theoldmusicbox

I am a 37 year old man, 5' 6" and started this journey at 373 pounds. I was sleeved on June 5 this year (15 weeks ago). Since surgery, I have had practically zero complications and I just ate a good tasting bowl of spicy chili for dinner! Here are some of my positive experiences. I have lost a total of 120 pounds so far My non-op wife has been so supportive and joined me with new menu restrictions and exercise and she has lost 59 pounds (she only has 45 more to reach her personal goal) I can tie my shoes without holding my breath I can use a public restroom that is not meant for handicapped people I can sit in a booth at restaurants I can walk into almost any store I want and buy clothes off the rack (although right now I only shop thrift stores because things only fit me for a few weeks) My family's grocery bill has dropped about $75 a month even buying healthy food since I don't eat much anymore I can enjoy running and playing with my 4 year old My 14yr old son is a cross country runner, last month, I joined him in running a 5k, i finished at 49:20 and he told me that he was proud of me My 12 year old daughter and 14yr old son can both hug me and grasp their own hands behind my back for the first time in their lives. I have learned that healthy food doesn't have to suck I can wash all 2000 parts in the shower without the loofa And of course skinny sex, is better than the unskinny bop. I hope my list gave you the encouragement that you needed today.

That's because we are pigs. Just saying. But you gotta admit, when was the last time any woman randomly went up to a strange man who was 5'6" and 380 lbs, just to flirt or try to get his number? Maybe we're all pigs?

The nurse from my surgeons office called me every 2-3 days for the first 4 weeks post-op, just to see how I was feeling, and to ask me if I had any questions. I had the same response you did, and she was giggling at me too. I am very impressed with the entire staff. Couldn't have hand picked better people if I had tried.

I am 5'6" tall. When I started pre-op on April 1 this year I was 373lbs. Lost 50 before being sleeved on June 5, am currently 253. Keep up the good work, and we will walk this road together.

I am 3 months post op, I regularly slice jalepenos and fill them with ff cream cheese then grill them as a side with my turkey burger. The other day, I did I with a habenero. Tonight, I made 4 cheese mashed cauliflower bake with Italian turkey sausage, diced green chilies and diced jalepenos. I love spicy! Very thankful that I can enjoy it like a normal person now.

check walmart for Mio sweet tea. i have to have flavor in my Water. just cant do plain water unless its 100 degrees and i'm hot sweaty and working.. any other time, i gotta have flavor. i was using the crystal light on the go packs, but, i work in the field, and by the time i finish my 20 ounce bottle, the ice is gone, and it got warm. so, i take a big water jug, filled with ice water. and my 20 ounce bottle. i fill it half way with the ice water, put in a squirt of the mio tea, and drink it while it is cold. 0 calories and tastes kinda like mcdonalds sweet tea to me. it is about $3.99 for a bottle that makes about 10-12 20 ounce teas, but, for me, it works. good luck.

i am just over 3 months out. for the last 25 years or so, i have had a spot on my wrist (psoriasis) that would flare up so bad that people would ask me what was wrong with me. big white nasty looking spot that would then crack open and just really irritate me. yesterday, my wife asked me if my surgery took care of it! i've had it so long that i didn't even notice it anymore, so, when she said that, i checked it out and sure enough, there is just a light 'scar' where it used to be! yet another thing to make me love my sleeve!

I had a guy say to me "oh, well wls is the easy way out ya puss" and my response to him was "well, at least I found a way out. How's the hard way working out for you?" To fully appreciate this conversation, you gotta know that he is about 50 pounds less than I was at the beginning (one time a couple of years ago, for laughs in front of other guys, he gave me one of his winter vests that I liked, that was about 2 sizes too small for me, and told me that this would give me a goal to work towards) and he has gained about 5-10 pounds since my surgery, and I've lost 120. It was actually the first time I ever let myself get smug with someone over my weight. P.s. I put on the vest in front of him the other day, and it was loose. Ahhhh life is good

It was a week and 5 days before my first post op bm. Try a good fiber supplement

I think everyone is different with lettuce. I was able to have salad at 2 months out, some I know were able sooner, but I have a friend that is 6 months out and been scared away from it. My advice would be that, when you think you are ready, do a bite test. Get your salad, take a bite, chew it and swallow, wait about 5 minutes to see how it feels. If it goes down well, try it slowly. Good luck

First off, if someone goes into this thinking that vsg is a magic bullet, your surgeon should be fined! One of the main points in all of my visits was the fact that this wasn't magic and it was still going to require work. It is a tool. It won't do it for you, it will help you do it. I am THAT guy. I had the perfect experience. The other reply was true, I don't post about it, cuz I don't want to seem 'smug' or like 'hey, look at me' I had very little pain past day 3. I was up and walking several times a day. I've only vomited 2x, and that was my fault both times. I was sleeved on June 5, and starting from april 1, I've lost 120 pounds. I have went from 373 to 253. Yes, I still have to count calories, fats, Proteins, and carbs. But, now, i don't feel like I'm starving doing it. I can be satisfied with a normal person's portion, and the thought of going to an allyoucaneat buffet, makes me feel stupid. My problem was, I never felt full/satisfied when I ate. I could go to the buffet and literally eat for an hour, then go home and get a snack. I hold the record among my friends at Quaker steak ayce wing night at 64 wings. And a dessert. And an hour later, I was looking for somethin to eat! This surgery fixed that for me. I know I'm full. I feel satisfied. I'll be honest, I wish I could have done this without surgery, but, I couldn't. Now, I can. And anyone that says this is 'the easy way out' is an uninformed/ignorant person. I work out 5 times a week, plus walking several times. But, that is because I want to be healthy. Anyone that thinks they will reach goal by having surgery and sittin on the couch eating for the pounds to drop off, is sorely mistaken. You will still have to want it, only now, I can do it. Anyway, I hope this helps. Whatever you decide, you have to live with it. I don't try to talk anyone into this, but I will say, if I had it to do over again, I'd say yes everyday and twice on sunday.

My first was almost 2 full weeks after surgery! I started taking a low dose stool softener after a week an 3 days. When it finally happened, I cried a little and thanked my wife for ever agreeing to have more than 1 child Try adding a Fiber supplement. I told my doc about using stool softener, he said that was treatin the symptom instead of fixing the problem. Fiber has helped me more than stool softeners ever did!

I started at 373 pounds. I chose vsg over gb for a few reasons. 1) the malabsorbtion issue bothered me 2) with the sleeve, everything still works the way God intended it to so, I figured it would be easier to adjust myself to it. 3) if you look at the statistics, the only benefit that gb has over vsg is that if you are diabetic, gb helps fix that faster than vsg, and since I wasn't diabetic yet, that didn't appeal to me. 4) the only real issue I had that made me think long and hard is that there isn't a lot of longterm research for the sleeve. Most research is about 5 years. I spoke to my surgeon about this and he told me that he expects the sleeve to become the 'premier' wls in the near future. He also said that he has removed more bands than he has put in this year. I was sleeved on June 5 this year. I live a very normal life now. I am able to eat without 'dumping' and can have pretty most anything I want 'within the scope of my own personal restrictions' except for breads, they don't quite agree with me yet, but I expect that by the end of the year, I will be able to have it if I choose to. If you count my pre op loss that started April 1 this year, I have now lost a total of 120 pounds and am at 253 and losing 2-5 pounds a week. For me, life is good. Also, 1 last thing that helped me choose. My aunt had gb, and lost a lot of weight and is happy with her choice. But she has that 'sickly' weight lost look to her. None of he folks in my support group have that appearance. She has seen my results and said that if she had it to do over, she would have gotten the sleeve. I hope this helps. Good luck with your new life!

Thank you. Yep, I am a man. It's really not fair how much faster we lose. I had my first appt with my NUT on march 30 this year and I was 373lbs then. We started following her guidelines on April 1. I got sleeved on June 5, and was about 325 then. So, if your going from since surgery, I'm down 72, but from the start of the journey, 115. I've been working really hard and my wife, who is a non-op, is such a great supporter that she has lost 54! She is my hero.

I started out this year at 5'6" and 373 pounds. Got my sleeve June 5 and have dropped to 253. 3 weeks ago, I walk/ran the first 5k of my life at 49 min 20 seconds. I started out walking to the corner and back a couple times a day, then around the block, then worked up to 2.5 miles at a time. After a few weeks at that distance walking, I walked the same rt walk 5 min. Run 30 seconds until I finished the rt. I then set up a playlist on my iPod. It started out with 3 slow tempo songs then all fast beat songs until I had an hour long playlist. On 5k day, I played the playlist. During the slow songs, I walked. During the fast songs, I walked during the verses and ran during the choruses. Finished at 49:20 I was very pleased with that. Good luck, you'll do great!

June 5, 115 down, about 85 to go. Whoohoo!

emilybites.com has something called 'cupcake meals'. it is meals that you cook in cupcake tins. they are around 150 calories each, the size of a cupcake (perfect portions) and have low fat and decent Protein. there are menus for lasagna cupcakes, taco cupcakes, buffalo chicken cupcakes, etc. etc. i am on the road most of the day through the week. i spend about an hour on sunday making these, then i have lunch all week long. i keep it in a lunchbox. if i'm close to a microwave, it takes 45 sec. to heat it up, or if i'm not close to one, they aren't bad cold either. if you can carry a lunchbox, they are perfect for on the go. she also has great meals for all around too.

Pb2 is awesome

cupcake meals from emilybites.com! 1hr baking on sunday gives me Breakfast and lunch for the entire week! plus, they can be eaten hot or straight outta the lunch box. string cheese dry-roasted, lightly salted soybeans (edemames)

My children (14 and 12) being able to hug me 1 at a time and be able to clasp their hands behind my back for the very first time in their lives. :') A picture of me crossing the finish line at a 5k race! Me saying, no thanks, I don't want seconds. Pure shock on the face of someone you haven't seen in a while.

My favorite one.... "he's lost over 100 pounds?!? I wonder if he's still funny?" "nope, all my funny melted off"

"wls is the easy way out ya puss" "well, at least I found a way out, how's the hard way working out for you?"

Just food for thought. My doc said he has removed more bands than he put in this year, and expects the sleeve to be the 'premier' wls in the near future. P.s. I love my sleeve, but I've had the picture perfect experience. Learn all you can, and good luck.

Try something small, and soft. Go slow. Take 1 bite, chew chew chew, put your fork down, wait a minute. If it goes down well, repeat. I was very nervous when I got to soft foods, but after a week or so of liquids, my fat free retried beans were heaven in my mouth. Good luck

I'm 3 months out, I do 1/2 hr of circuit training 3 days a week, then 1/2 hr exercise bike 1 day, and 3 mile walk one day, then play with my kids on the weekend and call that my cardio. I also have a very physical job that requires a lot of walking, pulling and heavy lifting, so, that wraps up my program.