.......bust through a rock wall and crush skulls to arrive at. In the words of the awesome Mr. T....."I pity the fool who try ta stop me....I'll bring them pain ".