OKCPirate

@@needtorecover - I used to use Ambien, but that no longer works post sleeve. I average 6 hours, wake up more refreshed that I did heavier. No longer need a CPAP.

Sprint Tri's are fun. You don't have to be great in any given part, just good enough in each one. It's a fun challenge, congrats.

Don't spend the money on individual servings unless you prefer it. I put mine in a ziplock. I have taken it internationally as well as domestic without incident.

Liz, I agree with your premise. My confidence has improved dramatically. I think the energy level increase affects others interactions at work. It starts to change how you communicate. And when you are less self conscious you can listen better to others. So while we are onion like with many layers, subtle changes are multiple layers makes you a different person.

We can vote people off? Dang I better start behaving myself. I'm all in favor of behavior modification. The problem is your body works against you via hormonal signals and it's difficult to maintain the loss. http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/themes/weight-loss# In short you really need to reduce your calories in order to maintain in the long run. Surgery isn't a magic wand, it's a tool and helps create a new set point.

lol i remember trying on an old navy 18 thinking what a great fit...tried on same size months later and it was terrible. turned out my 5'5" self was fitting 18 long (so probably a 20 reg lol) Sent from my SM-N910F using the BariatricPal App Butt shrink...it effects your inseam measurements Just saying

Sorry the rant was harsh and sounded personal when I looked at it this morning. It was supposed to a generalization not a personal comment. And I agree with Jane, sociopaths really knock your confidence meter off. It can happen to either sex and whatever the circumstances those people really make you nervous about everyone. I

How old are you? Four weeks minimum for stomach to heal in order to begin to start up on exercise stress again. It took me three months before I was up to pushing myself to where I was before surgery

A compliment I am humbled to hear, thank you very much! Now, as a recovering shoulder surgery patient I want to go on record right now and say this, I never do bench presses. Ever. While they are good for the pectorals, they are terrible for the shoulder (rotator cuff especially), and there are much better exercises for the chest! Also, I don't do heavy weights at all. The biggest dumbell I use is 35lbs.Tops.If I need more weight, I switch to bands or bodyweight exercises. I am terrified of another sport injury. That's where many of my troubles came from. If you want a good chest workout, you need to focus on the cable machine and only use the dumbbells for incline chest press and regular chest press. Using dumbbells allow for your shoulder to move naturally as opposed to locking it into an unnatural position. If you would be interested, I could write down my exercise routine (roughly) and start a thread. I make no claims of being a fitness guru nor a therapist, but what I do I got from my physical therapist and then from a sports medicine therapist I found online. Yep write it down

Hey, it takes two to tango. You were a participant not a victim. I'm sorry to sound really angry but I'm a little tired of women feeling used because they consented to something and then they " felt cheap on the back end" and then blamed the guy ( not that I'm bitter or anything). Blame yourself. You said yes. Ok so it didn't work out. Oh well Ok why am I bitter? Had a couple of good dates with a wonderful, intelligent woman (Vice President of a major bank), third date we end up naked in my hot tub. She feels bad, blames me. I didn't force, coerce, drug, manipulate her into this. But she killed a potentially great relationship because she could not accept she wanted sex and connection too. Dumb. Admit you want it all too. Quit blaming the guys unless they are lying, drugging, or otherwise using the tactics of a rapist. Btw if you are using makeup and spanx ...geez who is lying? I'm just suggesting that there really should be some reality in this discussion and not general blame of one sex over another. Both sexes enjoy the game of seduction. One likes to pursue and the other likes to be pursued. So the guy is in the game and hasn't figured out his feelings yet. So what else is new? We only use half our brains. The female brain is wired to use both halves at the same time. I almost can guaranty that most women know when a guy isn't fully committed to a relationship yet these same women succumb to their wooing because they get an ego stroke too. Don't get bitter. Just own what you know. Chalk it up to experience. I may be asking too much. Women regret what they have done, men regret what they don't do.

You don't hit cougar territory until you are way into your 40's and you start pursuing younger guys. It's only a bad thing if you start experiencing negative/empty emotions. Good relationships can happen with any age difference. It's just a number

Yes it is normal. It's a permanent change. Every time I would get nervous I would read "sex oh my god sex" and "you know when you lost weight" posts. I also did my research on all the worst case scenarios. Once I accepted that I could handle the worst that could happen I was ok I recommend working through this book as part of your emotional/mental prep. http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1436729032&sr=8-13&keywords=bariatric+book

I was enjoying the unseasonably warm weather this weekend doing household maintenance chores. Ladder didn't creak, able to jump in and out of hot tub to get it all scrubbed out. It's amazing how 80 pounds of fat can really get in the way of all the little things. But when i thought about it, I picked up an 80 pound dumb bell at the gym and remembered I carried that around 24/7.

Congrats, it's normal. Read this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/ It helped me keep my eye on the prize...why I'm doing this and what I hope to accomplish. Good luck with the pre-op diet, and start checking out Protein drinks. I think I kept my energy so high because I had that stuff ready as soon as I was cleared for liquids.

If I was on the street, I'd want a month minimum for the stomach to heal. Can you get admin duties for a short period of time. I would not have wanted to be in an altercation the first month. You have to watch internal stresses from lifting too much weight.

Umm, if you really want to be really scientific about this, you are really in murky territory. All we have are educated guesses. For instance alcohol. There is a set calorie amount based on how much energy it produces when ignited. Now how much of this enters your system? That's a guess. It gets even stranger when you consider the VS changes absorption rates. So you are really looking at potential calories. That said, after tracking a couple of years I am fairly confident that the "relative" accuracy of the protein/calorie counts on myfitnesstracker. You are not going to be 100% confident, but you will be close enough for your use. BTW, fascinating article: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/10/cocktail-science-do-alcohol-calories-count-digesting-spirits.html

dumping was the biggest reason. The four year follow up study of VS surgery from the Cleveland Clinic was the clincher (results were nearly the same as the bi-pass).

Youngen, just you wait

You think? Wow, 35 year old women with young kids? ;-( Joy of joys. No thanks, I'd rather stick with my healthy 52 year old girl friend who's smart, emotionally intelligent, spiritually together and gainfully employed. Plus she is just a great person and we have tons of fun together (and she can cook, and we cook well together). Any guy that shallow needs to get out of the gene pool and is not worth your time. Now as to the 60+ crowd...a female friend told me about her encounter with a 60+ guy who was a former collegiate wrestler who now is Vinyasa Yoga and she enjoyed a four hour romp of pure sexual bliss. (Yep, that's what got me into doing yoga).

I know eternity exists...because I have kids and laundry. I don't know where you live, but if you climb a mountain once a month, you will burn all the excess calories you need for the month, plus the views are great. (According to myfitnesspal.com I burned over 5000 calories on this hike).

Alex, how do you put a picture from your gallery in a post? I do like being able to put a picture from my phone in a post BTW

@@choicemun - what is your domestic situation? Support on the home front is important. The next question how important is variety and flavor's to you? I have certain routine foods (esp. for breakfast), but I enjoy experimenting for dinner. But I don't really plan meals. I just grab a Protein, and cook it. Occasionally I'll plan a roast or other crock pot meal. This system works well with my daughter who lives with me. All I use is my scale, cut off four ounces of meat and cook it. Then I throw some raw veggies in...tada dinner.

BTW, they made an interesting documentary about this:

Umm, you forgot the joys of hormone dumps. Which is good and bad. Just saying.

Surf, walk, run, climb a mountain. Just move. AND have some FUN. Kids are skinny when they play. Do likewise.