VDB

I know what you mean. Can't speak for you, but for me, this hard look in the mirror is not too attractive, and similar to you, get lots of muscle building exercise, but now going on 80# down in three months, looking pretty droopy. This sounds really strange, but I expected to see the in-shape, smooth skin (no droopys and no stretch marks) 25 year old farm boy emerge even though I am 64 and made decisions that meant that I was significantly overweight from 35 on. The reality is that I got up to 450 at one point, and put my health at high risk, and as a result, my skin got very misshapen and stretched out. Now, like you, moving around great, have much better endurance, have gotten cured of five major health issues due to surgery, but am STILL looking for that good looking farm kid. I am having to adjust to a very different "Me" ..... and to reframe my experience into being so glad that I am better, and this is me with droops and sags, and that is ok...

Go Octavia16, go, you will love the results of this surgery...it is already changing my life. I walk my remaining unmarried daughter down the aisle in two weeks, doing it much healthier than 12 weeks ago! You have to be courageous to have this surgery.

Shoe size dropped from 18 EW to 17 EW (Bigfoot), primarily due to all edema going away. I expect to be at a mere 16 EW by the time I hit goal in Feb.

Yes, when I went into surgery I was on four meds plus insulin (64 mg a day). For a week after, my BG never got over 100 and they took me off all meds. Then, it slowly started to rise until my MD told me that I would likely need a little bit (5-15) mg a day for my lifetime, to support the pancreas. However, after 50# down my BG is fine, so not using the insulin. Now at over 70# down, even better. When I am 170 down and at goal, it is unlikely I will need anything, ever, but we will see. My foot neuropathy is still there, but 50% less painful with weight off, the MD says it will always be there just less painful. Thank goodness, no eye problems.

I have found that I drink more Water if it is very cold. I fill water bottles 2/3 full and keep them in the freezer, taking them out a couple a day. I also put lime slices in water. I usually use crystal light lemonade or pink lemonade at about half strength.

Good on you, paulc! You will thrive with this surgery. You will never regret it.

Lots of fresh limes, no problem, almost 3 mos. post by-pass

Ditto for me, historically weight loss brought on increased libido...always wondered why the wife would start cooking extra caloric after a while

You are very smart to get this done so young. I am 64, wish I had done it a decade ago.

At 11 weeks post op, my body is healing nicely and I am already able to do many things I could not before, including walking. I swim much better, faster, easier. I don't know how old you are, but clearly if you are like others, this will save your life...and make your years more fulfilling. For me diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood fats, edema were going to kill me young....now all gone, all better... you will not regret this.

Trev, way to go. You will never regret it. My gbp has ensured that I will live, that 5 major health problems are gone just 3 months into it....

I would add, in the TMI category, I would like to be able to look down and see my private parts without a belly in the way!!! I also would like to sit on a wooden or metal folding chair without breaking it. After 70# down and almost 3 months, the victories keep coming. I can bend over and weed my garden without getting down on the ground, and when I do get on the ground, I can get up without using something to rise. I actually bought a T-shirt, extra large tall, at JC Penny yesterday, I honestly cannot remember buying a garment in a regular store. Good thread, thanks!

Getting out of a chair! I had to build a platform for my leather chair since it became too big of an effort to get out of. The first thing I did when I hit 50# down was dump the platform. Everyday, I get out of my chair a bit easier.

Major moobs here, but then almost everything was major . Except that, darn. I am almost 70# down and seeing shrinkage finally, the legs, back arms etc all reduced first but the great middle is finally going away. Weight loss is the biggest ingredient, but lots of focus on core development in aerobic swimming and intensive weights etc. is building more muscle.

I found that the restriction on lifting (nothing over 10 pounds for six weeks) was my biggest challenge. I pulled it off ok, I just kept thinking about those very delicate tissues which had been cut and reconnected, and how easy it would be to rupture them, and how ticked my wife would be if I had to go back into surgery.... so I just hired strong 19 year olds to get my heavy lifting and major yard work done....

I have learned that these weeks when I don't lose are part of my weight loss. For some reason, this 80% Protein, 20% good veges and fruit way of eating produces a very non-linear loss. I have adapted to it by keeping my calories around 1200 a day, get my Water and protein grams in; weighing every 10 days; and frankly just relaxing and knowing with this formula I will lose the fat guy who lives on me. I recently did ten days without loss, but then in the next three days dropped a pant size!

I will be at 11 weeks post by-pass this next week. Good solid weight loss, over 60#. Was hungry through weeks four but now by 11 have almost no hunger pangs, less every week. I have missed a few meals but not many. I get my 80oz of H20 no problem. Still in mushy, mainly eating Protein powder/powdered milk mixed; low fat cheese, cottage cheese, soft cooked poultry, soft cooked pork, white flaky fish, home-made Protein Bars. One of the problems is that I feel no desire to eat protein, even though I force it down and eat an average of 80g a day. Today, I took a protein break and just ate some healthy veges and fruit, trying to see if a break would help with the protein overload. HELP! Don't want to derail an excellent start of this WLS. Any tips from you veteran WLS folks on getting through these blocks? Do you schedule your meals? How much do you vary your types of protein? Thanks!

Debbie623, thanks, good article and recipes. I really need to vary my Protein more, that is the takeaway from all comments, and schedule my meal times. It is too easy just to not eat! THANKS EVERYONE. JAMES, great suggestions.

Sounds like a plan, you will enjoy the beach much better! When I was finally diagnosed with diabetes (2) I had likely had it for a decade without knowing it. I already had significant neuropathy in my feet, and quickly blew through the typical drugs and was on lots of insulin and four other meds, some debilitating. Now, only a small bit of insulin each morning, and I am maintaining really good blood glucose readings. Whew!

Sorry about your possible delay -- it is worth the wait, as it is an amazing surgery... you will get all of this behind you!

Madeline, Several things I don't know, such as your age and relative health prior to surgery. I am 64 and had lots of problems, such as diabetes getting worse, etc. I was 180 # overweight, and have read that recovery is tied to initial weight, age, and pre-surgical health. For me, there would have been no way to go on a trip such as you describe at 3 weeks post surgery. I was still sore inside (treated with Tylenol), I was still needing lots of extra sleep, and had just started mushy phase. My digestion was still problematic, frequent bathroom breaks required. However, people are very different, age, health etc. My gut level, though is that it is not realistic to have such a long trip, given what major re-routing of "innards" has occurred. My healing, at 10 weeks post is much better than even two weeks ago. I was able to gently start my aerobic swimming at 6 weeks, but it did make me sore, but now am at 75% workout and maintaining well. Good luck. Thanks, john

Maverick, you are a bit wacko. But, you have lots of company. We have all given food immense power over our lives, our health, even our relationships. This surgery is about taking that power back. I notice we are about the same size, my starting BMI over 50 as well. With just 10 weeks since my bypass, my diabetes is almost gone, off all blood pressure meds, crippling edema gone, much more flexible, blood work great, and almost 70# gone, my BMI down to 43, I can't imagine any favorite food on my addictions list that could even come close to equaling these fantastic results! I have gone through many sizes of jeans -- 54 waist, to 52, to 50, to 48 -- just got into a pair of 46's yesterday, and ordered 44's and 42's so I have them when I get further down the BMI chart.

This does not apply to me since I am retired, but I have a small farm/huge garden/small orchard and I thought I would get right back out, but found that I needed a full month to feel good enough to work.

I also find that clothing size reduction is the most motivating factor around weight loss. I keep smaller jeans hanging in a visible place, knowing that soon I will fit into them. When I do fit, it is a celebration. I only weigh when I wake up and feel like it, usually every two weeks.

B-52, what do you juice in the morning? I have a good juicer but have not used it since the surgery, focusing on protein such as egg whites in the am. Thanks, John