PdxMan

Thanks, This has been my recipe for success. MY RECIPE. Some of it may resonate with someone else, or perhaps not. The scale thing is a big question and, as you know, one of the top 5 threads on here. I just know that I can let the scale beat me up beyond measure. It is my own issue with self doubt and self sabotage which has repeated itself throughout my life. My solution was to stay away from it as I found myself obsessing over the number it presented versus how I was feeling and how my clothes were fitting. As I always say, my scale measures weight, not fat, and I was looking to lose fat. I knew that if I kept following these guidelines, no matter what, I would lose fat. And I did. I didn't need the scale to tell me this.

I have a confession ... I TOTALLY missed the first line in the OP's thread. I only saw she had joined a year ago and this was in the post-op subforum. I missed that she was pre-op. Soooo ... for the OP and those in the same boat, completely ignore my post. That advice is more for the post VSG person, not the early post-op, but more like when you are able to eat anything at 6 months post op kinda person. AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE PRE-OP PERSON. As far as the pre-op plan, my advice is to follow their advice to the letter. It may be in left field, but if you are using insurance, all they have to do is mark on your chart that you have not been compliant with the pre-op plan and blammo ... NO SURGERY FOR YOU!! (said with the Soup nazi voice) If your going to get into the system, you are going to have to play their game. There are shakes out there which are tolerable, it will just take some time and $$ to find the one that works for you. Sorry about not fully comprehending the OP's post. I'll try to do better next time.

Wow, on both accounts! Thanks for keeping us updated. You just gotta know you'll be turning the corner, soon.

Since this is so often requested, I thought I would post my thoughts into a new thread where I can direct folks in the future. This is what has been working for me: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/308293-my-vsg-life/

A female member asked me to post this question to Men here on BP as she wanted to respect the guideline of women not posting in this subforum. She also wished to remain anonymous, so here is a question from her: I'm wondering if any of the men on here had trouble with ejaculation (ie: not being able to ejaculate or having delayed ejaculation) when they were heavier. My husband has been between 300 - 340 lbs (his weight fluctuates) in the two years that I've known him and he has a lot of trouble in this area. Though he gets and maintains an erection the entire time we are intimate, he's never once ejaculated. At first I thought maybe he wasn't attracted to me, but he initiates sex and becomes aroused when we're close. When he "stimulates" himself, it takes him anywhere between 15 - 25 minutes (and that's AFTER 40 minutes of foreplay and sex with me). My husband and I are pretty young (28) so I don't think it's an age thing. We've been to the urologist who said he'd never heard of this issue and didn't have any advice. My husband has sleep apnea and only wears his mask sometimes. According to him, he has never been abused, nor does he have any feelings of guilt or think sex is bad. He's been to his primary care physician and aside from needing to lose weight, they found him physically healthy. I'm at a loss here. Husband's been considering applying for WLS in October if he wasn't lost weight on his own and I'm wondering if this is an area that might improve.

Hey Rovo, I just noticed you are from Oregon. What part? As you can tell from my name, I am a Portlander. The Premier Protein shakes at costco are awesome, IMO. If you are in the Portland area, I am putting together a support group here. I am waiting to hear back from Providence as to whether we can use a conference room. The first person I talked to at Providence was pretty excited as they currently have no bariatric support groups. So, I think I just have to jump through a couple of hoops to get it done.

While this is true, give it try. The process to convert protein to energy is far costlier and can actually resolve to a net zero effect whereas fats and carbs convert must easier and quicker. You can find many articles on this, but here is what I found at the top from a quick Google search: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/metabolizing-proteins-vs-fats-3453.html We are all different, so we all must pay attention to our bodies and how we react to foods. I would contend, however, that the body reacting to carbs like crack is more psychological than physical. If you find you can't stop eating bananas, potatoes or Cookies, for that matter, due to their carb content, then I would contend there is something else deeper going on there. I know when I did Atkins several years ago, my energy level dropped. My lifestyle suffered as I just didn't have the drive to do much of anything. Sure, I lost weight, but it was hell. For me, that was not a lifestyle I could maintain for the long run. When I did reintroduce carbs back in, my weight shot back up. I do not want history to repeat itself with my VSG journey, so I would rather find a lifestyle which allows me not to be so carb conscience. The restriction of the sleeve does that for me when, like I mentioned above, I eat a balanced diet starting with my lean Proteins. Again, we all must find a lifestyle that we can maintain long term. I would challenge anyone to be able to maintain a low to no carb lifestyle such as you suggest, @Bob2013. I'm sure there are folks out there whose bodies have adapted to this style. Give it a try and report back your findings.

I don't understand why there are so many folk out there, including dieticians, promoting low carb diets for WLS people. Seriously ... I don't get it. Sure, for "regular" folk out there in the wild, yes. Most people do consume waaaay to many carbs. But when I look at my portion sizes post VSG, it just is plain impossible for me to go overboard on carbs when I focus on eating a balanced diet everyday. Sure, post VSG, I could go overboard with the carbs, but to do that, I would need to neglect the basic guidelines of eating lean Protein first. Your body needs carbs for energy. So often on here we see posts from people complaining of having little energy. More often than not, they are doing low carb. These folks don't have the energy to go out and exercise and get their metabolism going, which, in itself, offers great health benefits. So, to answer a question posted earlier ... no ... I don't think all dieticians know the best plan for WLS folk. It is different for us, IMO. At least, I know it was for me. If given a choice between occasionally choking down a nasty Protein shake and enjoying a nutritious, natural shake which contains bananas ..well ... the choice should be easy. I know I had issues with energy early on and my NUT told me to increase my carbs, which I did by adding more veggies to my meals. It worked wonders for me and helped motivate me to begin running. I KNOW it made all the difference in my weight loss and helped me to get to a "normal" BMI. Of course, we all should follow our medical team's advice. But I also believe we need to find what works for us.

You can also edit it from the mobile app by going to the top of the post and little arrow there will give you the option to edit. But for threads created, it would be better to ask a host or Alex to delete the thread. In a web browser (not mobile app), in the subforum, where all the threads are listed for that subforum, go to the very bottom of the page. The subforum's hosts will be listed there. Send them a PM with a link to the thread and the reason you would like it deleted and they can delete it.

Rovo, welcome to the boards. You are correct that The Man's room is intended for men to be able to get feedback from the male audience, but the reading of the forum is allowed. I think this is good as I do think it is important for the opposite sex to know some of the differences in our WLS journeys. As far as women posting here, there are two thoughts on this: 1) They see the posting in the Recent Topics section which doesn't include the subforum from whence it was posted. They don't take the time to check before posting their comments and alas, there is a post from a woman. 2) Some folks just don't care if they don't follow the requested guidelines. Their opinion is too important to not share. Myself, I have fallen victim to #1 more than once. Some of the topic seem so innocuous and I post a reply only later to see it was in The powder Room. In those cases, I usually go back and edit my post apologizing offering to edit my comments out. But the bottom line is the OP made their post there so they can receive targeted feedback for reasons only they have to know. The real issue started a couple years ago when there were a few juvenile comments made which made some people understandably uncomfortable. This is merely an effort to thwart any future issues. I believe for the most part, people police themselves well.

Here is what I can eat today for my main meals at almost 3 years out: Pork loin (last night's dinner): 3 slices about 3/8 inch wide, 3 "normal" forkfulls of mashed potatoes, peas Hamburger: half patty with lettuce, catsup, mustard and bottom half of bun, folded over, like a hamburger taco. A couple of potato chips or 2 or 3 fries. Chicken: One leg and wing OR 1 thigh OR 1/3 breast. 2 broccoli heads BBQ Ribs: 2 ribs with meat on both sides, 1/3 baked potato with butter/sour cream, 2 asparagus spears Chili: 8 oz meat with Beans and veggies Salad: A little larger than a Cereal bowl with romaine, spinach and about 1/3 can of tuna OR 2 oz of chicken OR 4 medium grilled shrimp Chicken fingers: 1 1/2 with about 5 baby carrots and a handful of chips Hot dog on a bun: About 1/2 with catsup and mustard with kraut Subway tuna sandwich on wheat: 3/4 of a 6" with lettuce, onions, banana peppers, honey mustard. Finish the rest of the sandwich an hour later. ************************************************* As far as no snacking ... well ... everyone is going to have to find what works for them. I have a banana in the morning, an apple or an orange in the afternoon. I'll grab a cookie around 8:00 at night. But I am at goal and this is a part of my maintenance plan.

Betcha a dollar you can ... Mine has security settings, too, but hey ... it's electronic ... there's always a workaround. PM me your make and model. You'll have to disconnect the phone, for sure, but also know many, many people are dropping their home phone lines now, so ...

From my own personal experience, I agree with a lot of what is in the article. However, I do not agree the DOM is solely caused by micro-tears. Again, this is just from my personal experience. My first 6 months post op were mainly spent jogging, then running. I would also cross train on the bicycle and HIIT classes. Even after 3 or 4 months, I would still experience DOM if I did not recover properly and did not exercise the following day. The level of exercising and having been doing it for several months, yet still having these symptoms, doesn't lend itself to the theory that I was incurring micro-tears to the levels which would cause DOM, IMO. Now, when I hit the weight room, lifting heavy weights, then, yes. I know I was experiencing micro-tears as, well ... that is the point of lifting heavy. It is the repair where the build occurs. But if you notice a runner's body, they are not going to be up on display posing any time soon. So, I think you need to ascertain for yourself the root cause and solution as you are the only one who knows the level of activity you are currently at. If you are lifting heavy, then you may want to dial it back a bit until your recovery efforts match your level of effort. Yes, after only a week of Zumba, you are going to have micro-tears, but after a few months, you should be past that. If you are still having DOM, then take a look at the other solutions I posted. The bottom line is we all have to figure out what works for us. For me, it was hydrating like crazy (peeing clear), focusing on recovering and proper stretching. I exercised at least 6 times a week to varying degrees. Sure, I had some issues with DOM, but I knew how to work through them.

So, I have slept without my CPAP when I got to a "normal" BMI. I didn't snore, but I didn't feel as rested as I felt when I did use it. I gave it a week without the CPAP, and after that, I decided to go back to using it. My setting was 14.5, so I Googled the model and found the instructions to change it. After a few days of trial and error, I found a good setting for me, 4.0. It is very low and I find I get a better night's sleep with it. When I travel, I still do take it with me as, like I said, I just find I feel better with it. Of course, I would rather not, but I've had it for over 10 years and have gotten used to it, as has the wife. So no reason to give it up. It is only doing good, I believe, as I have never heard of anyone having issues BECAUSE the used a CPAP.

From my research, I have learned about lactic acidosis. Lactic acid builds up in the muscles when we exert ourselves through strenuous exercise and can cause you to feel muscle soreness. Proper stretching post exercise can help to move the acid out of the muscles, but from what I understand, it takes a combination of a few things. First off is proper hydration. If you are not peeing clear, you are not hydrating enough. This is critical in relieving yourself of the acid. Proper stretching post exercise helps the circulation which again, removes the acid from your system. Stretching should be dynamic pre-exercise, not static and a combination post. If you are not familiar with the difference, Google it. Keep moving afterward to continue healthy circulation. Some folks will rigorously exercise and then go sit on the couch. Have ever ever done this and noticed how difficult it is to get up after? Yup, acidosis. Exercise again soon after. This is going to not only help with the circulation, but also trains your body better in the production and removal of the lactic acid. Exercising once or twice a week is going to keep yourself in a chronic state of slowly removing the acids. Keep trying to find opportunities to exercise throughout the week. You should only be taking 1 to 2 days off per week. Massage ... goes back to the whole circulation thing. Not only will this physically push the lactic acid out of the body, but aids your circulation in it's removal, too. You can do this yourself with some of the foam rollers or the myriad of other devices out there. Good luck and just keep moving!

I like your phrase, "food anesthesia". I'm going to borrow that. Because, that is what it is for me when I abuse food. It is the same as alcohol. As a long term member of a 12 step program, I learned early on that alcohol wasn't my problem, it was my solution. I was the problem ... how I lived life on life's terms. If I didn't want to feel the emotions of the day, I could anesthetize myself with alcohol. That worked for a long time ... until it didn't. The same came true for my relationship with food. It comforted me when I was down, was there for me when I celebrated. It was an option for me when alcohol wasn't. And just like alcohol, food worked for me for a long time ... until it didn't. WLS has been the tool to help me not abuse food the way I used to. But there is still the deeper problem. Me and my ability to live life on life's terms. I still have the same roller coaster life. I still struggle with doing the next right thing. But I don't have my old coping mechanisms, and that is hard, sometimes. My solution has been to re-commit myself to my 12 step program as for me, I have learned a lot of life skills there. I have never been to an OA meeting, or seen a counselor as it relates to my relationship with food, but I would suggest to anyone who doesn't already attend some form of the many forms of 12 step meetings, to seek out one of these options. For me, it has been critical to help me find the serenity I need in my and my family's lives.

My doc said whenever I felt up to it, just no circus acts. Take it easy. 4 days post op, here.

As a whole, yes, I am happier, but as has been mentioned it wasn't easy. Sure, there was the tough first month. My guess would be 95% of the folks lament, "What the hell did I just do to myself!?" But then, I began to find my groove and learn new habits. That, in itself, was very satisfying. But once I learned how and what to eat, the mental challenges came at me. These were tough as I had to confront why I abused food to begin with. I found myself sated by my meal, but wanted to eat more. Why? I wasn't hungry. I enjoyed my meal, but I wanted more. What hole was I trying to fill? I knew I wasn't hungry, but was I angry, lonely or tired (The other aspects of H.A.L.T.)? It was unsettling discovering how often my mind turned to food when I was suffering from being in R.I.D. (restless, irritable, discontent) Before, I would stuff myself and my feelings. Now, I couldn't stuff myself so my feelings laid bare on my mind. Confronting them and working through them was uncomfortable, but as I have learned different coping methods, again, I have found joy in my ability to live life on life's terms. So, long story longer ... yes, my life is happier, but it is a difficult row to hoe if I am truly committed to making a change in my life.

I was at one of these (technical, not medical) this past October. Just like yours, it was laden with food of all sorts of decadent varieties with libations flowing every evening. Whilst I do not partake in that latter, I was a bit nervous concerning the former. Happy to report my WLS procedure helped to save me from myself as pre-op, it would have been a series of indulgence. While I could not gorge, I still did enjoy the few bites of dessert, the cafe mocha caramel lattes, butter curried chicken ... I was alway satisfied and never felt the food coma which usually would cause me to space out at least one afternoon session. Because of constantly being on the go the entire week, walking between the hotel and all the different events, I actually ended up losing 5 pounds that week.

I found myself with these same concerns. Because of this, I really started to pay attention to the nutrition in my food choices. I tracked everything I put into my mouth in MyFitnessPal and reviewed my weekly numbers. I would then adjust my diet accordingly. Very soon, I found it easy to make the nutritionally balanced meals my body required. Low and behold, I learned how to cook and eat like a healthy person. Guess what the result was?

I struggled early on with the Protein shakes. I found one I loved pre-op and bought the 10 pound bag of it. Post-op, it was so sweet, I couldn't handle it. Made me gag. Gave it away on Craigslist. I started the search, inquiring here and at my local Vitamin Shop. They gave me a few samples and I purchased a few, but didn't like any of them. I finally stumbled across Premier Protein shakes at costco. That was almost 3 years ago and I still buy them today. If you search the site for Premier Protein, you will find many, many threads. I think they are a good one for me. The bottom line is I probably spent about $100 and a solid week diligently trying to find the protein that worked for me. You may have to do the same. Muscle loss is real with WLS as the body will metabolize muscle just as soon as it will metabolize fat. As we know, a gram of fat has 9 calories as does a gram of muscle. When the body needs 9 calories of energy, it is not going to say, "Well, my host would like to lose fat, so I shall metabolize that first." Nope. So, we need a supply of protein in our body to rebuild muscle which was lost and to have it readily available should that be the metabolize dujour.

I know a lot of Dr recommend to not weigh yourself at all in the first month. It has to do with Fluid retention. I also believe your coordinator is spot on about comparing yourself to others. Some folks may have been on different diets than you, so there is going to be variance there. If you just keep following the guidelines as closely as you can, you will lose weight. And as has been mentioned, your body will hit plateaus. It is a good thing as your body has the ability to go into starvation mode. That is a normal, healthy response. It will pass as you continue to follow the guidelines.

MakeMyOwnLuck has a great list. I also took a probiotic early out to help with digestion. Also, Vitamin D needs to bond with Calcium to be absorbed, so those will be needed to be taken together.

Google The World According to Eggface. Pretty much everything you need to know on this topic.

Hello, I am not a band to sleeve revisionist, but HERE is a whole sub-forum dedicated to the topic. I'm confident you will find what you are looking for there. For what it is worth, I have lost 100% of my excess weight with the sleeve. http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/394-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/