BigFrank

I have really been going back and forth as whether to post here or not. I guess I am sort of a "forum person" in my hobbies and areas of interest, but I have to be honest, I have avoided posting on this site or even looking at it for a couple of reasons. I found this site only a few days before my surgery but when I found it I found more negativity and frightened people then I found inspiration. Actually, I have gone here and gotten the (bleep) scared out of me by a few posters, every time I see their posts I get knots in my stomach. The main poster that does that to me has a screen name that starts with the letter "i". Everybody is terrified of leaks and all the negatives of this surgery and I just haven't been able to relate to many of the topics. Below I will share some of the basics of my journey so far. First off, I am a 35 year old male who is 6 feet 3 inches tall. I wasn't fat my whole life, I actually weighed 218 when I was 19 years old. That was pretty close to a "perfect" weight for me. I got into a business where the guys I worked with partied, ate, and drank to excess. Over the years I ballooned to 445 lbs which is where I have been for the past 2-3 years. In 2010 I was considering the lap band but chickened out. I was back on in 2011 but chickened out again. In 2012 I HAD to make a decision because I was put on Metformin for borderline diabetes and Lisinopril for borderline blood pressure as well. That was it. I started again with the nutritionist appointments and made an appt. to see my surgeon who is located downtown Chicago a few miles from my house. My first appt. with him was in early October 2012 and he suggested a VSG instead of the lap band because of the large amount of weight I wanted to lose. I left thinking about it and did the rest of my pre op requirements such as upper GI, psyche, EKG, etc. I saw my surgeon again on November 14th, 2012 and we decided on the VSG (which I really didn't know a lot about). We set surgery for December 21st, 2012. Because I am a big fella, my surgeon put me on a 28 day pre op liquid only diet (to shrink my liver and loosen my skin) which I started on November 23rd, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving). The first few days were tough but I have very strong will power and stuck to it, following the requirements to the letter. I didn't cheat even once. Again, not even once. After about 12 days it was smooth sailing and I just plugged away and kept up the exercise plan that I had been doing for over a year which was just walking 1.5 miles, three times per week at my local YMCA. I didn't weigh myself even once the entire plan and weighed myself the morning of surgery. To my astonishment I lost a staggering 49 lbs!!!!I I couldn't even believe it, to be honest with you I began to sob like a little girl! I went from 445 to 396. I was just so shocked. My surgeon told me that I broke his practice record which was previously 45 lbs for a pre op diet. Again, I LOST 49 LBS IN 28 DAYS!!! On the morning of December 21st, 2012 I was ready for surgery at a major hospital downtown Chicago. I arrived, valet parked, checked in, and was laying on the table prepped for surgery within 1 hour just waiting for the anesthesiologist. I was in surgery about an hour and a half later and the surgery took 2 1/2 hours. I am going to cut the details of my hospital stay down so readers aren't sitting here all day reading. Any questions just ask me. I wanted to leave the hospital the next evening but my surgeon said that he wouldn't allow me to break two records and that I should stay another night. Quick recap, I was checked into my room after surgery at 6pm Friday night and was discharged from the hospital at 11am Sunday morning, less then 48 hours after entering my room. Upon arriving home I checked my weight, expecting to have lost a few lbs, and actually gained back 2 lbs due to all the fluids that were pumped into me. I was back up to 398. My recovery went ok I think, I was in a lot of pain along my largest incision which is about 3+ inches wide. I was on Tramadol which sucks. It took me 9 days to finish the 25 pills that I was prescribed since I was skipping doses. I was home on Sunday morning and by Wednesday morning I was off to the YMCA where I walked only one lap around the track. I limped around and talked to my friends there before going home. I was back at the YMCA on Friday and actually walked 5 laps (a half mile). I finally weighed myself on Friday, one week after surgery, and I was down from 398 to 391. I weighed myself again on Sunday afternoon and I lost another 4 lbs from Friday to Sunday, 9 lbs in 9 days, ending up at 387 lbs, 58 lbs down in 38 days. So that's basically that. It's been over 10 days now since surgery and I am feeling like a million bucks. Here are the "scary" parts. I am using the term scary because after reading this site I would have thought I was going to die from this surgery. I HAVE NOT been nauseous even for one second since surgery. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOT thrown up, or even gagged for that matter, not even once. I AM ABLE to drink 60ozs of Fluid per day. I just started puree on Saturday, 8 days out, and it's been perfect. I had 4 ozs of low fat cottage cheese (which I LOVE) today as well as only one Protein shake, a bowl of tomato Soup, and plenty of Water. I AM NOT hungry, EVER. I just eat to live, that's it. Today I feel the best that I have felt since surgery. Every day gets better. My goal is to lose 220 lbs, 100 in three months from the start of my pre op diet on November 23rd. I WILL do it. I know I left out a bunch so fire away (or ask any questions that you want).

Hi, for the new people going through their journey, I just wanted to drop by again and say that I am just shy of 10 months into maintenance (1 year and 10 months since I was sleeved), and I am still going GREAT. I will admit that I have gained back 5 pounds which bothers me, but who knows, I weight lift 4 days per week PLUS run 2 miles, some of it could be muscle gain. I have a TOTALLY different life style and my exercise which I have been addicted to for over a year now is my life blood for staying fit. My old life seems so long ago that I can hardly remember it. I am working on a career goal right now that I could have NEVER in a million even considered when I was fat. Time will tell where that goes, but for now keep fighting the fight and get sleeved, it will be the best thing you have ever done!

I just wanted to drop in after exactly six months of mantience and tell everyone that I am the EXACT weight I was when I last posted on 11/26. I had only one instance where I went up 5 pounds but after 3-4 days of going back to the basics I was fine. Eating smartly and continuous excercise is the key. I still work out (2 miles running PLUS weightlifting) 3-4 days per week. When I think back to where I was at in the beginning of this thread it seems like a lifetime ago. For all you new people, read this and you CAN do it. I was reminded of my MONUMENTAL success the other day when I went to buy some shorts a week ago at Old Navy. The summer cargo shorts I wore two summers ago were size 54. I just bought a size 34, the smallest since about junior year in high school. For a quick recap, I was 445 on the start of my liquid diet on 11/21/2012. Exactly ONE year later I was 223. Read the previous posts for every detail! Me then, me NOW!

Me either Jayson, I was able to drink over 60oz's of Water a couple of weeks later, no problem. Now one year out I am drinking 150oz per day.

Hi Baseball Mom, no, my first holiday was Christmas, 4 days after I was sleeved. I stayed home from after surgery pain. New Years Eve kind of sucked because of no drinking or eating but I STILL have not drank yet, over a year now. I am not worried about Thanksgiving, i will eat "light" then work out hard the next day. if i gain a pound or so it will be gone a day or two later.

Extra, Extra, read all about it! http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/234244-new-guy-here-youve-got-to-read-this/page-18

Hi Nakeia, I was 445 at the start of my liquid diet which lasted 28 days. In that time period of 28 days I lost 49 lbs and was sleeved on the 28th day at 396 lbs. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that you can't lose ALL of your extra weight. The battle is in your own head. Once you master that you will succeed. Read my story here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/234244-new-guy-here-youve-got-to-read-this/page-19

Hi guys, I was sleeved on December 21st 2012. This might make you feel better, but that seems like a life time ago, I'm serious. It seems so long ago it's not even funny. Your new life is gonna be here soon, get excited and ready for a new you. Here is a comment that might be controversial, but there is absolutely NO physical reason (baring some serious medical condition) that someone can't lose every extra pound that they are carrying after being sleeved. 75% of this battle is in your head. Master your own mind and you will be a smashing success.

By the way, sleeve products, sleeve doctors, or to the owners of this site, I'm for hire! The ultimate spokesman! LOL

By the way, sleeve products, sleeve doctors, or to the owners of this site, I'm for hire! The ultimate spokesman! LOL

Ha! Thanks ladies. I thought this was neat. Me in April 1996 at 18 years old and me in November 2013 at 36. Also a selfie from Sunday.

Hi Everyone, sorry for the delay, but Saturday November 23rd was the one year anniversary of starting my epic weight loss journey which has been chronicled in this thread. The final stats are in! In exactly one year from the start of my liquid diet I lost a mind bending 222 lbs, finishing 2 pounds under goal! I officially weigh what i did in high school! Needless to say, my life has COMPLETELY changed in that time period. There has been SO much happening in the past few months it would be hard to get into it all, but I will give you my secrets to success. First, what I did won't work for everyone. The absolute key to my success was accomplished my the power of my mind. I practiced EXTREME discipline and determination which trickled down to everything I did from exercise to eating, to maintenance, etc. Don't feel like exercising today? To bad, get out there. I'm hungry, so what, think about something else. The motivator was the way I felt and eventually looked. My goal EVERY SINGLE DAY was to top something I did the day before. Do something I haven't done in years, beat my best run time by 2 seconds, lift another 5 lbs, whatever. I just had to top what I did the day before. I know it's kind of extreme, but it worked for me. The absolute best thing exercise wise for myself is running. I walked for several months straight then began taking baby steps every day with my running, pushing it lap by lap. That literally changed EVERY aspect of my physical self to the point where at 36 years old I feel better then I did at 18, and I'm NOT kidding. I literally have the strength and energy of an athlete. I run and weight lift 4 days per week about 50 minute work outs and I LOVE every minute of it. I finally understand what the "exercise high" is and I'm telling you, it's absolutely real. There is SO mush more to all of this so if anyone has any questions fire away. In the mean time I will post some before and after pics below.

To all of the new people that are reading this thread!! DO NOT LET THIS SCARE YOU!! I can't believe this thread popped up again! I do not read this site often, but I was sleeved about 3 weeks before this thread was started. I remember reading it and getting the **** scared out of me. I seriously had a thermometer in my mouth every two hours afterwards. I am now over 10 months out and that time seems like a lifetime ago. I have lost an astounding 213 lbs since then and am only 7 lbs from goal. My life is now absolutely phenomenal since I started my journey on 11/23/2012. Imagine where you will be in a year from now, work hard and it will be so. I'm serious. If you are willing to change your life, it WILL happen!

Ok guys, I am frustrated, a feeling which I have NOT had up until this point. I began my journey 11/23/2012 and have lost a record 208 pounds in the past 9 1/2 months. Yeah, I know I shouldn't be complaining, but I am officially stuck, the first time this has happened to me at this level. In the past 13 days I have only lost 2 pounds. The part about this which is driving me crazy is that I am so close to goal. I actually had a couple different goals as I have gone along. My initial goal when I started was 245, then I lowered it to 225, then I figured I would try and be less then high school weight so I figured 215 lbs. These goals were set when I was losing big weight each month. Lately people have been telling me that I need to stop losing weight before I look to skinny, so I upped my goal back to 225 lbs (I was 220 in high school, I'm 6' 2" tall). The problem is that I am totally stuck, I have been bouncing back and forth between 237-238 for about 10 days now, this has NEVER happened before. I know I shouldn't complain, my wife things I am nuts and all, but what I tell her is that when I put such unbelievable discipline and effort into weight loss, how could I not be losing weight???? I am eating probably 1500 calories per day PLUS running 3 miles a day, 4 days per week, not to mention all my other normal physical activities. A guy my size and energy level needs more then 1500 calories to just maintain weight, then throw in the dedicated exercise. How could this be happening???? Experts out there that have reached goal, is that old myth about the last 20 lbs or so being impossible to come off true? It feels that way to me. Advice is really needed! Attached are my most current pics. The bottom one is me exactly one year ago at the exact same event.

Thank you all for the nice and helpful comments. I'm going to start weight lifting on Monday, it's about time. I don't know if my idea was backwards or not (I guess not since I lost a ton of weight), but I wanted to lose as much weight as possible before I started to bulk up weightlifting. I had planned on doing it once I hit 230 lbs anyway, so I will just push it up. I guess my body and system are just in a "funk" and need some jump starting. I am just SO darn close. The thought of shocking my system with another liquid diet makes my head start to spin. As I have mentioned before I was on a 35 total day liquid only diet in the beginning. It was tough, I can't imagine doing t again even for a day. If I had to do it though I would, we'll see.

The poster described eating a gyros sandwich, then doing it again, that goes beyond taking a nibble in a pre op diet. Hopefully she got it out of her system and now that she is sleeved is ready to take this seriously. You were given a second chance in life, don't waste it. Good luck.

Do some of you have reading and comprehension problems? This poster posted a subject titled EPIC FAIL ON THE PRE-OP DIET!!! It's not like she posted a casual topic saying how she slipped up and I went and attacked her saying she was going to fail. Again, not all feedback is going to be congrats and back slaps. Straight talk is also needed. I wish her the best and hope that now that she had surgery that she takes this seriously as it should have been at the start of the pre op diet. This goes for anyone about to get a VSG. Do your best to work out all of your issues before surgery, you will be much more successful I'm the long run. Again, I can't stress this enough, you get out if this what you put into it.

I'm sorry if you think I was "rude" or "mean" or whatever, but getting 85% of your stomach cut out of your body for the rest of your life is pretty serious frickin' business. I originally met with a doctor about getting WLS in March of 2010. I "chickened out" and went back and forth for over two and a half years before getting down to serious business. It looks like readyforchange2013 had MONTHS to get herself together for surgery (based on the timeline she has in her signature) which looks like is tomorrow. I don't care if it was your birthday, your wedding, or the day you won the lotto, you are going to go through one of the most significant events of your life within hours, you better be ready for total 100% life change and dicipline, cause it's coming. I'm sorry if I sound harsh but someone getting this done needs straight talk as well as all the positive well wishes and high fives. As most of you know, this surgery isn't for the faint of heart and for those of us that have been super successful you know it was done through the hardest work we have ever put in and the most strict of discipline you will ever partake in. I know it's easier said then done but if you are getting WLS that means that your health and well being are in danger. Ask yourself, do I want to live or die, because that's the choice you are going to have to make. Things like your birthday celebration dinner are going to have to take a back seat if you want to see REAL significant progress. You get out of this what you put into it, there's NO two ways about it. If anyone tells you otherwise they are either lying to you or aren't doing the right things themselves. If you half ass your doctors orders then you are going to get half ass results. There is absolutely NO reason someone can't reach goal here if they do all the right things, barring some serious medical issue or whatever. Again, sorry if I sound harsh, but I'm just trying to keep it real.

Talk about a tough pre-op diet, I was on a liquid ONLY diet for 28 whole days before my surgery. The only thing I ate for an entire 28 days were two protein shakes per day, water, one coffee cup of chicken or beef broth and one cup of sugar free jello per day. THAT'S IT. I literally thought I was going to go crazy the first week. I didn't cheat even once. Not a single crumb of solid food for almost one full month. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. After that 28 days I lost a staggering 49 lbs, the most my surgeon had ever seen on a pre-op diet. I had to continue that diet for 7 days post op so when it was all said and done I didn't eat a single crumb of solid food for 35 days straight. The first bite I had post op (a spoon full of low fat cottage cheese) was the best thing I ever ate!

This is my personal opinion, but if you fail on a 2 week pre op diet you're gonna fail with your sleeve. I'm sorry, but it's just reality.

Holy cow, I can't believe this topic came up! I was applying for a job on line where I needed to provide my license and I started to think "who the hell would hire me looking like this" so I went last month to get a new license. I told them I lost my old one so I could keep it as a souvenir! Here in Illinois they do NOT let you take a new picture until it's time for a renewal so I had to get a manager to sign off on it. When I pled my case the manager pulled up my old photo and let out a loud "woah! This qualifies as a special case!" I actually laughed. Unfortunately I don't like the new pic either because they don't allow you to smile, but it's better then the old one!

Thanks for the nice comments guys. It's kind of crazy, but I lost another 2 pounds since I posted this the other day! (scale pic below, I originally weighed 445 lbs.). Sometimes I feel like the guy in the Steven King movie Thinner! I am still big Frank but just the tall version now! (6' 2") Seriously, my life is COMPLETELY different, I have NEVER felt better!

Well, I did it. I have lost 200 pounds. Yes, that's right I have lost TWO HUNDRED POUNDS in only eight months and three weeks. I began by starting my liquid died on 11/23/2012 and was sleeved on 12/21/2012. My amazing journey has mostly been chronicled here, but there is still so much that occurred. I could literally write a book about all of this and I just might, I really want to get this story out there. I have discovered something I have only heard or read about. I have become one of those people that actually gets some sort of "high" from exercise and I can't wait to run when I wake up. Here are a few pics, the fat picture was taken in September 2012. In the one with the pants, those are the ones that I was wearing when that fat pic was taken. If any company needs a spokes person regarding the sleeve or weight loss, I am your man! Inquire within!

Awesome Richard! I too was sleeved in December 2012 (12/21) . My stats were somewhat similar, I weighed 445 and have lost 187 so far bringing me to 258. My shirt size was 5XLT, I am now a 2XL. My pant size was 54, I'm now wearing a loose 38. It's amazing isn't it? Men seem to have an easier time at this. For you to weigh what you do now you MUST have extreme discipline, I know that's my secret. Good for you and here's to a long life!

I started my 28 day liquid diet 11/23/2012 and I was sleeved 12/21/2012, a week shy of only 7 months ago. In that time I have lost a staggering 175 pounds 445 lbs to 270 lbs, my BMI has gone down 22 points, my waist size from a 52-54 to a 38, shirt size from 5XLT to 2 XL, blood pressure from 150/100 to 120/70, my Hemoglobin A1C from 6.4 to 4.2, etc., etc. This has been the best thing I have ever done in my life X 1000. Get psyched up because you are in for an amazing journey with things at the end that you never dreamed were possible.