Recycled

Well, I'm one year today from my sleeve surgery. Not quite at my goal, but still a major accomplishment so far. I went from wearing 55 pants to 34's and XXL shirts to Mediums. From never stepping foot in a Gym to 2-3 times a week and riding my bicycle every night for about 10 miles. The stalls did start going longer and longer so I've had to step up the exercises to keep the weight coming off. I have been eating alot (between 100 to 200g) of Protein daily and that has really benefited me in my workouts and exercises. I have noticed a real increase in muscle and strength. I've already planned a spring snow skiing trip, (first one in about 8 years) so I now have added motivation to hit my goal weight mark. (And I WILL !!!) I've had many other surgeries (including replacing both knees, so I was prepared for the long haul. And while the other surgeries I had all provided me with great benefits.......nothing compares to the total exhilaration of getting close to my goal weight and all the changes of a healthy and energized body. So any of you out there that are bummed by stalls or tripping over occasional bouts of depression........Stay with it......think of the goal.....Keep up the effort......and you WILL get there and you too will get to enjoy this experience.

Everyone's various replies on here answer your question and most other "when" questions........The answer of course is ......Everybody's different. Your time will be your time.

There is a bariatric support group that meets at South Miami Hospital each month on the forth Thursday of the month. (Check SMH website) I have been going to it since before my surgery. Anyone can attend. Very open and lots of great support. https://baptisthealth.net/en/health-services/south-miami-weight-loss/pages/support-groups.aspx

Wow, a more than likely, misunderstood 3rd person comment, about a unknown person..... probably taken out of context....... and he's lynched on here by some pretty biased women without so much as a "maybe there's more to it"........ If I ever find myself in real court..... I want an all male jury. Actually....I just like stirring the pot.....

It reminds me of that thing people are always saying......"I know how you feel".......no they don't....they just say it. And I find that typically the ones making comments about how easy or unnecessary something is........is from someone that knows very little or has never experienced anything remotely similar or comparable. Jerr Bear, if for no other reason.....the part where you refer to the risk of death, makes this urgently necessary. And anyone that doesn't get that.....can go *&%k themselves.

You pretty much answered your own questions. You're still losing and you added in what your body felt it needed. The things you eat pass thru the sleeve quickly, so you are not going to stretch the sleeve. You can eat a lot of food throughout the course of a day, just not very much at once. That being said, you do have to be aware of how much you are eating daily and keep it in check so you can continue to lose the weight. As time went on and I lost more weight, I found myself doing longer and more vigorous workouts which demanded more energy and fuel.......so I was constantly adding in more Protein and subsequently more calories. And just as you found, I still continued to lose weight. Now at maintenance, I am in the 1600-2000 calories a day range and can still drop a pound or two easily if I need to. You're doing great......keep it up....

To the letter.......

To each their own. I would think it depends a lot on your personality. I'm the type that pretty much just does whatever I choose when it comes to me.......and I don't really care what others think about it......I also state those choices in a very confident and "matter of fact" way that doesn't leave much room for any negative rebuttal. Others may be more subdued and sensitive and just care not to deal with other peoples less than supportive attitudes. It's not about a lie......more of - "if you choose to share" or "it's nobody's business". Whatever way works for you.......

What does help with the loose skin while your still losing and makes your workouts a little less jiggley, is compression shirts and or bottoms. I have used the basic ones like UnderArmor and the more radical ones like 2XU and they work great. Keeps things firm and doesn't restrict your movement. Also helps with muscle recovery after the workouts. As said above, you need to wait on the plastics for farther down the road......

I already have the sleeve and it works, so anything else is moot.

Cookies n cream here.....Been eating them for over a year. I usually order 3- 6 boxes at a time. Tried almost every flavor, but settled on c'n'c. Lil tidbit......microwave 'em for about 8-10 seconds (careful not too much or they will melt into a glob) and they are even better.

teacherlady2133, on 19 Feb 2015 - 07:42, said: [ Ok I took everyone's advice and started looking at photos.. Thought I would share...my heaviest 350... Surgery day 4/28/14 305 and current 197. ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1424349655.395541.jpg ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1424349701.728783.jpg ] OMG......one of the most dramatic changes ever. You look fantastic. This is where I would usually say, "I can only imagine how you feel" ...... but this time, I really do know how you feel..........Congrats on your new life.

What do you mean nerve?????......those pics are fantastic. You look great. Great job..

Ideas? I didn't much care about variety. I wasn't that hungry anyway and pretty much everything pureed looks like *%#@^. And I wasn't thrilled about the texture either. I just threw Soup in the blender and endured it for a couple of weeks. It's behind you before you know it anyway and you can move on to real food.

I certainly have tons of energy now to do just about anything I want.......I just hate doing those types of exercise that are just for the sake of doing exercise. I do like every kind of outdoor activity (fishing, diving, hunting, ATVs, skiing, etc etc.) and try to do those as often as I I can. They enjoy them and they don't feel like exercise. But, I can't afford to do them all the time.....so it's off to the gym for me and the boring treadmill and weights.....That's life.

Running....ugh....more power to ya.....I'm not running unless a lion is chasing me. . I was never much for running and now with two titanium knees.....I do what I can to preserve them. (hence, low impact exercises only) So, I swim. (like a fish, pool, snorkeling and scuba) As much as I can. I also ride my bike at least 10 miles every day. And even drag myself to the gym too. The sleeve is a great asset, but still gotta do that exercise.....

Oh, and BTW.....you could check in the "Guys Room" . might find more guy related stuff there.

Well, if you're gonna be sleeved in two days............ get your camera or your phone and take a quick selfie right now..... and before you realize how fast the time has gone by.....you'll be able to take another one for the after pic. Good luck with your surgery. You're gonna be slim an trim in no time.

Try P3's. Grocery store in lunch meat section.

I use Under Armor short sleeve compression top when going to the gym. Really does hold things in and even makes you feel a little better during the workouts....

he could use a 32 and you could still wind up with a sleeve a 42 would fit. It's more of what he actually does during surgery than what he says before.

I'm disgusted with how I look and feel...so I finally thought I'd look into Weight loss surgery. Just to see what is available and if If it would work for me. Looked up some local Surgeons and Hospitals on the net and some of the surgeons had free information seminars. So, I'm going to my first seminar tonight.....err..... .I mean support group. (not really for support..I just like showing off the new bod and encouraging others) Confused....don't be The point I'm trying to make is...... it surely seems like I just started the process....... When I thought about getting surgery, I figured I probably wouldn't qualify and the cost was probably more than I could afford....but what the heck, I'm fat and not losing my way, so what could it hurt. Probably won't do it and nutin's gonna change anyway. So I went.... I kinda thought my interests was in the Lap Band. Ya know, the one I've already heard about. I get there and find out there is now three or even four different types of procedures and a whole lot of statistics. Great.....choices.....I didn't expect choices. I wanted sure fire easy. I had my notepad with a bunch of questions and after the surgeon spoke about each procedure, I fired away with several questions about the Band. He was very informative and heightened my interests. There was a few of his patients there that spoke about their processes and experiences and that, I felt was the most convincing. I gave the coordinator my insurance info and thought.....now we'll see what happens. Guess what.....my insurance actually covered WLS. So I made an appointment with the surgeon for a consult. Just a consult...,,,,,,,,,,,,,, .(I thought....I'm not sold yet) So I go to the consult and brief him on my history and goals and my interest in the Band....blah blah blah....and almost straight away he says......the band is not a good fit for you.....you'd be better off gettin the sleeve. Hmmmmm, that took the air outa my sails.....I really wanted the band. ---- OK, I'll think about it. I did think about it....ALOT.....researched everything including the Surgeon, the Hospital, everything I could find about the Sleeve and you'll never guess.......he was right. It made better sense. It sounded radical....but after reading about so many successful outcomes, not really so bad. -( I found Bariatric Pal during this time as well which really helped me get informed the most) I called and started the application for approval. ----- What.!!! six months, are you kidding me....talk about deflated....Oh well, I'll go along....( I probably will change my mind anyway and not get it) Zooooom.....fast forward six,,,seven...eight,,...nine months. Even with a few insurance and tests gliches along the way....I can't believe it went that fast and I'm approved...... Ok,.....here's the big one.........I just got off the phone with the Doc's office and the surgery is scheduled..... in two weeks. Wait, wait, wait......I need MORE time. I'm gonna really do this. Surgery day and I'm in my room recovering.....Damn....I'm still fat and now uncomfortable and haven't lost an ounce. This is gonna take forever.....Bariatric Pal is no help....all they keep sayin is "hang in there" or give it time....blah blah blah......Cmon, I had the surgery..... I should be losing tons already......I wanna see results........This is gonna take forever..... I don't want to think about a year from now.....I got on the scale today four times and it didn't change an ounce. Oh well....might as well sit back and just go with the flow.....and see what happens...... Zoooooooom (yeah, believe it.....I said zooooom. A whole year, just that quick) A HUNDRED &TWENTY POUNDS gone forever and I look and feel fantastic. And I'm headed to the Seminar.....I mean the support group....see, I still get those confused cause I can't believe it went by that fast. Yes, I said FAST. I actually have a hard time remembering the phases along the way.....they kinda blur together. Who cares, I'm here, I'm skinny and you will be too. And you'll think the whole thing happened in a flash. Long story.....short point.......Don't fret the wait.....Like most things in life, time flys.

Well, I started with alot more than just 'some'.........now I have narrowed it down to just Quest bars and usually just the Cookies'n'Cream. At least one a day. Find which ones you like and keep 'em on hand. Real simple and easy snack with protein boost. I have'em in the house and the car and take them everywhere for anytime. They are very convenient ready to eat. Added note: Someone on here posted a tip about heating up Quest bars. When Nuked for about 8 seconds, they are a whole lot better. - Great TIP

Well...........I made it. Finally reached my original goal. And it's a good one too, as the bod seems to be pretty much at a neutral point. It's really tough to lose any more weight and it doesn't take much neglect to result in an increase in weight either. Funny thing is, it's kind of anti-climatic. I have enjoyed the challenge and the effort. Proving I can do it. I'm not ready to be done. So I think I'll add in another five pounds to lose to give me a little leeway. Then, I'm gonna set a goal of proving to myself I can maintain the weight without gaining for a year....then two. Yeah.....that's the ticket........... Guess you guys are stuck with me for quite a while......

I'm a vet, I'm a vet....I'm a vet, vet, vet........ Well......in truth, I was already a vet. The military kind anyway. But now, I'm a Bariatric Pal vet and have reached my goal to boot. Soo, what'da we do in here guys......??? Measure each other's sleeves...or what.???? I've been hearin that "older and wiser" crap for years......there's gotta be more to BP's vet room than just that..... just kiddin.......I'm just rambling......It feels good to reach my goal and know that even with a long and tough struggle, I was able to make it. It should have a category of it's own.......and Vet sounds like a pretty good one. Glad to be here.