PorkChopExpress

I wish I'd known about GENEPRO powder, I was so sick of chocolate "shakes" after four weeks of them... Otherwise, I was pretty knowledgeable after all the time spent in classes and support groups, and reading the internet and such. I think there are unknowns that nobody can prepare you for because they'll be uniquely yours, because it's the mental component we struggle with that makes up the majority of this fight.

Almost everyone in my life only knows me as an obese man. The only people who remember me any differently are the ones I go all the way back to High School and before, with. My wife married an obese man. So almost everyone in my life is going to have the same adjustment to deal with that I will, in the new version of me that they see. It's like if I decided to shave my sideburns and goatee, and get contacts. People would be a little freaked out by it, at first. Over time, though, they'd get used to it. Who knows man, maybe I will be uglier when I've reached my goals! But I'll be healthy and feeling great, so it's worth the trade-off, to me.

That stuff sucks, I know it. I have had to turn down invitations to go to sporting events because the seats are too narrow for me to even sit down in. Probably not right now, but a couple of months ago they certainly were. Now, I'd probably be able to SQUEEZE into them...but I'd still be really uncomfortable. Someone asked a couple weeks ago what was the number one thing people were looking forward to about losing weight. My answer was simple - not having to think about my weight/size anymore. Considerations like "Will I fit" will not even exist, anymore. It's going to be so liberating. You're on the road, the time is coming...you've already taken the biggest step in deciding to do it, so just focus and stay dedicated to your process, you'll get there

Four weeks post-op I was allowed to start on regular vitamins (Centrum). I was right there with you, the chewables were making me gag.

Well, I'm a Libertarian so my hope is that more and more people will realize that the result we had this election was the direct result of the duopoly that forces people into a "one or the other" mindset. We need more choices and in this day and age, with information at our fingertips and sites like isidewith.com to help us narrow the field, there is no reason we should be stuck in this two-party mindset. Except that Americans just seem to love rooting for teams.

At least we have four years of funny Trump memes to look forward to.

One Trader Joe's turkey meatball with one TBSP of mashed potato. I was so happy.

I dig peanuts and peanut butter, but it's a little too high in fat. That's the only problem.

Bear in mind that my fridge is emptying out because I'm moving this weekend...normally I'd have more store-bought stuff on my menu for the day. This is me halfway into week 7 post-op. Today it's been like so: Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with onion and a little cheese, some fruit puree from Trader Joe's (a few spoonfulls) Protein drink (1 scoop of GENEPRO with a 16oz cup of Crystal Light mix/water Lunch: 1.5oz of chopped up chicken satay from a restaurant I like (tossed in the peanut sauce) and a couple TBSP of potato salad with egg Dinner: A small side order of String Bean Chicken from Panda Express grabbed on my way to work (I didn't quite finish it) Will probably add a little protein powder to my drink later to make sure I get enough for the day, as well.

I was driving on my own after a week of recovery time, probably could have done it after a few days if I'd really had to, but I was good to go after a week.

I think one thing that keeps driving home how much I've lost is my belt. I was on the fifth hole (tight) when I started all this at 385. I'm now on the last hole and will have to start punching new ones, before too long. I plan to make this belt a reminder of where I came from...I'm just going to keep punching new holes. Until someone tells me it looks ugly and I have to stop, that is.

I had a couple crates of stuff that had gotten way too small for me over the years. I waited until I had hit a couple of new belt loops on my belt and noticed my t-shirts were getting pretty big, and dug into them (this was about two weeks ago). I found that about half of the stuff fit me perfectly. So I took the "big" clothes and donated them, and started wearing the stuff I'd pulled out of storage. I think in about a month or so, I'll be getting into the rest of the stuff that didn't fit and doing it again. After that, I'm going to have to wait until those clothes are clearly too big and then start looking at Goodwill...because that will mean I'm into 2x territory again, which is a size I haven't been able to wear since I was probably twenty years old. That's going to be exciting.

I'm looking forward to moving back to my home state of Colorado this weekend. We split the family up about eight months ago, as my wife was able to find teaching work and have help with the kids with my parents, rent-free in my home state. I stayed behind, as I work in the entertainment industry (video editor) and the thought was that I could make more money to help us pay down the debts that way, and come visit regularly. It hasn't worked out that way though, and it's been harder on everyone than expected. So I started putting the word out in the Denver area that I'm coming available, and I've had a few encouraging meetings with local production facilities and boutiques. No job yet, but I will be doing rideshare/delivery driving to bridge the gap. Thank goodness for the "on demand" economy. It has been a benefit and a difficulty, enduring the recovery from surgery alone. I had my wife here the weekend of surgery and my mom came to help the first week, but since then it's been all me. It's been good, in that my schedule could be much more regimented and I was able to make sure I was getting everything when I needed it, both meals and Vitamins. When I visited them for four days over Halloween weekend, it proved to be WORLDS harder to get everything, there was just too much going on. Plus, I was much more tired than I expected, dealing with our three kids and doing/going/etc... But I'll have a couple more weeks of recovery on me this weekend and I'm feeling pretty good. The vitamins and mealtimes will just have to become a routine amidst the relative chaos of family life, again. But I've missed my wife and the kids, and I know they've missed me. So it's going to be good to reunite the family and keep forging ahead with the financial battle, as I fight my fat loss and fitness battle. It's a battle I think my wife expects to join me in, this coming summer. I think it's good that I went first, so I can help and advise with her recovery, and the mental challenges. In the end, the situation should work toward the good. In some ways, leaving LA behind after building a career here and living here a third of my life is weird, and a little nerve-wracking, not knowing what the future holds...much as I didn't love it here, I'm used to it. But whenever I go visit CO, I feel "at home" and I've never felt that way coming back here. So I'm sure I'll get over it. Lots of changes in life, this year...and a lot more to come, next year.

You look like you're fixing to redefine your username now, in those "after" pictures, @@BigReid21 Nice work.

Isopure protein drinks, you can get them at GNC. Clear liquid. They suck, but you'll get your protein and it's only one day

I'd go skinless before you eat them with the skins.

Probably depends on the medicine. You may want to try putting just a little something in there (a swallow of Protein shake or something) before you take the medicine. Otherwise, mention it to your surgeon.

No, I had done all the prerequisites under the Blue Shield program for like a year, and I was paying out of pocket for that policy through the exchange, so I figured I'd better try to get some of my money back out of the insurance company!

It took me a year from the day I started my education/supervised diet (6 months of monthly classes) to when I finally was able to get it approved and scheduled. My insurer had a lot of prerequisites and then I just needed to find a good window of time where I could get it done.

Providence St. Joseph's in Burbank, CA.

Can't wait till I crack 300. Shouldn't be long.

@@morningangel79 It's really not as bad as people think it's going to be, usually. The recovery isn't the most fun thing in the world, but the actual surgery, you aren't even aware of.

I suspect your nutritionist will also tell you that fats should be the smallest percentage of your diet, right now. Protein > carbs > fat. If, however, you wanted to be in ketosis...then you'd want protein and fat with almost no carbs at all. But it's not all that healthy to stay in ketosis for long periods of time. Some people do that to jump-start their metabolism too, though. In the end, nobody is going to be able to give you a magic solution to breaking a plateau, though - not your nutritionist, and nobody here. Everybody's body reacts differently to calorie restriction and even the breakdown of your macros. To some extent, you'll have to try different things. But I would first try restricting fats and boosting carbs a little bit, personally...because what you know for sure is that your current breakdown isn't doing the trick.

Yup! Try it sometime. They always put it in the same container as the pintos & cheese, when I order it.