AmMatthew

How you going to spend that 300 bucks? Wish someone would have made that bet with me. It's money in the bank. You should stop thinking about food, that's the whole point of the surgery.

First off, this is normal at your time. Second, it's not like you can go backwards. The great thing about the sleeve is that it can't be reverse. I'm about 2.5 years out. I can eat about half a panini slowly now, even the bread. And save the rest for later. It takes time to learn how your sleeve works, but after just a few months, you won't really notice it. And after a couple of years like me, your new eating arrangement will seem normal, and you won't be able to understand how regular folks eat such absurd portions and meals. This way is way better, it just takes some time. Keep your head up!

Of course. Why couldn't you? You are like 2 months out. Be careful. I threw up my only time 'cuz of shrimps. But cheviche is great for the sleeve.

Don't doubt it. Crossfit rocks. I'm not sure what I'm thankful more, my sleeve or crossfit. I'm 2.5 years out, and I'm in better shape than I have been for almost 15 years. He'll probably struggle. I know that I'd have struggled at 5 months out. But for 29 bucks it will be good motivation to keep going. I wish that I had returned to weights earlier. I'm 38, and I do the full crossfit routine, pull ups, handstand pushups, box jumps. Honestly, I basically have forgotten how fat I was; before I started crossfit, I was starting to slide back to a little bit soft. Now, while I'm not with a full six pack, crossfit and the limited intake from my sleeve means I don't think about what I eat ever, nor do I worry about the pants not fitting. It's a relief.

Just go do it. In a few months you will be feeling so better about yourself. I'm married, but my guess is that your outlook on dating will change CONSIDERABLY. And for the better. I think that when we are heavy, we often tolerate less than ideal situations because we feel lucky just to have found someone. I can be blunter if you like.

What is/was your losing plan: My doctor wasn't very good about giving us complex plans. As an academic type, I would have appreciated that, but oh well. He wanted 50% of excess weight by 4 months. How far out from surgery you are what percentage have you lost? Almost 5 months out now, wow! I can't believe it. Time has flown. I have lost 69 pounds. It's hard for me to evaluate my percentage lost, because I don't feel like I have a clear idea of my final goal. Weight charts NEVER worked for me, even when I was a collegiate wrestler (where we did body-fat analyses). And now that I'm five months out, I recognize that my entire shape and muscle profile has changed. So, it's hard to say. I wear size 35 pants now, weighing 232 pounds. Assuming 20 pounds per pant size, that would put me at a size 31 at my supposed goal of 190 (which seems a bit ridiculous). But if we assume a goal of 190, then I'm 62% of excess weight lost. Month 3 and 4 were 10 pounds per month, Month 5 is like 6. If we assume this downward trend of weight loss, I should make goal in a total of 18 months. How many times a day are you eating? When I feel like it. I would say about 4 times a day, but I don't really think about it. Sometimes if I ate late the night before I don't eat until noon or later. And they aren't ever really meals. It's more of a little taste here and there. What is the amount of normal food (non liquid) you are now able to get down? It's getting to be a bit more, I guess, but at about the 4.5 month stage I really figured out where my limits were and stopped getting the pains. I surprised myself by eating most of two chicken legs the other night, and I can eat about 1.5 pieces of thin crust pizza if I throw most of the crust away. I can eat a whole package of soda crackers. And if I really try I can eat two scoops of ice cream, but it makes me feel lousy. The biggest change is that I cannot handle spicy foods well, and I used to love spicy foods. Obviously, slider foods slide better. What kind of supplements are you taking? Types and Brands I hardly ever take my Vitamin, and I should probably get back on the acid blocker. Pill free. I don't do Protein shakes either. How much protein are you supposed to be getting and how much are you actually getting in daily and what are your sources of protein (brands of shakes etc), Probably less than 65 grams. I try to eat higher in protein than a normal person. But I don't think about it much. I did this surgery to have to stop obsessing over food. I DON'T count calories. God forbid I ever have to again. How much Water you are actually getting down each day. Tons, lots. A bottle with me at all times. Makes a huge difference. Often it is crystal light or ice tea, but at least 2 liters a day. What is your exercise routine, type of exercise, and how often. Not enough. I should have started sooner. At 4 months I joined a gym, and that was eye-opening. For the guys out there, I used to bench 235 for 10 reps...now I struggled with getting 185 up 10 times. On all my weight routines I'm down between 35 and 50% of where I was. But I don't tire as easily, and the cardio is easier. I'm hoping that it comes back more quickly. I'm more active normally in my life though, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, running the stairs rather than struggling up them, going to the beach more, etc. That probably helps out with the caloric budget. How is your energy level? Better. It was pretty lousy at ~ 300 lb. Moving was tiring and I was probably suffering from sleep disorders. I feel pretty great now. I feel about 10 years younger. Testosterone levels must be substantially higher. That can be a two edged sword.

I'm 4.5 months out and usually can't finish two eggs, and that's fried (which for me are easier than scrambled). Let' along with a whole piece of toast...and that's a lot more than I was able to eat at 3 weeks. It seems that you two are going to need to be more vigilant about stopping early. The restriction is more like a stick that hits you (and sometimes quite hard) if you over do it. And restriction comes most from Proteins that are harder to process (rather than tortilla chips, etc. that "slide" down in). But the surgery is not just restrictive, so use all the tools, and perhaps supplement will power for what is apparently less restriction than most of us. BTW, I'm not sure that these bougie sizes are necessarily as standardized as we'd like. The bougie, as I understand, is like a template or a mold, but I imagine that there is a lot of play in the surgeons' hands that is involved. It's not like the bougie stays inside you.

Dawn: It's funny how you and I were sleeved nearly the same day, and go through so many similar things at the same time. I'm about 9 days into a stall where I fluctuate losing and gaining the same pound. I weigh myself daily, religiously, at the same time. I disagree with not weighing daily. I wrestled in college, and if I didn't weigh daily, I would have never made weight. My weight-gains always coincided with a lack of wanting to see the proof on the scale. The scale provides accountability. I think its more how you react to the information, then the fact that you gather the information. About the stall, I feel great too, and I've STILL (sadly) have not started a regular work out routine. And I must admit that this week I had a LOT of work, so it was more hours with my butt in the chair, than other weeks where I've been traveling, having to walk a lot in the field, etc. So perhaps behavior (i.e. diet and [lack of] exercise) have something to do with the stall, but alternatively, it might be a bit of our bodies playing catchup. I know that relative to 3 weeks ago, I'm thinner, because I can only wear a pair of 35 inch pants that were a bit tight just 3 weeks ago. So, I have to cut myself some slack. At the same time, I'm about 25 pounds from being somewhere where I'd be comfortable stopping and maintaining. So, let's hope that we break out of this rut soon. I'm starting a gym tomorrow, so we'll see if that helps! Matt

So here's a bit of photographic proof of just how great this surgery is. I know that when I was researching this surgery, photos were the most compelling argument for me to just do it. I can't wait to see what another 3.5 months will bring.

No soda is about the only rule that I'm pretty hard core about. I tried a sip once, and didn't like it. Ironically, beer, slowly and rum and cokes, again slowly, are ok. Funny. I don't want to go back to my habit of non-stop diet sodas. But I am on a non-stop crystal light drip, so is there really a difference???? Not sure.

I thought that slider foods were like chips, carbs that aren't doughy....

Seems early. I'd say wait. But you can always try a bit. My guess is that you don't finish one coin, let alone a roll. Rice and bread are the hardest things I've found.

I think that this Protein powder stuff is way over-rated. I remember someone on here saying that their nutritionist wanted them to EAT not DRINK their calories and protein. Makes sense to me. There's never been an adequate definition of "working the sleeve" but part of my definition is filling it with actual food so that I feel full. So, after 45 days or so out, I dropped Protein Powder completely. And I've come to learn that the easiest protein is fish and seafood (tilapia is relatively cheap, I love shrimp too). Seafood is soft, and goes down much easier than chicken. I "supplement" the seafood with yogurt and peanuts and cheese. By eating your protein, I think that you re-establish a healthy eating pattern that you might not have with a bunch of powders, bars, etc. I've lost muscle, of course, but I've lost a ton of fat too. And I'm guessing that a lot of my muscle was marbled like the best angus beef. The important question is: am I weak and lethargic? Quite the opposite, actually.

You won't probably want it....way too sweet. (But in case you do, no....it's pure carbs, and sugars at that...not protein). You'll want a pure Protein powder post-op.

So, shamefully, you don't need to exercise to lose weight with the sleeve. And, I don't like saying this here, but I think that it is true that men have a much easier time losing than women. I think that our metabolism doesn't take as much of a hitch, many of us bug guys have some considerable muscle mass under the fat...and that keeps burning as we lose. So, yea, the surgery sucks, but try not to think about it. Hopefully, his docs and team will make it like mine did.....inevitable, like death row or something. There were times that it hurt like nobody's business....but it's really, really, really hard at only 100 days out to remember that. So, it's a pretty short-term sacrifice as you well know. Walk a ton. You'll probably find that he's more of a whimp about it than you we're (at least that's what I figured relative to my wife's C-section). I slept in the guest bedroom the first couple of nights home so that I could prop myself the right way (I can't remember now what the right way was, but there was one). The drain catches on things, and that sucks. I'd say cotton shorts are an alternative to boxers. The biggest and baggiest clothes that he has. He'll be out of them in a couple of weeks, but will appreciate not have anything pinching right post-op. Maybe he'll find that once down 50 or so pounds that he's got more interest in working out. I also find that now down 60 lbs. I'm more active...taking the stairs, taking the long way, than I used to be since I'd always be out of breath and sweaty.

Travel and weight loss....and all along you feel guilty because you are sure you are gaining (um, Mojitos, maybe) but actually losing. Congrats.

Thanks to all your your too kind comments. Once they started to flow in, I started to feel a bit vain... ...But, in reality, my real goal was to share that at 3 months it seems that I am hitting my stride with this sleeve. In the first month, there is pain, eating is a real chore, and there are lots of doubts. The second month is new, as you start testing the limits of your new sleeve, and you go through a first stall (or two). Now, I know what to eat, when to eat. There are even times when I say "I'm hungry" but I don't think that it is what I felt before. A spoonful of Peanut Butter or a small portion of fish, and I'm ready to go. At this time, the sleeve isn't interfering in any substantial way with my life.....I've internalized it. I had to travel a lot for work in February, both in urban and rural environments....no worries. And I couldn't believe that every time I came back, the scale was lower. Sheepishly, I must admit that these first 60 pounds were lost with essentially no exercise. Now that travel is over, I know that the next 40 pounds are going to be lost at the gym, so I do plan on joining next week. Was the sleeve easy? No, I don't think that it was easy.....but unlike most of the other weight-loss approaches that I tried in adulthood, it is extremely EFFECTIVE. I think that it's common to confuse the two. So, if you're thinking about it...... do it.

I'm 36 years old, and was sleeved in November. Wishing that my dad (who is 62) would do it, but he's got a different excuse every day.

So I've been a little frustrated with the scale. It's moving pretty slow, and I get discouraged seeing others dropping BMI on here, even though I know that BMI is a crappy measure of fitness/health. So, it felt pretty good to put on the old size 36 jeans from my closet that I last wore in 2005. I know that they are Old Navy size 36, so that's probably not a "real" 36, but I was size 42 Old Navy back in November, so 3 sizes is 3 sizes. It's fun to go fishing into the back of my closet for old clothes that I had sad goodbye to for so long. Long term goal is to be able to grab any size 34 off the rack and know that it will fit. Hopefully a few months more. I'm not loving the muffin-top that I see in some shirts, but I have to remember that it used to be a big SUV tire not a off-road bike tire around my waist. BTW, this is what an NSV means: non-scale victory...it took me almost 3 months on the board to learn what that acronym meant. Best of luck to you all in our losing process.

I am 7 weeks, 5 days out (one week away from the two month mark) and 35 pounds down since surgery (an additional 7 pounds were lost pre-surgery). So, I assume that at the two month mark, I'll be at about 40 pounds post-surgery. It seems like that is relatively average based on these posts.

I'd like my dad to do the surgery, but he says that he's too old. (He's 62). I'd like a few more posts here of folks in their 60s and 70s so that I can show him that he's nowhere too old. Please keep posting!

Thanks for the note about the Chili, I didn't see it until just now, but I'm often in an airport, and we even have Wendy's here in Panama, so the Chili will make a good food choice if we are out and about. I did have a chili at home over the holidays, but the quantity of Beans made it quite frustrating....something about kidney beans are still hard on the system.

Ok, so my stall seems to have broken. I've lost 3 pounds over the last couple of days, and more importantly each day is lower. I attribute part of this to the lag that occurs from bad eating. If you figure that over the holidays I was eating high calorie food but small amounts, then it wasn't the actual weight of the food, but its caloric value that I had to overcome this week. Now that I'm back home, it took a couple days to stop the bad eating (like I don't need part of a chocolate bar after dinner, actually). However, yesterday I think I did have two chocolate chip Cookies, so I don't think its just about being an ascetic, I also intentionally tried to double my liquid intake yesterday (since I felt quite dehydrated and constipated earlier in the week). Ironically, yesterday was a pretty high complex carb day....low sugar, but I did manage to get half a bagel down over an hour. I wonder if it was the Fiber which moved something in me and ultimately moved the scale. I also mowed through about 5 sugar-free popsicles at night, which in my experience are a great way to get more Water in, and somehow help the scale move. What seems clear is that the sleeve is going to continue to work for me, but that it's going to go slower, and I'm going to need to get back to doing some exercise if I really want to get to where I TRULY want to be. Right now, I'm just at my average weight for the last 10 years, but that's no where near where I was at the early part of the 2000s when I really could say that I was quite healthy and fit. The sleeve is helping me get there, for sure, but I'm leaning perhaps too much on it as a crutch.

Dawn: I think that you and I are on the EXACT same page (recall that we were sleeved a day apart). I had the 2-3 week stall, and then I'm going through another. Grrr. And this time, because I can get more types of food into my mouth, I'm starting to blame me for bad food choices. I feel you. It was so much fun to be back stateside and buy a bit of a new wardrobe, but this is discouraging. Hopefully it will break soon, being 40 lbs down isn't enough. (I still haven't gotten back to the gym though, so maybe it's time).

I am visiting family, and SHOCKED at the amount of soda that they drink (and honestly at the amount of food consumed, too). I think that there is something to the fact that your pain meds might cover any withdrawl, and more importantly this huge transformation that makes the soda addiction go away (I routinely downed more than a liter or diet coke daily). I promise that the first couple of weeks the idea of a soda is going to sound like sticking razors down your throat...and it only takes 22 days to form a new habit. I don't miss sodas at all.