DavidOso

@@Thucydides I see you started 3# heavier than me. You have JUST 31# to go to break into the 200's. You are right, I have felt very "glowy" today.

I started in s-t-r-e-c-h-y 5 x, now mostly 2x, except for button up cotton shirts, 3x. I could wear 2x button up shirts and only stand! They pull across the belly when I sit. Thank God I just pushed my "these are too small now" clothes to the back of the closet as I was getting bigger because they are now the vein that I am tapping. However, that supply (as am I), is dwindling. E bay is a godsend for "these will only fit me for three months" clothes. I found some nice things I didn't have in my stache.

@@fernandfj congrats to you on being 9 OUNCES from your goal!!!

Morning Gents. 297! $%#@^&%*&^!YEAH!!! This is the first time there has been a "2" as the first number of my weight since 1993. All sorts of great numbers are happening in close proximity. 18# ago I hit 200 lost, 2# ago I broke into the 200's, in 2 more # I will have lost 2/3 of my extra weight, and in 4 more # I will break through to the 30's for BMI. All that yumminess from a guy who was 515 10 months ago. SO YES BOYS, GREAT THINGS DO HAPPEN...Now onto my next goal. YEEEEEeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa....(that's me driving off to the gym).

Keep up all of your hard work 'cause I want to hear your success stories too.

297!!! The planets have aligned. 18 lbs ago, I had lost 200, 2 lbs ago I broke through into the 200's, in 2 more lbs I will have lost 2/3 of my extra weight, and in 4 more lbs I will break through into the 30's for BMI. BOING...THUD...BOING...THUD...BOING...THUD...(that's me jumping(and hitting my head on the ceiling) for joy! Now, on to my next goal...

@@jaxmom, full feels like pressure, it can cause the hiccups, it can cause an ache in your chest or shoulder. Kinda full is unpleasant, full on full is painful. Your abdomen won't bloat like you've had thirds on thanksgiving because 80 % of your stomach is gone, but you will feel like your belt is WAY too tight. I still weigh/portion everything because .5 oz too much meat really makes a noticeable difference.

Not only will you feel full, but in the beginning 2 T. of food will feel like thanksgiving

"Nope, no thank you...couldn't possibly eat another bite!" Also, I have only twice in 9 1/2 months felt hungry. BRAIN HUNGER is another beast, but that beast can be tamed. Please don't play the "What If" game, it is very dangerous. Be present in the now, and enjoy ALL aspects of "The Now." Good luck, you'll do fine.

Too fast or too full, a little alarm to get your attention. Annoying, but helpful in making different choices next time.

It may not be the shakes, but the volume of the shakes. I would put a small amount of the shake into a small bowl, (keep the rest in the frig) and with a small spoon, eat it like Soup. SLOWLY! Also a bit of Protein powder (choc. a fav.) stirred into plain, lowfat greek yogurt, a kind of high protein pudding. And sip, sip, sip skim milk. It all adds up. Good luck, and welcome to a new, healthier you.

@, but 10-15 fries and I'd be stuffed. Poutine, yum...cold,leftover fries, yuk. Short rib gravy DOES sound delish...

Because of my starting size, I started with Water aerobics and Water zumba classes. Me...in a bathing suit...Sweet Jesus give me strength...Here is what I did. I put on the trunks, took off my shirt, and presented myself to the world as I was then, a very big guy working towards better overall health. I think a class setting, at least at first, is important. It starts at a specific time, you can't wiggle and think you'll just go to the gym later in the day. There is accountability, if I missed a class or two, people would ask where I had been. People notice your progress and tell you, positive attention! I started in the pool at the 3 month mark- no sooner to let the incisions heal. At six months the surgeon said "Out of the pool!" Now I do land aerobics/zumba, and weights. I just did a 5 K May 1st. I didn't come in last either. Even if I had come in last, the fact that I was in a RACE was amazing! Just a few things that have worked for me. Good luck.

9 1/2 months post op. I get up, pee (hey, Water is heavy!), and weigh myself. It is a number, only a number. It is the same as tracking Protein or Fluid, it's a tool. The best gauge is how you FEEL. If you don't have a healthy relationship with your scale, ask yourself why that is, and then see if you can do something about that. This ENTIRE process is not just about losing excess weight!

1000-1200 calories @ 2 months?!?!! At 2 months I was 650-700. Your goal is to lose weight. If you are meeting all your Protein and fluid goals, and don't feel weak/have energy to accomplish your daily tasks, then why Sweet Jesus would you just add calories to get to a NUMBER??? At 9 months I'm @ 800-950. I am satisfied, have energy, am building muscle at the gym, and am still losing weight(albeit more slowly). Trust your body, it will tell you what to do.

I ordered a "chicken sandwich, no bread, add avocado, sauce on the side, sub fruit for fries (wrap that to go) and would you bring a to go box when you bring out my order?. Oh, and could the chef weigh the cooked chicken breast and let me know how much it weighs. Thanks." I don't think that was too crazy. This is what I think WAS crazy. The following items all arrived on separate plates; grilled chicken breast, 2 slices monterey jack cheese, 1/4 sliced avocado, 2 slices Tomato, red onion rings, a leaf of romaine, and chipotle mayo. My table looked like I was a glutton at a dim sum house. The server raised his eyebrows as if to wonder if he did a good job. I smiled, chuckled to myself, and reached for the to go box.

In many cases it is about control (and insecurity). The spouse gets to control the "fat" spouse because no one else could possible be attracted to them. As weight is lost that control is (perceived to be) lost. The attention the post op spouse receives for the dramatic weight loss is an issue. That attention used to go to the OTHER spouse, and now they resent your successes. A sick way to look at things, but it is THEIR sickness, not yours. I wish you the healthiest (physical & mental) outcome, whatever it may be.

A former ring wearer.

I'm 9 months post op. I average 750-900 cal. a day, mostly lean Protein and veggies. Weight loss has slowed but still losing 10-15 lbs a month. I am able to eat larger portions now but just because i CAN doesn't mean I SHOULD. I have begun dabbling in carbs, you know the simple ones that got us to this forum in the first place. My body clings to them like a drowning man to a rope. Any weight loss comes to a SCREECHING halt. I can even gain several pounds in a day. WTF!!! I have two things only on my no go list, carbonation and alcohol. I tried both once, and did NOT like the results for either. I look at it this way, I know there is poison ivy in the woods. As hard as I try to avoid it, sometimes it gets me. But if I start to itch, I know what to do about it. After a little while it goes away. Once in a blue moon though, I'll get naked and roll in a patch of it, and later ask myself if it was worth it... My NUT suggested 1-2 T. of grains per day AFTER I reach my goal as a way to slow weight loss(also switching to full fat dairy-milk and cheeses). Keep up your hard work, it pays off!

@@Ignatius, you are correct, sir. Just a hair under a pound a day the first 6-7 months. Now it has slowed to about 15 lbs a month @ the 8-10 month mark. I am focusing a little more heavily on the gym, now, to keep the "weight-loss machine" in fine working condition. This is not as hard as it sounds because the gym was already a habit. I've just ramped it up a notch.

Thrift store are hit or (mostly)miss for bigger men's clothing. Ebay, enter what you want, size, color and poof-"new" clothes (that will only fit for several months!) Lather, Rinse, Repeat. I have saved thousands...

I started at 515, sleeved july 15 (laparoscopically by a robot!). I too had 4 weeks of liquid pre op, worst...time...ever... I felt like an addict going through withdrawl, oh wait, I was! Very fast recovery. I have only felt weak twice, too long a period of time in between eating, and not enough Protein. I started Water aerobics 3 months post op. At 6 months, Dr. said "out of the pool!" I do aerobics/Zumba 3x per week, Weights, jogging a lap in between sets 2x-3x per week. Am jogging/walking a 5 k May 1. Rode my bike for the first time in 20 years last sunday. FEEL GREAT, don't LOOK too bad either! In 8 lbs I will break into the 200's. Ye-F-ing-Ha. I still have 100 to go, but the task doesn't seem so daunting now. Good luck, and keep us posted as to your successes and challenges.

The Three "F's"; Fiber, Fluid, fitness. The more you move the more you 'MOVE". That being said, sometimes I feel like I'm passing a bowling ball, only to have a couple of grapes come out. On the flip side, sometimes no effort produces a boa constrictor wrapped around the bowl (scratch head here). I eat a fair amount (about 1/4 c at a time) of raw veggies, including carrot, broccoli, and home made sauerkraut. I think that Fluid is the biggest helper-I average 1 gallon a day, mostly Water. I think if we all had more FAT in our diets, things would slide through more easily, but that's what got us to this point initially! The crown is heavy for those who sit easily on the throne...

I am a 13 year user. I have a nasal mask(mirage ultra). One of the things I find helpful is to run the hose up over your head, hooked over the head board. I am a side sleeper, so the hose is lined up with my nose, not pulling off to the side causing air leaks. It sounds odd, but try it, it makes a HUGE difference for me. At the 6 month post op mark, my pressure was cut in HALF!!! I still have about 100 to loose and when I get to my goal weight will have a sleep study done to see if I can "Can" the cpap. Fingers crossed, it PROBABLY will happen. Good luck and sweet dreams!

Ingrown hairs, check. droopy torso/stomach, check. tight elastic "suck-it-in-for-you" undershirt, check. I started at 515, sleeved, now 307 10 months out. I can wear a 2x in stretchy shirts; polo. T, sweats, and sweaters. A button front cotton shirt fits IF I AM STANDING UP. As soon as I sit, it pulls in the front. So those are 3x. Thanks belly. Same for pants, 48 pleated chinos or dress slacks, no prob...48 jeans, forget it!! I still have about 100 to loose, so my hope is it will change by the time I break into "wonderland", or at least just loose skin without a fat layer underneath. At the year mark I will have a talk with "plastics doc" about options and $$. Not there yet, but the work at the gym is paying off. There is solid muscle under that dirty layer of snow...just waiting for the spring thaw! Keep up your hard work.

@@SubVet688 how are you doing 7 days post op? By Memorial Day you SHOULD be ready to throw some game on the grill. Just dangling a (pureed) carrot in front of you. SIP...SIP...SIP...

If it is not volume, it might be how you are sitting. Are you sitting upright at a desk or standing after lunch and slouched into a comfy sofa after dinner? I have had an over full sensation for not too much food and found that if I sit up straight, I am not putting pressure on my stomach and right away feel better. Just a thought.

I used lo salt V8 and put hot sauce in it. Never had any issues with spicy /hot foods.

A favorite was pureed chicken breast, fat free plain greek yogurt, a little Peanut Butter, curry powder, and sriracha--"Bariatric Thai Chicken Satay"

I may not eat much, but it sure tastes good!