Shawn Morrison

I am 3 years out now. I wish that I would have kept a log but my journey from 324 to 170 was a series of almost monthly stalls. Its part of the body adjusting. Keep working your system. It works. Don't get down and don't stop. Gook luck.

First let me say I used to be on here daily and loved all the support and inspiration I got from all of the other posters. I have been out of the loop for a while. I just got busy with life and all of that. That said I hit a major milestone and thought I should check in. A few months back I hit that magic 199 number dropping into the 100 club. I have sense blasted through that and am not at 176 and still going. I feel great, look great and have tons of energy now. I am so glad that I decided to do this operation and I hope that any of you reading this that are still thinking about it give it a chance, you wont be sorry. Anyway I'll try to check in more often and try to get some before and after pics up as well. Good luck all!

My wife and I are the same way, she goes to bed early and I stay up. I have started bringing my tablet to bed and plugging in headphones so I don't wake her up with the noise and I keep the brightness down. Maybe something like that, if you have a device, would help.

I agree with Luphoe. You me and everyone on this forum knows its hard but that is only because we learned about it. You need to get him to look into it himself and baring that just share what you learn as you prep. Its far from the easy way. For him or others that do the traditional route, its actually easier in some ways. You will not be able to eat like a normal person for the rest of your life after this. If you were just dieting and exercising you could have a skip day and go pig out with firends on wings and beer (or what ever you like ) but we can.t. We will for ever have the small amount a dieter would have. Its not easy for many other ways but that is one that jumps up whenever I'm going out with friends. Its not something that bugs me anymore but something I think about every now and then.

The biggest words of wisdom are just do it. Go out get it done and you will find ways to overcome the other stuff. Yea I have a bunch of saggy skin and don't look so great with my cloths off but I would take that over dying of a heart attack in the next few years. I loved getting rid of my cloths and getting new ones. For a guy, I'm a big shopper. You will feel so much better about yourself in the end, it is totally worth it in almost every way. Yea there are non fun side effects and things you will have to deal with but over time you learn the ways to deal with them.

My BP jacked up a bit during that appointment. I think they understand that to a certain extent. You will be fine I'm sure. If you are on meds for it just make sure you have taken then and you should do fine.

It sounds like you know what the issue is. You just need to get back on track. Its never to late to make that change back. You may be past the honeymoon stage where its hard to eat some of those old things and now you have to fall back more on will power but you can do it. Go back and see your nutritionist, throw out all the garbage food in your house (like right now! ) do anything you can to regain that mindset you were in when you first started the process. Recognizing the issue is the first step, you did that, now you just need to act on it! Best luck to you!

I love the advice to educate while you wait. I have become a health info junkie over the last 2 months of having the sleeve. Not just diet books but actual nutrition books. I even try to mix in competing view point books and info just so I can see all sides of an argument. For example I really enjoy the life style and eating presented in the Paleo books but have read the whole vegetable only books as well just to be well rounded in my approach to my new life style. Total go out and read and watch what ever you can and then you can hit the ground running. Lisa, that was the best advice I have ever seen!

I don't have a conversion story like that but I did go through some major set backs and delays. I was all set to get a surgery date, I had done all the appointments that my doctor wanted and had been told by his office that I wouldn't be required to do anything else. I was very excited to get the journey started. I had worked very hard to make sure I followed all directions and made all the appointments and all of that. Well I got a call a few days after my last appointment and was told oh sorry the last nurse, who I found out later was let go, told you wrong you have to do 3 months of visits with all for people you have been seeing (the Nut, Psychologist, Exercise therapist, and GP Doc). I was beyond pissed off. That was going to be a ton more money and a lot of time and if at any point I screwed one of those up I would be denied. 3 months now doesn't seem like much but then I was very disappointed and scared it wouldn't happen. I worked even harder for those 3 months and got through all of it. I have been banded for just over 2 months now and have lost something like 50 pounds. You will get this done, it may not seem like it now but you will. The end of July will come sooner than you think and you will look back at this as a growing and strengthening period. I wish you the best luck in your journey!

I agree at least with the push Proteins part. I personally wouldn't add in starchy high glycemic foods like potatoes though. Stick to whole lean meats and fruits and veggies that have a lower glycemic index. Check out some of the paleo diet books that are out there. Its a wonderful way of eating and fits almost exactly with the things my Nut suggested anyway. It really spurred me out of a stall also.

Arts is right. The stalls are normal, that doesn't make the more fun, but they are normal. I have one every few weeks or so. They come and guess what, they go! Just keep working your system your doctor gave you and it will all work out. Also like Art said 35 pounds in 6 weeks is a long ways away from "only." Be proud of that. I bet you and people around you can already see a difference. As far as JProx goes, I would be careful with that low of a calorie intake. You body may go into starvation mode and actually slow down your weightloss. You have to walk the line between too few and too many calories. That said if that is the number you doc gave you than more power to you. It just sounds way too low.

I had no issues with drinking at that stage. Heavier meats I had to really chew up or else I noticed some discomfort but really I could eat most any semi soft item and did fine.

Congrats and good luck. If you are one that has pain don't worry it goes away! You will do great!

I think for some this is a somewhat unavoidable process. Obviously getting in all your vitamins and protein is a good way to stave it off. The up side is that most of the tales of hair loss I have read here have all included it coming back more full and thick than before. So yea that sucks but maybe it will be better in the end. Just keep up the vitamins and food.

hehe. That is a good quote. Thanks.

You sound like a very awesome PERSON lady or not. Remember your feminism (as in being a woman not the position) might be part of who you are but you don't have to let it define you even if others try to. It is part of the whole. You are a strong hard working human being that is a lady. Feminism (the position or actual ism this time) is a tricky thing. You want to be strong an independent but still be all of those things that make a woman one of the most interesting creatures in the world. You seem like you know that you want to find that balance and the is the important part. You are a lovely person inside and outside now. Just don't let one side take over the other. I personally LOVE the attention I have been getting after the weight loss. Now for me I was skinny and attractive as a teen and into my twenties so when I lost that I missed it and have enjoyed getting it back the last few months. I was even hit on at the grocery store the other day. LOL That was a major mile stone for me as stupid as that sounds. Now I'll say I am very happily married and it didn't go any where but it was still nice to get the attention. I actually get smiled at and talked to in the halls at work now when before women actually averted their eyes to avoid contact.

I couldn't lay on my stomach until just recently (I'm 2 months out) and even now there is still a bit of discomfort if I stay there too long. I healed pretty quick and was back at work the same week but laying that way is just uncomfortable for me. So I don't know if I would have done something like that so soon after. Maybe find some other vacation like thing to do and save the massage for a few weeks.

I completely agree. My revelation with this theory came when I started reading some of the Paleo books. Really good info and studies about how our bodies evolved for certain foods and how the processing and agricultural revolution has lead us down a path of poor health. I have been loosing the most weight when I stick to this whole, natural food approach. Only things that people could have gotten while hunting gathering. Milk is a perfect example. Like you said this wasn't something we started drinking until fairly recently (in the whole context of human existence).

Well and that isn't a bad thing. There are a number of nutritionists and scientists that have found that Dairy really isn't all that good for you any way. Its bad fat for the most part of has to be balanced out with base (non acidic) fruits and vegetables to keep it from affecting you in some negative ways. This is from both vegetarian, vegan and meat based perspectives equally.

I'm a slow loser to. I probably do around 2 pounds a week. At first that sucks but hey it goes and goes and goes. I have also hear that the 3 or 4 week mark is a common sport for a first stall. It will keep going as long as you work your program. Just keep to it.

A big think to watch out for is liquid calories. They are processed faster than food. So you don't stay full as long as you would if you at the same number of calories. The means you aren't getting the same bang for your buck fuel wise. Then the fat... I cut it out of everything I can. So if I have the option of taking it out I'm going to. Its an easy place to eliminate it.

Hope all is well. Check in when you can.

I guess it depends on the size of the pill and your doctor. I was taking my blood pressure pill whole the whole time.

Good luck. It really is an amazing opportunity and change!

Find a good support system. I couldn't have ever given up my own drug and alcohol addictions without my wife's strong influence. That also means not hiding your issue. That is exactly what your addiction wants you to do, hide it. That way no one can say "HEY STOP" because they don't know. Talk to people about it, tell everyone that you know is a safe and supportive person about your problem and enlist them to help you with it. This is a very real fight and you team an army not just yourself. Good luck it can be fixed.