Terry H.

This is the SV I've been waiting for. I can't get a grasp on it... over 400 to under 200 in 83 and a half weeks. I can't deny it... I've Rocked This Sleeve!!

Have confidence, you will get there Craig. No doubt about it if you keep on program. I know you can and will get to your goal.

My scale this morning said 200.0. Teetering on the edge!

A few of my favorite things for bfast: Quest Protein Bars Morningstar farms veggie sausage links - a couple of mins and done Egg Cups (from Hungry Girl website) Lots of varieties very fast and very filling Leftover meats from previous day Hope that helps

Hello. My name is Terry and I am addicted to Quest bars. I usually have the chocolate ones and the vanilla crunch ones. I also like the other flavors though but these are my wife's favorites so I just get these for both of us. Texture does seem to vary batch to batch but I enjoy them a great deal.

As of yesterday I lost 210 lbs... half my body weight. People are starting to ask me if I'm at goal. I'm wearing clothing that can best be described as average sized. Nothing bigger than a large and mostly medium with size 36 or 38 pants. I'm now just 9 lbs from my first major goal, 10 pounds from onderland, and 29 lbs from my stretch goal of 180. I'm really charged up about the prospects for the new year. Oh what a wonderful feeling to have the seat belt fit on an airplane. One of the best NSVs yet. Every day is better and this life change is my best Christmas present, thanksgiving wish, and birthday gift combined.

Thanks everyone! I can't tell you how great it feels.

Tommy, I took allopurinol to control my gout for years. The good news longer term for you is that gout is often resolved by wls. I've stopped taking it completely now and am hoping mine is gone. I did have one minor glare up and took Tylenol to help reduce the swelling. Wouldn't probably do much for a massive flare up though (at least in my experience). Good luck man, I know it sucks. Terry

Century Club is losing 100 lbs. I voteThreeburg for the 300s.. hahaha Sounds like Free Bird.

My preop weight loss is from the time I started my efforts to lose while satisfying requirements for insurance. The time period was June 1 to October 10, 2011, Of the 51 I lost, 10 of it was during the liver shrinking diet.

It appears this is a pH problem. Adding CL or other additives seems to change the pH enough that it doesn't have the same effect. Very common to have trouble with plain water.

Hey Mokee, Really I just track everything I eat and try to keep to Protein first. I've been getting between 700 and 900 calories a day of late but I kept below 700 for most of the time since surgery. I do deep Water aerobics a couple of times a week and walk quite a bit. Nothing too fancy eh? Its all about the diligence and patience. The hardest thing is not to let the stalls get to you and stay on target. It is doable though and I have to say it is a great thing to have this opportunity to regain my health. Thanks for asking. Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

I'm a year out. Last night for dinner I had about 3 oz of salmon and a little bit of watermelon. I regularly go out to eat. I'll sometimes go with just an appetizer but just as often I'll order an entree and if I like it, I'll take the uneaten portion home. Rarely the veg or starch, usually just the protein. My restriction is in full force at this time and I can never exceed about 4 oz of protein. I might have a few bites of the food that surrounds the protein on the plate though. My capacity is pretty close to one quest protein bar if that helps you visualize it. Don't worry, this becomes very normal for you very quickly - or at least it did for me.

One year down. A year in a life amounts to about 1.3% of the average expectancy. In the last year since surgery 10/10/2011 I’ve lost 80% of my excess weight. 151 pounds gone. With the 51 I lost before surgery this puts me over the 200 lost line and 48% of my total body weight. I have to let that sink in sometimes. Half of me is gone. The last time I weighed this amount was in 1980 when I was 18. That’s 64% of my life ago. I’m well on my way to the weight I last saw when I was in junior high school on my way up. At this point, I see no reason I shouldn’t make it. What do all these numbers really mean? Well, for one, I feel young. So much more life than I’ve had for so many years. For another for the first time one of the in a long time I feel like I’m just a regular guy. Overweight? Sure. Older? Sure. But more like a young 51 rather than an ancient 50. And I’m heading in the right weight direction and in control. Perhaps like never before in my entire life. Every aspect of my world is better; especially my relationship with my wife. She loves me and supports me and I feel like a better man for her. How about health? Diabetes – Gone. Blood pressure - soon to be totally off drugs (already down to ¼ of my old dose. Gout – seems to be gone (I’ve gone off allopurinol). Endurance – way up. Some more numbers since surgery: 5x shirts to medium/large. Size 62 pants to size 38 (even fit into a size 36 but too tight to claim it for a while); 9 SCUBA dives in the last six weeks for the first time since 1993. Nothing comes free though right? I mean, I can’t eat unlimited quantities. I can’t sit comfortably for 16 hours a day. I have to be diligent about what I eat. I have a lot of excess skin. When I start to feel sorry for myself (and I sometimes do for fleeting moments) I just DO something, or review my progress, or plan for my next adventure. How freaking cool is that. I have learned that being with my friends is not just about great food (although I still go out and enjoy great food within my self imposed parameters). My new normal almost always feels OK. I also have new friends that I’ve met here and at my support group. That’s cool. I’m also planning more activities like learning to sail, riding horses, and mountain hiking. Lots to do and I can do it now or very soon. So much more hope and so many more possibilities. I can’t wait to see what year 2 brings. What a great journey this has been.

It feels great Monique. I really feel like a new man. Sometimes I just want to break out in a run just because I can. My wife likes it too.

Just stick to the program and look ahead to your goal. Don't let any single day or weigh in get in your head. You can do this!! Good luck.

By and large, I just substitute the Torani/DaVinci syrup for water. Takes a little bit more than water to get the same consistency, but tastes great. Hazelnut is my favorite.

I use PB2 instead of peanut butter. I put it on a cheese crisp (microwaved shredded cheese on a shiny paper plate for about 1:20 seconds in my microwave). Sometimes I mix the PB2 with Torani or DaVinci syrups for sweetness and taste. Hazelnut and carmel are both great. The WW English muffin sounds good though

I started at 420 and lost 51 lbs pre-op. Down a total of 201 now. So I think I fit your criteria.

I've lost about 80% of my excess weight (to my stretch goal) and almost half my total body weight so far. Still going and I'm going to try to lose another 20-40 lbs. So it gets harder the closer you get to goal, but it seems to have a lot to do with your practices as to how far you get. Not for everyone I'm sure, but for many that seems the case.

Hi Nyxa, I experienced some memory problems. Examining my diet I saw that I was low on folate. I added a supplement of folic acid and now my memory seems to be about the same as it was before I got the sleeve. Gum.. well I see most people say that gum is verboten. I don't ever swallow gum and I chew it from time to time. It *should* go through since we have a normal small stomach but I'd now want to risk it if I were someone that swallowed gum. Okra... I had some this weekend. Your mileage may vary but I could eat pickled veggies at about 2 or 3 months out but only a couple of bites.

I agree with the Mio approach. I'm really loving the lemon flavor. Note that carbonation is what makes sparkling water sparkle... Mio, Crystal light, propel - all work for me.

Out of curiosity, do you drink Crystal Light? I saw a post from someone that said their doctor said that CL had a compound that helped reduce the incidents of gall stones. And, before I forget that is a BUMMER!

I totally get this. A few years ago, I was in a store looking for a gift. A sales person walked up to me and said "we don't have anything that will fit you here". I was hoping that I could go into that store and look around and then not buy anything as revenge. Unfortunatly they are out of business so I'll just have to live with the fantasy

No hair loss here that I can tell. If anything, it seems darker but less greasy. I have to use hair gel to keep it from being all over the place. :tongue2: Maybe this is because I don't perspire as much as I used to. I couldn't say why I didn't lose hair but I do keep up with my vites and Protein. In the beginning I shot for 60g of protein building up to over 70g now (usually more). Calories between 600 and 800 since a few weeks out. At first, I had to focus on fluids and sipping and that made it harder to hit my options without Protein shakes. My Surgeons office asked me to stop drinking them regularly at about a month out. So since then, I've been able to hit my goals with just a little bit of label reading and planning.