Cpt. Ahab

That is killer progress!! Wow! Congrats and keep it up. Yeah - 20 lbs that's an additional size - but I know it's hard to wait. I'm a professional so I have to dress up. Went to a tailor to re-cut my favorite suit and blazer - $320. Ouch, right! But the price we pay for living fat lives in our past. I called consignment stores - no luck. I think I have an idea though - there are clothes drives sponsored by Mens' Wearhouse that donate suits to unemployed, homeless, for interview purposes. Seems like a worthy cause. What job seeker couldn't use a Calvin Klein, DKNY and Boss suits, right?

This question is for guys. What do you do with your old, now too big, clothes? I have at least 4-5 really nice suits that are waaay too big now for me. I tried to take them to the tailor, but they would have to rip the whole thing apart including shoulders and vents and that costs as much as a brand new suit. Are there consignment clothes for men? Would men actually buy used clothing? Guys don't usually borrow each other stuff and aren't really into wearing used - at least not my friends - so is my only option Goodwill? That's been the costliest part of the surgery so far. I'm still losing pound/week so I don't want to spend money on new clothes because I know they're just interim. When I reach my goal, then I'll splurge on some killer bespoke suits and new jeans, but right now it's all temporary. I know - good problem to have for a change Ahab.

What turned me on to the Paleo lifestyle (not a diet) was the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, then I just started searching on the web for various sources of information about food and fitness. That said, for me Paleo is not just diet. The fact that I'm not supposed to eat carbs because of the band only supports the notion. Now, instead of any processed, artificial, etc. foods I eat wholesome, organic and natural produce and meats. Yes it can be pricey at times - but there are ways to buy local and organic without killing your wallet. The best part about the whole thing is the exercise - low impact - simple - cheap and it does give you lots of energy. Good luck!

Hi...one cool thing about being banded and then adjusted is that your food intake will be very very low and way below your daily caloric needs so you won't have to worry about counting calories. After that it's important to eat only the good things. There's a reason bandsters aren't supposed to be eating rice, Pasta, bread - not only these things have the propensity to get lodged, but they are super bad for you. That one switch of completely saying goodbye to grain-based carbs (you still get enough through veggies and fruit) was the turning point. Good Luck!!

Hi, I searched the entire forum and haven't found any info on the topic of Paleo (aka, Caveman diet, Primal Blueprint) lifestyle. I was banded on May 22nd. At my heaviest I was 250lbs - 90+ days later I'm at 210 - so pretty good loss. I feel great. I have read a ton of posts on these forums about what people eat and one thing that struck me as odd was that people continued their bad behavior of craving and eating carbs. In fact the entire post-op diet plan concentrates heavily on sweet stuff: jell-o, pudding, crystal-light, Protein shakes (sweet flavors: choco, fruit, vanilla, etc.) No wonder people are having problems and constantly complaining. So here some things I'd like to share. About a month ago, I completely ditched all guidelines from the nutritional guide and decided that I would only eat things naturally occurring in nature. So, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, processed foods, etc. Instead I started buying organic, grass-fed, sustainable, and all that new age bull. As I did this I still age some carbs: whole grains, crispy/crunchy crackers, tortilla chips - all organic and "good for you." Then someone I know mentioned that what I was doing was close to the Primal Blueprint or Paleo lifestyle. Since then I've read up on the topic and completely made the switch to not eat agricultural products (grains). I am still eating dairy (Greek yogurt, Kefir, butter, etc.) Got rid of all the artificial fats (PAM sprays, canola oils, I can't believe it's not butters, blah, blah) and went primal. Since I've started doing this, my energy levels skyrocketed and my weightloss increased. Before my doctor told me I'd expect to shed about a 1 pound per week. I'm 10cc in a 14cc band - so pretty tight. I get full on a small bowl of food - at that rate I was still losing about 1 lbs per week. After I started on the Paleo, my weightloss from week to week increased to 2.5 lbs. My energy is high, my skin looks better and firmer and my cholesterol actually dropped (despite using animal fats such as lard or tallow or butter to cook with). I talked to my doctor about this today and he was pretty impressed. His comment was that as long as I felt good about it and had no issues with any of the foods that I was eating he was 100% behind and actually mentioned that he supports the Paleo / natural foods diets. Anyway - thought I'd share and ask if anyone out there has tried this and what were your results? I'm not trying to sell or promote something here - just curious. If I read the book first, I probably would have been a skeptic as always, but since it was an experiment that worked out and already had a name - I'm happy with it. Ahab.

Hi, I searched the entire forum and haven't found any info on the topic of Paleo (aka, Caveman diet, Primal Blueprint) lifestyle. I was banded on May 22nd. At my heaviest I was 250lbs - 90+ days later I'm at 210 - so pretty good loss. I feel great. I have read a ton of posts on these forums about what people eat and one thing that struck me as odd was that people continued their bad behavior of craving and eating carbs. In fact the entire post-op diet plan concentrates heavily on sweet stuff: jell-o, pudding, crystal-light, Protein shakes (sweet flavors: choco, fruit, vanilla, etc.) No wonder people are having problems and constantly complaining. So here some things I'd like to share. About a month ago, I completely ditched all guidelines from the nutritional guide and decided that I would only eat things naturally occurring in nature. So, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, processed foods, etc. Instead I started buying organic, grass-fed, sustainable, and all that new age bull. As I did this I still age some carbs: whole grains, crispy/crunchy crackers, tortilla chips - all organic and "good for you." Then someone I know mentioned that what I was doing was close to the Primal Blueprint or Paleo lifestyle. Since then I've read up on the topic and completely made the switch to not eat agricultural products (grains). I am still eating dairy (Greek yogurt, Kefir, butter, etc.) Got rid of all the artificial fats (PAM sprays, canola oils, I can't believe it's not butters, blah, blah) and went primal. Since I've started doing this, my energy levels skyrocketed and my weightloss increased. Before my doctor told me I'd expect to shed about a 1 pound per week. I'm 10cc in a 14cc band - so pretty tight. I get full on a small bowl of food - at that rate I was still losing about 1 lbs per week. After I started on the Paleo, my weightloss from week to week increased to 2.5 lbs. My energy is high, my skin looks better and firmer and my cholesterol actually dropped (despite using animal fats such as lard or tallow or butter to cook with). I talked to my doctor about this today and he was pretty impressed. His comment was that as long as I felt good about it and had no issues with any of the foods that I was eating he was 100% behind and actually mentioned that he supports the Paleo / natural foods diets. Anyway - thought I'd share and ask if anyone out there has tried this and what were your results? I'm not trying to sell or promote something here - just curious. If I read the book first, I probably would have been a skeptic as always, but since it was an experiment that worked out and already had a name - I'm happy with it. Ahab.

Just an update and a word of encouragement to all newbies. I'm 6 weeks post op - and since the surgery I lost about 20 lbs. First few weeks on liquids and mushies were kinda sucky - but tolerable. After that - I've been eating healthy foods, mostly lean seafood, veggies, occasional red meat - but very little. I haven't had a fill yet, so without restriction I've been watching my own portions and there have been days where I've eaten more than I should have. I've started on solids sooner than prescribed but I'm pretty well-tuned to what my body wants/needs and because of portion controls I've been able to eat most things. By choice I've eliminated most white carbs: rice, bread, Pasta. I've had a bit of rice and a nibble of bread here and there and I do have oatmeal - otherwise all Protein diet will screw up your BMs and you'll have to supplement Fiber. I really hate supplements or non-natural things, so I've been increasing fiber in my diet while keeping protein high. So far - only slight constipation - I know TMI 3-4 weeks post op I've started working out: cardio about 3-4 times a week and weights on alternating days. That has helped tremendously not so much in increased weight loss as in energy levels and overall healthy feeling. BEST PART - old pants fitting again!! And shirts and jackets too!! 20 lbs is about 1 size in clothes - so I'm back to L from being XL. Yay! Tomorrow I'm going in for the first fill - really excited about that. And a bit anxious because so far I've had nothing "stuck" as there was nothing to obstruct my pipes - now it's going to be different. I'm just hoping that post fill, I'll have just positive experience as I've head up until now. That 20 lbs of weight loss has increased my energy 10-fold - now I'm hoping that the weight loss will continue at a nice, steady pace. By Xmas I intend to look like a Greek god . So - if you just joined, just had a surgery - the first few weeks are tough but not impossible. After that - things are downhill. Stay motivated!! Ahab.

Not to worry. I had the same pain for about a week post-op. It goes away. It's gas. Gas-X helps but that weird hunger/chest/can't breathe pain does go away eventually. I know it's weird but nothing to worry about. Hang in there!

Now that you're starting a new lifestyle - first word of advice: skip TGIF. Skip all chains. Skip all crappy, mass produced, fatty, sweet, short-order crap. When you go out - go out someplace where the ingredients are top notch, have hight nutritional value, taste great - and with you ability to only eat a little - it won't cost as much. Have some fantastically poached salmon or Chilean sea bass...some incredibly tender Kobe mignon, seared ahi tuna, gazpacho, caviar - what the hell! Eating in restaurants will be come a pleasurable rather than painful - watching people around you put away a platter of twice baked potato skins and fried onion rings can make anyone sick to their stomach.

Certainly no shortage of opinions...but calling a Nr. 3 bariatric surgeon in the country an idiot may be pushing it a bit. I think we all know that doctors always err on the side of caution and prescribe plans suited for the masses. Having an individualized approach sanctioned by my doctor and a nutritionist makes me much more comfortable than being treated like just another patient out there. To each it's own. Peace!

I forgot to mention I heal like Wolverine from X-men. I actually called my Dr. today and he said if I felt fine - just listen to what my body tells me. He did stress though: no bread, no rice, no Pasta. No chunks for another week - which is what I expected. I'm pretty much pain free a week after - the port feels just a bit sore - but other than that I'm cool. I even made it to the office yesterday. Thanks for the replies and voices of concern - I really appreciate it. It's great to see people care and respond and give their own perspective. That's awesome. I think I'm gonna like it here Happy 4th of July everyone - sniff them burgers and BBQ cooking in the neighbors yards!! Oh, and one more thought for the weekend: If god dwells inside of us, as some people believe, I sure hope he likes Protein shakes 'cause that's what he's getting!!

So I'm week post surgery today. I'm supposed to be on thick liquids, but I've browsed a ton of topics on the Nutrition/Food forum and a lot of people consider anything that will blend a "thick liquid". Up till now I was pretty faithful - sticking to Soups and nothing thicker than pudding. So yesterday I decided to blend me up some meatballs with broth and some mashed potatoes with light gravy. I suppose the consistency was that of a mushy food. Ate it - in tiny bites and slowly. No issues. The next morning I was greeted by the most manly BM in a week. Yay! Today I had some burrata cheese with a tiny bit of olive oil and basil - so consistency of say cottage cheese. Again no problems. I skipped the tomatoes (my favorite food) - but a week into the experiment I think the mushy stuff goes in easy. My portions are about 1/4 - 1/3 cup and I feel satisfied. Since the surgery (7 days) I've lost 7 lbs - so pound a day. Not bad. How many of you have tried to "speed up" your food? Has anyone had any problems? I for one feel great and I think I'm going to continue. As I said in one of my posts - I miss chewing. The liquids, no matter how nutritious - just don't cut it. I wouldn't dare to eat anything chunky w/o asking my doctor - so luckily I have an appt. tomorrow. I'm going to ask if I can progress through the stages faster, so that I can get adjusted and move on with the program. Let me know if you've experimented and what your results were. Thanks, Ahab

I had the same feeling right after the surgery - I'm about a week post op and this is subsiding. Walk a lot, when lying down change sides and lift your legs and your butt upwards. This helps your trapped gas travel around the intestines so that when you do let one rip - it'll be heavenly!! As for chest pain right at the breast-bone - feeling out of breath - slow down your eating (drinking). I noticed that if I drink a bit too fast (old habits die hard) I get that choked up feeling. I miss chewing