Dub

A whole lot of awesomeness in this thread. Amazing results. Truly amazing.

Success.......was making the decision that I could use the help the sleeve surgery would provide. It took a lot to convince me that it was the correct path to take. Everything that's occurred since........ be it a big thing or small....are reinforcements that decision was one of the best I've made in my life. Parking in furthest spaces from store/work entrances.....when just a few months ago my orthopedic doctor completed the handicap parking documentation for me and urged me to obtain a permanent handicap sticker/license plate. I never followed through with it. Returning to the gym, even if it's just doing cardio at the moment. It's nice to be surrounded by folks bettering themselves and feeding off the energy in the place. Getting rid of unwanted weight....a long way to go....but not as far as I've come. This really was reinforced last week. I had a semi-formal event that I was planning on attending. I dress casually for work....and for leisure. Rarely do I wear a suit. Dug through the closet and tried on 6 different suits. Each of them looked ridiculously oversized. No way they could be altered enough to ever fit again. Even a couple of sport coats were clown sized. Laughed my arse off at the discovery. Attended anyway in khakis & a tie. Was a tad underdressed but had fun anyway. Looking forward to spending some "suit money" down the road when I get closer to goal. Looking forward to some other "size-check" moments, too. Plane seats.......amusement park rides.....etc........

Shrimp 'n sausage would hit the spot !

Sure wish i could watch the rest of the game.....and then the Panther's game later on. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!! Duty calls and I'm just not feeling it tonight. Hoping another cup of java and a hot shower will be get me motivated.

A few minutes after becoming coherent in my hospital room. Sprung and ready. Couldn't be helped. My surgeon had 4 smoking hot med students with him during my pre-op appointments and throughout my surgery and first post op visit. They were all leaning in....hair down...surgical gear off....leaning in and speaking soothing voices as I woke up. I thought I'd died and was in greener pastures for a second.

Relaxing a bit this afternoon....sipping coffee and watching the Patriots-Broncos game......about to go get ready for a long night shift at work. Wife is doing son's laundry and found that I'd left a load of my stuff in the dryer and forgotten about it when it was done. She walks into the den where I'm chilling....holding up a graphic t-shirt...skulls and stuff all over it. "Hey,.....is this JP's shirt (our 16 year old XL shirt wearing teenager) or.......is it......your's ?" "It'd fit him, but I don't think he'd wear something this scary looking". "Mine.........shirt is mine" sez me. "Oh........okay". Walks off.....then comes back and looks at me again. "Really ?". "Yup. My shirt. Sorry, forgot to get my stuff outa there". "No....that's okay.....it just looks.....much different than what you normally wear", she says before leaving me to the game. I wanted to jump up and give her my best Leslie Chow pump & spray gesture and announce, "A whole otta stuff is different !!!"....but settled for a shoulder shrug and returned to the game. Little T-Rex better keep his paws off my new clothes, too.

Convenience, laziness, timing and poor habits were my downfall. I'll start with poor habits. No game plan.....no structure for meals, timing and lack of structure. I've worked shiftwork for decades and lived off fast food to & from work, cafeteria and vending machine junk while there. Horrible arrangement. I didn't monitor calories in vs calories out......had no clue where I generally was....just did as I pleased. No strive for balanced macros....just whatever tasted good. I did not weigh very often and had no plan for taking corrective action when the scale results said that clearly their should be. I worked hard and indulged hard in hobbies....golf, hunting & fishing with buddies. All three had bad aspects to them, too. Golfing at a beer-a-hole pace all day packs on the calories. Same with fishing. Days in the woods usually included a mid-day trip to a local country restaurant where we'd all eat horribly. So much was upside down with how I lived. I look back an see all this and simply laugh heartily. It feels good to have taken each of these and put solid plans down now to address each. I'm engraining the right way to live now.....it's becoming habit. It feels good and is getting the results I was hoping for. Now....being around my same buddies and family members.....I see in their actions all the wrong I was doing. It scares me to think that I was leading the pack in my excessive indulgement of everything. It was not my time to die, I suppose.....at 47 I was spared the heart attack or stroke that I certainly could have expected. So stupid. Now....I've sort of become more of a lone wolf.....working on my new habits and refining things. I"m still on great terms with my old pards....but "selfishly' having my "me-time". I reflect a lot. I consider where I was and where I want to be. I'm happy again. My first reaction to most things is laughter and finding the humor in situations. The stress and pressure of my job is at an all time high.....truly a pressure cooker. A number of my counterparts have left because of it.....yet I stay.....calm and ready for the challenges and know that I've always given my best....and now my best comes even easier. I'm not even 4 months past my sleeve surgery yet I feel 20 years younger but 20 years wiser at the same time. It's an interesting state of being and one that I am tremendously grateful for.

Same here ! That would be too tough for me......gotta have meat !!!!

Somewhere around the 8-9 week mark I started to enjoy grilled food again. Now, at 14 weeks everything tastes great....it's just that only have a desire for meats, cheeses, fibrous vegtables and some occasional nuts. I have zero desire for candy, sweets and carby stuff.

You've been well advised by the above posts. It will go away in a few weeks. When I hear my new stomach make noises now....I know it's talking to me....telling me to get my big arse in gear and go walk some laps and sip some Water.

13+ hour rotating night & day shifts here. Water is truly never a problem. I always have a Yeti cup full of ice water near me at home or in my vehicle.......at work I always have a water bottle in hand. Usually wear cargo pants at work and slip the empty bottle in a pocket until I get to a filtered source to refill it. Never let yourself get thirsty. It's a constant intake....or at least it is for me. Admittedly, I drink 2-3 cups of coffee on my night shfits and try to overcompenstate for it with more water intake.

South Florida.........you've incurred the envy of every state in the nation !!!!! Cross dem legs and enjoy it. Good stuff.

Bigtime sushi lover, here. 4 months post-sleeve and I've yet to try it post-op. Closest thing I've had are some wasabi almonds. Not very close, at all............ I'm just not wanting any rice. No desire. Now.....the raw salmon & shrimp would be killer.

Having to make it a Protein shake as I'm getting ready to go to work soon. Gotta love shiftwork. I will say this.....Laughing hard at the interplay between you and your boss and the actual size of his "stack". Great moment.........

The morning after my sleeve surgery.....the nurses asked me to take in one ounce and hour and chart it. It took all day for me to drink an 11 oz bottle of Premier Protein. I pretty much stuck with ready made Premier Protein for the first week. I'd pour it into some Hard Rock cafe jigger glasses and leave the rest in the fridge. Only time in my life I can remember sipping from a jigger glass, too. It took me a coupe days before I could get in 3 shakes per day.

You've got this. Just keep everything simple and strictly adhere to your plan. This will eliminate temptation from bothering you. The loss that you'll see by doing the pre-op will invigorate you and build your on your commitment. I promise.

Oh shyt.......gonna take a peek. Your wit and sense of humor is golden......I'm sure this is gonna be a fun read.

I have no idea........but I can't wait to get to that point. Much respect for you being there !!!!!

Stop it...... Stop beating yourself up that is. You had a piece of pizza. You got it outa your system, right? Now you have 5 days left to stay strictly aligned to your program and ensure your success. Nobody is perfect....nor will we ever be. Get on track and stay there and have your wls and profit. You've got this and we are here to help in any way we can.

Blackened chicken tenders sound great. Gonna have to give those a try !!!

I have yet to resume lifting post-sleeve. Allowing abdominal hernia repair to heal and dicey with right shoulder. I want to badly, though.

Now there is the spirit !

You should write a book. Had me laughing the whole time at their description. I hope the 40 mile guy is not a secret agent, but just a superbadass dude who will make you laugh, swoon and want to do bad things.....and good things. You deserve it !!!!

Did another gym session this morning.....up around 7K on the fitbit for the day already.

I have a pair of little schnauzers. Whenever I lay down, the older one lays down next to my right knee the other one usually lays down on my right shoulder. Works out good for me because the knee is shot and any extra warmth there feels great. The shoulder-dog is going to have to find a new spot when I get my shoulder repaired at some point in the future. When I came home from this past hernia repair/sleeve surgery I spent a lot of time in the recliner......slept there at night, too. The oldest jumps up and sleeps on the footrest, head on my knees. Puppy doesn't get in the chair unless I pick her up. When I did make to the point where I'd get to the bed.....I'd sleep with two body pillows over my abdomen. Protected it from the dogs and it just felt good there. An enthusiastic golden retriever is a different challenge than my little ankle biters. I wish I had solid advice for you that would help. Looks like you have over a month until your surgery. Perhaps you can find a place to board the dog for that first week you come home ???