kyllfalcon

I'm 5'7". Starting weight was 251 and am at goal at 165. Took 9 months to get there. My original goal was 150, but I am very happy where I am and think I would look way gaunt any thinner. My doctor, family and friends agree. I like how I look in my clothes, I just try not to dwell on how I look naked

Crypt guy? I think NOT! He's still got it. Every bit of it. Old guys are hot too. And one day when your handsome jug has gotten all craggy and wrinkly, you'll be glad to know that old gals find old guys hot!

Ok, Fiddleman, combination of brains and body... Sting is the total package: handsome, fit, intelligent, intellectual, artsy, talented, sensitive, rich, then there's that whole chi thing...

Heck, yeah... If you're only 34 you may not be aware of his TV role as Rowdy Yates in "Rawhide". I'm 60, and it was on when I was preschool. Go find him in Google Images. A prettier face you'll never find. Never even noticed his body. Rowdy Yates was my first love, and I still adore Clint Eastwood to this day. He's aged beautifully. He wears "craggy" better than anyone. Sorry, Fiddleman, to hijack your thread.

Don't know, but don't question it. Manna from heaven... take it.

Body type never interested me. Brain type did and does.

You look wonderful!!!! Can't believe the difference!!

I got the sticks on Amazon. Ketostix Reagent Strips

Back in the early days I strived to be in ketosis. I peed on a plastic stick every day to check. When in ketosis I lost weight most rapidly. Yep, I was stinky breath and cheesy butt, but it was worth it!

I don't mean to be inappropriate, gmanbat, but your hotness quotient is HIGH! You seem like a very caring, expressive man with a level head and a tendency to promote peace, all of which contribute greatly to a man's HOT factor in my book!

Yes, my husband has been super amazing. He suggested WLS to me even before we knew about the sleeve, not because he was disgusted with me (maybe he was, but he never let it show), but because he saw the weight slowly diminishing my abilities. He has been by my side every minute and step, and has modified his lifestyle to coincide with mine. He prepares all his own meals, all three, and in the doing has made healthier choices and trimmed down too (just needed to loose 20-30 pounds). He is always commenting, "look at her go now", and "you look so lovely". He has not expressed any jealousy, and did not resent the money spent, on either the surgery or my new wardrobe! What a guy...

I had five incisions, four very small, less than half inch. The fifth was about an inch just under the belly button. I had already had three surgeries through that scar, and it is more noticeable than the others. It is darker and is somewhat raised. The others have faded to unnoticeable. I wont say invisible, but just barely there. Very smooth and flat but just slightly darker.

Well, I guess we are all addicted to food in that we need it to live. But, no,in the sense that the word addict is being used in this thread, I don't think I was or am a food addict. Go ahead, sigh, roll your eyes, whatever, it won't hurt my feelings. I was not always heavy. I got heavy because my relationship with my husband, when it began 20-some years ago in my mid-30's, centered around both of us loving to cook. I picked up some weight from eating rich foods, and too many or too large servings. I never obsessed about food. I never gorged myself. I just ate too many sweets and rich foods because I liked them, and they were there because I enjoyed making them. A few pounds each year for 20-some years added up. The frustration with diets not working or working so slowly that I would just give up, that's what led me to WLS. I needed the extra help. I knew if all I could lose was half pound to a pound per month on WW or whatever other diet I tried, that I would never stick to it long enough to get to goal. And the WLS gave me the extra help I needed. I often wonder if I knew then what I know now about heavy on the Protein, low on the carbs, if I could have done this without WLS. I doubt it, because the restriction is so important to me, both the volume restriction and the "too rich" restriction. I still love rich foods, but they don't sit well. I still love to cook, I just eat a little because that's all that I can hold. I'm happy, no matter what name you put on it!

Mmmm.... Clint Eastwood.... now THERE'S motivation!!!

I have eaten all day long every day since my surgery. I reached goal at 9 months, and am easily maintaining, while still eating all day long. It's just what worked for me. If it's working for you, don't sweat it, just keep doing it!

People, go back to the orignal post again, and really look at Grammy's face in both pics.... I'll wait here... Ya back yet? Do you see what I see? The Before picture shows a woman, she kinda looks unhappy, maybe she's in physical pain, her eyes are dull and she seems to be tired. The After picture shows an entirely different woman!! She looks happy!! There is a gleam in her eye! She doesn't seem to be hurting! And she looks full of pep! I notice this in most of the Before/After photos, even my own, but it is really apparent in Grammy's photos!

We are all so Proud of you Grammy!!

Salmon was my second thing. For some reason I craved salmon, which I never ate before. And I just had to have some tuna too.

soft scrambled egg

I puked just once when I ate too much soft warm delicious oatmeal cake. It was not fun, but I had to laugh between each expulsion about the tiny amount of puke!! It was ridiculously funny!!

This comes up every now and again. Being sleeved reduces the circumference of the stomach, but not the length. Stomach length varies greatly. My surgeon showed our group photos of actual stomachs he had sleeved, the shorted being just a few inches long and the longest at 19 inches!! It looked enormous!! Anyway, that longer stomach even though sleeved will hold a lot more food than the shorter sleeved stomach. I think mine is longer than average, because I can eat more than most too. But I lost weight anyway.

It's a balancing game for sure. I had to add carbs to stop losing weight, and of course, the Carb Monster sets up housekeeping the minute you let him back in the door!! I agree, eating carbs makes you want more carbs. But if I don't eat carbs, I lose weight. At first it was hard to eat the 2000+ calories per day, but I've become accustomed to it now. But it's impossible without the carbs.

Well, at least you got six months without so much hunger! I have never lost the hunger. I was hungry right away after surgery and remain so to this day. It is not just head hunger or the desire to eat. By golly, I'm hungry!! It seems I eat all day long, and I do, but it's just small quantities of healthy foods, so I am maintaining well. I was just disappointed to have to still deal with so much hunger. But on the plus side, that hunger allows me to live a "normal" life in that I want food, enjoy food, love to cook and prepare food. Could be worse, I guess... could be one of those poor souls who have to remind and make themselves eat. Sounds like I eat more calories than you do, and you appear to be a good bit taller than I am. But my base metabolic rate is really high, so I have to get around 2100-2200 calories per day to maintain at 165. Wish I knew how to make the hunger go away!

Wonderful!!!

Three things: Really bad gas pains in left shoulder first week. Very foul nasty diarhea the first three weeks. Difficulty getting down all my prescription and supplement pills. None of the three lasted very long. It's all been worth every bit of it.