Butterthebean

How long ago were you sleeved??? Your body can and will fluctuate up and down on it's own accord. You are certainly not gaining fat so it has to be water weight. It will come off very soon. At this stage you just have to worry about drinking your water....walk walk walk....and try to get in your protein. Don't worry about the weight yet. It will come off.

I just finished week 1 of the C25K. I actually did day 3 a second time because last time I was too out of breath after the last run. I slowed down my jogging pace but picked up my walking pace. That helped quite a bit.

I had the same problem with an MRI machine. Two years ago I had a tumor in my middle finger and it developed an infection. They admitted me into the hospital for surgery. That morning they wanted to take me down for a presurgery MRI, but they said I was over the weight limit. I said "MY HAND???" It took them a while to figure that out. To make matters worse, the nurse wanted me to strip down to nothing but a hospital gown for the MRI, then ride like that in a wheelchair across the hospital, down the elevator, and to the imaging center. Again....it was just my hand. I said "Lady, what do you think that gown is gonna cover up? I'm 6'1", 400lbs. I could use it as a dew rag maybe. " Long story short. I wore my basketball shorts and tshirt, and they just stuck my arm into the machine and MRI'd the hand. 2 hours of fuss, and 10 minutes to do the dang MRI. Thank God the Bariatric unit at the hospital where I had my sleeve had gowns designed to fit big people. That thing was like a 4 man tent.

I agree with everything you said, but what brought that on? Something on this forum? There was a recent "fat on fat hate" thread.

Favorite thing....I'm just getting to the point where I catch my reflection in the mirror and say "who is that?" Least favorite.....all my favorite clothes are too baggy.

For me the gas pain was in my shoulders and upper back as well. If its only when something enters your stomach, it may just be the swelling and soreness. Do you get the same pain eating ice chips? Ice chips go down much slower and help with the swelling. I don't know how far out you are, but the first few days do come with some soreness. If it doesn't seem like its improving day by day, then I'd call your surgeon.

It's not really easier on higher end bikes, no. Setting up the derailleurs is a matter of getting the shifter cable tension right, and then setting the limit screws. The limit screws keep your chain from shifting past the inner or outer chain ring on the front and back. Once they're set the first time, you will probably never have to think about them again if they are set properly. Shifter cable tension is what allows the chain to shift to each chain ring every time you hit the shifter. Too tight or too loose and it won't shift properly. A brand new bike with new cables, the cables will stretch after a short time. So often times after the cable tension is set, it will have to be tightened again after a few break in miles. But after that initial stretch, it will usually hold and not be an issue again until the cable starts getting worn. This secondary adjustment is not difficult to do. If you have barrel adjusters on your shifter cables it's a 5 second job. If not, it's 2 minutes. I can't tell from the photos if that bike has them, but if not a bike shop can install them for you and they are cheap. "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" is the best bicycle maintenance book I know of. It reads like a Haynes auto maintenance manual. Easy step by step instructions on how to do everything, with pictures. If you can follow that you can do the setup yourself easily. If you'd rather, a good bike shop can do the initial setup and it shouldn't be a big expense, probably $25-$35. After that, the best things you can do for your bike are keep the chain lubed with a good dry lube (not oil and not WD40), keep your tires aired up to the max pressure, and make sure your spoke tension stays tight. The spokes on the rear wheel, right side are the ones that will eventually become slack and then break. And you are right about diminishing returns. In bicycles, after a while they don't get any better, just lighter. Everybody wants lighter bikes, and they pay through the nose for it. My boss actually bought some new handlebars for his road bike because they were 100 grams lighter than his old ones. That's 3 ounces. Kinda silly when he could stand to lose 75 pounds himself. Any other questions, don't hesitate. As you can see I don't mind talking about bikes.

I don't know much about the espresso, but just a quick look at the Dahon website tells me that it doesn't have as good of components as the first bike you linked. The disc breaks are the first thing that jumps out at me, that's a huge bump up. Also the front suspension will be nice if you ever ride it on a bike trail. If you want something more in line with a road tire, but not too skinny, this is my absolute favorite tire... http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=40164&category=3045 The 1.50 width will be a little faster rolling, the 1.75 will be a little cushier. It is almost impossible to have a flat with these tires. As for seat pain, good shorts will go farther than a good seat. I like to use a generous amount of baby powder in my shorts while I ride. That helps a ton. Also, seat adjustment plays a big role. If my seat is adjusted nose down or nose up even the slightest, it's uncomfortable. Everybody likes their seat adjusted differently, but if it isn't comfortable, start playing with the adjustment in tiny increments until it feels better. There is also a fore and aft adjustment. Usually I like mine pushed all the way back, but again, everybody's butt likes different things. Play with the different positions. As for seat height, you should be able to put your heel on the pedal and just lock your knee, that's ideal. If you do buy a new seat remember that shape is more important than cushion. It's not how comfortable a seat is when you first sit on it, it's how comfortable the seat is after an hour of riding. Soft cushion tends to compress over time and then you're just sitting on the seat pan. A firm seat will hold you longer. I'm sure you get that, being a truck driver. I'm sure that's more info than you wanted to know.... I could go on about bikes all day. BTW....Brooks seats are the most comfortable seats ever made, and best looking in my opinion. They have been around for over a century. People who ride their bikes from coast to coast ride on Brooks.

The folded size is about 4-5" longer and taller than a dahon, or comparable 20" wheel bike, but that's not too bad considering it has 26" wheels. The components seem to be good quality for the price. Plus you can use it for recon missions (according to the website). I've seen guys riding these on century rides, once they changed out the tires to something with a little less knobby tread. If the fold up size fits your needs then I would say go for it. If you want smaller, there are alot of used Dahons on eBay. I have the P8. The boardwalk is another good all around bike. Honestly, the best bike is the one you will ride regularly. I noticed last night the Academy near me is selling mountain bike shorts with the crotch pad (chamois). If you are gonna ride more than 5 miles at a time, it's a great investment.

I want to know as well. I just started doing couch to 5k and I'm horrible. I can cycle 25 miles without stopping, but I can barely jog 60 seconds and I'm jogging as slow as I can without falling over.

I don't think your weight has anything to do with bougie size, nor does bougie size have anything to do with hunger. Also keep in mind, there is real hunger, head hunger, and then there is acid discomfort that feels like hunger post surgery. After surgery it's very difficult to tell the difference. Also, what you eat can help keep you feeling full. Protein stays with me longer than carbs. Also, not drinking after meals helps as well.

I was rarely ever around anyone as big as me. Now I've shrunk and I see some folks I've passed up, and I have to bite my tongue not to give them my surgeon's phone number. I don't hold any ill will toward obese people, but I just wanna say, "hey, this tool will help you too."

Uh....what bike? I've got 6 bikes. I've got a Dahon folding bike that folds up and fits in a suitcase. Is that something like what you're looking for?

Man you are doing great. I've just started trying to jog myself but I suck at it.

I got to agree with Iggychic...follow our doctor's plan and you won't have a problem. If you can have cream soups, I was really liking the cream of potato and cream of corn soups. Funny cause since surgery I haven't had any. Just the thought of them makes me gag.

Sounds fun. Good luck.

I don't think you'll have a problem as long as you stick to your plan. I did 8 days of protein shakes, cream soup, milk and water.

I want to stand up and be counted as one of those people who USED to criticize others for not being honest and open about surgery. Yes, I was a judgmental jerk. I've read so many posts on this forum by people who could not tell their family, friends, parents...even their spouse about the surgery because they didn't want to hear the negativity or criticism. I used to think those people were weak, but not anymore. I know now that those people are strong, because they had the surgery anyway. They did what they had to do to be happy and healthy. No one can do more than that. Have the surgery. Lose the weight. Save your own life. Whether you tell or not, you will live a better life.

I drink out of my camelbak all the time. It's much bigger than any restaurant straw. I'm just careful not to swallow a bunch of air.

There you go again!!! Get back to work.

Sounds like popcorn

I was working out when I took my sig pic. I think it goes hand in hand with being healthy and losing weight.

I had a hiatal hernia and they repaired it during my surgery. I can't say if it was any extra pain since since I have nothing to compare it too. But I did not have much pain, certainly not in that area. The doc told me to be extra careful lifting anything for 6 weeks. I did have to pay $25 out of pocket for the hernia repair. I thought that was dumb. Apparently my insurance covered 100% of my sleeve but not my hernia. No biggie. By 3 weeks post op I felt like I never had surgery.

I feel the exact same way. I hate hate hate the stigma. If we were having knee surgery this question would not even be an issue. So many people do not understand. We need to have an annual WLS parade. If we have it soon, I could still be a float. If we wait too much longer I'll be too skinny.