CalGuy64

I told anyone who asked. A few seem relieved as they had speculated that I was losing weight because I was sick.

I never had my T levels tested before surgery. I've had them checked twice since and they're right in the middle of the normal range. However, I've noticed that I'm much more aggressive and short-tempered now. Don't know for sure if this is related to any hormonal changes brought about by weight loss but that seems likely.

There really doesn't seem to be any way to avoid losing some muscle. I was totally weak for most of the first year. It took about six months of moderate exercise after that to get back to preop strength levels. The most important thing is that even though I can't press or lift any more than I could before I'm much athletic.

" ... anyone have any tips that helped them?" 1) Upgrade your seat/saddle. I got my GF this one (wide version) https://www.rei.com/product/152865/bontrager-boulevard-bike-saddle. 2) Make sure you're in a nice low gear for even slight inclines until you build some endurance. It will seem that you're pedaling fast but not getting anywhere but you'll be getting your exercise and not over taxing your joints or muscles.

Any quality mountain bike will be more than strong enough. A 180 pound college student bashing down a rough trail puts way more stress on a bike than a 400 pound person doing a couple of laps around the neighborhood.

Losing over 100 pounds can change your personality quite a bit. I've become much more aggressive.

Its not just the same amount covering less area. I've grown quite a bit of new body hair -- and I was pretty damn fuzzy to start with. Interestingly the new hair is all jet black while much of what existed before was grey.

You can have the occasional drink (I had a glass of wine yesterday). However, you'll get drunk real easy so be careful. Also, alcohol can add lots of calories.

1000 - 1200 calories seems very low. I can't imagine a healthy long-term diet being less than 1800 calories per day.

Two years out and I'm eating pretty normal sized portions (as opposed to the old super-sized portions). Haven't actually kept a food journal but I'm pretty sure I'm eating somewhere in the 2500 to 3000 calories per day range.

Trader Joe's cheapest medium roast coffee works for me.

Have a good divorce lawyer pre-selected. I wish I was kidding but divorce rates skyrocket after women have WLS.

My sex drive went up drastically too. Three to four times a day is seems about right.

Its been almost a year since my surgery. I'm down to 204 pound and still slowly losing. I figure I'll be losing for at least another six months. I'd like to get down to about 180 pounds (I have a small frame). I've got a bit of loose skin around my middle. I'm hoping my skin will shrink enough that I won't really need plastic surgery. So my question is for folks several years out. When did you skin stop shrinking back?

Resistance training with heavy weights is the only effective way to gain muscle mass. Make sure to focus on compound movements that stress a variety of large muscle groups (i.e. squats, dead lifts, presses, dips, pull-ups). Its damn hard for most guys to gain more that ten pounds of actual muscle so don't expect the moon. The good news is that just ten pounds of muscle can make a huge difference.

I hate prepared protein shakes. I make my own in the blender with whole milk (makes a huge difference and you're not using that much) and fresh fruit. Also, some protein powders taste a lot better than others. I'm partial to Isopure (available at GNC) and Optimum Nutrition (available at Trader Joe's). I make a blender full in the morning and put it in three insulated travel mugs I take with me. I have one on the drive to work, one with/for lunch, and the third one after I leave the gym at about 6 (I have a small diner at about 7).