JustinNC

Holy hell I'm a lucky guy to have that

I do believe I have the original of that pic don't I?

11 months post op. I flew to NC last week to meet a guy I met on VST...lol. Best mini vacation EVER.

Who's that hot guy? He's luckier than she is!!

I forgot to add, my surgery date was 3/18/2013

Well here's an update.

Down to 245. I guess that makes 120lbs lost. I still maintain a fairly strict diet. High Protein, low carbs, fairly low fat. I have a weakness for Gatorade, watermelon, and about once every two or three weeks, I MAY get a Cheerwine (for the NC peeps) slushy. I try to keep things in the 1000-1100 calorie range until I hit the weight I want to be at, then will adjust from there to maintain.

I havent hammered down a true diet yet, but over the course of a day I may eat a pack of Lance cashews, which is a meal for me now, a boiled egg, maybe a half a chicken breast, or whole one over the course of two meals, and some green vegetables (broccoli is a favorite), or Beans of some sort, and generally some Water and a 32oz Gatorade. I don't necessarily eat those foods every day, especially since eggs add a lot of calories, as do the cashews.

I eat a lot of Beans, chicken, cashews, and quinoa. Those are pretty much staples in my diet. I try to shy away from beef, but will occasionally grab something from a chinese place with mixed vegetables as a rare treat about once a month. No bread, no candy, no sweets. Once or twice a month I may grab a sweet tea while at a restaurant, old habit, and I never drink it, and don't know why I order it. Occasionally, at my bi-weekly Men's group before work every other Thursday, I'll get grits, an egg over easy, and add a little butter. I eat maybe 1/4-1/2c cooked grits, and all the egg.

I run occasionally. Can't sit still any more. Hate to sit at home. Have to be doing SOMETHING. Got a couple issues to straighten out post marriage and will join the YMCA. Basically, I don't have a checking account (weird, I know), and need to set one up in order to have my payment drafted from the account to pay the YMCA. They don't take debit card, and I wasn't paying 3 months up front right now with cash, as Im still paying off some of the ex's debts that she miraculously racked up in my name.

As far as weightloss.... I went down 100lbs quick, like 3 months or so, then stopped for a few weeks. I went down another 5 or so, and stopped again for a week or so, and now down another 15, and slowed again. Not worried, it will come off. I haven't really tried pushing it yet. I have 15 pounds until I reach my goal weight. My focus then will be to tighten up what I have and rebuild some muscle, and see where I am. I may try to continue to lose more weight while trying to build. I know adding muscle will add weight so I want to try to even them both out. I also mean by adding muscle I mean not trying to get ripped, but just building some strength back to an acceptable level. I'm not weak, but I have gotten a little weaker through the process, enough to notice, but it may just be because Im active again and doing stuff I haven't done in years.

Goal is 230. Over weight by the charts, but a number my surgeon and nutritionist agreed on since I'm pretty broad in the shoulders and hips. My hip bones stick out as is where I am now.

The start....

And now.... here's a cheesey mirror selfy showing my progress... excuse the dirty mirror. I had all the kids this weekend and havent cleaned the bathroom since they left. Apparently toothpaste is supposed to go elsewhere besides your mouth and the sink.

Omg lol.....

I appreciate the report

End it then

Um, that is really off target and not cool at all. Because it is a support forum people are using it to get "wait for it" support! It doesn't matter where or not its been asked. If they knew they wouldn't be asking. Some people do not understand how to navigate forums or do a search. Some people as said above need one on one interaction. Nothing wrong with that. If you have already been there and done that move on, scroll on down to the first obscure never before seen topic (good luck with that one). Speaking of redundant if I'm not mistaken I've seen post extremely similar to this OP many many times so..........

See, it's already rubbing off on me.

Gmanbat....hilarious.

Justin, just reading your profile; looks like you are a little over 4 months out, down 117 lbs. You look great, by the way. But it's too bad you feel so much hostility towards others who haven't gotten to where you are.

Nothing to do with anyone that hasn't gotten to my point. Heck, I'm friends with a bunch of pre-sleevers and barely post sleevers here. It has everything to do with the inability to spend 30 seconds trying to answer your question on your own before posting up asking one that was asked yesterday, the day before, twice the day before...

Furthermore....the failure to heed one's advice is comical at best I'm all for support and help. Hard to give it when the same post tailored to XYZ screen name keeps bumping the threads down

Get over it and get over yourself. There are new people joining thus forum everyday. AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS ABOUT TO OR ALREADY HAS MADE A HUGE LIFESTYLE CHANGE! Making such a huge change is tough and people need to support each other. Not tell others not to post a question that they have that might have been already posted. Everybody's situation is a little different. And they should have the right to receive support from purple who have already been in a similar situation.

The support is here. I can't tell you how many people I've helped in the chat room and given advice to. My point is, it IS a LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE!....Ever heard of the wise old owl that sat in the oak??? Take the time to research it instead of running to the web and whining about it. 5 minutes here told me more about what to expect than I could have ever imagined. As I have already said and will point out later, if it's something new or you can't find, POST IT UP and I'll be happy to share my response. Just stop the redundancy of the SOS DD....or SOS SAME DAY. I suppose because it is labeled as a support forum, people feel the need to wallow in self pitty and panic rather than take the time to try to figure out how to get out of it without drawing attention to themselves.

Yes I am a ball of sunshine, as are you my dear

Not everyone's surgeon is available to call up for a quick chat anytime he or she might have a question. And, yes, surgeons do know a lot, but most of them haven't actually had the surgery. Which is why this forum exists. So people can talk to others who have had the same surgery.

The internet is full of information. This forum in particular. Just about anything you could ever want to know about it, and I believe the next subsection I've quoted will cover the fact that I covered that.

As for the search function, yes, it is great... for general info. But, sometimes it can be really hard to find an answer to a question that can just as easily be posted in a new thread.

I think I covered that already.

Ive got Facebook, no group, but many like minded individuals, some of which have posted on here about it. It's a rant, you don't like the rant, skip it and GET OVER YOURSELF much like the advice you gave me

Good day

always seems to coincide with ignorant, which can be used in a derogatory way, or in a literal sense, to describe many thread starters. Maybe I am?

Point being....spend more than 30 seconds researching whatever topic it is you'd like to know about on VST before you whine and moan about whatever it is. Good grief. There is an excellent search feature that will lead you just about any where you want to go on here. So many common questions covered 10 times a day, and a new thread for each. They always tend to clutter up useful topics that end up on page 2, 3, 4, etc which in turn become irrelevant unless someone thinks to SEARCH.

Also, listen to your surgeon.

Don't come on here looking for support to do something stupid like jump ahead in the diet or "what to do if I go out with friends...". Don't be ashamed, tell the truth, eat your 3 bites, and let your friends get over the fact that you had surgery. If you have to be private about it for fear of what others think, then you should reevaluate your priorities. Not saying you have to tell the world, but don't hide it. Embrace the fact that you're changing yourself. Worry about YOU, not THEM. The heck with what everyone thinks. This is time to rebuild yourself. If your friends and family can't handle that, set them to the side. Don't let them hold you back or get you down, or make you feel inferior.

I may come across like a butthole, and so be it, but this is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Shed the bad in everything and embrace the good. Keep it real. Don't sugarcoat or coddle and just do the damn thing. People want to be reassured of everything they do, and that's fine, but do yourself and everyone else a favor and look for that reassurance already posted in the same topic 241924 other times. Solve the problem you have by listening to your doctor, or then, if you want some affirmation, read the 29147123 topics people have already started about the SAME DANG THING....if you have something new, don't sweat it, post up, this thread has nothing to do with you.

As I'm sure you'll recall Grouchman, this forum can be a but overwhelming when you're new.

All one has to do is read the forum for 3 minutes to find a post on it.

Can't take credit for this, but it's AWESOME and easy on the stomach.

• 2 cups Water
  
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
  
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
  
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  
• 
  
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
  
• 1 large red onion, diced
  
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  

• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  

Add to Shopping List

Directions

• Bring the Water, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
  
  
• Gently stir the chicken, onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.
  

Sleeved 3/18/13 as well. Hardly anything sets well. I've tried the usual suspects. Yogurt, Beans such as pintos, and Wendy's chili set the best with me. Mashed potatoes do well, but they're all carbs so I try to limit it. snack cheese sticks with lunch meat hurt, even chewed to mush. No meats other than in Wendy's chili do well with me. I will be watching this thread

I know it's redundant, but I'm a little over a month out and nothing is good, but beyond that, nothing sets well with me. Not tuna, not chicken, not lunch meat and cheese. Beans do OK. I know, based on my wife's experiences as well as yalls, it will get better, but how frustrating to be able to finally eat again, and not be able to haha.

Chobani no fat yogurt and beans it is. May cook some lentils when the pintos I have run out later in the week.

peel the "flesh" from the skin, and chew chew chew.

Anyone make their own turkey or chicken burger? Whole turkeys and chickens can be had pretty reasonable. I've made deer burger a lot, and have my own grinder, but now thinking about thinking about just buying whole turkeys or possible whole fryers when they go on sale, and making my own. I know turkey burger is cheaper than beef, but I should be able to get 8-10lbs of meat off of a 15lb bird I would think. Seems like it would be cost effective.

Talk to me about it if you've done it.

Hate food. Having trouble finding "healthy" stuff that I like and can tolerate. Never ate much Wendy's chili before surgery, but after, that has become a staple. One of the FEW things that go down, don't hurt (on pureed, but told I didnt have to as long as I chewed until the consistency was gone). I like some mashed potatoes and gravy, but those are carbs and fats and dont really want to go down that road again (or Wendys for that matter), but, they taste good to be right now, and I am having trouble getting my calories in, so, I'll take it.

Im not getting enough nutrition in now too because of this. I am only 3 weeks out, but I know it will change again. It drives me nuts because I am still on pureed foods and NOTHING tastes good. I did cheat a little yesterday and have 3 McDonalds chicken nuggets for lunch with BBQ that tasted absolutely devine, but nothing else that I've had, even if I used to like it, tastes good.

sugar free Popsicles were like crack to me. I polished off a box in 2 days, although a couple were missing prior to when I started haha I have on purposely not bought any more just because they're THAT GOOD!

Down to 327lb per my Dr visit today.

Old thread but the best I've read yet on foods and nutrition. TONS of great ideas.

7days post op.

broth from store brand chicken noodle condensed Soup, mixing it with only 2/3rd can of Water, still had about 3oz left.

Too many SF popsicles to remember . Bad me. They were just such a welcome break from broth and Protein shakes.

One Multivitamin.

Did bad on Protein shake today, but will resaddle that horse tomorrow and lay off the popsicles.

All I want to use it for is a binder with tuna or chicken, so yogurt with a little seasoning may work

I am probably going to rile up a bunch of people! I don't use low fat or sugar free anything... never have since day one post-op. I ate ALL sugar free and fat free everything since I was 7 years old and guess what? I ended up 260 pounds. So' date=' I eat the real deal in small portions, I am so much more satisfied and healthy. I have maintained my goal weight for a year and counting. When you are eating such small amounts of things I truly believe real fat is much better than processed, fat removed, sugar added crap. My cholesterol is normal, all my labs are great. Just my opinion!![/quote']

Funny you mentioned that. My cholesterols, sugars, and sodium levels have always been perfect, and I've always ate what I wanted. Weight and blood pressure.....welllll I guess that's why I'm here haha.