dust

i have really done well with it! once i got back on the mat i was a little slow due to my laying around for a few weeks, but other than that i have had absolutely zero complications. as a matter of fact, my game has gotten much better - i'm lighter, more flexible, and stronger. after about a month of light training i had worked my way back up to training 4-5x/week, and i have continued to do so since march or so. definitely don't worry about the BJJ - you will be able to get back to it. just make sure to take enough time off to heal and you'll be good. Dust, How have you made out with returning to Bjj? I'm in the process of setting up the surgery and I'm only concerned with returning to Bjj. Any information is helpful. Thanks!

awesome. my whole family (wife + 2 kids) trains jiu jitsu together, so it is a huge part of our lives. very, very fun, practical training, and it is a HELL of a workout. find a good reputable jiu jitsu gym and try it out. i would suggest trying jiu jitsu before mma-specific training, as a sound grasp of jiu jitsu fundamentals will help tremendously. plus you don't get beat up too badly in jiu jitsu since it is not a striking art - much more like wrestling.

here i am at almost 5 months out. starting weight was 323. i weighed in this morning at 268 for a total loss so far of 55lb. that weight loss isn't the most accurate picture, however, because i have put on quite a bit of muscle mass since the surgery. i'm down from a 44" waist (it was getting tight!!) to 40", but i feel like i will soon be in 38" pants. shirts are down to a comfortable XL, but many of the XL shirts i still have are a bit baggy around my gut while they fit well in the shoulders. the most exciting news i have is that as of 2 fridays ago my mom is a sleever as well she had been debating WLS for a long time and due to my experience she decided to pull the trigger. i'm happy to say that after the 2wk liquid diet and a week post-op she's down about 23lb. she is off a lot of her meds, had a hiatal hernia repaired during surgery, and her reflux is non existent at this time. amazing. the routine for me has been pretty simple, though i have made my mistakes and had failures. my daily routine right now consists of: food 5am wake up Breakfast - Protein shake - i use sun warrior vegan Protein powder OR the 100% whey isolate powder they sell at costco (i forget the brand!!). i usually toss in a banana, some frozen berries, some frozen spinach or fresh kale, some flax seed, and top it off with a bit of almond milk. this week i am going to try some chia seeds, as i've used them in other things in the past. snack #1 - i get the "just a handful of almonds, cashews and chocolate" trail mix from trader joe's. 10x 1.5oz bags for about $5.50. they are a perfect size for me and the semi sweet chocolate is a nice touch. lunch - varies, but a very typical lunch for me is tuna salad (sometimes mayo based, sometimes oil / vinegar based) and homemade flax seed crackers. i dont measure it out and eat until i'm satisfied. happy to report that at 5mo it still doesn't take much! hah snack #2 - same as snack #1. i'm a creature of habit dinner - varies, but many times i eat the same thing i had for lunch or my wife cooks something healthy. again, i don't eat a whole lot and i never eat until i'm stuffed. my guilty pleasure? drinking Powerade zero instead of Water. i should drink more water, and i am doing so, but those powerade zeros are good! that's it. it's not rocket science. if i want to eat a chicken wing i do it. if i want a bite of something sweet i have it. i am making better choices, and it's easy because i know my happiness increases with every pound lost. EXERCISE i am at the gym 6 days a week. that may sound extreme, but it's not. i train brazilian jiu jitsu and my game has gotten WAY better. every 10lb lost makes me noticeably more agile and less injury prone. i'm addicted to jiu jitsu, and i train 5x/wk, so this drives me to keep up the good work. i also hit the regular gym to do some cardio and weight training 2-3x/wk. swimming is something else i'm latching on to, and it is a truly amazing workout. my doctor said "get sweaty for 30min 3x/wk" and i have vastly exceeded that, hence the muscle growth, huge increase in self esteem / self image, and better athletic performance. SUPPORT thanks to my wife, my mom (who, if you missed it above, is now a fellow sleever!!), and some key friends who know what i did, i have a great support net. i still lurk here but haven't posted much as i settle into my routine. that will change now that i'm in the groove. shamefully i haven't been back to my support group since the first visit.. i need to go back as it will be a great place for me to meet some folks and do some venting when i need to. in conclusion, i feel great and look great. i was worried about losing muscle mass and athletic performance, but it was unfounded. sure it takes some careful planning and hard work, but it's just not a concern. i've gained muscle, and stronger and faster, and my performance on the mat has increased well beyond my hopes. i would do this surgery again IN A HEARTBEAT and recommend it to anyone who is serious about sticking to the rules and who has a good surgeon on tap.

ps, mark, you're a beast. i love seeing athletes of all shapes and sizes succeed with the sleeve.

lol. p90x is alright, but if you arent going for a strongman title like mark then id suggest something with other people.. crossfit, a gym that does high intensity interval training, grappling, wrestling, rugby, whatever. make it fun and make some new friends who can hold you accountable. i have gained a good bit of muscle and increased my max on nearly every exercise since i was sleeved in late february. and my jiu jitsu game has taken leaps and bounds too. eat your Protein, work hard, and muscle wasting won't be an issue. lay around and take the easy way out and you'll get weak and atrophied in a hurry.

welcome to the team buddy! i was sleeved in late feb, down 55lb. the first month or so it's hard to get enough Protein in, but i didnt have much muscle wasting. after a while i was slamming down enough protein and got back to the weights. i've gained quite a bit of muscle, so the fat loss has been more than the scale may show. focus on getting in a target amount of quality protein and be faithful to the gym. it will work and you'll be amazed at the changes. i train jiu jitsu 5x/wk and have fallen in love with it all over again now that i can move so much more easily. here's hoping and praying the same for you!

well i caught my daughter's stomach virus.. it's not like stomach viruses have ever been fun, but they are especially not fun after the sleeve! throwing up SUCKS. luckily i only had to deal with it for one night, but the rest of the, umm, symptoms, have persisted all weekend. throwing up wasn't terribly painful, but my muscles are very sore afterward. it's almost like my body is compensating for a smaller stomach by the muscles contracting harder or something like that. who knows. anyway, as usual, avoid stomach viruses if you can. not fun!!!

i was back to training brazilian jiu jitsu after 4 weeks. 1.5hrs 4x/week. getting started was rough but after a week or so i was doing well.

i was approved on 2/5, and the doc called to schedule my sleeve a moment ago. 2/20 is my date! i'm super excited. i'm planning on laying out of work on 2/21 and 2/22, doing jack nothing on the weekend (2/23 and 2/24), and going back to work on the 25th. i am lucky to work a job where i can control how much moving around i do, so i'll make sure to stay planted at my desk for a week or so. i am in good shape and am a relatively low BMIer (41ish). i have had orthopedic surgeries a time or 2 and was able to get back to things quickly, but it's been a while. of course I have issues I can lay out of work a little longer, but i'd rather not burn the days off if i can avoid it.

tomorrow makes 1 month since surgery.. i've learned a ton about myself and my body in the process. i'm surprised with how good i feel, how i'm losing weight, the correlations i see between my daily activities and the scale, and the mental aspects. how good i feel i feel great. recovery wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it would be. i have no idea why/how i got lucky, but things were pretty easy. i know it's not always the case, but i had surgery on a wednesday and went back to work the following monday. i was a little tired and run down, but altogether it was smooth sailing. i've been working out again, but not to the level i want. saturday i am cleared to begin weights and jiu jitsu again, and i can't wait to get back to it. it will be difficult to get back in the swing of things, but i am ready for it. previously i was training jiu jitsu 4 days / week and lifting 2 days / week. i'm ready to get back but realize i can't come out of the gate overdoing it. weight loss i'm down 30. i hit my stall, took a break from the scale, and when i noticed my pants fitting better i stepped back on. i hope to get 3-4lb/week until goal, setting me up for an anticipated goal date of sometime in september. i know i'll get there, maybe even faster when i'm back on the mat for those crazy intense jiu jitsu sessions. life is good. correlations it's amazing how the scale fluctuates between good days and bad days. yes, i said it - bad days. some days i don't do well on the food. i eat too little or eat something that's not on my plan. and you know what? it's ok. i'm very good at logging food, and the devil is in the details. im starting to develop the mindset that each food choice i make has a direct effect on my goals, and it's helping me conquer my demons. mental aspects as i said, it's been easier than expected. at least in the physical sense. the mental aspect is another story. i have opted to continue care with my pre-op psych to make sure i stay motivated and on the right path. there are days when i have some buyer's remorse, but that's becoming more and more rare. going out with family and friends is hard, but i'm learning ways around it. and PS for all you self conscious folks out there - if you don't make a big deal out of it or look like someone just killed your dog then NOBODY will ask why you're eating so little. they aren't paying attention. i promise. all in all this was a great decision and a great tool to help me achieve my goals. i already feel better and am ready for more. can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

caffeine is not a diuretic. http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1166858/is-caffeine-a-diuretic i started on a cup a day in week 3 or so. no issues. i drink hot green tea as well.

agreed. i'm 1 month out and experienced the same for a week or 2. i feel 100% better now. focus on hydration and Protein right now, you'll get there. fwiw, i'm 30lb down as of yesterday, and tomorrow is my 1mo surgiversary. it didn't really start happening until the middle of week 2. i still have moments of buyer's remorse, and that will likely never go away, but overall i'm very glad i did it. i can't help but think about how things will be 5-6mo down the road. just like with any weight loss plan, gaining is easy and losing is hard. the reality is that there's no going back now, so listen to your body, figure out what it needs, and supply it. in a few months you'll be on easy street with new habits that support your new stomach and new life.

i agree - you're probably taking bigger bites than necessary. i'm 9 days post op as well, and i get the same pain if i don't chew well or take too big a bite. i had a brain fart today and ate too much lunch too fast today and boy did i pay for it!!!

you're fine. i had surgery on the 20th, so i'm at a week and a half, and i have lost 20 so far. it will likely slow down to ~4-5lb/wk at week 2.

in all likelihood they are trying to get us as close to ketosis as possible to speed the weight loss.. ketosis = plenty of Protein, no or very low carbs, resulting in enhanced fat loss. protein won't do jack for muscle mass if you don't work out. lean Proteins are healthy, low fat, and low card - meaning that if you predominantly eat them it will help with fatty or enlarged liver, which is key before surgery to help avoid any damage or trauma.

i don't see why you couldn't.. tummy tucks don't typically involve any modification to the muscle. go get a consult with a plastic surgeon and see what he/she has to say about it.

they absolutely take anyone at any skill level. they are FANATICS about making sure your form is correct, so it helps avoid many of the typical injuries. it's not so much a "drill sergeant" attitude, but instead it's a teamwork environment. it can be intimidating because a lot of the people that are involved at crossfit gyms are in super incredible shape, but they typically are all really excited to get people involved. go give it a shot and see!

if you were "generally ok" then you wouldn't have needed a sleeve.. just sayin. think about the percentage of calories in your pre-sleeve diet that came from Protein. then think about the lesser amount of calories you can get in with a sleeve and do the math. if you maintain the ratio then you get very, very little protein. you were likely just getting enough before to keep things functioning. now that we're getting less calories it's important to keep the protein up to combat muscle wasting and to make sure we keep our body in the maintenance.

a spoonful of smooth organic peanut butter has a good bit of protein and, some healthy fats, and can help up your calories.

doc told me 3 weeks, but i'm a man - might be different for a woman..

i'm a week out and had a cup this morning. good stuff. no issues.

i was sleeved a week ago tomorrow. once i'm back in the gym i plan to use some supplements within reason. before surgery i trained jiu jitsu 4-5 days a week and plan to get back to a fast pace, which will require some help for recovery. whatever you do make sure you do your research and only use high quality, vetted supplements.

i stayed one night but had the option to go home the day of surgery.. shoes need to be easy on/easy off bring some loose fitting sweats or something for the ride home chap stick helped me out as my mouth was pretty dry for a couple of days other than that i just had the normal stuff. if they've already given you a spirometer then bring it with you. good luck and have fun!

definitely talk to the surgeon first as they are the ones who know how to navigate the mess that is health insurance. they might even be able to recommend another PCP who won't require that 3mo supervised diet..

its ok. i bought some of the smaller 8oz bottles and they have an odd aftertaste. they seem too thin to provide any fullness, but they seem to provide good hydration.