Dub

Whenever I think about hunger and my association with it.......I feel that I've truly never experienced true hunger in my life. Real hunger is what people who have no idea where there next meal.....if there is a next meal.....is coming from. That's hunger. Anything I've ever experienced in my life is simply mild discomfort. Perhaps some occasional real hunger would do me some good.

what type of spasms were these ?

Getting the stuff out of you system makes it easier to keep out. The sugar cravings ease off soon. Upping your Water intake helps, too. Not sure why....but it did for me. When the sugar cravings would hit hard....I'd have small cup of coffee and it helped a great deal, too. After a few days you'll be on more stable ground. I found it much easier to cut out all carbs at the same time as the sugars.

I'm confused, too. What med for spasms ? What spasms ?

Surgery was around 9:00am on a Tuesday and I was released Wednesday afternoon around 4:30pm. Took 3 weeks off to allow the simultaneous umbilical hernia repair to heal.

Ah.....

why not have it resized ?

My surgeon allows them. He urged me to consider sleeve vs bypass for this reason. He did say to take with food.

I agree both @@jintycb ..........@@steph_anie you have absolutely done an amazing jobs of rebuilding yourselves. Great work, ladies.

I use biofreeze on my knees and back. Great product but careful around sutures

ah......um..........yes. Spend a minute and read up on the posts here. Virtually everyone experience a bit of "looseness" of the stool.........

Peanut Butter and nuts in general will betray you. Calorically dense........beware. Also they have high potential as grazing foods......beware.

Most recent "during" photo. Just made it home from gym.....old dude tired but pumped up from the werk done.

My back only hurts when I drink..........too much tequila. I wake up the next morning with the craziest pains and bruises but a big old grin on my face. Could be worse.....at least you don't wake up with strange and unexplained itches and rashes when you drink. That would be gross. Sorry, I couldn't have been of more help.

So true !!!! Around the three month post-op time period I was having sciatic pains that would simply explode from nowhere....I could be walking, sitting, sleeping, etc and wham......bang....pow....snap.....dayum that stings. Went on for a few weeks and I asked my doc about it. He said to give it time and keep moving..... It went away. Strange things are amiss in our bodies.....change is constant.....weirdness is ongoing. I learned to embrace the wild ride and not to worry about much at all.

Look back and say, "Slow down, Tiger". Perhaps this will ease your tailbone pain. Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm in one of those goofy moods. Everything is a base level humor topic for me this morning. I'm mentally drained from the workweek and looking forward to some puberty-level fun this afternoon, evening up until my old arse turns back into a pumpkin as the play energy runs out...... You are simply losing some of your padding. That's all that's happening. The good news is that you'll find yourself sitting down less and less. You'll be wanting to move, move, move all the time. It's your body changing and giving you new superpowers. Roll wid it, child, roll wid it.

I love serving juicy meat but it is a very hands-on process and not instant. Can't help it......grillers do it slower............

At ten days, my plan didn't involve eating anything. I was on 3 Protein shakes a day.

Simple plan is a good plan. Boring is good right now. Keeps you from concerning yourself with thinking about food or eating plans.....just have the shakes when you are supposed to and drinks tons of Water in between. It'll pass very quickly and you'll be losing at a great rate by the end of that first week, too. You are well on you way to getting into the shape you've wanted. You got this.

Ten months out from VSG surgery. I feel much better in many ways. At the time I had my surgery, I was having lots of back pain that was seriously impacting my ability to work and to enjoy my time off with family. I was also being treated for high blood pressure and taking lots of anti-inflammatory meds for joint pains. I was a couch potato....minimal movement due to my pain. I was really just a miserable feeling dude. I'm no longer on the blood pressure meds. My back issues are seriously improved and remain that way as long as I continue daily pt stretches and use very careful lifting techniques. Spending some time every day or so in the gym. Feels great. Surrounded by motivated folks. Before surgery, one of the things I really enjoyed was to cook & grill for my family. I had concerns that I'd lose this fun aspect of my life. I did lose it during my two week pre-op and for the first two months post op. Then, one day at around 8-9 weeks out I had the strong desire to fire up the coals and let it ride on the grill. I went to the grocery store and bought several types of meats and the sides for my tribe. During my stroll around the grocery store....I had to pull my pants up near constantly. My clothes were hanging loose on me and it was hilarious. Came home and had a blast in the kitchen and on the deck.....and haven't stopped since. Grilled food and my sleeve are a harmonious fit. Now I'm adding in some crunchy vegetables and life is good !!! Emotionally........in a much better place. Tremendous difference, bro. Tremendous. That being said.....I did go through a "crazy period" while the majority of the fat was burning off. Hormones and Lord knows whatever else that was stored in that fat was released and I felt like I was 18 all over again. I went with it and it was a wild ride. The "crazy side" is still there but I've learned to control it......at least on work days, lol. Sorta like Spiderman learning not to walk around and shoot webs impulsively. Controlling the web slinging now. Now...I'm in need of a shoulder repair, two knee replacements and have a hernia that's being monitored and will need repairing as well down the road. Add to that a tricky back. I still weight train and do cardio when my knees aren't screaming. The other day I took a kayak and put in at the river.....and went a few miles upstream. My goal was to make it ten miles to the dam, however, the Corps of Engineers began releasing Water from the dam and forward progress became impossible. still I was there....paddling my arse off....going nowhere. After I was spent....I turned around and drifted back downriver. What a cool workout. Opportunities like this come along and I jump at them. Looking forward to hunting seasons coming in.....I'll be out there climbing trees or wading into the swamp. Ducks and deer will be chased. I'm enjoying life and looking forward to the future in a way that I couldn't imagine prior to surgery. Life is great, boss. Come grab a seat on the Loser's Bench an mix up a pre-workout drink and get ready to do something fun that you've always wanted to do. Hell, you may even find yourself outdoors one night....and go with the feeling to howl at the moon and be a werewolf. Nobody will judge......go with it.

I completely agree. Great reply.

I am certainly feeling better in many ways after shedding a good chunk of the unwanted weight. The things that still aggravate me are my knees and back. The back is something that comes and goes....I simply am very careful with it and continue to do my stretches learned in physical therapy. The knees....hmmmmn. Somedays I'll feel really good with them and am able to do some 90 minute sessions on treadmill (uphill walking) or elliptical. Other days....like this past week...I struggle. It was so bad when driving home from work last night that I had to reach down under my knee to lift and guide my leg as I transitioned between accelerator & brake pedals. Crazy, right ? It can be either knee on any given day. Both have been operated on when I was in my late teens. Football injuries. I've not been kind to them ever since. Tendon & ligament repairs, cartilage deterioration, severe advanced arthritis...fun combo. Normal stuff that I accept from living large for so long. Play stupid games and win stupid prizes. 5 years ago I was told by two specialists that I'd need replacements in five years, lol. Was hoping that the lost weight would be more relief. Maybe another 60 lbs will get me to a better state. Overall, I'm pretty much off all the meds I was on prior to sleeve. I am very happy with this development, however, I'm contemplating adding stuff for joint pain. My sleeve surgeon told me that I could use Advil with food...as needed. It was working okay up until last week....then it reach the point where it was not. I've recently seen my pcp, who knows about my sleeve. He prescribed Tramadol. I tried it and found little benefit. Granted, I was spot using it only on days where I was unable to bend either knee more than a few degrees without serious pain. Yesterday I had Advil at an alarming level that I will not repeat. I was simply hoping to make it through the day at work. Today I'll actually give the Tramadol another try. I'll do it with the dosing schedule the doc suggested. I've never tried Celebrex but am considering going back to see him and ask for some next level help. I work 13+ hour shifts with lots of walking (an aspect that I truly love). One of my peers is going out next week for hip replacement surgery and I intend on covering his spot on my scheduled days off. I need to get on top of the pain so I can do so. These next 4 months are going to be a grind and I need to be proactive (seems late in the pain game to use such a term): * Making an appointment to see my PCP this Friday to see what short term relief he can advise * Reverting back to the 2-week pre-op liquid diet, basically living off Protein shakes and Vitamins. Perhaps there is some easy Water weight that I can shed. Some foods seem to aggravate my arthritis, perhaps this will be a good workaround. It'll certainly speed up the rate of loss and get me to goal quicker. * Halting all cardio and preserving the knees for the long hours and long runs of consecutive days at work. * Using compression wraps on knees. * Research otc / homeopathic remedies as well. I have a buddy who swears by drinking a shot of apple cider every day. Sounds silly...but he is adamant that it helps his pain level. He's urged me to the the Bragg brand and give it a go. Hell, nothing to lose at this point. Gonna stop at EarthFare or Fresh Market this afternoon if I can make it there before they close. What's the harm in a shot of cider each day ? Sorry for the long moaning and groaning post. I'm hoping that there is a sleeve friendly medication that you've used to gain leverage of similar pains. Very interested in hearing what's worked for you. I'm not looking to medicate this way long term.....just get myself through the next 4 months and down below goal weight and then have those hard conversations about knee replacement or other preliminary treatments. Thank you !!!

We lose hair all the time. All of us. It's part of life. It grows back and the process generally goes unnoticed. During rapid weight loss, the hair regrowth simply slows. It'll speed back up once you level off.

I guess every plan has it's inherent differences. I was told to avoid Snacks up until I went in for my 6 month appointment. At this time the surgeon said I could add snacks of crunchy vegetables. Prior to then it was simply the three meals per day. Since there was no hunger (for me, at least. I know some experience what they perceive as hunger) it was no longer about eating for satisfaction, simply for nourishment. Snacks really weren't desired as it maintained food focus in between meals.