#BirdDog

Awesome work!

Amazing results!!! Congrats!

Good work!!! Keep it up!!!

I think this is an extremely important fact. Accountability is the most important thing I have learned since surgery. My wife used to make me huge plates of food and I would eat it so she wouldn't think I didn't like it. Or my parents would want to feed me whenever I came over and I felt obligated to eat it. Now I know that it was my choice and I should have said no. At first, I told them I just couldn't eat because of the surgery. Now I tell them that I really just don't want something because I am taking responsibility for what I put in my stomach.
On the subject of treats, I still have them. The only difference is that now I only pick something that (to me) is truly a treat. candy that is available at any gas station is not a treat. They are as common as dirt. But a homemade Tres Leche cake? Hell yes I am having some. A 16 year old scotch? Yep, I'll have a little of that too. Someone is making prime rib? Count me in!
My point is simple, we should not deny ourselves food that brings us pleasure. But don't settle for a slim jim and a baby ruth; make sure it is something actually special.

So exciting!!! It okay to be nervous, that means you understand how big of a commitment this is! You're going to do just fine! It was the best decision I've ever made. Changed my life in many ways!

It is AWESOME!! I'm really happy with how things are going. I went from a size 48 jeans to a size 34 and a size 4x shirt to an XL.

It's been a while since I've posted. Thought I'd give an update. I've continued to go to the gym and eat within my surgeons plan. I'm down 155lbs now. Meals are getting easier as I learn more about what I can and cannot have.

Have to work all night but I woke up this morning to weigh. Down 100 lbs!!
Eight years ago my wife and I were in Jamaica for our honeymoon. I had a button up shirt on over my t-shirt and couldn't button it up. The one button I did was holding on for dear life. I put that shirt on the other day and had room left in it.

I started at 370 by three months I was down just over 100lbs. Everyone loses at a different pace. Keep up the good work and listen to your body. Now I'm getting close to my goal weight and things are slowing down on their own.

I started at 370 by three months I was down just over 100lbs. Everyone loses at a different pace. Keep up the good work and listen to your body. Now I'm getting close to my goal weight and things are slowing down on their own.

Isopure zero carb drinks. 40g Protein & 20 oz of Fluid. Not too bad tasting but the smell has been bothering me a little lately. Not bad enough to stop drinking them. With zero carbs and zero fat 40g of protein and 160 cals it's a good way to start my day off in the right foot.

Not at all! So here are the two statements that I found through my research, these are from obesitycoverage.com.
Gastric bypass patients lose between 60 to 80 percent of excess body weight in the first year. Gastric sleeve patients lose between 50 to 70 percent of excess body weight in two years.
First of all, I don't care if I lose the weight in one or two years, this is a lifetime change. Now, taking those numbers and assuming I attain the high end of their average I can plug in my actual weight and compare them. In the beginning of the process I weighted 370 lbs, to not be considered overweight by BMI calculations I would have to be no more than 169lbs. (Which I believe is too light for my body). So my excess weight is 201 lbs. The bypass at 80% would be 160lbs of weight loss, and the sleeve would be 140. A difference between the two surgeries is 20 pounds. Coming down from 370 lbs I am not real concerned if I am 210 or 230, as long as I'm not 370. So the difference of pounds lost wasn't a big deal to me.
Now those numbers are averages, there are a lot of people that lose 100% of their excess weight with both surgeries. In fact I think those numbers are highly skewed by the people that are not ready for this extreme lifestyle change. No matter how you look at the surgeries, if you are not ready mentally, physically, and emotionally to never eat the same crap in the same manner as you did before then you will not be successful. You have to make a change. These are just tools to get there.
I had success with every diet I ever tried. I've lost 100 lbs several times. However my body would sabotage my plans. Hunger would push me to eating things I shouldn't. My lifestyle would have me pushing timelines until I was so hungry I would make poor choices. I would start craving things, and one slice of pizza turned into three, which turned into half a pizza, which turned into a whole pizza. The sleeve removes a large portion of the stomach giving me restriction so I can't be pushing that amount, as well as it cut back on the amount of the "hunger hormone" Ghrelin.
The bypass is a much more invasive surgery, moving of the intestines and changing the route of food. With that you have more life long side effects than you do with the sleeve. In fact my digestive tract is intact and unchanged, only difference is my stomach is much smaller now. So I have less of a concern with not getting in my necessary Vitamins.
As time has gone on where they have been tracking long term success between the two surgeries the amount of excess weight lost and kept off is getting closer and closer. I am in this for the long run. I have to make lifestyle changes, I have to make dietary changes, I have to make exercise changes. I still need to do my part, but this tool is giving me a "cheat code" if you will. A leg up on the diet world.
I have enjoyed some benefits already, I am no longer on Metformin as my blood sugar has been fine after surgery, I am also off of three medications for high blood pressure. That is four chemicals that I no longer have to put into my body to stay alive. If that is the only benefit I get from this surgery it was well worth it.
I'm sure the bypass has been the right decision for many people, and if you look hard enough you will be able to find different numbers or experiences than the ones I used to make my decision. Each person needs to work with their bariatric team, research, and soul search to determine which surgery, if any, is the right one for them.

It is AWESOME!! I'm really happy with how things are going. I went from a size 48 jeans to a size 34 and a size 4x shirt to an XL.

Good work, congrats!!

I started at 370 by three months I was down just over 100lbs. Everyone loses at a different pace. Keep up the good work and listen to your body. Now I'm getting close to my goal weight and things are slowing down on their own.

Played racquetball with my wife today, almost an hour. Gave her a run for her money even though she much thinner and in much better shape.

Back on the horse again... quite literally!

I have no recollection of mine. In after they knocked me out, and out before I woke up. No sore throat.

NSVs are the best!!

It's been a while since I've posted. Thought I'd give an update. I've continued to go to the gym and eat within my surgeons plan. I'm down 155lbs now. Meals are getting easier as I learn more about what I can and cannot have.

Met with my new DME provider. They set me up with a new mask. Tonight is my first night with it. Given my symptoms the guy that did the fitting thinks my pressure is too high. You'd think the doctor would have identified that too. But we'll see. I'll give the new mask a couple weeks, if no improvement back to the sleep doc!
Still going to the gym on a regular basis. Working a sedentary job it feels good just to get in some activity and a good sweat. Doing a circuit of weight training just trying to keep from losing muscle mass. So far so good.
I still need to get in more variety in my diet and get my calories up. I have an appointment with my nutritionist in a few days so hopefully she can give me some tips that keep me on track but bump up the calories.

I really like mine. Don't know about the calories from weight lifting. But i like its method of tracking calories better than steps in a day. You can still get that info if you really want it. But the part I like is having it sync with myfitnesspal and being able to see my macros right from the watch. I also use a program called "round" to notify me of when I need to take my pills and Vitamins.

The only thing I would of done differently was not make a bunch of Jello and buy food before. I ended up throwing all the jello away and since your taste buds WILL CHANGE do not buy bulk food that you used to like Bc chances are they will taste different and you will not like them.

It's been a while since I've posted. Thought I'd give an update. I've continued to go to the gym and eat within my surgeons plan. I'm down 155lbs now. Meals are getting easier as I learn more about what I can and cannot have.

Salmon sashimi