johnlatte

Ya'll do realize that this thread is 7 months old? Just sayin...

Well...can't and shouldn't are definitely two different things. I didn't give up caffeine at all. I told my Dr. that it was non-negotiable. He gave in!

From about.com Many Snapple Iced Tea varieties contain 42 mg of caffeine per bottle. Snapple flavors with 42 mg of caffeine include: Cranberry Twist Diet Lemon Diet Peach Diet Raspberry Lemon Mint Peach Raspberry Very Cherry Snapple's "Red Tea" line is made with rooibos and are naturally caffeine free. Snapple's Diet Green Teas contain 60 mg of caffeine per bottle, while their regular Green Teas contain 30 mg of caffeine per bottle and their White Teas contain less than one mg of caffeine per serving. (There are two exceptions to this -- Lime Green and Diet Lime Green both contain five mg of caffeine per serving, or ten mg of caffeine per bottle.) Snapple's Just Plain Unsweetened and Lemonade Iced Tea both contain 18 mg of caffeine per bottle.

This is pretty much my strategy. I really could care less what the scales says. I've stressed about it, but no more. I eat as healthy as I can. Sometimes okay, sometimes not. I'm off the meds and I feel great. The weight will drop and the stalls will happen. It's just how it is. I do know that I am not eating enough Kcals a day, but I really don't think that much about eating and food, so to me it isn't that big of deal. Cutting out the crap in my diet (white processed foods and sodas) has made a world of difference. I'm not living in the diet world, I'm living in the real world.

If you are just starting out, I think what you have here might be a bit much. I'd first start with a pretty brisk walk on the treadmill, just to get warmed up. If you can do 10 minutes, then look at doing something else. I would limit myself to 30 minutes at a time. The reason that I say this is that many and most people, start out with a lot of big goals and realize that they can't do that much and get frustrated and then stop. If after that 30 minutes you feel like you can do more, then that's fine. Do 35 minutes the next day and then so on. Stretching or Yoga is always a good idea. Do some stretches before hand and some after. The bottom line is only do this in small bites and don't get discouraged. It takes a bit of time to get the body to accept that fact that you are going to get into better shape. It will rebel and you have to stay strong. Go slowly at first then it over time you can become a fierce gym warrior.

I always try to ask myself, if what I am about to put in my mouth is going to contribute to me being a fat ass or is it going to contribute to me being healthy. It is all part of the mental chess game that we all play inside our heads. The decision to face temptation and pass on it, is part of us becoming more strong mentally. Just like when we work out, we build muscles, we must learn to develop the tools that give us strength to pass on temptation. It takes practice, to face our weaknesses head on because it soooo effing easy to fall back into the wonderful, comfortable shelter that food and eating has provided for us. Will we fail? Sure of course, but learn from that, really take the time to understand why. Was it a trigger? Was it a brain fart? If we fail, as we all do, then we think about it, learn from it and then file it away. I said in another thread, that none of us woke up last Tuesday as a fat ass, and we won't be thin tomorrow. Part of this whole process and the success therein, is learning what makes us tick. I've had the best time with that. It was something I had to learn a long time ago when combating other problems. Give yourself permission to fail, but learn from that failing. It keeps the butthurt to a minimum and allows you get out of the squalor of guilt. Heads up people, we got a long road ahead.

I eat any Chinese food that doesn't involve fried, or rice or noodles. Lobster sauce might not be the best choice, but shrimp and vegetables, really good. Steamed bok choy with garlic, excellent. A little Goi bo with a health dash of sirachi is way good (okay that's Vietnamese but still). You'll figure out what the best choices are. Most decent Chinese places are really good at tailoring meals. In fact way better than most American restaurants.

Hang in there girl. Keep in mind that this isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle change. None of us here got fat last Tuesday and none of us are going to be thin tomorrow. There are always going to be ups and downs and with anything in life. You are on track and doing well with your weightloss. So you tried some booze and it didn't sit well. Now, the next time someone asks that silly question on the board, you can give them some first hand experience. Don't be hard on yourself, just lock in for the long haul. The weight may come off slowly than any of us want at times, but as long as we are getting healthier and more active and are not shackled by the chains of our obesity we win. You can do this, you know it and I know it. Keep your chin up and don't stay under the covers. Get out and move around, get active, support your sleeve by rev'ing up your metabolism and burning more kcals.

No, I shave my dome as well and have a goatee, I've never noticed any loss in other hairy places....

For all you dads out there. And for anyone who is struggling either with life or with the whole weightloss deal. A good friend sent me this a while back. He's somebody I truly respect and admire. Its about 6 minutes, but it gives you some really good food for thought. I watch it often when the wolves are at the door. Hopefully you will see the message... Keep fighting the good fight gents, no matter the battle....It ain't how hard you hit.....

I exercise for my health. If I lose weight because of it, that's an added benefit. The more calories you burn, the better your body responds and the better it functions. I am a slow loser and work out almost every day. I wish it was different, but it is what it is. I do know that I am more healthy and probably would not feel nearly as good if I didn't work out. I find it fun and relaxing to get a good sweat going.

I feel ya...I cook for a living......The temptation is all around me...every.single.day. This has been the hardest week of work since I was sleeved. I catered the wedding reception from hell for 100 people. Think Adams Family on acid. It was truly the ass clown circus parade. I worked about 72 hours this week and have been bone tired every night when I got home. I've eaten mostly okay, but I know there are things that I have eaten this week or amounts that I have eaten that weren't good. Honestly I can't possibly even remember eating anything at all this week. At every tempting turn, I try to remember what got me to the point, that I needed surgery to fix the problem. Before I eat, I look at my food and I think about what that food is going to do to me. Is it going to make me more of a fat ass, or is it going to help make me be more healthy. Slips are going to happen, we are human and our failings are part of our fabric. But we can't let those failings and the guilt that comes with it drive us deeper into the shelter that food has provided us. We have to break that chain. So you slipped up, don't feel guilty about it. A cookie or 5 or 6 isn't going to derail you if you don't let it. Account for it, understand why you ate it, and know that next time it will be different. You got this, you know you do. You just have to play a little mental chess with yourself. One side is the fat ass, the other is the healthy happy person you want to be. You pick the side

I was taking 150mgs of Avapro. Stayed on it for a while as my weight came down, then dropped to 75mg and now am off entirely. I wouldn't recommend just dropping the meds without talking to your Drs. There's nothing related to the surgery itself that is magically going to drop your BP. As you drop the weight, the BP should come down as you are seeing.

I'm seven months out. The only goal that I had from this surgery was to reduce the amount of medications that I was taking. I didn't give a rip and still don't, about the scale. I've have met the goal that I have set in that respect, and I am now working on getting my weight to a point that I have not been before. I am not the fastest loser, but I really don't care that much as a slow loser tends to be a permanent one. I still have about 35+ lbs to go and probably will make that goal within the year I set out to do. I have really worked on changing my lifestyle. I eat healthy and I eat properly. I cut out the things that got me to the fat ass stage. (Soda, alcohol, carbs etc.). I don't eat white foods (flour, rice, pasta, etc.). I workout daily and I run almost every day. I don't miss eating anything. I still go out, I still have fun, probably more fun than before as I can be more active. I am thinking about a career change (I am a chef) and getting out of the food business. The surgery has given me the opportunity to really understand my relationship with food and eating. I really have a better idea of what my triggers are and how they can impact my eating and in turn, my life. For me, the decision to have the surgery has been one that I feel was proper. I have worked hard, and probably could have loss the weight on my on without the surgery, but in general I am glad that I did it. I think for the long term, it is a better approach.

Dude, I go out. I have a great time with my friends and family. If they go eat, I go and I eat. I just don't eat a lot. I've stopped drinking except for a nice glass of red wine or an occasional barleywine. Its not a big deal, really! I think that this is a real big misconception that us fat asses have. We like using food as a social crutch. Going with the attitude that I can't possibly have a good time if I'm not chowing down on a big plate of fried something or another or I can't have a good time unless I'm banging back the hops. I still like going out, I still like eating in restaurants, but now I make smart choices and don't worry if I can't match my friends fork for fork or glass for glass. The best thing is that now, you become more aware of what is on the menu and you tend to pick the absolute best things on it. I ask a lot of questions when I order, I ask how things are prepared (I'm a chef so that's easy). You can also take the lead. Organize a get together that isn't revolving around a fork. I've gotten the buds together and gone the pistol range or paint balling. We've gone on runs and bike rides together. I've met friends at the gym for workouts. The only thing we drank was Water. A couple of friends are doing a zombie run this fall and I am on the team. . Lots of things you can do to be social that doesn't involve a plate or a mug. You can do this. I won't blow smoke and say its a cake walk, but you can do it. Just take the initiative and stick to the commitment that you've made to live a healthier lifestyle. In the end, that's your best ally!

Awesome attitude..Stick with it. The next few weeks will certainly be a challenge, but hang it there. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. DO NOT focus on the negatives. They will all pass quickly. It is very easy to wallow in the pain and feelings of loss, but that is only temporary. I can tell you that at 7 months, I rarely even think about having VSG. I live an active, normal life (well as normal as a whack job like me can live), just a bunch of pounds lighter. Consider the next few weeks as an investment in remaking yourself in to the most healthiest individual you can. Get up and get moving just as soon as you can. Even if you have to push a little bit. The sooner you get on with living the better off you are going to be. Congratulations, I know that you are going to be just great!

You're going to do fine. It is really great that you are making the commitment to living a healthier lifestyle. There will be a time when you will want that soda. But keep in mind the reasons you decided to have this surgery. If drinking soda makes you the happiest, then by all means. But at the end of the day, really think about all the contributors that got you to the point of feeling surgery was your best option. I think that by saying good bye to soda is a great first step in living the best life you possibly can. Congratulations!!!

I think that would be most appropriate!

Two shots of patrone and a jager bomb will help you get the rest of your liquids in case you were wondering how soon you could drink......

Wouldn't that be the:Vertical Sleeve Surgery Talk Lounge? Seems like the most appropriate spot. This board as way too many sub forums as it is.

Great job!, I am glad to see you rededicated. It is so easy to slide back into our old habits isn't it? Tracking is a great way to keep straight. Absolutely, you can do it!!!

Wow. That's pretty hardcore. I felt like crap and just slept the rest of the day after coming out of recovery. They kept waking me up to take tests and stuff and I got up and walked every chance I could. I did go home the next day. I probably could have gone home the same day, but I'm glad that I didn't.

There's not really a set timetable for activity. Everyone is so different. I was sleeved on a Tuesday and was back in the gym and the job the following Monday. I only had a lifting restriction of no more than 10lbs, but other than that I could pretty much do what I wanted to do. I would say do what you feel like doing and do a little more each day.

stay home, feel better, keep you germs to yourself.... I've worked out when I felt bad, it just isn't worth it. You aren't going to put all the weight back on or turn in to a fluffy marshmallow if you miss a day.

Hey!! I've worked 3, 18hour days this week and still have 36 more to do AND have to work this weekend. I still got up and ran 2 days this week. Move your ass