here i am at almost 5 months out.

starting weight was 323. i weighed in this morning at 268 for a total loss so far of 55lb.

that weight loss isn't the most accurate picture, however, because i have put on quite a bit of muscle mass since the surgery. i'm down from a 44" waist (it was getting tight!!) to 40", but i feel like i will soon be in 38" pants. shirts are down to a comfortable XL, but many of the XL shirts i still have are a bit baggy around my gut while they fit well in the shoulders.

the most exciting news i have is that as of 2 fridays ago my mom is a sleever as well she had been debating WLS for a long time and due to my experience she decided to pull the trigger. i'm happy to say that after the 2wk liquid diet and a week post-op she's down about 23lb. she is off a lot of her meds, had a hiatal hernia repaired during surgery, and her reflux is non existent at this time. amazing.

the routine for me has been pretty simple, though i have made my mistakes and had failures. my daily routine right now consists of:

food

5am wake up

Breakfast - Protein shake - i use sun warrior vegan Protein powder OR the 100% whey isolate powder they sell at costco (i forget the brand!!). i usually toss in a banana, some frozen berries, some frozen spinach or fresh kale, some flax seed, and top it off with a bit of almond milk. this week i am going to try some chia seeds, as i've used them in other things in the past.

snack #1 - i get the "just a handful of almonds, cashews and chocolate" trail mix from trader joe's. 10x 1.5oz bags for about $5.50. they are a perfect size for me and the semi sweet chocolate is a nice touch.

lunch - varies, but a very typical lunch for me is tuna salad (sometimes mayo based, sometimes oil / vinegar based) and homemade flax seed crackers. i dont measure it out and eat until i'm satisfied. happy to report that at 5mo it still doesn't take much! hah

snack #2 - same as snack #1. i'm a creature of habit

dinner - varies, but many times i eat the same thing i had for lunch or my wife cooks something healthy. again, i don't eat a whole lot and i never eat until i'm stuffed.

my guilty pleasure? drinking Powerade zero instead of Water. i should drink more water, and i am doing so, but those powerade zeros are good!

that's it. it's not rocket science. if i want to eat a chicken wing i do it. if i want a bite of something sweet i have it. i am making better choices, and it's easy because i know my happiness increases with every pound lost.

EXERCISE

i am at the gym 6 days a week. that may sound extreme, but it's not. i train brazilian jiu jitsu and my game has gotten WAY better. every 10lb lost makes me noticeably more agile and less injury prone. i'm addicted to jiu jitsu, and i train 5x/wk, so this drives me to keep up the good work.

i also hit the regular gym to do some cardio and weight training 2-3x/wk. swimming is something else i'm latching on to, and it is a truly amazing workout.

my doctor said "get sweaty for 30min 3x/wk" and i have vastly exceeded that, hence the muscle growth, huge increase in self esteem / self image, and better athletic performance.

SUPPORT

thanks to my wife, my mom (who, if you missed it above, is now a fellow sleever!!), and some key friends who know what i did, i have a great support net. i still lurk here but haven't posted much as i settle into my routine. that will change now that i'm in the groove.

shamefully i haven't been back to my support group since the first visit.. i need to go back as it will be a great place for me to meet some folks and do some venting when i need to.

in conclusion, i feel great and look great. i was worried about losing muscle mass and athletic performance, but it was unfounded. sure it takes some careful planning and hard work, but it's just not a concern. i've gained muscle, and stronger and faster, and my performance on the mat has increased well beyond my hopes.

i would do this surgery again IN A HEARTBEAT and recommend it to anyone who is serious about sticking to the rules and who has a good surgeon on tap.

Congrats! I was thinking of some form of martial art training. I've always wanted to but of course thought, oh you're just too big, but already not as big as I was and I want to adopt a more active lifestyle. My hubby is a sleever now also as of a week ago and he is talking about going to a MMA gym.

awesome. my whole family (wife + 2 kids) trains jiu jitsu together, so it is a huge part of our lives. very, very fun, practical training, and it is a HELL of a workout.

find a good reputable jiu jitsu gym and try it out. i would suggest trying jiu jitsu before mma-specific training, as a sound grasp of jiu jitsu fundamentals will help tremendously. plus you don't get beat up too badly in jiu jitsu since it is not a striking art - much more like wrestling.