dlappjr

Tink, side bar. Dude, congrats on your loss! I hope it feels as good as it looks! Keep it up man! Ok, sorry to sidetrack this thread, back to your previously scheduled program!

Not necessarily a veteran, but I didn't notice any hair loss. I have short thin hair so you can see in some spots its thinner than in others. I was worried that I would lose or at least thin what little I had, but I can say that my hair stayed and it even looks better now. Not sure if this is really the cause, but I blame it on all the protein. Now 10 months out and loving life! I was going to try biotin but never got around to it. Best of luck!

Here is an update. The pic on the left is from June 24th 2015, and on the right is minus 130lbs. today, March 29th 2016.

Thanks @Indieflickers. I have started taking BCAAs after my workout, along with my usual isopure Protein drink. I just started so I haven't noticed a big change yet, but I do seem to be able to go more days in a row with lifting vs. waiting for a day or more to recover.

Thanks for the great response, Alex! I have been good about getting my protein directly before and after. I did not know about the carbs. I am still struggling with the fact good carbs are ok. I probably get less than 150g of carbs a day. I eat a 20g Protein Bar before a workout and then a 20oz. Bottle of Isopure with 40g protein, but zero carb. Then maybe some yogurt and granola or eggs and cheese about an hour later. I will try adding the bread and peanut butter. That is a good idea. That will also help with Fiber too. My loss has slowed down dramatically but my body is still changing size and structure. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement.

I looked through the Fitness and Exercise posts for something specific but didn't find any info. I am wondering about Post-Workout Recovery. Specifically, how to maximize the recovery, efficiently. If I do something that makes many muscles sore for 2-3 days, I am looking for a way to shorten that time down to 2 days or less. In this specific case, I am not lifting weights, so I can't lesson the lift, or the reps. It was a group workout doing things like bosu ball pushups and bosu ball plank jacks, mountain climbers, assisted pull-ups, russian twists with 10# med balls, one legged squats and a bunch of boxing bag punching. I waited the usually day before working out again, but my fri morning workout suffered because I wasn't 100% from wednesdays workout. Any ideas? I am looking into adding amino acids. I already get about 110g Protein throughout the day.

I would love to know how to smoke salmon without a smoker! Please do share! While the results would differ slightly, you can smoke it on a grill or even in the oven. I have a smoker so its a little easier for me. I would suggest the grill if you don't have a smoker. You can turn on one or two burners and get the internal temp around 200-225, try to stay below 250. Then you need some wood chips and a wood chip box, like this one http://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Stainless-Steel-Smoker-Box-7576/203124250?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CTHD%7CG%7C0%7CG-BASE-PLA-D28I-Grills%7C&gclid=CImDtqjVkMoCFQgKaQodG68AGQ&gclsrc=aw.ds You'll need about 2 hours for it to cook. I am using a recipe that you make a slurry out of pickling salt, brown sugar and crab boil seasoning and a little Water to mix it all up. You let it sit covered in that slurry sealed in plastic wrap, overnight, then wipe off the slurry and let it sit on your counter, with a fan on it for an hour to 2 hours, till it is sticky to the touch. Then you can smoke it. Its tedious, and there are a few places I have bought some that is outstanding. Its expensive because of how much time goes into it, but it is so worth it. Thanks! I typically buy it smoked already but love all smoked meats so I've been wanting to learn how to do it myself The best way is to get an electric smoker. Its so easy and you can smoke anything

I would love to know how to smoke salmon without a smoker! Please do share! While the results would differ slightly, you can smoke it on a grill or even in the oven. I have a smoker so its a little easier for me. I would suggest the grill if you don't have a smoker. You can turn on one or two burners and get the internal temp around 200-225, try to stay below 250. Then you need some wood chips and a wood chip box, like this one http://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Stainless-Steel-Smoker-Box-7576/203124250?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CTHD%7CG%7C0%7CG-BASE-PLA-D28I-Grills%7C&gclid=CImDtqjVkMoCFQgKaQodG68AGQ&gclsrc=aw.ds You'll need about 2 hours for it to cook. I am using a recipe that you make a slurry out of pickling salt, brown sugar and crab boil seasoning and a little Water to mix it all up. You let it sit covered in that slurry sealed in plastic wrap, overnight, then wipe off the slurry and let it sit on your counter, with a fan on it for an hour to 2 hours, till it is sticky to the touch. Then you can smoke it. Its tedious, and there are a few places I have bought some that is outstanding. Its expensive because of how much time goes into it, but it is so worth it.

SMOKED! Smoked Salmon is the most amazing thing. It works really well for a snack, a lunch, but mostly I use it in scrambled eggs with some cheese. Nothing better. I am going to be smoking a big piece this weekend and will post the recipe and pics!

Yeah, happens to me too. I was always sweaty sitting down in a chair with shorts and a t shirt. Now I freeze with two long sleeve t shirts on. I like to layer so I welcome it for the most part, but in the mornings, outside, my hands and face just freeze. I have to keep a space heater on my desk at work.

I chose the sleeve also. 4 months out. Down almost 100 pounds, but feel like a new person. I would recommend the sleeve to anyone, but not that I have anything against bypass, just didn't seem like a good fit to me. Some people choose it to lose more weight, but I liked the idea of keeping my intestines intact. here are before and afters from my 4 months.

I am 3.5 months post op. I started the Pre-Op Diet on August 16th, Sleeved on August 26th. Today is 4 months since I was 380lbs. In that 4 months I have lost 95 pounds, about 8 inches off my waist, and gone from a 5xl shirt, to 2-3xl. I could barely walk 2 miles over the course of a day. If I was on my feet too long, I had to sit and elevate them. Now, I run 6mph for 20 minutes on an Elliptical, then 30-35 minutes of Weight Lifting, and that happens before 6am. I am still good to go the rest of the day. Might not look like it yet, but I FEEL like a million bucks!

So is it all worth it in your opinion? It seems like no one really regrets doing it even if they have complications. I think there are very few who ultimately, seriously regret it. I was fortunate enough to not have any negative effects so its easy for me to say it is beyond worth it. I think that we tend to focus on the things that could happen, as if it was maybe easier to talk ourselves out of the surgery if it sounds like there is too much of a risk. Not saying people don't have bad experiences, it is certainly possible, but I think the positive experiences far outweigh the bad. The thing with the bad experiences is that you hear them very loud, very frequently. You hear positive stories too, but how many people who had a wonderful experience don't go online and tell their story? They might not even give it another thought and continue on. so you may only be hearing a lot of the bad stuff. Either way, most only regret waiting so long.

Thanks! I was excited we had 60 degree temps this weekend. Got my new pedals and sadle on and rode 5 miles. Got to get my behind used to it. Slowly but surely!

I waited till I got the all clear for all activity at 4 weeks post op. As for the self gratification, I didnt wait that long.

I found I had a ton of energy less than a week after surgery. It did calm a little about 2 months post op. I have read that as we burn up the fat in our bodies so quickly at first because of the liquid pre and post op diets, the Testosterone stored in that fat gets released and we suddenly have an abundance of it. Makes you feel like your 15 again. I'd give anything to get that back. I still have plenty of energy but that kind of vigor from the first month is a whole other level. I make sure I take in enough protein. If you are not too active, the 60-80g protein range that most plans call for is fine, but once I started working out 3-4 times a week, I upped it to 100-110g protein.

I did not ask them if they were pulling the info out of thin air. My assumption is that they are the pro's so they know. They don't sell me the cal citrate, I buy it online or at a pharmacy, so they have nothing to gain by picking one over the other. I also don't have a need to question their motives. They have a plan in place that makes them a Weight Loss Center of Excellence, so I am fine taking them at their word, even if it is a slight bit more expensive to get citrate over carbonate. The NUT did say that it must be cheaper to produce carbonate, since that is much easier to find than citrate. It just isn't something I feel I need to dig too deep into. Seeing as every plan I have ever researched online or heard from others here on this forum or directly from my surgeons office calls for Citrate, then that is enough confirmation for me. You should check with your nurses or surgeons at the office you go to and see what they say.

Not always true. I have kept it under wraps pretty good. Only because I didn't care to hear everyone sudden expertise on the subject. I don't give 2 sh!ts what someones sisters, neighbors, cousins uncle had and failed at. Oh, and I would say probably best to skip it. you will only have been home for a couple days and not really be ready to interact. I remember needing the bathroom a few times in a pinch and I wouldn't want to do that around everyone.

and talk about all of this with your dr. and surgeon

when my primary care dr. recommended me to the Weight Loss center, he didn't specifically say what procedure he would recommend. Before I met with the surgeon, I attended a seminar at the hospital to learn more about both. I made the decision for sleeve based on the fact that I did not want to mess with having to bypass some of my intestines. For some reason, I felt that I wanted to leave everything else alone, and just aim for getting the smaller stomach. Another thing was that because with the sleeve, they remove the extra part of the stomach, you lose the creation of all or most of the Grehlin, which makes you feel hungry. I liked that option as well. When I finally did meet with the surgeon he said that the sleeve was a good fit for me and that he recommends the sleeve to most patients due to it being less intensive and a better fit for most people. for me, getting rid of the Diabetes was the primary reason I looked into this to begin with. That said, at no point did I feel like I should do bypass because of its ability to relieve the Diabetes or would cause me to lose more weight than the sleeve. I just never felt that the bypass was a good option for me. Edit*- Oh and as for my thoughts on losing the diabetes so quickly with the sleeve. I think the pre-op and immediate post-op diet is so restrictive that it kept my sugar levels low. I was concerned that after I was able to eat more normal foods, I would see an increase in my sugar levels, but I did not. I also never got any of the symptoms of high blood sugar, like vision issues or feeling tired and lethargic. This might not be typical of everyone. Another thing to keep in mind is how much you have to lose. If you are more comfortable with the sleeve, do that first, because it can always be converted into bypass if after a year or so you feel you need a bigger tool to help you.

I was 380lbs, 56+BMI, Diabetic, Hypertension and Sleep Apnea before I had the sleeve. I took Metformin, Glipizide and Januvia to try to control the Diabetes. My sugars were still always high. 120-130 fasting and 160-180 after meals. My lowest A1C pre-op was when I was diagnosed as Diabetic, at 6.8. The day before my sleeve surgery I had my last Diabetes meds. When I left the hospital, I had a follow up within a week with my primary dr. I did not take my Diabetes meds as the pills were pretty large and I didn't want to risk damage to my new smaller stomach. I told him about not taking the meds and he told me to monitor my sugars closely. As long as they were within range 80-90 fasting and no higher than 120 after meals, I could stop taking the meds. I have never taken another Diabetes pill since surgery. I am also almost no longer diabetic. At my last 90 day follow up, my A1C was 6.2, after being at 8.2 a month before surgery. He also cut my Lisinopril for High Blood Pressure in half and my Cholesterol med in half. Hoping next month at my next 90 day follow up that I can maybe lose one or both the Hypertension and Cholesterol meds. The sleeve has been a huge success for me. That said, the bypass is not a bad way to go either. I didn't want to deal with lower absorption you get from the full bypass and knew I would have to work a little harder to lose more weight than with just the sleeve and eating better so I was willing to workout harder for the loss. So far so good. Best of luck on your decision. I am still hoping one day to kick the clap to the curb, but for now, I still need it.

I recently asked my NUT about the Cal Citrate vs. Cal Carbonate for me since I had the sleeve. I was prompted to ask because I see that carbonate is more redly available in store locally. She explained that even though I have no absorption issues because of the sleeve, the carbonate needs more stomach acid to breakdown properly. Because we have less bile in a smaller stomach than we did before, the carbonate won't be broken down properly thus, not absorbed properly even by us with the sleeve. I am still taking cal citrate chews since my labs indicate everything is good, not high or low.

I stubble with this too. I have been trying to get more Fiber. Sometimes all goes well, sometimes not so much. I'm so scared of overdoing it with fiber supplements or laxatives that I have to run to the bathroom. I really should probably take more than I do. Best of luck.