Dub

@@sbg224 you are doing great. Just looked at your stats on left of your post......current BMI of 34.9 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This done and then a total knee replacement just recently. Amazing......sleeve & knee replacement in the same year? Awesome strategy. You are gonna feel like The 6 Million Dollar Woman once that knee heals up. My stats are on the left of my post, too. They pretty much tell the story. Life is good. 2015 was a year that has closed out well and 2016 is looking like it'll be off to a great start.

Salmon is great on the grill. Run it at 350.....rub some olive oil all over it.......lightly hit it with a mixture of sea salt & fresh ground pepper. After a few minutes then brush on a glaze. Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce is perfect. (It's not hot) Now if you really want to cook something tasty an easy........try some Ahi tuna on the stove top. Superfast......super tasty and loaded with great Protein that we all need.

Schedules are tough....but at least they are easier to manage as the health continues to improve. I work 12 hour rotating shifts and used to feel dead on my feet after work....stumble into bed and done. Rinse & repeat daily. That was just working the normal schedule. Now, I find myself doing all sorts of stuff after work and my days off are much more packed with active living. The gym time has finally come for me and the energy I got from yesterday's session has me amped up and feeling better today. I'll have to find a way to make it work. Gym time on work days is going to be tough.....but I'll figure out a way.

I can't eat it. There are few foods that I don't truly enjoy.....I'm cursed that way. Cottage cheese, however, is one that I can live the rest of my days and never eat again. I don't know why I'm like that, but I can't stand the stuff. My list of foods that I'll never eat: Cottage cheese Bologna any organ: liver, gizzards, etc green peas Foods that I love: Damn near everything else...............

Awesome reference......took me back to Ghostbusters. One of my fellow linemen on the high school football team had that nickname, "Stay-Puft". Coach was mean with his nicknames sometimes. LMAO ! Hahaha! I'm excited that I could wear a purple dress now without looking like a giant grape. My college colors are Purple & Gold. When I'd go to the games the past few years I felt like Barney the Purple Dinosaur in my purple clothes.

Very, very, very normal. I was the same way. Guess what?......later on you can still feel little restriction with some of the foods that made us what we are today......ice cream, pudding, Desserts and etc. Good, nutritious chicken breast, tuna, salmon, steak and other Proteins will fill you up in just a few bites. That's why they go first......and frequently throughout your day. Even with the sleeve, we still have to be cognizant of the type of foods we consume. Life this next year or so is all about Protein and supplements. You are going do great.

I tend to go overboard when discussing a topic that I get overly enthused about............not just food.....but grilled food. I freaking love it. I was very, very pleased to get back to grilling work a couple weeks back. I'm seriously lagging somedays on my Protein intake. Having an abundance of grilled food around makes that less likely to occur. Even a George Foreman grill indoors with some fresh boneless chicken breasts is great for me. I have a ball playing with different rubs and sauces.....keeping in mind that both can be loaded with sodium and sugar calories. I posted some pics recently in the "food" section of the forum.......and will do the same tomorrow when I fire up the coals to make some football eats just before the 4:00pm kickoff.

I have a very sneaky suspicion that we'll hit our goal weight and look back and be amazed that it happened so fast. Look what you've done in 4 months. Now give it 8 more and see where you can be...... It is an intoxicating thought when you consider how much progress is occurring every week....even though it may seem slow. You are doing great.

I'm tempted to get started............. But I'll have to let this on simmer for now with my short version. Acquire charcoal and meat........and grill your back out. You can't go wrong.

I hate discussing the numbers anywhere but on here. It irritates the crap outa me when folks get hung up on the numbers. I usually deflect a bit and just say something like, "A lot....but a heap more to go". That's not enough for some folks, though. They've just got to hear a number. Most everyone means well with their questions. I try too give them the reassuring answers that let them know I do not have cancer or the bird flu but have been actively trying to lose weight and then flip the conversation around on them as soon as I see an opening. That usually takes care of it. Usually. For those that persist on gleaning the numbers.......I suggest a choke slam or swift chop to their throat...............or......... give them the damn numbers and move on.

Proud of you, young lady. Getting some serious cardio in and kicking the sleeves to the curb. Gotta love this sleeved life.

I had an insanely long day at work last week. Had a Protein shake on my way to work and 16 hours later realized I'd not eaten since. Bad, bad practice and not a habitual act. Came home.....relaxed and threw some sweet potatoes in foil and tossed on the grill and sipped down my Water while they cooked.....opened up the vents fully in a little while and threw on some marinating ribeye steaks. Served the potatoes with butter, cinnamon & turbinado sugar on them. Again, bad practice, but one I'm not in the habit of doing. At first the flavor was killer......but then the mushy sweetness was too much after a couple bites and I finished my meal with some of that steak. My family each ate a whole sweet potato just like mine and declared them great. Took my leftovers to work for lunch the next day.....couldn't touch the sweet potato but finished off the steak over the course of two meals.

Thank you, sexy mama. Be careful if you get out there in that crazy weather you are experiencing. Huge respect for your motivation to get gym bound so soon after your surgery. Huge respect. My lazy arse took 10+ weeks to finally do so. Lazy old dude. I was glad I went, though......as I was surrounded by non-laziness.....folks on the move and doing work. I need to be around that. Had to leave my peeps from the pizza buffet in the dust........ Yes, on this very day.....I actually posted a pic of some huge wood. Wasn't my wood.......but representative of the lumber that I've seen conjured up lately.

Don't worry, bro. Soon.................... Soon...................

Congrats to both of you. You'll feel great really, really soon. Welcome to the loser's bench......there's always plenty of room because we are all shrinking !!!!

Absolutely amazing results right there. You've gotta be feeling good. October 13th 2015 surgery date for me. I was 478 in June 2015 when starting the pre-op diet and 422 on the date of surgery. I am 363 now. Sure was hoping to make it to 350 before New Years Day.....but I know I'll be there soon. Heading out to the gym for the first time today. Feeling really good with my sleeve and grateful for everything.

Love pickles, too. I resumed eating them after I was cleared for solid foods. Pickle juice (the non-sugary type) is a wonderful remedy for muscle soreness from workouts. Famous Dave's & Wickle's are my favorites, but I have to limit these to very infrequent eating due to the sugar content. The basic dill spear is what I normally have.

Things are continuing in the right direction. There is nothing about my sleeve experience that I'd change......other than wishing I'd done so sooner. Back in September I hit my 47th birthday and my sleeve surgery was a month away. I saw a t-shirt online that I wanted. At the time I was wearing 5xl-6xl shirts. The new t-shirt was only made in 3XL or smaller. Bought it anyway thinking that I'd maybe be wearing it next Summer. I was able to get a really good night's sleep last night for the first time in weeks. Crazy long days at work on 4hrs sleep each day. I said I'd not do that anymore, either. Was a huge point of discussion during my pre-op psyche eval....good rest is critical to weight loss. I've got to work on this aspect. Woke up....had coffee and decided that today would be my first day back to the gym. Found some gym shorts that I'd also bought with the Summer in mind. Seeing as how it's gonna hit 75 degrees today....figured I'd just try them on to see how far away I was from being able to wear them............ Been grinning like a goofy kid ever since. I never envisioned being able to feel this good so soon, coming from where I was just a few months ago.....a broke down limping grumpy bastard. As Mr Rourke used to say on Fantasy Island....."Smiles......smiles everyone!". Gonna bear hug my surgeon at next months appointment. He's a freaking wizard. Hoping he'll pronounce my hernia "all good" and release me to the rock pile......... Until then it's treadmill & elliptical machines ,but I'm so dang grateful for them, too.

Augusta, GA

Great news. You are going to do great. You'll be home soon.......getting the surgery meds flushed outa your system......feeling better every day.

Sorry about the fever.......but you are doing GREAT !!!!!

Heck yes !!!!! Great job.

What are your work outs ? Cardio...weight training.......combination of both? How is your Water intake ? Maybe drop all fruits if you can stand it. Sounds like you are getting things done well. Keep after it.