SamBwaR3

Sorry, but what a Bi***. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using the BariatricPal App

Ahhhh, that makes sense now. Never heard the term amd I've spent my fair amountbofbtime on the family farm.
Guess I qualify as that one from time to time.
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Awesome !!!
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In my appointments with her, she has said that she recommends sleeve over bypass. I mentioned that I was considering bypass over sleeve, and she told me that I wouldn't want to have the bypass due to nutritional deficiencies. In my next appointment, I'm going to tell her that I've decided that the bypass is the route I want to take. Edited to say that she said someone as young as I am, late 20s can have those nutritional deficiencies, especially with wanting to have children in the future.

I've always heard the boots referred to as shit kickers, not the people. But, I am citified, so what do I know!

@@lifeofblair, @@SamBwaR3 is right! What a bi***!!!! It's not as if weight loss after surgery doesn't require work. Probably the same type of person that would tell you NOT to have surgery because of the people who gain their weight back. @@Essence46 I did notice that you are close to goal, so maybe you're slowing down because of that too... Are you tracking carbs as well? I'm no expert as I haven't even had surgery yet- but i have lost weight a few times (I'm really really good at gaining it back!) so please take whatever I say with a grain of salt. I have done a little research on macros, so in addition to getting Protein in, make sure you're getting healthy fats, and not too many carbs. Good luck! How long is the challenge? My money is on you!

Here's me a few weeks before my surgery April 2015

Here's a recent picture of me. 113 lbs lost and a lot of hard work in the gym

Here is my before and after. I am a year out.

Had a moment in the gym changing room where no one was around, so I thought I'd take an updated picture for this thread:



Today was arm day and I was completely spent by this time. Guys, quick tip - when you think you are done, bust out the bands and go as fast as you can for as long as you can. That's how you finish a workout!

Sent from my phone, please forgive brevity and misspelling

What an inspiration thread! Congrats to everyone for the great success and God Speed for the future
I am a week short of five months out form my surgery and my life has changed. I can move, I am off meds. I feel better than I have in years. I am down from a 50 waist to a 38; 2XL (snug) to L (fits loose) in shirts; 100 lbs overall! The journey has had its ups and down, and I am blessed to be supported by a wonderful and (very tolerant) wife! It has been so worth everything!
here go the pics:
Before - Nov 2014, 350+ lbs

Dec 2015 - 247 lbs

I can do a before and "during" pic or two. The "after" is a ways down the road.......having fun getting there, too.
First pic was taken on my very first visit to the bariatric center. It is located in the same hospital campus where my son was born 16 years earlier.
I stopped beneath the room he was born in when I took the picture. I had a strong and compelling feeling that I was on the right path.....finally. Being close to that delivery room was a powerful feeling.

Home from that first appointment and my son getting home from his buddy's house. He'd asked me how the appointment when and told me he was proud of me. This really pumped me up. I knew then.....for certain that I was making the right decision.

Pre-op dieting had begun by this pic.....coming home from work and feeling better than I had in a while......in the program.

This pic was taken the morning before my surgery. The umbilical hernia looked like it was about to 'splode at any moment. Those are 4x Under Armour pants and that is a 6XLT t-shirt.

Life is good, brothers........life is good. The good Lord above has blessed me. He let me get to the point where I was finally teachable......and then he put some outstanding teachers in my path to coach me and get me seeing things clearly.
I've been blessed in so many ways. In the last 12 months I've been in the care of a wound care surgeon, spine surgeon, family doctor, pain management doctor who I referred to as Dr. juice as he shot my spine up with wonder drugs, vein surgeon and my general practitioner........the man who took me on as a patient 13 months ago and who pushed me to pursue the further treatments of the above listed professionals.
Our very first visit was a 90 minute session and he opened up the conversation about bariatric surgery.
Each of the outstanding doctors he sent me to each had the weight loss surgery discussion with me......especially the wound surgeon. We had long conversations twice a week as he was digging and scraping and cleaning up the leg wound I'd developed after scraping it on a boat trailer.....wouldn't heal due to the swelling in my legs. Oddly enough....this doc was soon to be retiring and used to repair hernias daily. He looked at mine and suggested I get it repaired at the same time they did the VSG or bypass. It was an eye opening conversation.
The spine doc told me in my very first visit after the MRI results that he could certainly operate and repair what I'd done.......but my weight would simply wreck his repair and that a bariatric surgeon could do more for me than he could.....and if I lost the weight my back would heal over time.
Then......then there was my VSG surgeon. Amazing guy.....tremendous talent. He took care of the hernia.....performed his magic on the sleeve and has coached me up well.
I am so very grateful and could only laugh when I received a letter in the mail from the wonderful general practitioner last week. In the letter he went on to say that he is leaving private practice and will be working with veterans over on the local Army Fort. I owe this guy so much praise and thanks and am a better man for knowing him these past few months. He helped me change my life. I'm glad to know that he is going on to do good things for our soldiers. They are far more deserving of his help than I was.
I have my life back. My family is healthy. I feel a great deal better. The road ahead will be an adventure.............
Here is a pic from last week.....9 weeks out from the sleeve surgery......6 months out from the initial dieting. Long way to go....but it's going well.

These rapidly snapped pics taken yesterday. 2XL Under Armour pants and a 3XL t-shirt. Long way to go....but damn if I don't feel better about everything.

What a journey!!! I just passed my one year anniversary on 12/15. My starting weight was 377 and I'm now down to 185!!
Best. Decision. Ever.

OK, I finally uploaded a couple pictures. I still don't think I am to the "After" stage, but I am pretty damn close. Here is a picture from me that has to be at my highest weight. I didn't weigh myself back then so I am guessing that I was over 330 lbs:

It's funny, sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't recognize myself. But when I saw this picture, I literally asked who it was! I guess I am getting used to being this guy:

Pic on the right was January 2015. The one on the left was this afternoon.

Here's one from before....sometime around 2009

And here's one from last month.

Here is one of me lost 143 pounds since January of this year.

I posted this in the "other" thread, but I'll share here as well.
I am a little over 7mo into this. However here is a pic that was from Oct 2014 vs Oct 2015
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Today is my first day back at work after been off for 7 weeks (Wife just had our 2nd child). I had to buy all new work clothes as what I was wearing was way too baggy
Selfie in the bathroom mirror at work this AM - 17" neck dress shirt and 36" pants

in comparison this one was at the 5mo mark - 19" neck dress shirt and 40" pants

Here are a few you may or may not be able to tell a difference
The first one is from September 2015 my kids The Second is from 2003 at my sons wedding and the last one my kids refer to as "My Yetti Look"
Hopefully I won't be banned from the thread for including my spouse

130+ lbs down since surgery 3/3/2015

It was my choice for the sleeve. She mentioned both and having gone to several of the seminars ,the sleeve just appealed to me. Also being over 60 I was concerned and the doctor who did mine had done several studies on people over 60 and the success rate impressed me.
For me the surgery itself seem less invasive than the bypass . I was sleeved 1/11/16 and I'm happy with my recovery.

@@SamBwaR3 ...
"Kicker" is a more polite way to say "s**t-kicker."
In other words, kickers are those who work around animals, e.g., cows, horses, sheep, chickens, and other animals raised in groups, that leave a lot of s**t laying around. Some synonyms are cowboys, cowgirls, ranchers, farmers, country folks, etc. .
The term is also used pejoratively by those who wish to appear superior to people who live and work in rural settings. But those of us who regularly or even occasionally wind up with s**t on our shoes don't agonize over those mis-uses of the term and often use the term to refer to each other.

I have to wear suits for my job several months out of the year. I want to be able to shop in the normal men's section. I want to be able to buy cool t-shirts to wear on vacation and while fishing. I want to shop and be able to buy something that catches my eye off the rack and not have to put it back because it isn't a 5xl.
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NSV-- I rode bike with my kids today!!!! I RODE A BICYCLE!!!! Haven't done that in over 20 years(I'm 37) I felt so alive! So grateful, so good! My son (14) is ecstatic that "ma" can do fun stuff with him, and my daughter (9)feels like she can't keep up with me!!! The nice, unexpected "Miami cold front" made for perfect weather to try it. At a bone chilling 61 degrees, I was cruising along, breeze in my hair and a smile from ear to ear. I'm finally an active parent, thank you God, my ultimate goal has been checked off my list. No more watching from the sidelines. Mommy's kicking ass and taking names SW-348 CW-230

It has been raining where I live for the last 3 days. My kids were totally over being inside, so I took them to a family fun center indoor playground. They had a blast and I TOTALLY KEPT UP WITH THEM! I was climbing up the 3 story jungle gym and going into the ball pit. Before surgery, I'd have just sat at the benches and waiting for them to be done. I'd also have been worried that the playground wouldn't support my weight. I feel really great that I could actually participate with my little babies. I'm feeling very thankful right about now.