IncredibleShrinkingMan

Went to first (5-year) college reunion in 2011 at my peak weight (150+ lbs overweight) and I sort of regret it. Nobody said anything to me and most people acted like everything was just like they last saw me, so clearly I was recognizable. I still think to myself what those people could possibly have written to each other about me once we broke camp. I did catch one person whispering in another person's ear, but in retrospect I am surprised that didn't happen quite a bit more. Anyhow, I am totally planning to go to 10-year in June, and I expect more people will speak their mind since it (hopefully) will be better news!

I can't kick this habit. I just need to know what kinds of activities affect the readings so that I can judge what I've done during the day and calculate an accurate picture of total progress based on all those factors. For example, if I've lost an extra two pounds because I went for an unusually long workout, I adjust that up to reflect that the total weight loss probably isn't more than about a half pound.

I live 45 mins from Baltimore and I seriously need to find a crab cake that works. I have a feeling most of what I have eaten in the past are more like Old Bay and crushed cracker cakes.

I have been eating raw tuna, salmon, and whitefish all of week 3. I make sure to chew it extra well and do not touch anything that isn't silky soft.

Parents, boss, and four friends who I knew would not start to spread rumors

It lines up with what the treadmills say when you place your hands on the bars, so certainly no less accurate than those!

I think the Fitbit Charge HR is the best deal...it functions as a watch, heart rate monitor (this feature is why it's $20 more than the basic Charge), and floor tracker, none of which the Flex has. It also has all the basic calories burned, steps taken, etc..., so you don't have to keep looking at the phone app to see your progress...just press the button. I wouldn't go for a Surge because it is just twice as expensive because it is equipped with GPS, and I don't understand why anybody needs GPS to keep track of distance. Unless you go such long distances that you need help finding your way back (in which case you may be off the beaten path and it can't help you anyway).

Both chips and veggies are too crunchy for somebody less than 6 weeks out (at a minimum) to handle. By this point, you can go with some of the softer cheeses (aim for low fat) when they are diced up or thinly sliced. Jarlsberg, sharp cheddar, Emmenthaler, and others seem great for dipping in salsa. Also, nothing wrong with just having your salsa on the side with other approved soft foods during a meal!

This is confusing. Can you explain that a little further? Typically we have lost a significant percentage of weight before we become unrecognizable to somebody that close to us. It is hard to believe you haven't had any scale success.

Trader Joe's chicken broth worked well after surgery, although I only had 3 days of Clear liquids following surgery, and the first 2 were in the hospital (where they gave me some broth that was far less appetizing). If you like Jello, throw some whey in there and enjoy it. I personally don't like it. As for your Protein, I am loving the Isopure whey isolate powder as well as the prepared flavored shakes (available at Vitamin Shoppe). I still can't get quite the protein quota from soft foods and purees (my current stage) so they really come in and bat clean-up.

As I struggled with increasing weight, I never once threw anything out (unless it was ripped or otherwise beyond repair), because I always had high hopes that I would return, whether that be by D&E or surgery. I am just lining everything up in order of decreasing size, and I am not graduating myself down a size until the bigger garment absolutely does not fit by any standard, partly because I really like loose-fitting clothes regardless of what size I am. I also don't love shopping (not because of fat stigma), so I hope this process can happen with minimal expenditures on clothes (except when something is extremely compelling, then I'll buy whatever is slightly smaller than the size I am walking into the store to give it the longest life).

3 weeks is fine. I am 2 weeks today and I feel like I am ready. I am traveling for work next week just before I turn 3 weeks out, and I am curious to see how the metal detector will react to my staples though. I hope I don't have to have special pat-downs for life! I would say that if you didn't have motion sickness before surgery, you are in the clear. If you did, I think you are fine, but I would be on extra alert and have some bags handy. For one, I am not experimenting with any new soft food before I get on the plane. I am boarding with as close to an empty sleeve as possible and I doubt I'll even be hungry when we land. Have a nice time!

I would say they are more interesting than helpful...we all read so much about this here and elsewhere that all that really happens is regurgitation (not literally lol). At the last one I attended, a fight broke out because one guy accused another guy of lack of willpower while trying to explain the difference in their results and at another, it was just amusing to hear people ask when they can have various foods again (jelly donuts, mac and cheese, bacon cheeseburgers, disco fries, etc...) while the rest of the room rolls their eyes in the "why the f*ck did you get surgery if you want to keep eating that sh*t" grimace.

If your date is not supportive or you have not told him/her, then I imagine it would be excruciatingly difficult. Otherwise, I would assume it would be a non-issue, unless copious amounts of food are integral to your date, in which case there would be some red flags and you'd be best off left-swiping.

I'm a sleever, but I'm not sure the instructions are different. I can go in the Water after 4 weeks, lift more than 10 pounds after 6 weeks (less abs), and start doing ab exercises after 8 weeks. But, as always, those are just minima. Always listen to your body.

Extra soft saddle! I have been looking everywhere for something that satisfies back there and have found absolutely nothing! So I spend almost the entire ride lifted slightly out of the saddle to ease the discomfort. I can sit all the way back on a downslope because the force exerted is somewhat lighter during those stretches. Additionally, if you find a good position and stay there, you will eventually grow pretty oblivious to the discomfort (i.e., the pain centers in your brain will stop responding so vociferously). Good luck!

Congratulations on graduating to the other side! Please celebrate your new life and brand new world of opportunity.

If you lift, I'd get that work in now on your regular basis until the day before surgery, because that will not be permitted until 6 weeks after surgery. As far as cardio, same advice, as your general fitness level will only make the anesthesia and the recovery process that much safer. It will also speed the rate at which you can reintegrate your cardio activities after surgery (for a while, it will just be walking, so in case it is an issue, be sure you take some time to get comfortable with that).

Your weight loss will be slightly greater with the RNY, so from a success standpoint, that is an even better call. However, it is pretty clearly a greater sacrifice with greater potential complications, and if the basis of going with RNY is the unavailability of the sleeve, and not because RNY is what you want, I might actually postpone. It is a big decision between the two. I have awful GERD myself that has only gotten worse after sleeve, but nobody tried to block my surgery on that account. If you can, I would seek to have it treated so that it gets down to the level the surgeon will be happy with. If, in the mean time, you become comfortable with the RNY, do not second-guess it at all. P.S., are you getting your surgery at Toledo Hospital? I almost had my surgery with Dr. Pat White there, and my family knows both him and Dr. Parodi. Great place, good luck.

Take those multivitamins...religiously. That is the most powerful defense against both minor stuff (hair loss, broken nails) as well as against serious threats to our immune system, etc...We do not become immune to any non-weight related illness, but following the directions keeps us on par.

Is there enough Vitamin C in your multivitamin? It may be a reaction to pathogens, which is usually mitigated by getting enough C naturally.

I never threw anything out from my thinner late-teen years. Definitely just pulled all of those out of the attic. Loose-fitting is stuff is already causing problems. And I'm finding that when I wear clothes from the most recent times prior to surgery, none of the weight loss shows. It just looks dumb. So even dealing with something being tight for a little while is probably worth it. If you do have to buy new clothes, buy on the tight side, and eventually it'll be the perfect fit, and then eventually a little saggy. I don't think there is a different stylistic method that applies post-WLS.

Weird. I've lost 66 lbs (18 since surgery), and the stomach area has been the only place I've lost noticeable weight. Thighs, hips, and upper arms are still at peak weight size, confirmed by measuring tape. I'm a guy, and maybe we have a different pecking order.

I've been through college and two grad degrees, and let me tell you, it's not easy, and truth be told, it may not happen exactly right in the very beginning. If you eat sensibly, you can definitely avoid the Freshman 15, but it may honestly take you until a year is up to really get your academic and personal lives to jibe. The best way to fight this, other than following your diet (also hard in a new place where everybody is gorging on junk and drinking themselves to oblivion), is to join a formal fitness group on campus that holds workouts. It usually isn't hard to find a level that is appropriate for you. That is so much better a way to build your social network then stuff like debate society, college democrats/republicans, chess team, and whatever else. I agree that trying to work out during the week, especially between classes, is very tricky and millions of excuses (pretty good ones I'd say) exist to not do it. My best piece of advice is to block out an area of time (usually on a Friday, if it is like most schools), when you don't really want to start intensive studying yet after the week's slog, but don't really have a rat race of classes or activities. That leaves your nights open to have fun, and at least three mornings a week (Fri, Sat, Sun) to stay healthy and fit. Good luck!

You all need to ditch these f*ckers immediately. Love is not the be all end all...support and complementation are. OP and the rest of you, this is obviously worse than the more typical situation we read about here, in which the partner butters you up and says there's nothing wrong with you and doesn't want you to stop being able to eat pizza and burgers with him/her. This is far more toxic. No person on earth is worth being with if the cost is a diminished sense of self. And that is true whether you are having bariatric surgery or not.