blizair09

I started at 397 and have been maintaining between 170-175 for seven months as of yesterday. I got to goal about one year post-op.

I, too, remember this day. At my Casual Male, they almost looked at me like some kind of traitor. Damn, that **** was so expensive. It is amazing how many cute things I can get for cheap from the mall on just about any day these days!

I'm the same way. After losing 216 pounds, I still struggle with seeing the old me sometimes. And being newly single (after 8+ years, no less) and back "out there," it is weird to me that I am getting hit on by all of these hot guys constantly. Trust me, I am adjusting to all of it, but it is still so much to take in sometimes. A few weeks ago, I went to Dillards to buy a couple of new outfits to wear out that weekend. I had to buy a small shirt and size 32 jeans. When I tried on the Medium, the sales guy was like "you need a smaller size." When I said that would be a small, he said "then you need a small." As I stood frozen in amazement, he asked me what was up and I took him through the whole story. While he was flatteringly amazed (he was cute, btw), I think I was more amazed. It is certainly a very different life, and no matter how long this journey has been going on, and how strong you are, it is a lot to adjust to...

Google "three week stall." That's all this is. Stay off of the scale, stick to your plan, and the weight will come off in its own time. Good luck!

Nutritionally speaking, it does look better than regular Pasta, but it still has carbs galore. I'd be interested if it has the same expanding effect as regular pasta once it hits the stomach. Hopefully someone will chime in with his/her experience. I love pasta, but I accepted before I began this journey that it will likely be off the table for the rest of my life.

It's all relative. Just follow your surgeon's directive to the letter. The rest will take care of itself. Good luck!

I'm scheduled for surgery on 12/19 and I've found these posts (and the subsequent encouragement by the community) invaluable during my prep. I'm expecting to feel miserable emotionally and physically and have prepared myself and my support team (husband, family, friends, etc) to just keep telling me that feeling terrible is normal and I can get through it. Also I know that if I have complications or just normal emotional freak outs, I can come here and the community understands and will hold my hand. These posts are great and no one should feel bad about making them. I had hoped that the initial words of my post made it clear that people DO have legitimate issues sometimes. I never said that they should not post about them; I just said that no one should make a decision about his/her own health based on the experience (positive or negative) of any one individual person. I'm scheduled for surgery on 12/19 and I've found these posts (and the subsequent encouragement by the community) invaluable during my prep. I'm expecting to feel miserable emotionally and physically and have prepared myself and my support team (husband, family, friends, etc) to just keep telling me that feeling terrible is normal and I can get through it. Also I know that if I have complications or just normal emotional freak outs, I can come here and the community understands and will hold my hand. These posts are great and no one should feel bad about making them. I had hoped that the initial words of my post made it clear that people DO have legitimate issues sometimes. I never said that they should not post about them; I just said that no one should make a decision about his/her own health based on the experience (positive or negative) of any one individual person.

This is what makes these kinds of posts so dangerous sometimes. This isn't to take away from anyone who has had legitimate medical issues post-op that have nothing to do with them making poor choices. Some people will have issues, but others will not. I can tell you that I had a practically seamless surgery and recovery. I had one little infection with the incision inside of my belly button. I took antibiotics for a week and it cleared right up. Other than that, everything has been routine. I encourage you to think about the facts. Eating and drinking, as you have known them, will change forever; you will have to follow the guidelines of your plan to be healthy and successful; any positive change in your life requires sacrifice, perseverance, and grit. If you are willing to rise to the challenge, you should be fine. Please don't let anyone's particular experience derail you from what could be a life-changing experience for YOU. Good luck.

I'll echo that you need to do everything you can to get more Protein and calories in, and broth with unflavored protein powder will probably be the best way to do so. Sip on it all day if you have to. I started feeling much better when my protein and calorie levels came out of the basement! About your husband -- I don't know you or your relationship and I am a stranger on the internet, but I can't even fathom one's life partner saying that something troublesome "is not my problem." Seriously, what a douche. If my partner said something like that to me about anything (whether I brought it on myself or not), he'd be sleeping at the Hilton... I hope the coming days find a solution and an improvement in your situation. Good luck!

Hi everyone, I came across this post and thought I would say hello. I am a 40yo gay guy living in New Orleans with my partner of 7+ years. I have been on this weight loss journey since March, and, as of today, I have lost 88 pounds. My surgery is scheduled for September 28. My story is in this post: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/375695-thoughts-after-my-six-month-nutrition-program/ I wrote that last week when I made my first post. Since then, I had my clearance-for-surgery appointment with my PCP (all my labs were in the normal range!!), and she assured me that the surgery is the way to go to finish the job I have started, and that my pre-op weight loss won't affect my post-op weight loss. My surgery was approved and scheduled, and my short-term disability claim for work has been initiated. It has been a busy week! Hearing about everyone else's experiences is making getting ready for my surgery and the second half of this weight loss journey a lot easier! I hope to hear from some of you. Blair