PorkChopExpress

It takes a little time to work up to the required amount. I was getting close after a week, but that's with almost everything I drank being a Protein shake, so I could try to get my Water in, too. Each week will get better. Just do your best, and I would say any time you drink, make it a Protein Drink.
The lack of desire to eat and the emotions are also totally normal. It'll be a little bit of a mental/emotional ride for a few weeks as you adjust to the new situation. Just be thoughtful about it and try to see all of it for what it is. You are starting the process of re-conditioning your mind and throwing out a LOT of bad habits, old foods, etc... This is where the rubber meets the road.

At the moment, probably reading about weight loss surgery experiences and successes. I have a tendency when I get into something to get kind of obsessive about it for a while. Eventually I'll exhaust myself of reading and researching it, and then move onto something else. I only do it with one thing at a time, usually. Right now, this is it. The next thing I WANT to become an obsession (that will last long-term) is lifting weights and fitness.

I haven't spread the word around, a few coworkers know because they knew I went out for surgery and then saw me eating like a bird afterward. The way I see it, it's going to become impossible for people not to know, because it's about the only explanation for losing this much weight, this quickly. So while I'm not advertising, I'm also not lying about it if anyone asks.

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

At the moment, probably reading about weight loss surgery experiences and successes. I have a tendency when I get into something to get kind of obsessive about it for a while. Eventually I'll exhaust myself of reading and researching it, and then move onto something else. I only do it with one thing at a time, usually. Right now, this is it. The next thing I WANT to become an obsession (that will last long-term) is lifting weights and fitness.

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

I took my wife out the night this thread was started, we went to a new and well-reviewed steakhouse, as we hadn't been out together in AGES and I was starting week 6, which was "try anything and see how you do with it" time, according to my nutritionist and surgeon (avoiding fats and sugars of course).
My wife up and mentions to the server that he shouldn't be surprised when I don't eat that much, and that it won't be due to the quality of the food...but that I just had weight loss surgery! I was surprised by it, but not really embarrassed...it doesn't really matter to me if someone knows, particularly not a stranger. But the waiter then revealed that he's "a boxer" too, because he has Crohn's disease...so not to worry!
That dinner did make me aware that this change is also a big one for my wife to handle. We couldn't get the appetizer that we both normally would have, because I couldn't eat it anyway (not and have any room for the steak), and I ate like 10% of my food...although I enjoyed it THOROUGHLY. She felt a little weird with me boxing up 90% and her taking home maybe 20% of hers. But the fact of the matter is, I feel like I actually enjoyed the meal MORE than I would have two months ago, and for the right reasons. The flavor was amazing, and I really appreciated it. I didn't just wolf it down.
For me, I don't really care what anyone thinks. I did this for myself, not for them.

It is insane to think about the changes in perception of "how much is enough" happen, after this surgery. I'm into week six now and although the amount I eat continues to grow little by little, it is ridiculous how radically different it is from just two months ago. For dinner, I picked up a small order of green bean chicken at Panda Express. First of all, I made the conscious choice to avoid fried and breaded. Every time I make one of those good choices, I pat myself on the back for putting my brain in check. So far, I have a perfect track record post-surgery. I'm going to be the one in control, now.
But sitting there eating my food (I got ALMOST all the way through it, had about 6 green Beans left in the bottom of the box), I had to chuckle to myself. A couple of months ago, I would not have thought twice while I ordered a three item meal with chow mein, orange chicken, kung pao chicken and beijing beef, with maybe one or two egg rolls and an extra large Pepsi to wash the whole calorie fest down. Almost 2,600 calories just in that meal, alone. My goodness.
Number one, the change in the type of food I am choosing is big...but when I think about the sheer volume of what I used to eat, compared to today...it kind of blows my mind. I order a "normal" portion of food at a restaurant and I swear, it now looks like it could feed a family, to me. My brain is recalibrating...because for several weeks, I found myself fighting against the perception that my portions were "too small" when in fact, they ended up being a little too much.
This is a crazy journey.

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

You will retain Water periodically for all kinds of reasons. Weigh again in a couple of days and see if the weight stayed, or if it dropped - and make sure you're always weighing under the same conditions, at the same time of day.
If you're REALLY worried about it, start tracking your intake with something like MyFitnessPal.
A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. In order to gain four pounds of genuine fat weight in one week, you would have had to exceed your daily TDEE (the amount of calories needed to maintain your weight) by 2,000 calories a day. You weren't going to do that by sharing a small Sprite.
The liquid fast is unnecessary. Track your trend, not single points in time. If the scale freaks you out this much, don't weigh every week...do it every other week. The body doesn't lose weight on a 7 day schedule and it does it the way it wants to do it. What you care about is the trend...as long as it's downward, you're golden. But start tracking your intake, start looking at how your macros break down (are you still protein-heavy and carb/fat-light, or has that changed) and adjust if necessary. But honestly, you were just retaining Water.< /p>

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

I don't typically like to engage in discussions that end up being two sides "digging in" and defending their points of view because, in my experience, it typically escalates fairly quickly and in the end, neither side is willing to concede.
However, I think it's irresponsible of me to disengage entirely when there is some information that appears to have escaped the discussion, and I believe it's important to address it.
Yes, corporate greed is a factor in rising insurance premiums just as it's a factor in rising prices on a gallon of milk or a pair of shoes, but to blame increases of 20% year over year on corporate greed alone is absurd and just plain wrong.
The Federal Government itself has just said this week that the average mid-level Obamacare plan (the most popular choice) will cost about 22% more in 2017 than it did in 2016. This is based on data from 39 states where people sign up through the HealthCare.gov website. (SOURCE)
There's a large discrepancy nationwide. In Phoenix, people are looking at a premium increase of 145% while customers in Rhode Island may actually see up to a 14% decrease (mostly because their rates were substantially higher to begin with). (SOURCE)
It's been discussed for months that ObamaCare prices were going to rise substantially after he left office (SOURCE) so I don't quite get the comments blaming everything but the legislation itself.
These are numbers and they are indeed facts. There is no question that ObamaCare raises healthcare premiums even for those not previously insured. The big question now is whether this is a one-time jump in the premiums or if this is the start of a new increase pattern that we can expect yearly. The saddest part of all of this is that the largest increases are specifically against customers who purchase their own policies, many of whom would be penalized by regulations if they did not under the "Affordable Care Act".
Now, all of that being said, there are ways to get help with the increases, but it's artificial help and in the end amounts to more tax dollars being dumped into the program to cover the bills. Over 80% of Obamacare customers can qualify for subsidies to help pay the cost of their premiums. Those customers don't pay the full cost out of pocket, so they won't personally see the direct impact of the increases, as long as there is a less expensive plan available in their market and they are willing to switch. This may become commonplace, so switching often may be the new "best choice" in order to avoid stiff increases. As more and more major companies pull out of state obamacare exchanges, these less expensive options will become more and more scarce. Switching health plans may save money for these individuals, but as you can see above, switching health plans is a big deal. Having to switch often is a nightmare.
To compound problems, customers who have to switch plans often to save money when premiums increase, may also have to change their healthcare providers as well since obamacare plans tend to cover a narrow group of physicians and hospitals. (SOURCE). This can be problematic for those with complex health needs. This means those with the most needs will undoubtedly be hit hardest, forced to make decisions whether to switch all of their doctors and records around, or suffer the increases. (SOURCE) (Keep in mind that frequent switching is part of the obamacare design, and not an accidental flaw, which in and of itself is a head scratcher).
Premiums from plans offered by corporations are not very affected by these changes to individual programs. Though it may seem that rates are increasing because, well, they are, those provided by corporations are actually increasing at comparatively low rates when compared to individuals forced to buy policies to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Prices for most employer programs are rising by 3%. (SOURCE). The most notable change in these corporate plans are the deductible amounts, which has gone up quite steadily. This is because employers have been shifting costs to the employees which, to be fair, is a trend that started long before obamacare.
$32 billion of tax dollars was spent on subsidies for low-income people who buy insurance in Obamacare markets, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If premiums continue to rise by more than 20% per year, as it will from 2016 to 2017, the strain on the Federal Budget will be extraordinary.
There is no doubt that Obamacare is a problem financially speaking. There is also no doubt that every American needs access to medical coverage. Hopefully, whoever becomes the next President can reform this program to make it more affordable to those who need it without such a heavy financial burden being placed on other Americans in order to pay for it.
With a tax bracket about to cross 40% in my household, I can't imagine having to pay even more into taxes while dealing with everything else increasing as well. Something really needs to be done, and hopefully it can be a program that helps everyone. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to go about this, and unfortunately that's the way things are heading.

I took my wife out the night this thread was started, we went to a new and well-reviewed steakhouse, as we hadn't been out together in AGES and I was starting week 6, which was "try anything and see how you do with it" time, according to my nutritionist and surgeon (avoiding fats and sugars of course).
My wife up and mentions to the server that he shouldn't be surprised when I don't eat that much, and that it won't be due to the quality of the food...but that I just had weight loss surgery! I was surprised by it, but not really embarrassed...it doesn't really matter to me if someone knows, particularly not a stranger. But the waiter then revealed that he's "a boxer" too, because he has Crohn's disease...so not to worry!
That dinner did make me aware that this change is also a big one for my wife to handle. We couldn't get the appetizer that we both normally would have, because I couldn't eat it anyway (not and have any room for the steak), and I ate like 10% of my food...although I enjoyed it THOROUGHLY. She felt a little weird with me boxing up 90% and her taking home maybe 20% of hers. But the fact of the matter is, I feel like I actually enjoyed the meal MORE than I would have two months ago, and for the right reasons. The flavor was amazing, and I really appreciated it. I didn't just wolf it down.
For me, I don't really care what anyone thinks. I did this for myself, not for them.

I specifically didn't cheat because I was trying to recondition myself mentally, prior to surgery. My thinking was, if I couldn't succeed at following the rules for two weeks pre-surgery, how was I going to succeed at this long-term? I took a lot of pride in sticking to the plan, and it paid off when I weighed in the morning of surgery. I feel that pre-op diet really set the tone, for me.

It takes a little time to work up to the required amount. I was getting close after a week, but that's with almost everything I drank being a Protein shake, so I could try to get my Water in, too. Each week will get better. Just do your best, and I would say any time you drink, make it a Protein Drink.
The lack of desire to eat and the emotions are also totally normal. It'll be a little bit of a mental/emotional ride for a few weeks as you adjust to the new situation. Just be thoughtful about it and try to see all of it for what it is. You are starting the process of re-conditioning your mind and throwing out a LOT of bad habits, old foods, etc... This is where the rubber meets the road.

It takes a little time to work up to the required amount. I was getting close after a week, but that's with almost everything I drank being a Protein shake, so I could try to get my Water in, too. Each week will get better. Just do your best, and I would say any time you drink, make it a Protein Drink.
The lack of desire to eat and the emotions are also totally normal. It'll be a little bit of a mental/emotional ride for a few weeks as you adjust to the new situation. Just be thoughtful about it and try to see all of it for what it is. You are starting the process of re-conditioning your mind and throwing out a LOT of bad habits, old foods, etc... This is where the rubber meets the road.

From 597lbs to 251lbs. Yeah this surgery can work for you as long as you allow it to.

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My hubby and I both had weight loss surgery this summer. Today we went out to lunch for the first time. Did great following the program...but we were laughing at how much smaller the bill was and how much food we were bringing home...boy, life has changed. It's all good. It was a great lunch. You are doing great...love the posts...good luck on your continued journey!
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Yeah if you want to know anything about maximizing your diet for gains, you go to bodybuilders and strength trainers. Unfortunately there is tons of conflicting information out there, because it's based on a combination of research and broscience. The guys who do intermittent fasting to add muscle while also cutting fat swear by it, and they get all of their day's nutrients in a narrow window of time...like six hours, in some cases. So that kind of conflicts with the notion of a "refractory period" with Protein, because they're getting a full day's worth in six hours and they still add muscle mass. (Thinking specifically of the LeanGains program.) Of course if they're eating over 60g of Protein in a sitting, then I guess that also proves that the "you can only process 30g per meal) is a falsehood.
But I got a long way to go before I can even think about adding any mass. Eating 500 calories a day ain't gonna cut it

I have told a couple of co-workers because I had to take the time off for surgery, so of course they were curious...and would have figured it out when they saw me eating these tiny portions at mealtime. But other than that, nobody knows. I haven't shared it with anyone outside of family. I'd prefer not to make a big thing of it, they'll see me how they see me, when they see me.

Finally weighed myself during a visit with my family over the Halloween weekend...what a trip, seeing numbers on there I haven't seen in nearly a decade. I'm averaging five pounds lost per week right now. More shocking to me is that I'm down 60 pounds from my high weight when I started, and I've done that in two months. The best I've ever done on my own is around 55 pounds, over a period of about six months.
I'm now in week 6 and my program has given me free reign to try anything I want to try, of course avoiding sugar and excessive fat intake. Took my wife to a great new steakhouse and it was delicious. Weird to leave such a huge amount of food to be boxed...very weird. But I ate on that meat for three days! Not quite as good reheated, but still very good. Funny how I now feel like I'm getting a lot more value for my money, because it lasts so long

Today was another fun milestone. I have been finding my shorts loose and baggy in the waist, so I finally decided to take out a box of clothes that I'd packed away in anticipation of the day I might actually lose weight and fit into them again. This is stuff I haven't fit into in YEARS. I tried on a pair of shorts I can remember wearing when I was dating my wife, five years ago...and I still remember when I was going through my clothes and putting them in the box, trying these shorts on and having trouble even pulling them up. They seemed miles away from being able to zip and button. Today? They fit perfectly. Then as I put my belt on, I realized that I unconsciously fastened it at the next belt hole. I spent maybe one week on the other hole before I moved on to this one. Unreal. My "starting weight" belt hole is now three holes away from the one I'm currently on. Just over a month into this process and I think I've probably lost as much as I'd typically take 5-6 months to lose, through normal dieting.
Feels good, man.

Finally weighed myself during a visit with my family over the Halloween weekend...what a trip, seeing numbers on there I haven't seen in nearly a decade. I'm averaging five pounds lost per week right now. More shocking to me is that I'm down 60 pounds from my high weight when I started, and I've done that in two months. The best I've ever done on my own is around 55 pounds, over a period of about six months.
I'm now in week 6 and my program has given me free reign to try anything I want to try, of course avoiding sugar and excessive fat intake. Took my wife to a great new steakhouse and it was delicious. Weird to leave such a huge amount of food to be boxed...very weird. But I ate on that meat for three days! Not quite as good reheated, but still very good. Funny how I now feel like I'm getting a lot more value for my money, because it lasts so long

Finally weighed myself during a visit with my family over the Halloween weekend...what a trip, seeing numbers on there I haven't seen in nearly a decade. I'm averaging five pounds lost per week right now. More shocking to me is that I'm down 60 pounds from my high weight when I started, and I've done that in two months. The best I've ever done on my own is around 55 pounds, over a period of about six months.
I'm now in week 6 and my program has given me free reign to try anything I want to try, of course avoiding sugar and excessive fat intake. Took my wife to a great new steakhouse and it was delicious. Weird to leave such a huge amount of food to be boxed...very weird. But I ate on that meat for three days! Not quite as good reheated, but still very good. Funny how I now feel like I'm getting a lot more value for my money, because it lasts so long