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@@Dar200 Lesson learned: 300 calories of coffee and yogurt, you will fail to make it to the bathroom at least twice. Just in case anyone was contemplating such a crazy day, be warned!

@@Daisee68 It is SOOOOO hard for me to not be hard on myself. My life statement is "I will relentlessly pursue perfection in all things I do, with the hope of settling for mere excellence' I live that every day. No margin for error. It's part my illness, part military that I will never get rid of. Part testosterone, I am VERY hard on myself. I do not fail. And a stall felt like a fail. I could not figure it out. So I felt like I was failing, I have to learn to lighten up a bit, at least when it comes to weight loss. But that is a tall order after a life led the way I have led life. I have done things to myself to punish myself for what I saw as failure that nearly put me in the hospital. Funny thing, I am the sweetest Father you have ever met. I do not hold my kids to the same standards I hold myself too. Thank god. They both grew up wonderful women.

@@reree6898 Thank you! Great stuff!

@@Daisee68 Great post and ideas. It is overwhelming going from diet stage to stage. It really is. Todays totals: 843 Calories, 13.8g Fat. 6g Fiber, 73.2g carbs, 970mg sodium, 114.1g Protein (YAY!!) 88 oz Water. That I think for 6 weeks out was a pretty good day. Carbs are high but 40g are from the milk (skim) in my Protein shake, and my chili, so not much I can do about it. Now to see what the scale says tomorrow.... or do I smash it?

@@LynnAlex My best friend had a band installed 5 years ago. He lost some weight, it was up and down, fills were common and he had a lot of problems finding foods he could eat. He lost about 40 pounds and sort of stayed there. Two years ago he deployed (as a civilian) to Afghanistan and having nothing to do, decided to get back into the military workout routine. He lost 50 pounds. Came home and had a fill. As it turns out they overfilled him. He figured he would just keep losing weight and grow into the fill. He gained weight back, 10-20 pounds up and down and has been in that range for the last two years. He had the fill reduced 2 weeks ago, and lost six pounds in his first week. The problem was the fill was so tight all he could eat were soft carbs, so in spite of walking 25K steps EVERY SINGLE DAY and being one of the most active people I know he was not losing any weight. Now that the fill set correctly, he can eat hard Protein again and had lost about 15 pounds. However, he still eats what he wants. If he wants a snickers bar, he eats one. So in spite of the band, he'll remain around his current weight just because he pushes his caloric intake everyday. Oh he is also a nighttime alcoholic, what was the odd beer or two at night is now, 8-10 oz of Jack seven days a week. I love him like a brother and would take a bullet for him (we enlisted together), but I cannot solve his drinking problem. He has to realize it's a problem, and given his past history he won't until it is too late and his wife leaves him. The point of all this was soft carbs versus hard protein, in 3 weeks I go to an unrestricted diet, and intend on eating solid foods as much as humanly possible, because with the exception of my beloved yogurt, I am a bit tired of soft food. This just gave me an idea for a chicken stir fry I could probably eat......

@@reree6898 It was, my big hurdle now is coming up with meals to plan. I love my Chili, but do not plan on eating it every day for the next three weeks. I know there are a million sites with great recipes, but it is a little overwhelming getting started. I am also a really picky eater, and don't like (THANKS MOM) a lot of veggies.

I said I would update you all, so here is an update. I had a Protein shake this am. I skipped lunch (was going to have tuna salad but was out) Had a bowl of Chili for dinner, I even allowed myself a couple of crackers. I'll have my daily yogurt tonight for a snack. Meal planning is a work in progress. So things are getting better.

@@Inner Surfer Girl Thank you for the advice. I have an admission to make, I am Bipolar, not just Bipolar but medication resistant Bipolar, I have a mental health team that keeps me more or less level and normal. However, when I ramp up over something, it becomes an obsession. Mental illness is a b***h. My meds keep me pretty stable, however I live in a highly supportive environment. That means, I have removed all stressors from my life that I can. I live a lone, solitary life. Very simply. This surgery was discussed for about six months before my psychiatrist was willing to sign off. My medications work differently now, as they are liquid and VERY rapidly absorbed, we are still working on a dosing schedule that works post op. As for a 12 step program, and I mean no offense to anyone. But that's not me. I do things on my own. If I have a problem I solve it. If it is not within my power to solve it, I figure out who's power it is in, and I get them to fix it. It's not that I have an issue asking for help, far from it, I ask for help all the time. I have just never been a 12 step guy. After a lot of thought, I have some ideas about how to change things. I need to plan my meals a week out. No more last minute decisions. As crazy as it may sound to some of you, I need to establish and maintain a food schedule. School was also causing a lot of problems, but I finished my last class this evening and I am off until November 30th. So I have nothing but time to work this out. Next semester I am only taking 1 class and that is online so it won't affect when I am home or my schedule. Like I said, tomorrow, back to basics, Protein shake in the morning, a good workout, a good lunch and dinner. In my downtime, I will plan out a weeks worth of meals. Shop, cook, freeze whatever. I do better on a schedule than having to make choices on the spot. I sincerely appreciate the advice, compassion and caring from all of you. I WILL get past this. I just have to remember the basics. If you are not planning to succeed you are planning to fail. Sorry this post keeps getting longer but I wanted to clarify why I made a statement earlier. As former military, I have a tremendous amount of discipline, you may even call it over the top, but it works for me, well when it works it works well. That is the idea with meal planning. I don't eat for pleasure or comfort, I eat because I have too. I don't crave a cupcake when I am sad, or happy or anything else. So, taking the decisions out of eating, and having a set schedule, for me at least I think will work well. I mean if I am hungry, I can have a cheese stick or something as an unscheduled snack, but that would usually be on a super high calorie burn day. Like a 6K calorie day when I have been on the go since I woke up. Does that make any sense?

@@Dub Thanks Dub you always know how to make me feel better!

I am ex-miilitary. I do not do mediocre, ever in anything. If I cannot do something exceptionally well, I don't do it. This however, is a ride I cannot get off of. I was not kidding about anorexia, I am worried my all or nothing mind will drive me there. I have decided to step backwards a bit tomorrow. Back to my beloved Protein shake in the AM. That alone is 400 calories, and yes, I record every single thing I imbibe. I made a killer Chili, and have had two servings out of the 13 the recipe made (thank god I froze most of it). I may take a hammer to my scale and smash it and just get my weight monthly at the Doctors office. I do not want to die. That was the whole reason behind this. If I wanted to die, I was well on my way. Thanks for the advice, I'll keep you all posted.

@@TMG1980TMG I find the idea of a patch for Vitamins compelling if not for one caveat, I am part Wookie, wearing a patch requires shaving an area and keeping it hair free. I used the patch to quit smoking, and the shaving was horrible. However those numbers look good. Again the absorption is an issue, and the Patches not being waterproof is bad, as I sweat a great deal when I exercise. I think for many they may be a good option, however for me it just creates too much work.

I buy all my products from unjury and Opurity. The China-Free™ sold me.

I got the idea for the post after seeing in someones signature, "Never trust a fart" and it got me thinking about how bad things between myself and my ass have become. So I figured if it would start a discussion and get a couple of laughs at the same time, what harm was there to be done?

@@jessicabell620 Buy "The big book on the Gastric Bypass" by Alex Brecher, yes they guy who owns these forums. There is a link to his books. It explains in extreme detail what happens when you have RNY, including the hormonal changes that the Sleeve group does not get, and just exactly what happens inside you when you have the surgery. A well educated consumer is a good consumer. Link to book: http://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/weight-loss-book/products/the-big-book-on-the-gastric-bypass

@@lorri716 Me too! It sounds like we need to sit down and have a discussion about the do's and don't. Oh wait, asses don't talk, well unless they are running for political office!!!! (hahaha NOW I am laughing) Chili, is not working well. And that is bad, because I have 12 servings left, frozen and in the fridge. So my ass will just have to deal with it.

RNY has been around since the 1960's, it has been through numerous modifications over the years, but it's track record is unparalleled. Remember 6 or 7 years ago when everyone was going on and on about the band? Look how that disaster turned out. The Sleeve, to me falls in the same camp, there is not enough long term data for me to make an informed decision. That and I suffer from extreme GERD making the sleeve a no go for me. There is a reason most Surgeons refer the the RNY as "The Golden Standard".

Unless they were designed specifically for the bariatric crowd they are unlikely to have the supplements we need. Further there are so many variables in Patches, (what percentage sticks, how much uptake your body gets from each patch, skin condition, the list goes on. For a pain med the Fentanyl that is measured in MICRO grams it works fine, but for a complex assortment of supplements I would stay away until a great deal of research is done. The one advantage, you can bypass the malabsortive component of your surgery, so you could get Iron and B12 simply. It may turn out to be a wonderful thing. I would like to know more.

After actually reading your post, and realizing how much weight you have to lose, and where you are, it raises some questions that need to be answered before anyone can give you any kind of honest answer to your question. The first is; why have you not lost more weight? There are in the grand scheme of things two possibilities, one, you are not eating properly. Two; your surgeon failed to make your stomach small enough. On the outside there is the possibility that you have stretched your stomach out and are eating too much due to that, however, that is pretty rare. So, if you are not eating properly, you could convert to a bypass and lose a bit of weight but you would gain it back. If your sleeve is too big, it needs to be fixed. Here is the second part of my post, and one I read far too little about on these and similar forums. How much do you move a day? Are you wearing a Fitbit (or similar device)? Weight loss = Burning more calories than you intake. Period. You could gain weight eating 1000 calories a day if you only take 500 steps a day. Move more, eat less, and better. Embrace the Stall was a great post. I am stuck in a stall now, and it's driving me crazy. But...... I stick to the program knowing this will pass. It has too. My caloric deficit for last week was 24K calories. My body will get with the program and yours can too. I took guts to write your post for the whole world to see. Now finish it. Solve the riddle. Are you logging your food? I log everything I eat. Get a fitness tracker. Figure out where you are and establish a baseline, then improve. If you are already doing all these things, eating right, exercising, tracking movement and food, then, you may have a valid question in regards to your sleeve. You were honest in your initial post, now it's time to get REALLY honest and personal. You can do this.

@Dub I was laughing as I typed it, but sadly it's so true!

This is by far my favorite thread on these forums. Whenever I see a new update I click like a madman to open it. This thread has given me more laughs than any other one, and it deals with real topics, good stuff!

Everyone of us at some point had a last meal. Be it the day before your pre-op diet began or whatever, there was some special meal we all ate prior to going under the knife. Me? After an hour of deliberations, I had a small Chinese House Special Fried Rice and an order of chicken Fingers. What did everyone else have?

So, as most here who know me know is that I walk everywhere. In fact my morning PT includes a 6.7 mile walk at 19:00/minutes per mile. I wind up with 10-12 miles a day. So my best friend on Earth was a Marine, when I was in the Army, and we've had this friendly back and forth for the last 25 years or so, over who is tougher. I'm much bigger, and much more trained, but we have a great time trying to outdo each other, it's just good man stuff. So I challenged him. In the spring (it's too late in the year weather and logistic wise to pull it off) we are going to walk, From my front door, 20 miles to Manchester, get a room, spend the night, and walk back the next day. Yah, 40 miles in 2 days. I am going to work on my stamina over the winter, as I wanted to see how far I could get at full speed yesterday, so I did my usual walk, then kept going, I got to 11 miles and was spent. It's possible I may have been okay if I had eaten something, no idea. Any tips from marathon runners? Or Marathon walkers? The issue, and it's a real issue, is that once we leave, we MUST arrive in Manchester, the path is a combination of trails and road walking. Google says we can do it in 6 hours. I say 10 at the outside. The gear load-out will be pretty basic, camel hydration packs, food, perhaps MRE's if I can find some that don't suck and I can eat. A good first aid kit, map, compass (for the parts in the woods) I love technology but when it's my life on the line, I go old school)) That is about it, NUUN tablets in the camels. The issue is, and it is a big one, neither of us will quit. Ever. I'd fucking crawl on my hands and knees before I gave up. So would he, so I HAVE to have the stamina to make this trip. We cannot get 15 miles in an call a cab, for to do so would forever skew the balance of 'manliness' to one side, and we cannot have that. Additionally, anyone in the NH area that is interested drop me a PM, if you got the goods and think you can cut it, we'd love to have more aboard.

To walk? The day after surgery, get going. Perhaps give it a couple days and work up to a good distance. It depends on how much walking you were doing before the surgery. I was over 8 miles a day on average with 5.2 miles in my morning PT. I did the 5.2 a week out and it was okay, I was nervous about hydration, but worked out a system that works very well. I actually just added 1.5 miles to my morning PT, and am still getting used to it, it adds a lot of terrain instead of nice flat trails, but that's good. As for lifting weights, I was cleared at 2 weeks for up to 20 pounds but nothing abdominal. I've just kind of held off until I am fully cleared, then i'll start back up with push ups and sit ups, then make a decision about my home gym, either complete it, or get a gym membership. I live in NH so walking in the winter is VERY hard, So I can either buy an elliptical machine or get a gym membership and use whatever they have there. It's costly either way. Although I see the gym as a better investment, in spite of the fact that I love my morning walks, I can only do them until the snow blocks my path, so I have 7-10 months a year I can walk outside. As for the walking thing though, after a week there really were no restrictions. In fact my surgeon, was miffed I had back ed down at the 2 week checkup, I listened to everyone screaming at me to "slow down" "you're healing" "don't push yourself" He told me to get marching. No limits, whatever I could tolerate. Hope this helps.

Sorry to say, but if you are like many on these boards, myself included this is just the start of open warfare between you and your ass. I'd give my left knee to have a normal BM once a day. I might go 6 times a day or not for a week. Back on Miralax now, day three and still nothing. Oh, but when it kicks in, well, i'll get a lot of reading done......

@@LynnAlex Very nice post, thank you for your kind words. You are correct in regard to slow and fast twitch muscles, also females are built differently, they store energy in a different way than man, so I think it makes for an easier marathon. I'm going to ask my PCP this week as she runs the Boston Marathon every year, and I want to see how she trains for that. As far as the distance, we've both marched more miles than that in the military (although that was a loooong time ago) We are discussing starting a FB page and making the walk be about something. My friend even suggested we make it about weight loss (he's been banded) and I don't know that I think that is the worst idea I ever heard. I just don't know how many more people would join up. Two or three people, okay fine. Fifty and now it's a whole new affair.