OKCPirate

@@mngreeneyes - It really depends on your age. I'm 52 and I date women my own age. In the end, gravity wins. There are going to be lose spots, but if you are confident in yourself, no one has cares. No one I have been with has gotten upset by what is loose. That said, I am probably going to be having plastic surgery in a year to get rid of it, mainly because it is a pain.

@@betrthnever - Congrats on this: "That's what my fiancee did" And I agree with the meet and greets. ALWAYS in a public place, with lots of light and lots of exits.

@@sleevenv - We are a very supportive group. We'll even be supportive of trolls for the first page of their post, and then we pull out the long knives.

@@Babbs - I don't know how you do it. My girlfriend has to go through this whole decontamination process because the smell and taste of cigs is really dang repulsive to me now. I don't know how the non-smoking women I dated in my mis-spent youth put up with it. Well it was the 80's and there was a lack of quality control.... Me back in the 1980's doing my student government thing, Marlboro's every handy, in a public meeting in a closed room, with horrible ventilation....what were we thinking? Oh yeah, getting away from the power perfumes of the day .

My answer is always "I eat less, move more" but to friends and acquaintances who are over weight who corner me, I explain about the surgery, the self pay options and this site. I am a bit of a evangelists about all three.

This is a great topic, fun for those contemplating surgery and thought provoking to those of us who are wondering where to go next. I have been stuck in a two month long stall and was wondering "well is this it"? And then boom, 6 pounds disappeared. Now I'm wondering, "do I want to keep pushing for lower weight, more muscle, both." The cool thing is I actually believe I really can control this. It is a decision, not a dream. Oh, I have not decided yet. I know I need to get rid of the excess skin to get a six pack, body fat is under 20%, I am really vigorous. Many things to ponder...but these are really fun/empowering things to ponder.

this is my favorite: http://www.gnc.com/Natures-Best-Isopure-Lemon-Green-Tea/product.jsp?productId=3080286&green=A41425E7-4980-543E-0821-04342C502AFA Or adding genpro to soup, coffee, yogurt

@@mdslc Oh that sucks, hopefully the fat loss will change some of the pressure.

@@lealor - devises like this for COPD: http://www.everydayhealth.com/copd/the-lung-flute-new-copd-treatment-could-help-you-breathe-easier-4608.aspx There are many variations, not mandatory.

@@mdslc - dead on right, @@Evvydots I've had that procedure for GIRD, piece of cake, and it will end the suffering

@@VSGAnn2014 - Amazing what happens in a troll free zone 1. True/False: My doctor says my taste buds may change after surgery and foods I love now I may not like. Operative word is MAY. Mine didn't, but some do (or claim to, very subjective) 2. Will my appetite REALLY go away? Will the feeling of being hungry all the time disappear? It did for me. I had a really horrible day, didn't have time to eat and I never felt hungry, didn't mean I didn't feel weak around 7PM I was exhausted. Not recommended, but it was an interesting test. 3. I'm totally addicted to food. While I have been able to mostly control it over the past 3 months, there are times when I have NO WILLPOWER and stop at Culver's on the way home from work for a big, greasy double cheeseburger and a soda! Will I be able to break this after the surgery? True confession, I mindlessly ate pizza like I always did ONCE, caused me to throw up. Have not had that problem since. But please do yourself a favor and work through the emotional aspects in advance: 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 Good luck. It's a tool not a magic incantation that will make all your issues and problems go away.

This is where I was Jan 2014 And a year later I was training for and did my first 5K And I just came back from my first assault on a 14,000' mountain in CO. Yep, a bunch has changed....and I like it. Now don't get me started on dating and relationships...that has really changed but I'll save that for the adult forums.

@@Dub - 5xlt & 4xlt I was heading that way, but stopped at 3X thankfully, which is where Kohls stopped. How much longer do you have to hold out at that size? I tossed a bunch of stuff that was very gently worn because I started pre-op diet.

@@Miss Mac - the banana description is apt. And you ought to treat your new sleeve with the same gentleness as if you were trying to fill a banana with food without breaking the peal. It just takes a while for the lines where your stitched back together to completely heal. That isn't forever, about a month. Then a stomach will stretch as normal. See article: http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch

Wondering if its really worth the effort to tie my shoes. Glad that is no longer a discussion I have with myself.

Might want to re-post on the women's forums, we guys have no room to talk about child birth and c-section pain. (sort of). On a serious note, the audience you want feed back from might see it there.

This is a good explanation of the "stretching" idea and the eventual return of hunger hormones: http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch This isn't magic...it's a damn good tool, which gives 80% of those who take advantage of it a chance for a permanent change. But it's not a guaranty you will do the work.

Of course. It's a number. An arbitrary number. The actuality table of life insurance companies made up the "safe healthy weight" based on their study of longevity and weight not doctors. You could be 185 pounds and 10% body fat, or 140 and 30% body fat. So don't sweat an arbitrary number. But if you learn how to use calipers, you can have a pretty good measure of your body fat and you will actually get some very good studies on what is the healthiest body fat to maintain.

Good for you on the tracking. I use myfitnesspal.com to track all this, but all I care about is the calories, carbs and protien. The stall you described is normal and glad you are back on track. If you are going to do a self experiment with carbs, you might want to increase them every three days, that may keep your body from getting into a pattern. (there are some good articles on this here: http://www.coachcalorie.com).

@@her1981 - I am still loving sushi Nothing I can't live without. I have a bite or two or pizza, but that's it. Any more and I'll puke. I am learning to love the taste and texture, but not the volume. Kind of sensual when you really start to think of it...I think my girlfriend might appreciate the metaphor if I can phrase it right.

No CPAP, no BP meds, gout is gone, cholesterol normal, next round of blood tests next week. Bring it.

Moisturize (anything petroleum based will do at keeping moisture in), Protein high, massages help, lots of Fluid and exercise. You want as much muscle under the skin as possible. That said, I hope you picked your ancestors well, because genetics seems to be the most important factor.

@@mtraverse - hey - you are giving the people of walmart a bad name. This sounds much worse, like a thrift store or dollar general.

nope, not until week 5, hang in there with the prescribed diet, important to heal

Get them early and often. Remind any significant other that it will help with loose skin. http://allwomenstalk.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss/6/