Hello All, my name is Steve Hudson, I am 43 and pre op gastric sleeve. I weigh about 340, im down from 261 for my pre surgical weight loss. Anyway I write a blog called cutting the fat with a knife. I will post the address at the bottom. What I am trying to do is im going to keep this blog very blunt in cases telling people the things that I feel men need to know. The reason is that I have seen many cases where men avoid the life changing and potentially life saving surgeries because of the stigma that other men have. The macho peer pressure that I am sure many of you have gone through. 1 year post op I will compile this blog into an E-book for men who are thinking about WLS. I even have a few hospitals and weight loss centers that are asking for copies when it is complete. So far almost all the books out there are by women and deal with a lot of womanly issues. I was reading one book and there was two chapters on bras and panties another on pregnancy etc. Not at all a help to me.

My surgeon is actually going to appear on the blog as an ask the Bariatric Surgeon byline once a month.

OK all this being said, I would like to ask you al some thing now and then to see how your experiences coincide with mine etc. So the first question I would like to ask , I will post it maybe in a top ten type list and give credit to each contributor of course unless you wish me not to, keep it a couple of sentences if you would please. Here's my first question.

Was there a final straw, event or moment etc. that made you move from thinking about WLS to actually taking the steps to have it done?

If so what was it?

Thank you for your help. Even if you do not wish to contribute but wish to check out the blog, I do many video taste tests of various Protein powders, ready made drinks etc, with even more to come.

Thank you all for your time. Oh and this book will not cost anything it is not a money issue it will be free to all. I am absorbing any costs myself.

http://cuttingthefatwithaknife.blogspot.com

Wow... I wish this book was available for my husband now! He is facing the macho peer pressure embarrassment factor driving him to not do the surgery. He keeps saying, "i just want to do it, but not tell anyone." I think he will eventually get it, but a book "by men FOR men" would really help! Keep going with this. I think there is a high demand for it!

I had thought about doing the surgery for quite some time, since my weight seemed to just increase more and more, even though I was doing the diet thing, the gym thing, the OTC diet pill thing, and more. As all this was going on, each time I went to see my PCP, she seemed to discover something new...high blood pressure, arthritis, high cholesterol, and more...I think the final straw for me was when I heard the word DIABETES...I saw how that had affected my family, and how I think it contributed to me losing my mother. I didn't want to abandon my family and have them deal with any suffering, so I think that was my defining moment.

Now I'm happy to say that I am no longer pre-diabetic, nor do I have any issues with cholesterol or blood pressure...this was truly life-saving for me!

As far as peer pressure or dealing with the 'macho thing', I see more of the guys asking me much more about it simply because they would like to personally know someone who has done it before they would consider it...and any guys who initially thought of me as 'cheating'...I usually let them know that the only thing I'm cheating is I'm cheating DEATH!! When it's looked at from that perspective, it seems to be much more accepted.

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by BryBro63

Well said.

I was at a wedding this past spring that was held outdoors. Folding chairs and the huskier among us do not mesh. I made a fair attempt at doing some sort of shaolin monk partial sit/partial leg squat maneuver over the chair for the whole ceremony so as to not crash through that puppy during the vows. Not sure if anyone noticed, but it was uncomfortable and had me feeling less than proud of myself. Had a "what are you doing with your life" moment at that point. Realized that my previous efforts were coming up short, started looking into the band, and ultimately realized the sleeve was a good option for me. I had always thought that even though I was extremely overweight (BMI >50) I still wasn't weight-loss-surgery-overweight. Not really sure why or how I had convinced myself of that, but the decorative white folding chair respectfully disagreed. Shortly after I came around as well.

Yeah I had similar issues with a very cheap folding chair at an outdoor concert, and a friend of mine who outweighs me by at least 150 pounds was even worse off.

I cracked a chair at a baby shower I hosted at someones house. I just pretended to stand and "present" the rest of the shower and visit instead of sitting. Nobody noticed and I never told anyone. I was horrified. I never even told the lady that owned the house. I wonder how and when she found out about the chair and if she thought it was me that did it. She never said anything... but I have to do this surgery. I often dream of the things I could do with my kids. No more hiding. I want to LIVE this life!

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Edited November 16, 201411 yr by Stevehud

I considered it a year or so before doing it, but I decided I could do it with just diet. I lost 43 lbs then....I gained it back plus 20 more pounds. That's when I decided to go ahead and do it. Another factor was three different co workers having the surgery with major success. That inspiration pushed me over the line. I decided to go for it. No regrets! Five months out and 130 lbs down...still going strong.

I’m a 40 year old, 20 year U.S. Army Combat Infantryman, with the 101^st Airborne Division, 502^nd Strike Brigade. I have been around some of the most BADASS dudes you will ever encounter. I have done so many high speed operation in my military life time that I sometimes gawk of the things I did in the past….Do I consider myself a bad ass, of course!! I do have a machismo type, Alpha Male mentality who love guns, 4x4’s, ranching,hunting, and women (but I make love to only one, my wife! Lol), football, sports bars, titty bars…any kind of bar!! LOLOL Now…with all that being said, the only thing at this point in my life that is important is my family, children and living a healthy life style.

Back in June I had made my mind up that I needed to do something drastic, I tried very hard up until that point to lose the weight, but it wasn't happening. With my sleep apnea, arthritis, cholesterol over 300! I even exercised hard…but it wasn’t what I was doing in the past, I needed a change. I tapped out when I nearly reached 250 pounds, by mid-July I was a 249 pounds that’s was when the straw broke the camel’s back.

I made my mind up to have the surgery and aggressively took action with my appointments support groups, begin the Fluid diet, etc. By the end of September, a few final pre-op requirements, and on October 30^th I was sleeved. Today, just over 3 weeks I am down to 210 pounds and still losing. I have begun my rigorous exercise routine, and I really don’t need fluids for meals, I just eat VERY small portions of well-designed high in Protein Snacks and meals with my family. My family has been awesome during my “trek, “and I feel great! I have had a few minor issues, but in time I will adjust to the speed and duration it takes to eat a small meal. I’m still working on my hydration, but that to will take its course.

The whole macho thing, HA! I laugh at dudes who use that as the excuse for not getting their life right and health back on track. This is not a fix all solution, it is a lifestyle change that will benefit everyone around you. I’m glad that I had the surgery, and I let everybody know why I did it, I want to live a long life and the only way to do that is live healthy, and this is where it starts.