vikingbeast

Keeping your skin taut and trying to stave off too much loose skin.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

Since I am now halfway between my heavy weight and my goal weight, I thought I'd show myself. I lost 26 lbs. on my own, then 9 lbs. on the pre-op diet, and 41 lbs. so far since surgery (five weeks ago). I only "see" the changes when I look at before-and-after pictures. I'm starting to see what I'll look like further along and I ain't mad about it.

76 lbs. down, 76 to go.

It's also possible that the OP hasn't had any support from their surgical/bariatric team. That is certainly the case for me, which is why I keep turning up on this board like a bad penny. They could be just venting their frustration, albeit in an emotional way that invites emotional responses.

My nutritionist b----ed me out for overeating, too. I was eating a whopping 800 calories and stalling hard. She told me that I needed to be eating 400-500 calories a day and that's why I wasn't losing weight. I told her that the week I tracked my food before starting on this journey, I was maintaining my old weight on 3800 calories a day and there's no freaking way I was bumping out of a caloric deficit with an intake of 800 calories.
So she said I was non-compliant and then huffed, "I guess if you want to gain it all back, it's up to you."
I fired her. Loudly. I posted about it elsewhere on this site. And I went and found a nutrition group that focuses on flexible nutrition and who have nutritionists and RDs who are familiar with bariatric patients. My nutritionist put me on 1200 cal a day to start and has been encouraging me to eat more—this week has been more like 1400. I am very active, though, and burn calories both working and working out (I'm not a "walker"... I run, I do CrossFit, I do ranch work.)
I'm twelve weeks out and still losing 3-4 pounds a week.
I do track everything I eat and self-discipline is hard but necessary. I figure this surgery gave me 6-12 months to re-evaluate my relationship with food, and that's plenty of time to develop new habits that are just second nature.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

My nutritionist b----ed me out for overeating, too. I was eating a whopping 800 calories and stalling hard. She told me that I needed to be eating 400-500 calories a day and that's why I wasn't losing weight. I told her that the week I tracked my food before starting on this journey, I was maintaining my old weight on 3800 calories a day and there's no freaking way I was bumping out of a caloric deficit with an intake of 800 calories.
So she said I was non-compliant and then huffed, "I guess if you want to gain it all back, it's up to you."
I fired her. Loudly. I posted about it elsewhere on this site. And I went and found a nutrition group that focuses on flexible nutrition and who have nutritionists and RDs who are familiar with bariatric patients. My nutritionist put me on 1200 cal a day to start and has been encouraging me to eat more—this week has been more like 1400. I am very active, though, and burn calories both working and working out (I'm not a "walker"... I run, I do CrossFit, I do ranch work.)
I'm twelve weeks out and still losing 3-4 pounds a week.
I do track everything I eat and self-discipline is hard but necessary. I figure this surgery gave me 6-12 months to re-evaluate my relationship with food, and that's plenty of time to develop new habits that are just second nature.

Let’s talk about some things that play an important factor in this-
You’re a 6ft tall, 52yr old man who started out on the lower end of obesity before surgery and have a current BMI of about 32.5
BMI doesn’t take into consideration your build, lean body mass (especially if you do a lot of physical activity) or genetics.
All of those things along with others like metabolic issues, your BMR basal metabolic rate (the calories needed to do nothing but exist) play a factor into how you will lose or maintain weight.
Based on just a generic BMR calculator (no specifics like lean body mass, etc.) your body burns about 2100 at absolute rest. Eating only 800 calories a day leaves your body in starvation mode and will hang onto every calorie for what it’s worth and not let you continue losing weight. Try adding 2-300 calories a day and see if that helps along with tracking calories.

Try something along these lines for a few days and see if it helps-
Breakfast (eggs and turkey bacon)
2 eggs, scrambled with 2 cups fresh spinach, 2 slices turkey bacon and 1oz cheddar cheese- 330 calories and 24g Protein
lunch (stir fry)
3oz chicken breast, 1/2 cup sliced zucchini, 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, and 1/4 cup onion cooked in 1tsp olive oil with spices (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, etc.)- 225 calories and 29g protein
snack
100 calorie pack of almonds (100 calories and 3g protein) OR 2 stalks celery with 1tbsp Peanut Butter (105 calories and 5g protein)
dinner (tortilla pizza)
1-8” flour tortilla topped with 1/4 cup marinara sauce, 1oz cooked Italian sausage, and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese- 365 calories and 15g protein
Total for the day- 1025 calories and 73g protein and that’s with the celery and peanut butter.

If you need more meal ideas to get you (back) on track then message me. I have a notebook full of them!

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

I use some dark chocolate and blackberry flavored powder I found at Sprouts. No tolerance issue. It tastes weird is all.

I was a model child the first two weeks after surgery. I had no appetite and anything I put in my mouth was strictly out of medical necessity but I was dogged and made sure to meet my Protein and Water requirements every day. Lost 12 lbs. The second two weeks, I’m not sure if I was “hungry” but I found I could enjoy food again and things became more tempting. With the Doctor’s approval, and I asked many specifics of her, such as flax, vinegar, and Protein Bars with nuts, she reassured me “I couldn’t hurt my stomach”, I moved forward and, while eating 75% on target, I also incorporated small amounts of things from my old life – a bite of bread roll, a 1” square of brownie, half a flour tortilla, a piece of corn dog. All while keeping my calories between 700-900 a day. Nothing seemed to bother my stomach and my capacity, while certainly limited, was more than I expected.
At my four week appt, the nutritionist was a bit horrified and pretty much wrote me up as non-compliant. Said that most people were eating about 500 calories a day at that point. After sulking (and stalling) for another week, I started adding a Protein Shake back for breakfast, upped my water by 16 ounces and focusing more on the basics: using a scale, focusing on protein and vegetables, walking. I learned taking the tiny bites was not to help my stomach, but my head: it sucks when your meal is over in 3 or 4 bites. I claimed I could not walk because I have grade 4 arthritis in my knee and I’m really busy, but if I get up early, I can get a mile in before I go to work. And I added ankle weights to up the effectiveness. As of now, the scale is moving again after the stall from hell but I’ve also, grudgingly, learned the rules are there for a reason. I’m not here to be austere, at age 59, my only reason for loss is health, and I don’t feel the drive to be thin/attractive, so I still have my little treat: a 70 calorie square of baking chocolate.< span> My calories these days still fall closer to 750 but I’ve lived a life of self-indulgence and self-discipline is hard to come by now.

CONGRATS!!!!!

So it turns out that 7kg or about 15.5 pounds is what I need now. Took some trial and error but my buoyancy seemed pretty good with that weight.
Another weird NSV - I play the violin and I am going to need a new shoulder rest. There is a lot more room between my chin and shoulder now. I hadn't even thought about that until I wondered why I was cramping up during rehearsal the other night.

fitting into chairs at my GPs office!

Was able to teach my son how to ride a bike without being winded

My winter boots have a decorative strap on the calf that snaps into place. This strap used to always come undone and dangle, necessitating multiple re-snaps every time I wore them. Well, I wore them Monday and the strap did not come undone once. A silly, small moment of joy.

I cut my toenails for the first time since surgery today (don't judge! I usually get pedicures!). It was shockingly easy to contort myself to be able to do it without 60 lbs of stomach in the way!

Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Buying clothes ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I'm a new convert to Goodwill and Ross Dress For Less shopping because otherwise I'll blow my income on clothing.
I'm cold ALL THE FREAKING TIME.
And it hurts to sit on my bony @$$ now.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

If you have GERD now, then you should opt for a gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y, always abbreviated RNY here). It's literally the solution for GERD and sometimes when vertical gastric sleeve (VSG) patients get GERD post-op, they revise the surgery to RNY.
So let me ask you this: what's worse for your health? Having to monitor your blood levels of Vitamins and supplement, or being obese and developing comorbidities?
You'll find a LOT of people think that surgery is somehow a way of "cheating". Don't listen to those idiots, who've never looked into it.

Everyone is different with regards to de-liver-ization 😁
The no-carbs thing varies program by program. I am not on a low-carb diet and still am shrinking. But some programs do require it. Frankly, though, it's hard to meet my carb macro target because I do eat all my Protein first, then the vegetables (which are carbs, of course, but are lower than starches). And then I frankly don't have room for starches.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.

Whole bunch of non-scale victories lately.
1. I am no longer morbidly obese because my BMI is under 40. Combined with the resolution of my comorbidities, I no longer qualify for surgery. 😁
2. My A1c is 5.1. A physician friend of mine said he hasn't seen anyone under 5.4 in a long time.
3. I needed to get into the bed of the ranch truck today and the tailgate was blocked off... so I went over the side using the (not small) tire. My balance is so much better!
4. I can do burpees like I'm on springs now, at least 10 in a row. Before I would do what are popularly known as "grief burpees" (look it up on Google Video search).
5. I got in trouble with my sleep doctor. It took me 6 weeks to get a video appointment and my CPAP (technically APAP) was choking me with all the air it was putting out. It's locked down, so I found the manual (in Russian), translated it, guessed the password, and reset the lower bound. I sleep better now (and my suspicion was correct, previous range was 10-20 cm H2O, now that I've lowered it, I average about 8 over a night).
6. I ran a mile for the first time ever in my entire life. It wasn't very fast (10:26) but it was a real mile and there was no walking or stopping.