OKCPirate

@@Lauriep - Look at the dangers of remaining overwieght, and see if that is worth it. Averages include those who don't take this seriously. It is a tool not a magic wand. It works very well if you respect it and work the program.

There was a question of DXA and loose skin, does it count as fat or lean? My son who is studying this at OU says a professional 12 point body clamp test would be more accurate for me than DXA. The DXA is great at measuring bone density, but could really be inaccurate with loose skin since it is measuring moisture content.

There was a question of DXA and loose skin, does it count as fat or lean? My son who is studying this at OU says a professional 12 point body clamp test would be more accurate for me than DXA. The DXA is great at measuring bone density, but could really be inaccurate with loose skin since it is measuring moisture content.

@@jintycb - "Now, what are you going to pretend to be next, hmmmmmmm? The mind boggles. Donald Trump's campaign manager maybe?" You mean he isn't? If not, it has to be Dr. Kindafamiliar's idiot cousin.

@@Kindra11 - Strangely, there wasn't much in the way of pain. They will put a drain on one of the incision sights and when I rolled over on it I hurt, but other than that I was up and walking within two hours of being wheeled down for surgery. Sometimes it is helpful to prepare for the worst, but be prepared for great success.

Two months out I started walking an hour a day, lifted as much as I could to maximize my muscle mass knowing I was going to lose some in the first few months. I weaned myself off of alcohol and caffeine (I started that process a month out). Three weeks out I tried out the foods I was going to eat in the first month, had them in stock before I left. Two weeks before, I started practicing slow eating at lunch. Tried about 6 different Protein powders to find the one I liked. I worked through https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 to get my mind right. And every-time I would get second thoughts I would read: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/ But months before sending in my deposit I watched every video I could on worst case outcomes. I analyzed what they were doing wrong and figured out in my mind was I willing to take that risk. The vast majority of the failures were people who tried to keep eating chips and Twinkies or were emotional basket cases. After seeing that, I started watching people who succeeded and built a program to imitate their success.

I respectfully disagree. One month post surgery I started lifting again. Now I kept it light at first, but increased weight by 10% per week until I hit my max, and I retest my max once a month now. With shakes, I can get to 125g of protein on heavy lift days. @@jnw - I think you are probably correct if you are a competitive power lifter, and I would not suggest doing HITT training until several months post surgery.

I do the intense hot yoga. It's not just a flexibility class, it is body weight resistance training too. But what is really interesting to me is the increased tone I get from it. I can't help it if I have extra skin, but getting more muscle underneath helps a great deal.

Geez, you would think this was a Protein cult...wait it kind of is Thanks for pointing out a new option. @@Kooky1 - did you "like" Isopure before you found this? That might be helpful to those who are thinking of trying this. I liked Isopure, but it's not everyone's favorite.

Have you tried Isopure? https://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-232399-nature-s-best-isopure-zero-carb-rtd-alpine-punch-12-bottle-s Many flavors, but not everyone likes it (well, most hate it, but I really liked the green tea).

@@PRINCESS2218 - Just out of curiosity, did you quit caffeine cold turkey? I had to wean off that for weeks to keep the headaches away. That and Diet Mt. Dew. I don't know what they put in that, but getting off of soda was tough.

I fly 6 times a month for work. My problem is I fly SW a great deal and too many dudes think that because I am a normal weight they can sit next to me...bad idea. I have big shoulders, and just because my thighs are not going to touch theirs, doesn't mean that we are going to be comfortable on a long flight. Worse yet, I put their pictures on my FB page. But when you are done with the journey, you will look down and see all that extra seat belt you don't need, be thankful.

Here are some interesting numbers on where the girls are http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a60165/dating-apps-with-most-women/

Very good post. We can play great games with ourselves. It is hard to be brutally honest. Very few people will ever do the real self-examination to hold ourselves accountable. I am as guilty of this as anyone. From the Big Chill: Michael: I don't know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations. They're more important than sex. Sam Weber: Ah, come on. Nothing's more important than sex. Michael: Oh yeah? Ever gone a week without a rationalization? So, knowing this character defect, I try to use some hacks to fool myself. Here was a good one I found recently: https://www.quora.com/What-are-top-tricks-of-psychology-that-everyone-should-follow-to-make-life-easier-and-keep-ahead-of-others

I was wondering why we hadn't heard of your experience. That explains it.

@@samanthajo20070 - sorry if I gave you any offence.

@@Oak Park Lorena - Taking a few days and just doing the pre-op diet has been helpful for some on this forum to get themselves reset. Like many things, when you know you are only going to do it for a few days we can gut it out. I would treat it like I would doing a spiritual time of fasting. I try to be mindful of why I am doing it, and hope that doing a period of denial of things that bring me pleasure to concentrate on a issue that is a concern in my life helps bring me clarity. I find it too easy to sooth a problem with comfort, some problems just need to be confronted. Good luck, be mindful that you made a major investment in yourself a few years ago. Honor that decision. It was a good one.

@@KindaFamiliar - Speaking of porn... I am getting very fixated on everything @@Dub posts because it might involve great food porn pics. Any suggestions for breaking this fixation before I find myself trekking to Tennessee?

Hi TheRealMeIsHere, Just one question - What the absolute f*ck??!?! If you're pooping out staples, I hope that you've at least been eating them!!! If you've not, you really do have some problems... Unfortunately, I know of no solution to your problem (you freak!!).. I can, however, think of a practical solution - If you have some sort of 'control' along with a VERY good aim, you could possibly get yourself a job at some sort of magazine printing establishment. I can see you now, squatting over the new edition of 'The Watchtower' or 'Hustler' (this is a very sad reflection of my youth), aiming carefully and theeeeennnnnnnn - RELEASE!! Of course, you'll need to keep your energy up. And you may also need to invest in some arse cream... As it happens, I have some left over from a previous experiment, which shall remain unnamed.. Look at me go... Solving the world's problems one freakshow at a time... NEXT!!!!! Dr. K - I think you put Hustler and The Watchtower in the same sentence. Just how many JW/Perverts are there? And are there still magazines? I thought the internet killed them all? And do people still buy porn? It all seems to be free now.

@@UalreadyKnow - Correlation does not mean causation. My girlfriend is in excellent shape without WLS and she has that same issue. Ask your doc about the hormone pellet implants (http://www.myhormonetherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Testosterone-Therapy-for-Women.pdf). They last around 3 months, and have been shown to reduce breast cancer after two treatments. BTW, you might want to check out the resources from Dr. Meston on libido. http://labs.la.utexas.edu/mestonlab/female-sexual-dysfunction/

@@Kindra11 - Same team I used. They provide some good guidelines to follow in prep and post op. [Note: the pre-op diet is designed to shrink your liver. Dr. R. explained that if the liver is really small, he will have a clear shot and can get the job done quickly, which is great because less anesthesia the better] The facility is nice, the rooms are huge. If you have someone with you, they will very comfortable on the couch in the room. My only problem was I was ready to leave the next day, but I scheduled my return flight on three days after surgery (always thinking worst case scenario). I enjoyed going to mall across the street from the hospital. There was a GNC there so I picked up some Isopure to sip on. Bring some slip on shoes and some good portable music, I spent a great deal of time just walking around and listening to music. There internet is good, and they have a nice common area to sit at when you get tired of your room. Be sure to turn your phone on airplane mode because the international rates can be pricey. Most people can speak a little English, if I hadn't been learning Polish before my surgery (I was doing a work project there), I would have been learning some survival Spanish. Good luck, and I hope your experience was as great as mine.

@@tab143 - I had mine at 51. There were no complications because of age. I just took all the warnings seriously and stuck to the pre-op diet. I had my appendix out over a decade ago. I was not in shape and the recovery was horrible. So because I had surgery date I worked out as much as I could with the goal of building as much muscle as I could. It made for a very easy recovery.

@@samanthajo20070 - No offence, but this is not a great place to look for a guy. The numbers just don't make sense. Many more women then men have WLS. The men most likely to have WLS are in committed relationships (men who take care of themselves tend to be married, that's why single guys die so quickly). If you want dates, go to where the men are...Tinder, guys really out number ladies (about 3-1). If you want a huge number of guys, go to Ashley Madison (not every guy there is married, but heck, not every guy on Match.com is single) - 10-1 ratio BTW. You will probably get more serious hits on Match.com and EHarmony - the people there have to have a credit card, but women do tend to outnumber men so don't be discouraged. Personally, I appreciate your boldness. You have to ask to be noticed. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to get some pictures out there, give enough information like where you are, age, what you want, what you DON'T want etc. I enjoyed dating the last few years. I have REALLY enjoyed finding my significant other nearly eight months ago and have no desire to date again. Some of the best tips I have found I shared are in this section: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/336754-unsolicited-online-dating-advice/ Good luck, happy hunting, enjoy the process, don't be cavalier with other people's hearts.

@@BigViffer - You might go as a couple early Sunday morning and have her video you on her phone. You can double check your form and she has a complete record. [it isn't vain if it works]

I don't think I will ever get a tattoo. Why? Because I am so paranoid I ask myself "hmm, why would I pay money to give the government a free way to ID for the rest of my life?" That being said, I know many do have a tattoo and most have great stories to go along with their tats. Care to share stories and pics?