Craig Wildi

@@Roalmc77 Thank you, and best of luck to you! I think you will see great results, especially with your gastric bypass.

Hello all, I haven't posted in a while. I figured since I am 3 months post surgery, I would update about my journey. Since surgery, I have been regularly going to a gym, and power walking 2 to 5 miles a day. As my weight has dropped, my mile times have gone from around 22 minutes per mile to around 17 minutes per mile, average. Best time so far was a little over 16 minutes, which for my short legs, is gettin' it! I haven't lost enough yet to jog for extended periods, but I am getting close. I went through a period of low energy level, started about 4 weeks ago, and I went to my surgeons office early last week, and had labs drawn. All my levels were good. I requested and was given a prescription for B-12 and hypodermic needles, and I gave myself a B-12 injection later that day. My energy level has returned to normal. It is also much easier to do an injection once a month, instead of sublingual tablets or liquid. While at the doctors, the PA told me that my weight loss is above average and above expected results. As of today, I am down 68 pounds. I have had to bust my butt for every one of those pounds, and anyone who thinks this surgery is like "cheating", really has no clue how difficult it still is to lose weight. I have had to push my body to the limit while at the gym, or in general, to achieve the loss I have experienced. Easter weekend, I set a new goal. I hope to be at the 100 pound loss mark by early June, when my wife and I go on vacation. That is a very lofty and ambitious goal, I know. But, I am going to step it up and push myself even harder. (Safely) It will be nice to go on vacation, and not have to shop for bigger swimming trunks, like I used to have to do. I am looking forward to feeling how I will feel at the 100 pound mark, because I already feel like a new man. Thanks for listening and thanks to everyone here for the support I have received over the last few months! Craig

Yesterday was the 2 month anniversary of my GSV surgery. I felt like sharing that I was at 58 pounds of weight loss yesterday, 59 pounds as of today! I had set a goal of reaching the 60 pound mark by 2 months, and for all intents and purposes, met my goal. Close enough, anyway! It is easy to stay focused and motivated when I see this kind of result. I have had my plateaus, which everyone knows how aggravating they are, but have managed great weight loss, with a lot of gym time and power walking! Here's to the next 60!

Not young anymore, but feeling younger every day. I started at 349# on December 7, when I began the pre-surgery liquids diet. Surgery on December 28, 2015. Yesterday was 2 months post op, and I was at 291. 290 today. Advice: Don't go into this thinking that it is easy. It really isn't the easy way out, that many have associated with weight loss surgery. It still takes a lot of work and determination, and the understanding that it is a complete lifestyle change. You decided to have this surgery because you want to be healthier, and be on this rock a little longer. Just remember why you made the decision! Me: I have worked very hard at this. I power walk nearly every day, and I go to a gym at least 3 times a week. I keep a food journal and track every calorie that I consume. I went from a 52 waist to currently a 46 waist, and I am needing to drop down another size now. Every time I pick up a 50 pound bag of whatever, I remind myself that I was carrying that much plus some, around on my body. Some of the back, leg, and foot pain I was having at 349 pounds, has lessened quite a bit, and I look forward to seeing how my body reacts to the next 50 pounds of weight loss! At 349, I found a great deal of difficulty in most any task. The difference between pre-surgery and now is quite noticeable. Good luck to you, I hope your surgery goes well!

I drink at least 100 ounces of Water a day, and take in 70-75 grams of Protein. sleep has been fine, although it takes every ounce of my being to get up in the mornings. My blood pressure has been funky lately, and at the advice of my PCP, I have cut the dose in half. Even with taking half a pill, my pressure some days gets relatively low (for me). My wife suspects that my BP may be the culprit too. I'll see my PCP at church Sunday, I will discuss the issue with him then. Thanks y'all!

I have been tired tired tired for about a week and a half to two weeks. Hardly able to keep my eyes open, kind of tired. Surgery date was Dec 28. I began taking B-12 on January 28, the sub lingual, quick dissolve pills 5000mcg Natures' Bounty brand. I'm not sure that the B-12 has anything to do with my lack of energy or not. I went from power walking religiously nearly every day and going to the gym 3-4 days a week and hitting the weights, to not having the energy or will power to do the power walks. I'm still hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, but it is a real struggle. With the amount of protein I take in each day, it looks like I would have energy to spare. What gives? Just my body going through all the changes in relatively rapid order? Or should I try B-12 monthly injections instead of the OTC pills?

@denniemiddlegirl Good luck with your stress test and surgery! The surgery is a breeze. My EKG was normal.

Thought that I would update this thread a final time... I have switched back to my old medicine (Ziac) containing the beta blocker, but I am down to splitting the pill and taking half each day. The Losartan that my doctor had switched me to, was not doing a thing to control my blood pressure, and it felt as though my heart was beating irregularly. Further, when I would power walk or get on the treadmill, my pulse would almost immediately shoot up to 150 bpm. Last Sunday, I spoke with my doctor after church, and explained what was going on, and he told me to stay on it a few more days, then if I still had issues, to switch back to Ziac. So, I switched Tuesday. That said, my weight loss did not restart in the week that I took the Losartan. . I'm still convinced that if my heart rate never gets up during exercise, then my metabolism will not rise. Now, I had my one month appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday this week, and explained that I keep stalling, and am losing very slowly. Immediately, he asked how many calories I was taking in per day, and what I was eating. I was taking in 600-700 calories, mostly protein, per day. He said that I need to take in more food, that my caloric intake needs to be 1000-1200, and that the body tries to "hold onto" what it has, because it senses that it is starving. So, I am trying to take in more calories. Must say, I have never had a doctor tell me to eat more!

@@Patchakc I did the same thing. Especially over Thanksgiving- I ate to excess. The day before I started pre-op liquids, I went to a Chinese restaurant buffet, because I knew it would be the last buffet.

@Geof01 I have to agree with your last sentence. My wife, who is blessed with the ability to eat anything she wants and remain petite, has been devouring huge suppers, especially since she started to join me on the power walks and at the gym. Every now and then I slip, and ask her "How are you going to eat all that food?"!! In the beginning, especially during the post-op liquids stage, I was envious of just about everything she would eat in front of me. But now, I must admit, food doesn't hold the same value to me in my mind.

Try benefiber. It is a tasteless fine powder that you can add to any drink, or sprinkle on your food. Totally tasteless. I think the problem is the amount of Protein we take in, if I am not mistaken.

@VDLT Can you inbox me please, what you mean by that above? My 1 month weight loss has been slow, compared to my activity level and my intake. I'm just looking for answers.

@Geof01 Your history and experience is almost identical with my own. I've been fighting slow weight loss and stalls in the month since my surgery though. Even your caloric intake is the same as mine. Good luck with your journey!

I'm currently in my second stall in the month since I had surgery. I don't know if there is a way to get out of the stall or not, but I have tried everything I know to try. I find it very discouraging to be working so hard (exercise), and only have lost 17 pounds in the last month. I lost much more on the pre-op diet, compared to post surgery. Good luck, hope your stall doesn't last long.

@paknee I live in Screven county, Newington, just North of the Effingham county line.