TheBearguy8

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger.

You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience.

Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger.

You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience.

Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

I'm gonna be blunt. I've lost 55 pounds, and I swear I'm bigger in "The Good Place" than I was ever, even in college. We are talking multiple inches. I'm an exhibitionist so the temptation to share the before and afters with you must be resisted, but suffice to say, after the joy of looking down and seeing it again . . . the second joy of the reactions. . . well . . .let's just say my username isn't a dream anymore, it's real.

Yup 30 pounds, that damn "groin fat pouch" is starting to recede, l can see it, its bigger, firmer and I am horny ALL the time while I am doing cardio every day as a gym coach while I am losing.

I'm so desperate to find the hidden gay men in this forum . . .and this thread . . come on guys! Speak up!

I'm gonna be blunt. I've lost 55 pounds, and I swear I'm bigger in "The Good Place" than I was ever, even in college. We are talking multiple inches. I'm an exhibitionist so the temptation to share the before and afters with you must be resisted, but suffice to say, after the joy of looking down and seeing it again . . . the second joy of the reactions. . . well . . .let's just say my username isn't a dream anymore, it's real.

Yup 30 pounds, that damn "groin fat pouch" is starting to recede, l can see it, its bigger, firmer and I am horny ALL the time while I am doing cardio every day as a gym coach while I am losing.

Finally, some experience I can relate to and comment intelligently about.
Surgery day: 250
Pre-Op prep: 255
Max weight 2 years earlier: 280
Years jammed up at 250 with daily exercise, spin classes and Zumba: THREE!!
7 months after surgery?: 195
Experience?: It's been a BREEZE like this guy said. I have felt guilty expressing this due to sympathy for so many others. There is so much FEAR and TERROR expressed in SO MANY places. I was PETRIFIED going to Mexico more for the surgery than even going to Tijuana!
Physical side effects so far: Nausea ALARM (that's what I call it) to "STOP EATING YOU DUMMY". Best thing ever. Burping. Hilarious. Great at parties. farting? Not so much fun at parties.
What gave me an advantage: I had been a dancer, and competitive and physically active in my 20's after being a fat kid. Mid life crisis issues at 40 set some changes in to motion, but no matter what dietary changes I made . . dropped all sugary sodas gradually, massive carb cutbacks, cutting out of top trigger foods, pizza, chinese . . .it all helped, but 250 was where I thought life would settle. Then came spin classes, zumba, weight lifting - 240 was fun, but crept back to 250 gradually.
AFTER surgery - all those lifestyle things HELPED as the psychological hunger and inability to overeat just changed. Combine the surgery with lifestyle changes? I'm living a joyful life, literally and metaphorically dancing through every day. . . looking 10 years younger . . . wearing tight clothes . . . and getting a lot of dates and interest that lead me to believe I might not die alone fat and surrounded by my cats eating me after all.

Things people say that were NOT TRUE FOR ME:
- you will never have carbonated drinks ever again
- you will never enjoy eating again
- it's "not a magic bullet". (It was for me)
- you will always get gassy and uncomfortable and live with it
- you will forever need to be taking a lot of supplements and vitamins/shots
- you will get debilitating heartburn and physical pains
- you will risk ripping your staples out and bleeding to death if you eat too much.
- you will have to get used to vomiting from time to time, and it's painful and dangerous to do so. (twice for me, and only when I mixed bourbon with too many sugar free popsicles! I deserved it! It was just bad that it happened while sleeping - that's dangerous)
- you will never enjoy any alcoholic drinks ever again
- you will die in Mexico and they will never find your body
- you will be so constipated it will affect you all the time
- you will go through periods of regret (not so far anyway)

Some true ones:
- drinking enough Water is hard. It tastes awful, and I never liked it in the first place.
- Protein, protein, protein FIRST. Then the fun stuff, if you even want it anymore after the protein.
- Tastes change. sometimes in some bizarre ways that even change month to month.
- Remember to eat and keep the food log any way you can more so that you stay in balance, and don't get out of whack in areas like sodium and other things easily overlooked.
- Use your URINE as a constant CHECK on your own health. LOOK AT IT. Sometimes pee in urine specific container and check the color carefully. When it gets darker, really dark, or even into a neon type bright green/yellow - evaluate what you are doing carefully and make changes.
- The surgery is NOT what it was in it's early years and configurations of bypass and lap band. Sleeve was the way for me, and it all makes sense after the fact now. My mother had this surgery in 1992 and has led a miserable life physically, although she got thinner, it came with much substitute misery.

Have fun! It's the best decision I ever made! I would do it over and over again, and I tell everyone I can to not be afraid.

I'm gonna be blunt. I've lost 55 pounds, and I swear I'm bigger in "The Good Place" than I was ever, even in college. We are talking multiple inches. I'm an exhibitionist so the temptation to share the before and afters with you must be resisted, but suffice to say, after the joy of looking down and seeing it again . . . the second joy of the reactions. . . well . . .let's just say my username isn't a dream anymore, it's real.

I was scheduled for band....and a weeks of solid research and a committed Rep at WLA, went with the sleeve instead. I'm doing great, and people are switching out due to problems. 2 of the 6 people on my day was doing the switch.

Thanks for sharing.....same experiences here, and it's good to read yours. So many fears not happened

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger.

You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience.

Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger.

You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience.

Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

Thanks for sharing.....same experiences here, and it's good to read yours. So many fears not happened

Thanks for sharing.....same experiences here, and it's good to read yours. So many fears not happened

Thanks for sharing.....same experiences here, and it's good to read yours. So many fears not happened

Lose It makes it so easy.

I use LoseIt. I saw some people on IG that use Baritastic it looks pretty cool.
Honestly the best thing to do it download several and try them all then decide on what you like. They all do the same thing, just differently so it is personal preference.

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger.

You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience.

Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

so let me get this straight....
you just had bariatric weight loss surgery. you're losing massive amounts of weight. you're on severely restricted calories. you are engaging in extreme amounts of intense exercise. it's the middle of a hot summer in Florida. you admit not drinking enough Water or eating enough Protein. and you find yourself light-headed.
hmmmm...... whatever could it be?????
it's not hypoglycemia, it's not a B12 deficiency, it's not anemia, it's not hypotension, or vertigo, or anything else.
Occam's razor FTW here - you are (drum roll)........ OVER-DOING IT.
you aren't (and can't) take in enough calories to cover your basal metabolic rate plus the active calories you are using. your brain needs calories as much as your zumba-muscles do, and there just isn't enough there. that's why you are lightheaded. and that's why orange juice makes you feel better. that's liquid sugar and the glucose goes right to your brain.
don't over think this. you know you are doing too much. during these first few intense weight-loss months, you need to take it easy. there will be plenty of time to play gym-hero in the future when you have stopped losing and started taking in more calories.

I'm only 2 months out, but I have a few things to contribute that I feel are appropriate. I stressed a lot over which surgery to have. BMI 40 at the highest. I wanted something reversible. I was scared. My mother had early bypass in the 90's and she suffers terribly now from mal-absorption, cant swallow important meds, can't eat.

I got lucky with a rep for a travel surgery company over the phone who spent time with me discussing sleeve. Thank goodness she was insistent.
I'm having an experience that seems not typical, but I am believing one thing from research and limited experience.

Gastric sleeve makes the most logical sense as a concept when you break it down. Individuals vary but logically . . .
It does not actually change the flow of the human body, or digestive system, it just keeps the natural flow, but reduces the pouch of your stomach size. It does not leave foreign objects like the band, port, etc in the body. Scarring is minimal, invasion is lower, recovery is faster. For me the recovery has been so fast it's almost unbelievable. It simply restricts you from overeating and presents you with a nauseous reminder to STOP, or SLOW DOWN constantly. Recovery seems to be the fastest for a general observation, Side effects for me have been nearly non-existent. I had a home made seltzer yesterday as an experiment (I do NOT call that "soda") and surprise, I did not die, explode, tear out my staples. Like all things in life, be smart, listen to your body. Seltzer provides an oral stimulation I enjoy within reason, and a squirt of some taste also can happen. Vitamin effectiveness is too early to gauge at 8 weeks, but at least taking those larger pill presents no problem like the eternal suffering my mother's radical bypass endures for 25 years, causing non adherence to Vitamins, which then causes more problems. My anecdotal research tells me men have a vastly different easier experience when compared to women overall. ANECDOTAL. I'm just 2 months out, and of course years of a journey lie ahead. Oh by the way, I'm also HIV positive, 35 years healthy, never needed meds until proactive treatments started recently, and even those I have no problems with post surgery.

Negatives I'm becoming aware of . . .
you can find unhealthy high calorie foods that can slow or stop weight loss and slip by the restriction process. My personal example is Low Sugar Fudgesicles. I'm craving chocolate, I did not used to. I used to binge eat popsicles in general, now regular popsicles taste weird, but the Sugar Free Chocolate products like Peppermint Patties, dark chocolate, in general also help because they have a laxative effect. I ate too many "Outshine' fruit low sugar popsicles last night watching Netflix (with no chill unfortunately) - and I vomited in my sleep, which strikes me as a bit potentially dangerous. I hope the negative reinforcement works. Tastes seem to change a bit. Cravings change. Whiskey/Scotch/Vodka tastes gross now unless it's an expensive super high quality bourbon. That may seem minor to you, but taste and craving changes can seem bizarre. I can sense a long term danger that mentally, I will "figure out" how to outsmart the surgery when I'm stressed and resorting to old eating behaviors and patterns. Last week I went to support a friend who is a cabaret theater singer, and there was pressure to order food and drink to keep the prime seating location we were in. I felt guilty for the waiter with me milking an appetizer and one drink for an hour and I pushed it ordering more food, and more alcohol, ill advised. I gained 2 pounds just from that stupid exercise. Thankfully avoided vomiting, but perhaps that would have been better mentally. My weight loss was so slow at first I was genuinely scared then angry. Then I resumed cardio exercises and teaching Zumba, which is twice as much exercise as just taking Zumba. Then the weight started falling off. Muscle tone is weird. I need to lift weights as I did when very overweight. It feels different.
Hope this contributes and helps.

Thanks, blizair09. That is really helpful and fits pretty closely what I have been doing as well. Congratulations on your incredible progress!

I think that there is a difference between grazing and eating toward target macros throughout the day. In my case, I eat 8 small meals per day, approximately 2 hours apart (1.5 hours apart in the evenings) between 10am and about 11pm. This strategy has worked well for me since my surgery last November. I have gradually inched my calories up to about 1600, and I have always done this by adding additional meals, not by adding volume to existing meals. I never eat until I am full. I eat specified amounts at a time, and I know that I am going to be eating again in a couple of hours.

I'm only 2 months out, but I have a few things to contribute that I feel are appropriate. I stressed a lot over which surgery to have. BMI 40 at the highest. I wanted something reversible. I was scared. My mother had early bypass in the 90's and she suffers terribly now from mal-absorption, cant swallow important meds, can't eat.

I got lucky with a rep for a travel surgery company over the phone who spent time with me discussing sleeve. Thank goodness she was insistent.
I'm having an experience that seems not typical, but I am believing one thing from research and limited experience.

Gastric sleeve makes the most logical sense as a concept when you break it down. Individuals vary but logically . . .
It does not actually change the flow of the human body, or digestive system, it just keeps the natural flow, but reduces the pouch of your stomach size. It does not leave foreign objects like the band, port, etc in the body. Scarring is minimal, invasion is lower, recovery is faster. For me the recovery has been so fast it's almost unbelievable. It simply restricts you from overeating and presents you with a nauseous reminder to STOP, or SLOW DOWN constantly. Recovery seems to be the fastest for a general observation, Side effects for me have been nearly non-existent. I had a home made seltzer yesterday as an experiment (I do NOT call that "soda") and surprise, I did not die, explode, tear out my staples. Like all things in life, be smart, listen to your body. Seltzer provides an oral stimulation I enjoy within reason, and a squirt of some taste also can happen. Vitamin effectiveness is too early to gauge at 8 weeks, but at least taking those larger pill presents no problem like the eternal suffering my mother's radical bypass endures for 25 years, causing non adherence to Vitamins, which then causes more problems. My anecdotal research tells me men have a vastly different easier experience when compared to women overall. ANECDOTAL. I'm just 2 months out, and of course years of a journey lie ahead. Oh by the way, I'm also HIV positive, 35 years healthy, never needed meds until proactive treatments started recently, and even those I have no problems with post surgery.

Negatives I'm becoming aware of . . .
you can find unhealthy high calorie foods that can slow or stop weight loss and slip by the restriction process. My personal example is Low Sugar Fudgesicles. I'm craving chocolate, I did not used to. I used to binge eat popsicles in general, now regular popsicles taste weird, but the Sugar Free Chocolate products like Peppermint Patties, dark chocolate, in general also help because they have a laxative effect. I ate too many "Outshine' fruit low sugar popsicles last night watching Netflix (with no chill unfortunately) - and I vomited in my sleep, which strikes me as a bit potentially dangerous. I hope the negative reinforcement works. Tastes seem to change a bit. Cravings change. Whiskey/Scotch/Vodka tastes gross now unless it's an expensive super high quality bourbon. That may seem minor to you, but taste and craving changes can seem bizarre. I can sense a long term danger that mentally, I will "figure out" how to outsmart the surgery when I'm stressed and resorting to old eating behaviors and patterns. Last week I went to support a friend who is a cabaret theater singer, and there was pressure to order food and drink to keep the prime seating location we were in. I felt guilty for the waiter with me milking an appetizer and one drink for an hour and I pushed it ordering more food, and more alcohol, ill advised. I gained 2 pounds just from that stupid exercise. Thankfully avoided vomiting, but perhaps that would have been better mentally. My weight loss was so slow at first I was genuinely scared then angry. Then I resumed cardio exercises and teaching Zumba, which is twice as much exercise as just taking Zumba. Then the weight started falling off. Muscle tone is weird. I need to lift weights as I did when very overweight. It feels different.
Hope this contributes and helps.

I began my journey (2015) where you are now - 5'9" and 400+ lbs. I had the sleeve because I wanted to keep all of my plumbing in place and functioning. I have lost 1 full-grown man so far, and I do not regret my choice AT ALL. While a full bypass would have gotten me to my ultimate goal (for me, about 185) faster, I am SO MUCH healthier even now that the pace of the last 75 pounds is a bit easier to take on.
It seems that I am near the point that I need to exercise to accelerate my weight loss further - not a bad thing at all. If you are comfortable with the idea of the Sleeve, don't let ANYONE change your mind!! The doctors are the "experts", but this is YOUR BODY, not theirs. This is YOUR LIFE, not theirs. As a result, this is Their Advice, but it is YOUR Decision!!!
Take control of your future and be comfortable with the decision that You make.
God Bless,
Bryan