Dysruption

He was my Dr! He's fantastic! I just had the opportunity to go on Great Day Houston on channel 11 with him. Success is within your grasp! Remember to stick with everything the doctor tells you and you will do just fine!

I don't understand the comments saying "Never" on being able to eat normal portions. If that were so true, then why would people start to gain weight again after reaching their goal weight? You read countless studies and they will tell you that eventually you will "eat through" your sleeve, meaning you start to stretch your stomach out again, slowly but surely it can happen. If that were the case, you would only be able to consume 1-2 ounces of liquids/food for the rest of your life, as you did directly after surgery. Your stomach will become bigger ever so slightly as time goes by, which to those of us crazy people who had issues with food and had the surgery for some ridiculous reason other than medical conditions, that's a problem. Thank God for the pouch reset trick that will help you shrink it down again... anyways... if you so desire to eat yourself through the sleeve and have an outstretched stomach again, you certainly may. It's your body, do what you will to it. But if you start to stretch your stomach too much too fast, don't be surprised when you suffer some of those potentially life threatening side effects and have to be rushed to the hospital.

Hello all May sleevers! I was sleeved on May 19th and so far it has been the best decision I have ever made! I am down 40 lbs and feeling better each day. I'm curious to hear about others who have gone through the surgery at the same time as me. What are some challenges you are facing right now? What are some challenges you have overcome and how did you get past them? What foods are you eating right now? What is your exercise routine? I know it's a lot of questions, but let's answer these so that others who have gone through similar situations can find comfort or ways to overcome their challenges. Thanks for taking the time answer the questions!

Where is everyone at now? Just curious if anyone else is still around that had their surgery on May 19th 2015. Have you reached your goal? Are you maintaining your weight loss and diet?

How's the androrush? I was looking into that one, but seemed a bit pricey to me. What others would you compare it to? I am going on a 30 day cleanse from stimulant pre-workout's to cycle off. Thinking of getting something different when I get back on them.

I've used Stimul8 by Fina Flex and that is some pretty potent stuff. Only use half a scoop for your first try if you get it and don't consume at least 4 hours before bed. I stayed up past 2am one night because I thought I could graduate to a full scoop. Took it at 6pm that night too. I cycled off it, as you should with all pre-workouts to give your adrenal gland a rest, and now am using C4. I preferred Stimul8 but thought I'd switch it up. I like the steps that @@NewSetOfCurves provided and I will start incorporating BCAA's in my water at the gym. Thanks for the tips!

Standing tricep extensions, chair dips (modifications for bent knees will help if you need it), standing cable curls, stability ball outside curls. Using some tempo changes on these exercises can build the tension in the muscle which encourages growth. More growth of muscle means skin has to adjust. If you're not looking to necessarily build a ton of muscle, use lower weights and more reps. Push-ups build on chest as well as triceps, but I still like them for overall upper body workout. Rowing works mainly back as the primary mover, but triceps are secondary if performed correctly. Just as some advice if you're not already doing so, make sure you are evenly working your entire body. Don't over work just your arms. Be sure to get a well rounded workout schedule and change it up often for best results.

Would you be willing to share your training schedule for the 13 weeks? I was really looking to begin some training in this area. I already run 10k pretty easily, bike ride is no problem, but the swimming I haven't really done. Good luck with your training and keep us posted on your progress!

It's been a while since my last post, but I wanted to take the time to encourage anyone out there that may be struggling. I started out a year ago weighing in at 340 lbs and today I weigh 214 lbs. That's right, 126 lbs in just 12 months! The transformation has been so phenomenal that I sometimes cannot believe the pictures when I see them side-by-side. I've taken a new interest in physical fitness and have started studying to get my certification in personal training. I used to hate having to work out all the time, but now it's my ultimate stress reliever. When running used to make me tired just thinking about it, I now think of running whenever I'm tired from a long day of work! It's now therapeutic to run 5k instead of being such a burden! Every day I pass by someone at the office that I haven't seen in 6-8 months and they cannot believe the transformation. This truly has been one of the greatest decisions I have ever made, having this surgery done. My wife tells me all the time that she's married to a totally different man now, which she assures me that is a good thing! I'm excited about the future and can't wait to look back on another year of me maintaining my weight. I'm 4 lbs away from goal and now it's time to find a good groove, build some muscle and enjoy life. Pictures are attached to show the difference. These pictures were taken about a year apart from each other. I wish everyone success in their weight loss goals and smooth journey on their road to being healthier! How about you? Anyone near a year since their surgery and want to share success stories for anyone else? Feel free to share any before and after pictures too!

Your surgeon will tell you most likely that you cannot do any heavy lifting or anything more than walking for about 6 weeks. Which is standard when you have undergone major surgery. Once that was lifted, my surgeon told me to ease in to weight lifting and to know my limitations. That is the key to everything. Don't over do it, or you'll find yourself back at the hospital for a hernia which will keep you out of the game longer than six weeks. Once you're through the waiting period it will be trial and error to find the right amount of working out for your calorie intake. The problem is, you want to ease into it because you could potentially burn more calories than you intake which can cause your body to stall in weight loss if it's held at that pace continually. Meaning, if you have 800 calories in and you're burning 1600 calories for the day, you can only go into the negatives for so long until your body fights back. Keep your Protein high, your Water high and you'll do just fine! Try and start out with stabilization training when you get back in to it. I learned that I needed to work on my balance a lot more with the new shape of my body. Happy training and good luck with your surgery!

I generally eat about 1200 - 1400 calories a day. Since I am lifting a lot I require more calories from before. I eat Protein, protein, protein. I get all of my protein from foods, as I really dislike Protein shakes these days. My protein comes from chicken, eggs, and I have a very nice low carb, no sugar Protein Bar that I eat. Example of a daily meal: Breakfast - Skinny Crust-less Quiche - and egg white quiche with ground turkey meat, broccoli, carrots, onions. I can never get sick of this! I've literally wore my wife out of making it! 20g of protein lunch - 4-5oz of boneless skinless chicken breast, generally grilled or baked - I mix up the toppings I put on it, mozzarella cheese, BBQ sauce, salsa, whatever I'm in the mood for. 30g~ of protein Snack - protein bar/ homemade protein pack (light string cheese stick rolled in sliced chicken deli meat) - 20-25g protein dinner - Some form of chicken grilled or baked - 4-5 oz - 30g protein Dessert - For when I'm bad occasionally - My wife will make some really high Fiber brownies using All Bran and I'll get a small square with a spoon full of vanilla ice cream. I will always shoot for 100g of protein a day, sometimes more depending on weight training schedule. I unfortunately do not get a lot of vegetables in my diet, which I'm trying to get more of, it's just hard when you only have so much room and need to get protein in instead of vegetables. My work out schedule is pretty demanding, at least 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. Something I enjoy doing now is working with others to helping them achieve their workout/weight loss goals because I know how hard it is to not have anyone to work out with. That's why I'm studying to become a certified personal trainer. Hope this helps answer your questions and then some!

@@joannct1 I eat some carbs, usually between 50-60 grams now, just because I need them for all the working out that I do. I go on 2-3 mile runs 3 times a week and do strength training with weights also. I'm 110 lbs down now and through the holidays I was a bit bad, but still managed to lose 4 lbs during that time while eating some sweets here and there. The key is always moderation!

Sorry to say that if you plan on going to Ohana's, you will have to pay full price because they charge based on age. I called and asked Disney World customer service on that one before I went. They will however allow you to order from kid's menus where available without giving you any trouble. I steered clear of the buffets because there wasn't much return of investment if you know what I mean haha. Hope you have fun! Track how much walking you do with a fitbit or something like it! It's really fun to see the distance you cover and calories you burn!

Doing fantastic and haven't looked back a day since the surgery! I've lost a total of 96lbs since May 19th, the day of surgery. Likes: Fitting into clothes I haven't wore in years! Dropping from 44 size jeans to 36. Dislikes: Some muscle loss has occurred, but not so much that I'd worry about it. Zero complications! I've been very lucky with everything! Regret: I wish I would have done this sooner! If your weight loss isn't moving as fast as you'd like it to, start moving around more! Push yourself to your limits and you'll see that scale move down further each week! I have 34lbs to go to hit my goal and I can't wait to get there!

@@bellabloom Here is my go-to list 1. Breakfast. Skinny crustless quiche 2.00 cup(s), All Whites 100% liquid Egg Whites 0.25 tsp(s), Spices, pepper, black 0.25 tsp(s), Salt, table 0.50 cup, shredded, cheese, mozzarella, low moisture, part-skim 1.00 cup, Cottage Cheese - Non Fat 0.25 cup, chopped, Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 0.33 lb(s), Ground Turkey 85/15 - 3 Lb. Pkg You can substitute carrots or whatever other veggies you want. It makes 8 servings and is 113 calories roughly, 15 grams of Protein. I put some pineapple citrus salsa on it to spice it up a bit. I'll switch it up every now and then and just do whole egg, scrambled and some kind of meat to keep me full until lunch rolls around. 2. Lunch. Low fat Turkey meatloaf 1.00 lb(s), Fit & Easy 99% Fat Free Ground Turkey Breast 3.00 oz(s), Tomato Paste, 100% Natural 1.00 tbsp(s), Tomato Paste, 100% Natural 1.00 egg, Large Egg - Yummy and Delicious 1.00 large, eggs - White only, raw 2.00 tbsp(s), Cheese, parmesan, grated 3.00 clove(s), Garlic, raw 4.00 tablespoons, Restaurant Style Salsa Citrus Pineapple 1.00 cup, Chopped White Onion makes 4 servings, 186 calories, 8g carbs, 32g of protein 3. Snack Light string cheese, 50 calories a piece - 9g protein or non fat greek yogurt - 80 - 100 - 12g protein or Pure Protein Bar - chocolate deluxe - 190 calories, 21g of protein 4. dinner. Depends on the day really, sometimes I eat 4 oz grilled chicken breast, sometimes I have some beef or turkey meatballs in some marinara sauce. Up to this point in my day, I've pretty much met my protein quota, but I still like to get a little more in. 5. Late night snack. I try to stay away from this as much as possible. But if I am going to snack, I get something light, 1 oz of mixed nuts or a yogurt of some kind. After a long week, I will grab a bowl of ice cream (exactly the serving size! not opening a pint and finishing it). You appreciate it so much more when it's only once in a while and not every night. Plus Blue Bell is back on the shelves in Texas! Throw stones if you want, but I've never hit a stall more than 2 weeks because I always keep my body guessing! The moment you start getting in a routine, your body gets used to it and you got to shock it with some good calories every now and again. As you can tell, I did not mention anything about Protein shakes. I quit protein shakes when I was able to start eating meat because I get enough protein that way. I absolutely hate protein shakes now because of the first 6 weeks of nothing but powdered protein...yuck! If I never have to drink another one in my life, I'll be happy!

I workout at least 5 times a week, sometimes twice a day if work schedule permits or if I'm just not able to sleep that well. I'd like to start heavy lifting, but no one to go to the gym with and getting a weight set for home just seems like too much money right now. I'm on my last few weeks of P90X3 which has been an amazing workout! Just 30 minutes a day, as short as one episode of your favorite show. Since I began that I've lost about 25 lbs, trading off with some muscle has been nice too. I will say it's not always easy to workout. Sometimes you get that feeling that you're just not up to it. I'd come home after working a 12 hour day and just want to sit on the couch, but that's how I go into this mess before. So I drink my pre-workout and get to burning a sweat! This may be vain, but after a workout I look in the mirror and remember why I just pushed myself through the 30-45 minutes of pain... to not look like that 340 lb fat guy I used to see in the mirror every day. Sure, you could lose the weight without working out that much, but why waist the tool you equipped yourself with? Don't let the winter rob you of the accomplishments you've made. And don't let it slow down, you've got to push yourself to see the changes you saw in week 1 to week 6.

@@Proud2BMe I agree with MzB about using the food tracker if you are not already doing so. For one thing, it will allow you to monitor not only Protein but carbs/fat as well. You have to have the right balance in your diet, not cutting out all fat and all carbs as some would think. Feeling like you are going to faint could come from lack of carbs when your body really needs them. I've hit multiple stalls and when it came down to it, my body was getting used to the routines I was putting on myself. We're creatures of habit and our habits are noticed by our bodies and they adapt very well. How many calories do you consume? This is important so that you are not in starvation mode for too long, which can actually make your body hold on to food and store it as fat. I know it can be hard to make extra time to get in 5 days a week of exercise, but with just 30 minutes a day, you can really make a difference. Me and my wife just started P90X3 last week, it's just 30 minutes, but a great workout. The muscle groups that are worked is really a full body work out that helps build muscle, burn fat and in such a short amount of time. My advice is, change it up every now and then. Keep track of your food and really analyze the stuff you're putting into your body. Finally, Stalls happen. Some last longer than others, the way to get out is always trial and error because nothing works the same for everyone. And you might not even use the same trick twice on your next stall! Don't get discouraged! You'll make it through this one! Good luck!

Just wanted to provide an update from my Disney trip. My wife and I spent 7 days in Orlando. We did 2 days Disney World and 4 days Universal Studios. My fitbit tracked a total of 50 miles walked during the trip, which seemed a little lower than I anticipated, but we didn't go nuts in the parks. It was extremely hot and hard to keep enough fluids down, even with a camelbak mule, 3 liter Water reservoir. It was hard for me to consume the amount of calories I needed with all of that burning happening with the walking. I'm up to 1000 average per day now, and with all the walking, I should have been eating 2600 or so per day. I had some issues with energy and had to take some breaks toward the end of the day. Some of the days we just went back to the condo during lunch, took a shower and a nap. Those were much needed! I don't recommend this for someone just starting out, but I ate some good stuff while I was there! I had to eat some butterbeer ice cream from the wizard world of Harry Potter! I ate quite a bit of other stuff. Even after eating some junk along the way, I managed to lose 4 lbs during the week! I'm now 50 lbs until I hit my goal and I've started doing P90X3 this week. The lbs will really start to fly off now! Good luck with your trip and I hope you have a great time! @

I'm going to Disney World Aug 15th, going to spend some time at Universal. I'll be 3 months out around that time, I've lost 61 lbs so far and I feel great! I'm so looking forward to trying some good food when I get there! Not going to over do it or anything, but hey, isn't the saying "There are no calories at Disney World"? Totally kidding, but believe you me, I'm getting a bite of the Cronut at Be Our Guest breakfast! I figure I've earned it because I'm halfway to my goal almost. I was a little worried about the rides, but nothing is worse than going on a plane. The only ride I feel might be a bit intense is Mission Space. I'll let you know how it goes!

In terms of screwing things up, with what you've described, no, not at all. With the 'hunger' feeling, you've got to re-learn what it means to feel hungry, or at least I did. Your stomach can have too much acid in it, which gives the feeling of hunger, so be sure to take your antacids if you were prescribed any by your surgeon. Definitely get your water in, its very critical, especially during summer months if your in a southern state. You don't want to end up in the hospital on an IV for fluids. Sip, sip, sip all day. It took me almost 2 weeks to be able to get in 64oz a day. You'll slowly start to be able to take in more as your stomach swelling goes down. Just remember to portion out everything and keep track of your protein intake. The more protein the better! I get 100 grams of protein in a day now at 8 weeks out. Plus I've started to work out a lot more so I need it! But it really helps your body out during recovery too! Good luck and say good bye to those lbs!

No pre-op diet, and at my 2 week appointment post-op I had lost 34 lbs. I'm 30 years old, male, so it might be easier for me to get rid of some excess weight. Currently I'm at 2 months today post-op and down 58 lbs. I finally have been able to start running again without my knees feeling like they are going to break! The important thing to remember is this isn't a race to see who loses the most weight. It's a chance for you to start over with healthy eating habits and regular exercise. If it takes some a year or more to hit goal, oh well... that means less skin related issues because they gradually lost weight instead of rapid weight loss and skin removal surgery later. I recommend weights to help with skin issues. It really seems to have helped me.

I agree, 4 days post op and walking 30 min every 3 hours is definitely a bit excessive. You're supposed to be making sure you're healing properly. You just had major surgery, and your mom should realize that also. My Dr. cleared me for normal exercise activities at 6 weeks, which is today, so I get to use some weights finally. But before that, my doctor said I should only be walking. I walked only 20-30 minutes a day the first week. By week 2 I felt good enough to walk 30-45 minutes once a day. Your body needs time to adjust to the radical decrease in calories. Too much stress could be adverse to your health, so take it slow. The weight will come off in time!

600 - 800 calories a day is what my surgeon and nutritionist advised me during this period. I'm currently at 6 weeks and that's how much I get in. I've noticed when I hit around 700-800 I feel a lot better the next day. It's really dependent on how you feel. Your body will tell you if you're needing more calories. I wouldn't stay below 600 consistently because that could be bad for you. Ultimately, I'd discuss with your surgeon where you should be calorie wise. If you're not using something like Myfitnesspal to document your food, I recommend it.

You don't find the atkins bars too high in saturated fat or fat in general? That's the only thing that has turned me off from those bars. That and most of them are really high in calories.

Have you tried putting the powder in other things, like pudding? you can even make pudding out of your protein powder by putting less water in it than is required, stir it up and freeze it. Another idea is to make pudding pops, with the protein mixed in. From what I've found, it doesn't matter how many protein shakes you switch to, eventually they will always taste the same. No matter the brands I've tried, they have all been a chalky consistency no matter how much I try to mask the flavors! Thankfully I now get all of my protein from foods, or protein bars. The liquid diet will pass by very quickly! Check out the forum for some good recipes to make things interesting so you don't go crazy eating the same thing over and over. I will probably not eat pudding again for a very long time. Good luck!