MarkRK9

I was sleeved on Election Day. I'm down 87# and have about 30 more to go to hit my goal. Its amazing how things have changed in a mere 4 months! I can now fly on a plane without asking for the dreaded "extender". No more painful soars on the inside of my thighs. Instead of worrying about things being too tight, I worry they look too loose. I find that people smile at me more often. I actually enjoy socializing with people now. I asked out on a date (I declined - happily married for 18 years). The list goes on and on.... Most importantly, I actually feel healthy. I take in about 700 calories a day give or take. I usually meet the 60g of protein with no problem, and I take my vitamins religiously. My water intake has been my biggest struggle. My pee always looks like apple juice so I know I'm behind in that area. Something to work on. I find that eating is now something that I NEED to do rather than something I WANT to do. It's so much easier to make good food choices now that I'm not feeling dependent on food to fulfill some sort of emotional void. This whole experience has been a true blessing!

Funny, I also get the hiccups when it's time to stop. I also start to sneeze if I go beyond that. Amazing how things work now.

Your smile says it all.....

I appreciate the feedback and concern. I had a doctors appointment yesterday and spoke to him about it. He told me the same thing. He said there was no FDA approved ED medication in a liquid form. He did say that taking Viagra or Cialls would not harm me but it would slow my heart rate, which could cause dizziness. He said if I wait a few months I most likely would have no need for any ED medication. Considering the advice from you guys and my doc, I think I'll just give things some time to adjust!

Thanks for the input! I took the safe route and asked my doctor as well. He said there were no issues but insisted that I take the liquid form as he does not allow ANY solid pills post op. All pills must be crushed according to him. No biggie. I had some real fun taking a couple Cialls per op....looking to try it out post op! Should be interesting.....

It's a real shame that many of the posts on this board are cluttered with all the drama. There are a bunch of really informative and helpful remarks in this topic alone however it took me darn near an hour to pluck them out of all the other crap.

Put the scale in the closet and leave it there for a month! I can't count all of the posts on this blog about people jumping on the scale every week, every day, or sometimes twice a day. Judge your progress on how you feel. We all know if we've had a bad day or if we've eaten something we shouldn't. If you are sticking to the plan and you feel better as time goes on, what's there to be worried about. I haven't weighed myself in a couple weeks but today I was getting dressed for work and realized I'm down to the last hole in my belt. These are the little things I've judged my progress on and it seems to keep me motivated.

You're stressing for no reason. The psyc evaluation is a very informal conversation with a phschologist to determine if you are mentally stable and understand the totality of the procedure. Mine lasted for about 5 minutes and it was a pleasant conversation - not a question/answer session. You'll be just fine!

Here's the deal. I'm completely capable of getting to round one, however long it takes. Round 2 is usually a challenge. I did some digging around on the internet and discovered they make both Viagra and Cialis in a liquid (gel) form. Question for the guys: #1 - Is it OK to take liquid Viaga or Cialis after surgery without it being harmful? I understand this is a question for my Dr. but I'm not going to see him for a couple months and thought I'd poll the group to see if it's already been asked. #2 - Has anyone taken the liquid gel Viagra or Cialis and what were the results...or I should say, did it work? any adverse side affects? Thanks in advance for your input!

My average calories per day right now is at about 750. I get on the elliptical for about 20, 5 days a week. Started doing the elliptical about 2 weeks ago.

I refuse to be a slave to the scale. Besides my doctors visits, I've weighed myself twice at home since surgery two months ago. I know this probably isnt the norm but my thought is this - it is way too easy for me not to weigh myself and I don't want to rely on a scale to tell me how I'm doing. We all know when we've had a bad day or screwed up on our diets. In the past, after having a bad day or bad week I'd weigh myself to find that I ONLY gained a pound or two. So I'd think, heck it's only a couple pounds and if I was able to eat all that junk food and only gain a couple pounds why not do it again next week. Thus the vicious cycle continued. I've become a big fan of my fitness pal. At the end of each day I'm easily able to tell how I did without jumping on the scale. I judge my progress not on the numbers on the scale but on the little things that I'm able to do now that I'm shedding the weight...tying my shoes, standing up from sitting without rocking back and forth, hugging my wife without leaning forward. There's no question about it. If you've had the surgery and stick with the plan, you will lose the weight. Be patient. It took us a long time to get our bodies to look the way they do. I figure it will take quite a while to get them back to normal. Sorry for the rant....my two cents.

Sleeved on Election Day (Nov. 6th). 322 before per-op diet, 313 on day of surgery, and 258 as of yesterday. 64 lbs total and damn proud! This is the best I've felt in many, many years. Granted, it's been a tough journey. I describe the experience to my friends one sentence; The most strict diet I've ever been on combined with a major surgery that kicked my a**! But as most would agree, I'd do it all in a minute. Things I can do now that I couldn't a couple months ago: Fit in a seat on an air plane without having to use a seat belt extension. Fit in a booth at a restaurant. Sex....ohhhhh boy. I'll save it for the man room. Sit up from a laying position without looking like a turtle on its shell. Tie my shoes while they're still on my feet. Look at myself in the mirror (still not all that pretty to look at, but getting better!) Pass a Wendy's without ordering 2 spicy chicken combos. Find clothes that fit me at places like Kohles and Target. Walk for quite a distance without getting those sores on my inner thighs (they're gone completely!). sleep without my C-pap machine. Give someone a good hug. Smile when I think of my future! Life is good!

Ha!! Who said anything about shaving their privates!! My post only referred to a "clean shaven man". Just kidding....I appreciate the input. I think I get it - it's a matter of personal preference and there's no real reason either for or against. All is well, thanks. I'll now shut up, grab a protein shake, and go back to being a creeper on this board! Happy Holidays All!!!

I was sleeved on Election Day at 322 lbs. Just weighed in at 276. I've rediscovered the wonderful world of S E X after many years of just "going through the motions". My how things have changed! It was brought to my attention that it is preferred by most women to have a 'clean' shaven man. Really? Why? I just don't get it. Unless there's a true purpose behind doing it, I just can't see myself doing that.