Mattymatt

I don't have any thoughts other than a big congratulations. You're almost ready to join the losers bench. Do you know if your surgeon is requiring a two week pre-op liquid diet? If so, you might want to consider preparing yourself for that because it isn't easy at all. Have plenty of sugar-free popsicles laying around because they help tremendously. When I went through my pre-op diet, it was a misery beyond comprehension. When I finally got to the hospital, I think I was more relieved that I was finished with OptiFast than I was nervous about the procedure.

Aww thanks. I am not a star - I am just a fleshy human being.

Let me see and get back to you. I don't know how I managed this.

The last minute jitters are totally normal because this is a serious undertaking. However, the chances are almost 99.999% that you will have a good outcome. As my surgeon said to me, "This is the most 'routine' major surgery nowadays. It isn't like it used to be even just 5 years ago."

Now that I am on my fourth week post-op, I finally feel as if I have the energy to start an exercise program so I am going to join LA Fitness and start slowly and methodically. It feels good to be physically feeling better now.

Today, I am no longer morbidly obese! My BMI is now 39.3. I think I'll just celebrate the small stuff. So what's the next lower tier? Is it "severely obese"?

Get seen by a doctor right away!

It's major surgery but the technology has come so far that healing up is a fraction of the time that it once took. The chances that you'll be okay are 99.999%

Colon cleansers!

That's awesome! Today I hit the 23 pound, post surgery mark. I'm down a total of 43 from my heaviest. Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

It's amazing how much this surgery changes you. I used to hate seafood of any kind. Today I discovered that I now like tuna fish. It goes down real smooth and doesn't lay like a rock. Plus, it's considered a high quality protein at 15g per serving. I'm also enjoying getting my protein through sources other than shakes. It's amazing that tuna almost tastes like a real flaky chicken. It's honestly easier to eat the canned tuna than the canned chicken. I even added a little light mayo. I'm excited to see what other foods that I did not used to like but like now. I discovered I no longer like pepperoni ... that was a surprise to me. Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

I think this is a good question for your primary care. I went the Gastric Bypass route because both my primary care doctor and endocrinologist said that it is the best possibility for curing diabetes. If you're diabetic, you may want to lean more towards the bypass. As a result of gastric bypass, I am effectively no longer diabetic and I am off of 6 out of 7 meds.

I am so nauseous today that if nothing looks even good. It's been a struggle to get even my basic liquids. Well, what do they say? This too shall pass.

I am already depression prone. The last thing I need is to look at my former self. I hear you!

Against the prevailing advice of everyone out there, I decided not to take before pictures this time. Being overweight has brought me nothing but physical and emotional pain and misery. I want nothing further to remind me of where I was. The past two times when I lost a lot of weight, I took before photos and failed. I am just not doing it this time. Where I was no longer matters at all; it's where I am headed that matters. I am also losing weight for completely different reasons this time. I don't have some delusions of grandeur or doing anything big. This is simply a quest for better health. The last time I lost a lot of weight, I could ride a bicycle 100 miles and I rode about that every week for almost 6 months until I got hit by a car and it all unraveled. It's a simple quest to get down to a healthy weight, nothing more nothing less. My rearview mirror is clear and my head is somewhat screwed on straight. Here is to the coming weeks. I am secretly really excited about my brother's wedding. I can't wait to rock that tuxedo. It's only been 3 weeks and I am down a shirt size, from a 4XL to a 3XL. I always hated wearing suits because they looked ridiculous on me. They were baggy in rear and just generally ill-fitting. I can see a difference in my face - my double chin is disappearing.

You also have less weight to lose than some of us. The less you have to lose, the slower it comes off - or so I've heard tell. I have to fight feeling discouraged every day because my goal seems impossibly far off. I feel better when I don't look at my goal at all. Just have to keep moving forward.

I don't know that I had that but I sure will say that I am gassy and my stomach makes all kinds of noises. Oh well.

Now that I am on pureed, I notice that my tastes have changed. For example, I really like Greek Yogurt now, whereas before surgery, I couldn't stand it. I bought some shaved pepperoni and ended up throwing it out. I hated the way it tasted and I used to love pepperoni. It's really interesting how things have changed. Even eating is still mechanical and brings me no feeling of joy. It's just eating to live now and I am grateful for it. I wonder if this surgery could be a cure for an eating disorder?

Well, what's done is done and I am not happy about it but I'm going to move forward as a lesson learned. Folks are quite correct to land on me about the unwise decision.

Yes, you're correct. And please don't be jealous. I really wanted the negative reinforcement and did not get it. This is going to make the journey a little bit harder. The one positive is that the bad food did not make me feel good whereas it used to. All I did was feel full. I'd sooner put good fuel in my body.

Yep, it was a poor decision but one poor decision does not end the game. Again, I am encouraged because eating that food produced an entirely different result then I had expected. So therein lies the positive.

I screwed up and I am not sugar coating it in any way or making excuses. I had two Philly soft pretzels (350 cals ea.) I ate one slowly at 4:00pm and the other at 6:00pm. I was hoping that I would get dumping syndrome and I did not. I only felt full. Okay, I am right back on the horse. Other than reminding myself that this was a poor personal choice, I learned something interesting. Food no longer induces the euphoria and relaxation that it once did. I didn't feel any better, just fuller.

Yup, I had mine on March 12th. Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

Surgery is only a tool but it's not easy. I've just gone through almost two rather grueling weeks. In the end, it's all about a tool that works. I don't want to be a part of the 90-95% that lost weight and fail to keep it off any longer. Getting off of the yo-yo train feels good Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

Stalls kind of happen when they happen and there is really nothing you can do to prevent them. The prevailing advice I hear is just to keep doing what you're doing and ride them out. Make certain to keep tracking your food, liquids, and activity so that your dietitian can help if it feels like you just can't break the stall.