JohnnyCakes

your life will no longer be normal.
it will become extraordinary.

your life will no longer be normal.
it will become extraordinary.

1 - switch to vaping. the thing about smoking that gives bariatric patients problems (ulcers) is not the nicotine. it's the other 2,000 chemicals in the things. i vape (albeit not regularly, at all) without problem. that doesn't solve your problem re: blood test for surgery, but it might help you after the surgery. for now you're going to have to give it up. google how long it stays in your system for drug tests and just grind it out...
2 - i know it seems like you're about to give up a lot of crutches. food AND cigarettes?!? but i promise you, you will change. you will look back and wonder how/why you ever took comfort in food. and you might very well do the same with cigarettes as you enjoy thriving in a new, healthy lifestyle. give yourself that room to change and grow.
2 - hot username.

tell him to PISS OFF.

it's all good. thanks for the re-boot thread, Jess. i felt bad for hijacking that woman's thread. although she wasn't very nice to me trying to help her.
and i'm sorry you felt like i was "screaming". bygones...

anyway - let me state something from the outset..... my only dogma is this - WE KNOW/UNDERSTAND VERY, VERY LITTLE about obesity, dieting, and what constitutes a healthy diet. very, very, very little. i have heard this, in private conversations, from some of the top obesity researchers in the world. like... scary little.
so anyone coming at you as if they have THE ANSWERS (friends, magazines, blogs, doctors, anyone) you should take as a major red flag.
what i am reasonably confident in, at this point, is very broad:
- i believe obesity is a genetic problem largely out of people's control. it's not a character issue as the American population (and skinny people boosting their own ego) like to portray it as.
- i believe there's an environmental "x-factor" we have not discovered yet (BPA? EMF?) that is propagating a genetic instruction. but, it's likely a small factor.
- i believe Michael Pollan's simplistic prescription is probably best: "eat REAL FOOD. not too much. mainly plants."
- i don't believe in counting calories or macronutrients anymore. i think one should eat real food when they are hungry. stop when they are full. what is real food? i came up with a rhyme to tell people who ask me what i eat:
"if it grows in the ground,
or falls from a tree,
grazes on land,
or swims in the sea."
if what you're about to put in your mouth doesn't do one of those 4 things, chances are you shouldn't be eating it.
- i believe "set point theory" is the best we got right now. mainly because it leaves a lot of room for doubt and further research/explanation. it's a 30,000ft view that the statistics bear out to be true, even if we don't know why. yet. and right now that's good enough for me.

it's all good. thanks for the re-boot thread, Jess. i felt bad for hijacking that woman's thread. although she wasn't very nice to me trying to help her.
and i'm sorry you felt like i was "screaming". bygones...

anyway - let me state something from the outset..... my only dogma is this - WE KNOW/UNDERSTAND VERY, VERY LITTLE about obesity, dieting, and what constitutes a healthy diet. very, very, very little. i have heard this, in private conversations, from some of the top obesity researchers in the world. like... scary little.
so anyone coming at you as if they have THE ANSWERS (friends, magazines, blogs, doctors, anyone) you should take as a major red flag.
what i am reasonably confident in, at this point, is very broad:
- i believe obesity is a genetic problem largely out of people's control. it's not a character issue as the American population (and skinny people boosting their own ego) like to portray it as.
- i believe there's an environmental "x-factor" we have not discovered yet (BPA? EMF?) that is propagating a genetic instruction. but, it's likely a small factor.
- i believe Michael Pollan's simplistic prescription is probably best: "eat REAL FOOD. not too much. mainly plants."
- i don't believe in counting calories or macronutrients anymore. i think one should eat real food when they are hungry. stop when they are full. what is real food? i came up with a rhyme to tell people who ask me what i eat:
"if it grows in the ground,
or falls from a tree,
grazes on land,
or swims in the sea."
if what you're about to put in your mouth doesn't do one of those 4 things, chances are you shouldn't be eating it.
- i believe "set point theory" is the best we got right now. mainly because it leaves a lot of room for doubt and further research/explanation. it's a 30,000ft view that the statistics bear out to be true, even if we don't know why. yet. and right now that's good enough for me.

by saying this, i see you definitely did NOT read these two studies i referenced. because while what you say has been true of nutrition science for decades... the hugely important thing about these two studies is that it IS proper science. with controls and adherence and randomization. not epidemiology, not food questionnaires, no conflicts of interest. they are, by far, the best scientific research experiments ever conducted.
and they both found zero benefit to the low carb approach.
keep in mind - i'm saying this as a former low-carb die hard. but i'm not going to let my own cognitive dissonance blind me to the truth. just accept the new truth and move on...

did you read the linked study?
didn't think so. (so shhhhh...)

where are you going? we're just getting started!

our healthcare system is so f'd.
if i went thru insurance, it would have taken 6-12 months. so i decided to pay cash. from my first intro appt with the doctor to surgery day was 3.5 weeks.
keep your head up Little Green. this too shall pass...

see this is a perfect illustration of the problem with the viral, social-media inspired, fad-like popularity of the ketogenic diet..... it is vastly misunderstood and not followed properly.
in order to achieve nutritional ketosis (based on blood ketones, not urine sticks. get yourself a blood ketone meter and prick yourself at least twice a day, or don't bother with the diet), the average person needs to consume upwards of 80% fat. you must "go crazy with the fat" to use your terminology. like, snack on spoonfuls of coconut oil crazy. which is extremely unpalatable and unsustainable. hence ONE of the problems with the regimen. too often, people use it as an excuse to also eat high amounts of Protein, thinking it has no effect on blood sugar. incorrect. thru a process called gluconeogenesis, protein can be broken down and used as a source of glucose. thus kicking you out of ketosis.

add in the stress on the HPT feedback loop and adrenal fatigue. keep that up for a while and your thyroid WILL give. but that's if you get thru the persistent dry eyes and sleep issues that usually set in around week 3 of any properly executed ketogenic diet.
and then, you'll just have to follow this extreme, 80% fat diet for the rest of your life. because the moment you get off of it, your set point will ricochet the scale back to where you were before, probably with "some interest".
the real kicker? the human body does not need to be in full blown, >2.5mmol/L nutritional ketosis in order to lose weight. so you're doing all this for no GD reason.
but don't let me stop you with research and experience. because it's, like, reeeeeallly popular on reddit and stuff... and omg my sister lost SO much weight on it!!! LOVE!

did you read the linked study?
didn't think so. (so shhhhh...)

my bad, just wanted you to be happy.

go kill your thyroid and ruin your new set point with a wholly unsustainable fad-diet, simply to satisfy your ego. BE MY GUEST...

see this is a perfect illustration of the problem with the viral, social-media inspired, fad-like popularity of the ketogenic diet..... it is vastly misunderstood and not followed properly.
in order to achieve nutritional ketosis (based on blood ketones, not urine sticks. get yourself a blood ketone meter and prick yourself at least twice a day, or don't bother with the diet), the average person needs to consume upwards of 80% fat. you must "go crazy with the fat" to use your terminology. like, snack on spoonfuls of coconut oil crazy. which is extremely unpalatable and unsustainable. hence ONE of the problems with the regimen. too often, people use it as an excuse to also eat high amounts of Protein, thinking it has no effect on blood sugar. incorrect. thru a process called gluconeogenesis, protein can be broken down and used as a source of glucose. thus kicking you out of ketosis.

add in the stress on the HPT feedback loop and adrenal fatigue. keep that up for a while and your thyroid WILL give. but that's if you get thru the persistent dry eyes and sleep issues that usually set in around week 3 of any properly executed ketogenic diet.
and then, you'll just have to follow this extreme, 80% fat diet for the rest of your life. because the moment you get off of it, your set point will ricochet the scale back to where you were before, probably with "some interest".
the real kicker? the human body does not need to be in full blown, >2.5mmol/L nutritional ketosis in order to lose weight. so you're doing all this for no GD reason.
but don't let me stop you with research and experience. because it's, like, reeeeeallly popular on reddit and stuff... and omg my sister lost SO much weight on it!!! LOVE!

please, for the love of god, do not start the g*dd*amn keto diet...

there is the possibility that genetically this is your new set point. you haven't "failed" and there is nothing wrong with you.

and your challenge now is to accept that fact, Celebrate the progress you have made, and commit to eating and living healthy in the future.

our healthcare system is so f'd.
if i went thru insurance, it would have taken 6-12 months. so i decided to pay cash. from my first intro appt with the doctor to surgery day was 3.5 weeks.
keep your head up Little Green. this too shall pass...

our healthcare system is so f'd.
if i went thru insurance, it would have taken 6-12 months. so i decided to pay cash. from my first intro appt with the doctor to surgery day was 3.5 weeks.
keep your head up Little Green. this too shall pass...

Hello, I'm Tracy. I had the sleeve 5 days before my 46th birthday 2016. I'm glad I did this, only wish I would have done it years ago. I started out at 298 size 24/26, down to 173ish size 8/12, I'm 5'3" I have the best support system, my family and friend's are the best. They've always encouraged me through the whole process. I couldn't be happier with my life...NEVER going back. Thank you Lord, even though i had to pay out of pocket..I always say.. I'm blessed to be able to make the payments.

please, for the love of god, do not start the g*dd*amn keto diet...

there is the possibility that genetically this is your new set point. you haven't "failed" and there is nothing wrong with you.

and your challenge now is to accept that fact, Celebrate the progress you have made, and commit to eating and living healthy in the future.

please, for the love of god, do not start the g*dd*amn keto diet...

there is the possibility that genetically this is your new set point. you haven't "failed" and there is nothing wrong with you.

and your challenge now is to accept that fact, Celebrate the progress you have made, and commit to eating and living healthy in the future.

please, for the love of god, do not start the g*dd*amn keto diet...

there is the possibility that genetically this is your new set point. you haven't "failed" and there is nothing wrong with you.

and your challenge now is to accept that fact, Celebrate the progress you have made, and commit to eating and living healthy in the future.

I’m super excited to share that I just crossed over from obese to overweight this morning. Weight loss goal 1 achieved. On to the next goal which is to hit normal range. I’m buying jeans in size 14 and tops in XL and I couldn’t be more pleased! I’m so happy, I just wanted to share. Also, for those of you in a stall, don’t worry. It eventually comes off. I stalled 2 1/2 weeks after surgery for almost 2 weeks (it was a real bummer).
HW 227
SW 221 - 11/27/17
CW 185
G1 185
G2 154
G3 135
5’6”

tell him to PISS OFF.

wow... are you for real?
if so - PM me, sexy, so we can get to know each other better.
i need you.
i want you.

my advice is to CALM DOWM.
you didn’t stretch anything. nothing is wrong. just keep moving forward. this is a marathon, not a sprint. mistakes (not that this is even one) happen and will continue to happen. learn, forgive, and move on.