Rootman

WooHoo! Hot chick warning ahead! Arf!

Hurray! Good for you! Keep up the good work. Look slike you are closing in on your ultimate goal.

Dr. Almanza is fine. Had a VSG 6th of December for $5000, had NO problems and NO complications. The place is clean, cozy but a bit noisy, so take a pair of ear plugs to sleep better. Price is not the only thing to consider but the level of care seems to be as good as anything I've experienced in the states.

Find yourself a good support group locally, it doesn't have to be a surgical group a group like Weight Watchers or something will do. And get an accountability partner you can trust and confide in. And lastly, force yourself to record EVERY morsel that goes into your mouth. You can use a written journal using a calorie counter book or an online one. I use http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ , it's easy to keep up and I can do it from any computer. If you still cannot control your appetite then see if a mental health professional will help. It may be expensive but it may be worth it if you genuinely have food issues. Good luck and God bless.

NO, throw it out! The expiration date is on it for a reason and it's long since expired if it says 2010.

Some of it is the way clothes are cut, I know my "boys" are more snug now because my underwear and pants now fit and are not just loose baggy blobs all stretched out and cut too large to allow the fat to squish around. Let's face it, fat people in tight clothes usually look disgusting (I certainly did). Slim (or getting slim) people in a nice right fitting set of clothes look sharp and neat. I've had a LOT of compliments on the way my clothes fit me now, especially from ladies .

Like many others I too dieted and failed. It's too easy to slip into old habits and snack / graze all the time. What's the harm in ONE glazed donut? Well TWO can't be THAT bad for me can it? The physical restriction does it for me.

Super Congrats! This is way cool. Both BP meds and diabetes contribute to eye sight issues! Some presbyopia ( https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Presbyopia ) might play a part too but such a marked change in so short a time has to be the sleeve / diet / meds.

Had surgery in Tijuana in December of '10. I use this site as my support group. Being a working stiff I probably couldn't make many meetings anyway. If I felt the need I could always try to find a group locally but things seem to be OK so far.

Feel free to use it.

I know this is an old post but thought I'd post here rather than open up a whole new thread. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? YES, it is higher than other foods high in Protein but looks like a good way to get SOME grains in the diet and benefit from the rich protein it provides. I have to munch on crackers now and then to keep my stomach acid at bay, crackers made from this stuff would not be as "bad" as those made from wheat. Here's a nutritional lowdown: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/10352/2 Does anyone know of a supply of ready made products from this grain?

Congrats! Great feeling isn't it?

Let's see, a surgery that has a good track record of weight loss, lowers blood pressure, in a large part of patients all but eliminates diabetes in most and "cures" many other diseases and obesity related illness is the "easy way out"? Yep, I guess when you put it that way it is, it's much harder to force yourself to a strict diet, fail and the yo-yo back and forth over the same weight. Take multitudes of medications with terrible side effects and still lose ground to diseases. Damage your heart and blood vessels by eating more and more improper foods when you fail yet again to stick to the diet and gain still MORE weight. Risk a heart attack because I am so encumbered by my fat that I won't exercise to save my soul. Yep, the VSG IS the "easy way" out compared to all that crap above - AND I'LL TAKE IT! It's just a tool but a GOOD tool that makes weight loss a LOT easier. It has saved my life.

It works differently for everyone it seems. There was a vocal group that posted in the past - you can search for them using the word HUNGRY. I haven't seen them for a while. I am 4+ months out and I too am not hungry any more and very rarely really "crave" anything. I too get the acid churning which makes me think I am hungry. I take Rx omeprazole (Prilosec) and it helps. I find I have to nibble on a few crackers sometimes to ease the acid. If I do get a craving and go ahead and eat it I am usually disappointed with whatever it is I am wanting. I was alone on Saturday and noticed my wife had one last 100 calorie pack of gold fish crackers, man I used to love those things. I succumbed to temptation and grabbed it. Now I am still eating less than 1000 calories a day and exercising to boot too, 100 calories of crackers won't really effect me at all so I am not really cheating. I too a few bites and then went bleh! They tasted like crap. The dogs ate the rest. I just have no stomach for them (pun intended). Now why my tastes are so drastically altered is a mystery. I was a real sweets freak, never pass up a pie or cake. Sugars really turn me off now.

As Iegal pointed out NO ONE can promise you anything. Personally, my brother went in for bunion surgery and came out with an MRSA infection and nearly lost his foot AND his life. Both my wife and I had the same surgery and came through just fine. I know of someone who lost a loved one because they died from infection shortly after having wisdom teeth pulled. They got infected, it went rampant in their system and went to their heart and they died. Now that I've told you a few horror stories I have to say that there are THOUSANDS of people who have had this surgery and had no complications, very few who have had any and very, very few who have had serious complications and perhaps died from it. You simply have to trust yourself, the medical professionals who are treating you and whatever "fate" you believe in for a good outcome, weigh the pros and cons and make a decision for yourself. If you are not ready mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually then DON'T have the surgery.

Congrats! I know the feeling about the bike. I was so embarrassed to ride, I think I looked so out of proportion on that bike. I haven't started to ride again but look forward to it.

Yes, I too had lower BP immediately after my GSV. I think the rapid lowering of caloric intake and perhaps not getting enough fluids might be the reason. I had stopped taking BP meds prior to surgery because they were making me nauseas and was surprised when my BP dropped to acceptable levels right after discharge. I also would encourage you to see the doc or an ER at the earliest convenience as there is also a possibility of internal bleeding, although you don't mention any other symtoms ther is an outside chance. Better safe than sorry.

WooHoo! Way to go girl! 300 was a mile stone for me just as it is for you too. I was also excited about losing 100 pounds which was at about 275 for me. Keep up the good work - you can do it!

Dang it! Who brought onions into the room? Must be the reason I'm tearing up all of a sudden. Congrats! Do it for him AND you!

Yeah, look around the forum and you'll see all kinds of daffy ideas come from Drs AND patients I just swallow the capsule whole, as another has said it's small and doesn't do any harm to the stomach. Speaking of pills, the pain reliever they sent me home with was about 1/2 inch in diameter and DID cause a little nausea and a few cramps for a few minutes. I should of split it and swallowed in 2 parts but nooo, I had to be a "man" and take it whole.

I'm unfamiliar with the MUPS version but here is what I found on Google DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Tablets should be swallowed with liquid. They should not be chewed or crushed. Patients with difficulty swallowing may also disperse the tablets in half a glass of carbonated water. Do not use other liquids as the enteric coating could be dissolved. shake until the tablet to disintegrate and drink the liquid with the pellets immediately or within a period not exceeding 30 minutes. Rinse the glass with half a glass of water and drink. The granules should not be chewed or crushed. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.libreriamedica8a.com/productos/652.htm&ei=aW6oTavfBdO5tgergs3dBw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB4Q7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnexium%2Bmups%26hl%3Den%26prmd%3Divns Are you sure you are using these as directed? It sounds like you are to swallow the inner caplet whole unless you dissolve it in water.

Well after loosing 107 pounds since last Thanksgiving I have stalled for 8 days at 267-268 pounds. I've carefully counted my intake and seem to be at about 1000-1100 calories. About 70 grams of Protein too. A bit high in carbs at 100 or so. Being 6' tall and male that is a significant caloric shortfall and yet the scale bounces up and down between the 2 poundages. Our community has a wonderful senior wellness center that I was recently able to join since turning 50. They have a lap pool, therapy pool, indoor AND outdoor track, all kinds of exercise equipment. I've been swimming 3 days a week for an hour and then walking and doing light exercise with a few of the machines 2 days a week. I would not think that with the caloric shortfall that I could be building muscle as fast as I'm losing fat can I? I am not doing and serious weight training just walking and swimming and light weight training. It just doesn't seem feasible that I am not losing pounds. My diet has not varied by much for the last 4 months, counts are about the same but I went from losing about 3/4 pound a day to losing nothing.

Was there last Dec 6th. Wish you luck and good fortune!

Congrats! We all look forward to you reaching your next goal!

What happens when someone is at a proper weight and GAINS additional weight at 1000 calories? My wife is 4'11 and 120 pounds and gains weight if she goes above 1000 calories for extended periods. YES, 1000 is too low for a majority us but only YOU can tell once you've gotten to your target weight and setup a maintenance diet.