No one wanted me to do this. Not my wife. Not my friends. Not my Doctor. Not my other Doctor. "You are carrying your weight well". "You exercise". "You can lose the weight". I quit smoking in 1988 and have been gaining ever since.

I have sleep Apnea, AFib, Blood Pressure. And I have been carrying my weight well, all 160 extra pounds. I never did name him.

Before surgery, the scariest part of the week was getting fit for a CPAP machine. I was in denial. I didn't understand that shorting myself oxygen in my sleep was the primary cause of my Atrial Fibrillation. My surgeon says the sleep apnea will resolve as a result of the weight loss. The AFib may not go away. I did beat it once with exercise, but I might not get that break again.

So I scheduled my surgery. It took over a year. Too much politics and insurance management. My work insurance covers nothing to do with obesity. In September I went on Medicare with a zero co-pay supplement. It has covered my AFib, both heart conversions. It covered my sleep tests and CPAP equipment. It covered my surgery.

Surgery went well. I have had no pain. No nausea. I have lost 18 lbs in 24 days. My bullet holes are healed. I'm ready to eat food in a few days.

So my my wife says I must have had the placebo surgery. I know the difference. I have not been physically hungry. I can watch the food channel and think "that looks good". I can see a huge burger on a bill board and think "that looks good". But I have not been hungry. I have every kind of measuring cup: 1 oz, 2 oz, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup. I have my Nutribullet. I can make white bean chicken chili with refried Beans and cayenne pepper in a puree in 6 seconds, heat and eat. I can have a plate of Yogurt and cottage cheese and enjoy it. I have organic lemon juice and cider vinegar with my Water. I've stopped crushing my pills and if I want a real treat I have a sugar free pudding or half a kozyshack rice pudding. 60-70 gms of Protein and about 600-700 calories. Without the hunger I can do this.

The worst experience I've endured is wearing my CPAP every night, and enduring my choice of liquid Vitamin.

Total loss 42 lbs. On Sunday I'm back to work. Lets see how stress factors in, as if I don't know how I got here to begin with.....

Congratulations on your progress so far. Best of luck going back to work.

YOu will not feel the results of surgery immediately after particularly during the liquid and mushy stage. Promise it is there and will be great

@Geof01 Your history and experience is almost identical with my own. I've been fighting slow weight loss and stalls in the month since my surgery though. Even your caloric intake is the same as mine. Good luck with your journey!

@VDLT Can you inbox me please, what you mean by that above? My 1 month weight loss has been slow, compared to my activity level and my intake. I'm just looking for answers.

You are doing so awesome! You will be throwing that CPAP machine and it's Darth Vader mask out the window real quick!

Luke, I am yo' fatha

Keep up the fantastic work!

Edited February 2, 201610 yr by heather5565

Well done mate...

You're well on the road now...

Your wife will certainly know there's no 'placebo' once you're onto 'real food'...

Keep up the good work!!

No one wanted me to do this. Not my wife. Not my friends. Not my Doctor. Not my other Doctor. "You are carrying your weight well". "You exercise". "You can lose the weight". I quit smoking in 1988 and have been gaining ever since.

I have sleep Apnea, AFib, Blood Pressure. And I have been carrying my weight well, all 160 extra pounds. I never did name him.

Before surgery, the scariest part of the week was getting fit for a CPAP machine. I was in denial. I didn't understand that shorting myself oxygen in my sleep was the primary cause of my Atrial Fibrillation. My surgeon says the sleep apnea will resolve as a result of the weight loss. The AFib may not go away. I did beat it once with exercise, but I might not get that break again.

So I scheduled my surgery. It took over a year. Too much politics and insurance management. My work insurance covers nothing to do with obesity. In September I went on Medicare with a zero co-pay supplement. It has covered my AFib, both heart conversions. It covered my sleep tests and CPAP equipment. It covered my surgery.

Surgery went well. I have had no pain. No nausea. I have lost 18 lbs in 24 days. My bullet holes are healed. I'm ready to eat food in a few days.

So my my wife says I must have had the placebo surgery. I know the difference. I have not been physically hungry. I can watch the food channel and think "that looks good". I can see a huge burger on a bill board and think "that looks good". But I have not been hungry. I have every kind of measuring cup: 1 oz, 2 oz, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup. I have my Nutribullet. I can make white bean chicken chili with refried Beans and cayenne pepper in a puree in 6 seconds, heat and eat. I can have a plate of Yogurt and cottage cheese and enjoy it. I have organic lemon juice and cider vinegar with my Water. I've stopped crushing my pills and if I want a real treat I have a sugar free pudding or half a kozyshack rice pudding. 60-70 gms of Protein and about 600-700 calories. Without the hunger I can do this.

The worst experience I've endured is wearing my CPAP every night, and enduring my choice of liquid Vitamin.

Total loss 42 lbs. On Sunday I'm back to work. Lets see how stress factors in, as if I don't know how I got here to begin with.....

Ditto on the CPAP. I don't know how anyone manages to use them long-term.

Thanks for the support. The last week has been hard to motivate. I can get out and walk a few miles a day, but doing simple things at home and I'm lost. I'm not depressed. And I look forward to work and eating more choices of food.

It's strange watching my wife eat huge meals.

"You are carrying your weight well"

Geez, nobody carries an extra 160 pounds "well." What are / were they thinking?

You're so smart to address this big problem with WLS, despite the lack of support you received from several people, particularly your doctor (and your other doctor).

You're going to be so happy with your results. Get ready to feel like a new, healthier person very soon.

"You are carrying your weight well"

Geez, nobody carries an extra 160 pounds "well." What are / were they thinking?

You're so smart to address this big problem with WLS, despite the lack of support you received from several people, particularly your doctor (and your other doctor).

You're going to be so happy with your results. Get ready to feel like a new, healthier person very soon.

I have a friend who carries most of her weight on her abdomen. She lost ~40 lbs, had another 40 to go, and the only fat left made her look 7 months pregnant. She had super skinny arms and legs after the weight loss. She had people asking her multiple times a day about her "pregnancy." She got so depressed that she gave up and gained the weight back. Nobody looks great fat, but wow, I'm glad for my build. My butt may have its own set of zip codes, but nobody congratulates me on it. To quote a friend, "at least I'm fat everywhere."

@Geof01 I have to agree with your last sentence. My wife, who is blessed with the ability to eat anything she wants and remain petite, has been devouring huge suppers, especially since she started to join me on the power walks and at the gym. Every now and then I slip, and ask her "How are you going to eat all that food?"!! In the beginning, especially during the post-op liquids stage, I was envious of just about everything she would eat in front of me. But now, I must admit, food doesn't hold the same value to me in my mind.