Russ D

I had days like this in the first month or so. Still do, every once and a while. I can't explain it, I just listen to my body and don't let myself push it (actually I pushed it a little last night and REGRETTED IT...ate one bite too many...no fireworks, but it was painful). I resigned myself that some days, I wasn't going to hit all of my protein or water.

33 all. Met a guy younger than me who'd had it done. He showed me before-and-after pictures and my jaw dropped...looked like a different person. Never considered it before that, my mentality was "Oh, surgery is for people who are out of all other options." Meeting that guy revised my attitude. Jumped on the band wagon. Went less than four months from first meeting with my doctor to being on the table. I was on a mission in those four months...I was tired of looking and feeling the way I always had, and was ready to change, and by Pete, nothing was going to keep me from that change. Chewed threw everything the doctor set me at...orders, monitored weight loss (actually got close on that once), diet. Threw myself into it. Still throwing myself into it. No regrets, except waiting this long.

Disney's really good about accommodating "guests with certain body dimensions," but, there aren't a lot of true roller coasters at Disney parks. Universal, the BIG coasters won't accommodate big folks. Some of the smaller motion simulator rides will, but not all (no Harry Potter, unfortunately). Six Flags, hahaha. I walked seven miles at Six Flags the last time I was there. Because it was all I could do, nothing fit. I wish I had some more insight for you on what size you can start riding some of these, but I won't be going to any until spring. By that time, though, I'm hoping that I'll be able to fit on the dang things! I loved my coasters!

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear. Do they know what the problem is?

Hope everything went well!

That's terrific progress, I hope my skin snaps back that easily!

Yikes, that sounds painful, how did the staple go? Is the issue solved? Sorry to hear. Could the shoulder be gas? They told me that was possible, that gas could be up that far and cause pain. (I think.)

One thing that my surgery buddy kept impressing on me...it's a goal. Something to aim for. Not a death sentence if you don't make it! I don't think I made it through all 64oz until about 10 days after surgery (and remember, everyone is different).

Are you taking time off? I just kept a sports bottle full of water with me at all times. 32 oz. Finish it twice in a day and I'd have my 64 oz. Whenever I felt like I could handle a sip, I sipped. Stand up? Take a sip. Sit down? Sip. Commercial? Sip at the beginning of each one. Tarantino movie? Sip for each gunshot or %&!@ bomb. (Just kidding on the last one. Maybe.) As long as it wasn't before/during/after "eating" (shake time!), I just judged to see if I could handle any more fluid. My goal was to finish the first 32 oz before lunch, get the second 32 oz done after.

Same

You look amazing! Do you have any before's? That has to be some good progress!

Before: Early December 2017, must have been 370-375 After: Early September 2018, about 287 80 down, 90 to go.

What did you want to achieve by having surgery? I lost quite a bit of weight before surgery (45 pounds) and I too had some thoughts about "I could just keep this up, I don't really need surgery." As soon as I started thinking that way I stumbled across an article about a young couple whose obesity is at deadly levels DESPITE them both having bypass surgery...both refused to change their ways with food habits. That article cured me of any resignation that I had. I don't focus on the food or the lack thereof. There are things I want to do, things I haven't been able to do with the weight on. I've spent enough of my life abusing my body with food that was tasty...time to enjoy some other fruits of life instead.

Oh, lucky you, just one IV...I had one in BOTH arms...though fortunately the one on my right arm was in the side of my wrist, so I wasn't hindered as much using my Essential Life Support Device (AKA phone)...

I wore two robes for that reason...one for my front, one for my back. Even though it was a bariatric wing they could see that one wasn't getting the job done... Made using the bathroom an adventure, once it was time for that!

Yep, I've missed quite a few. Haven't figured out a solution that works for me. Mostly it's because of rushing in the morning, so maybe laying them all out in baggies on Sunday evening would do the trick.

Have you checked out the Premier Clear Protein drinks? They're actually not bad. 17oz for the bottle, 20g of protein.

I guess I've got a strong will, I refused to touch any of those goodies. I wasn't very successful planning meals. Mostly took leftovers from home for lunch, a cup of yogurt, and some extra protein shakes just in case. And I did a very bad job of keeping up with my vitamins!

Wow, you've put a lot more thought into it than I ever did! And I tend to over-plan things...

By my quick check 5'3" and 224 puts you at 39.7 BMI. Definitely think twice before you do it, but I have heard stories of people in your situation who gained weight to push them over the insurance BMI and then reapplied.

Good luck!

Funny story. Three days into my pre-op diet, before my body was used to the shock of it, I had to go to the dermatologist. It involved some freezing, some cutting, and some burning (cauterizing). Wasn't fun. I don't handle pain all that great to start with. But combine that with my low sugar count and general lack of typical nutrition...well, one minute the doctor was talking to me about sunscreen, and the next two nurses were trying to get me up on the table while a third was rushing off to get juice and candy...

That's what I don't get. You seem to think that we don't all hold that particular belief as it is...that the "echo chamber" you mention is somehow convincing more people of what is a pretty basic tenet of all Abrahamic religions. I think it's counterproductive to put it in the terms in which it was originally introduced in this thread, but do you think that you're actually changing minds? Or, even more absurd, preventing minds from being changed? Because that's the only rationale I can see from not "letting stuff like that slide." I like Penn Jillette's take on proselytism the best...that proselytism, however fire and brimstone it may be, comes from a place of love and wanting the best for someone, however much you may think the thought process behind that love is faulty:

Yeah, that's my go-to. Probably started them a little early (4 weeks) but I didn't see much difference between them and scrambled eggs with cheese and meat.

The breathing pain is from all of the gas they've got pumped into you. The gas is still in there, largely, putting pressure on your diaphragm and making it more difficult for your lungs to inflate fully. Keep up on the breathing exercises (hopefully they've shown you some). Walk as much as you're able. You'll get it.