Dub

You look great and have really been successful. Outstanding.

I can't tell you how many "Gonna start my new diet on Monday" weekends that I've had in my life. There is no telling......happened all the freaking time. I just wasn't truly ready.......until April 2nd, 2015. I screwed up my back picking up something with poor lifting technique and the pain that occurred over the months ahead was enough to scare me badly. I missed 6 consecutive weeks from work and I was scared....really scared. The knowledge that my back would heal if I got the unwanted weight off was drilled into my head by a spine surgeon I was consulting. I'd already been dealing with other specialists for a circulatory problem and was concerned that I was in bigtime health trouble. The two circulatory doctors both agreed that massive weight loss would allow my body to recover and heal itself. This knowledge galvanized my belief that I could.....and would.....get the weight off and keep it off. It's been a fairly linear process with a few setbacks here and there. The setbacks were opportunities to learn, though, and I'm grateful for them. You scheduled this surgery for a reason. It's vitally important to keep your reasons for doing so in mind and let them guide you. food is just another aspect of your life that you have to manage. No different than how you budget your money or drive your car. You don't gamble thousands of dollars away on football games or drive your car like a race car driver do you ? Of course not. You simply have to find the keys to managing your decisions to eat poorly. They may be different for each of us....they may be similar. All I know is that Pain and Fear took root in me and got my damn attention.

Cottage cheese is one of the few foods that gross me out. I know it's irrational......and it's not a food that bothered me before........but now.......no thanks....never again.

A bodybuilder in my gym saw that I had been working hard....burning off weight. He approached me one day and congratulated me on the progress. I thanked him and asked if he had any magic wisdoms for success. Turns out....he did. He said, "Look around....everybody in here....well almost everybody in here.....is working hard....busting their ass. That's super. Not all of them will get the results they want, though. We work hard while we are here, but it's what we do the other 23 hours of the day that allow the results to shine". I don't get how you having your sleeve is the worst decision of you life. You have a tool that can help you combat your obesity. Seems to me the worst decisions are all those choices you make during the day to eat poorly and in a way that doesn't support your desire to loose weight. It's a process and it's good that you are seeking professional help. Hopefully you can find a way to flip that switch that's inside of you......your own personal "GO" button......and be able to gain control overall through winning those numerous choices that you make throughout each day. For me it took experiencing a great deal of back pain and fear from an injury and a circulatory condition that was developing. I began to realize that I wasn't going to be around much longer if I kept living like I was. That pain...and that fear were enough to flip my switch. Priorities were shifted really damn quick and my actions....for the most part.....now are aligned with my priorities. I hope you can get to this point soon. You can turn your life around.

What is your surgeon saying about this? Did you have problems with acid prior to surgery ? I've never tried Nexium as I've always been really well served by chewable Pepcid. I'm lucky, I suppose. Those things are excellent relief for me. Maybe there is another med that your surgeon could suggest.

Exactly........taking the leap of faith to have the sleeve surgery is the important step. Crossing bridges later on is easily done.

Coming up on my 11th month post-sleeve. I could pretty much eat anything and have no issues. I enjoy grilling and cooking and use lots of jalapeño, hot sauce, spicy rubs and an occasional habanero. I was glad to discover that I can still enjoy everything the same. I have never had much of a dumping sensation, although I do have an a predictable reaction to foods high in sugar. I seldom have any sweets, candy and equivalent. It's a food type that has really dropped off my radar along with beer and diet soft drinks. For example, just celebrated wife's birthday. She'd asked that I not get a cake. I did, however, sneak by a gourmet cupcake bakery and bought a few varieties that I thought she'd like. One of them was chocolate cake with mint icing and a thin mint cookie on top. She said she wanted the other types and I did my husbandly duties and ate this thin mint cupcake to spare her the horror. I've had these before and loved 'em. Not this time. Tasted like a bag full of sugar. It seemed to be much bigger than I remember it being last time, even though I know it was the same. Within minutes of finishing the sugar bomb.....it hit my system and my system wasn't happy with me. It did what it could to get that stuff outa my body. It's all the proof that I need to know that our bodies were not designed to consume refined sugar. I don't need it in my life and my body doesn't like it so I'd call that a great outcome of avoiding it. I do best when I enjoy meats and vegetables. I've also resumed eating salads. They always have chicken or other Protein in them....usually have kale or spinach as the leafy stuff....and always have eggs, cheese, sunflower seeds and light or no dressing.

I was never a picky eater before my sleeve. Now....it's funny. There are foods that think would make me hurl if I had to eat them. Cottage cheese, for example. Absolutely disgusted by this. Irrational. Used to like it okay. Now.....hurl factor high. Meatloaf. Some Soups. It's a weird list and I fear that it's still developing. Well and fine, though.....as being disgusted by foods......and their misuse.....is a good thing, right ? I still enjoy certain things....but I simply want my portion and then I'm done. It sorta hit me again the other day.....wife came into the den and saw I was having some leftovers for my lunch/dinner. She went into the kitchen and walked back into the den, "Why did you put everything up? What if you'd wanted more?". Silly question to ask me now. I get what I want and I'm done. Almost never finish any meal that is served to me by someone else. Don't like feeling full, either. I freaking hope that never goes away.

Very cool experience @@LisaMergs Seeing a confused look in peoples faces is a great NSV

@@charlie24 why can't you have ibuprofen?

Prior to the surgery I told my family, a couple friends and boss. I did tell my closest buddies at work. After a month or so I had people asking lots of questions about how I was losing weight. I was honest and open about my experiences. It became a nonevent very soon.

Not sure why it'd be frowned on around here. It's a part of life and a damned important part, too. Sex is much better now than before. Now, I know that I broke the bed due to effort.......not due to weight.

I grew sick of the insurance company stalling things. I opted to self pay and that sped everything up a great deal. Weeks Vs months.

Try doing a search for alcohol and then get ready to read all sorts of views. I waited until third month.

It will be something you're going to get a great deal of relief from. Wish I'd done this years ago.

Been taking Advil for a while now. Surgeon approved me to do so. It's one of the reasons I chose sleeve Vs bypass.

Competition is something I do at work.....its part of the culture there. I'm glad as hell I am not having to compete in my off time. Sounds too much like those stupid bachelor or bachelorette shows.

I had a few jitters as well. Same jitters I've had before ankle, knee and hernia surgeries. I stayed focused on the fact that I was in much greater danger living like I had been and the WLS was going to be a lifeline. I experienced zero complications and it was the easiest and least painful surgery to recover from.

You are doing an outstanding job of making the most or your VSG. Look at you......in 6 months !!!!!!!!!!! Amazing results. See....people look at before & after photos but they can't see the biggest changes......the changes that are occurring in our confidence and happiness. You described this really well. I am very flattered by your kind words, however, you are the one that is inspiring here. Running marathons and helping others. You have made the most of your experience and are certain to make the most at your new life. Amazing results !!!

I started enjoying an occasional drink at 3-4 months. All is well. Didn't lose my mind. No issues.

Perhaps......on some topics. I'll blame my coffee habit indulgence on my VSG surgeon, doe. Any and everything else.....I'll take the blame and punishment for.................. Right on the chin .

I thought coffee was off limits, can I start drinking coffee later? Good luck and thanks! Teena Surgery date 08/15/16 Start 267/ Surgery 248/ Now 221 Loss 46 / 27 As far as I'm concerned......YES, you can drank coffee. Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night............I just slept as could.....where I could.

LMAO at "keeping them alive". My wife came with me to a support group meeting and I went back for two more by myself. I vowed to never....ever go back. Each of them were two hour spans of my life that I can never get back. Each of the meetings were dominated by 1-2 people who were complaining and griping the whole time. Every single time a person spoke up with a positive experience the outspoken jerks would rain down on them. I'll never sit through that crap again. I actually stood up halfway through that last meeting and told the loudmouth what I though of their bullcrap whining and bid them a good life and got the heck outa there. I trust that other places have better programs.....but the one's I attended were horrid. Some patients just want to stay mired down in their sorrows and drag other's down with them. Oh no!! I haven't been to ours yet, but I hope it's not like that! I could definitely see how they could go that direction though. My surgeon has a Facebook group for all his patients and within that everyone has been awesome so far! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I wish that I'd have handled things differently in the very first meeting. I didn't want to be "that guy" though. By the midpoint of that third meeting.....I simply couldn't take it anymore. It was an excuse fest being thrown out by two people and the other dozen were actually trying to convey best practices and winning strategies. After a bit.....I heard myself speaking before I realized it was happening. It wasn't warm an bubbly talk, either, lol. I gave in to the dark side.....said my piece.....stood up and gtfo. Good thing I got out when I did, too. I was trying my best to get past a life of excuses.....and some of the ones I was hearing sounded pretty damn tempting to buy into. Hell.....I'll bet the loud dude in there could've talked us into hopping in a van together....singing Kumbaya all the way to a pizza buffet together.

I am so very sorry to hear about the extreme difficulties you and your wife have faced. It must be overwhelming. Prayers for you and hoping for the best.

Thanks. I'm on here too dang much.....from phone....laptop, etc. It's addictive......yet helpful for me. Life after wls is something that I need to talk about with someone. I almost never discuss it with folks outside of here because it's just something that they have no experience with. We are all here going through similar times and can really relate.