Hammer_Down

@@RJrocks I have a few links here that discuss the various mechanisms involved: On the process and mechanics of weight regain after loss: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4371661/ On the ever advancing field of epigenetics, or how gene expressions are altered by diet, weight loss and excercise: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14841 http://clinicalepigeneticsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13148-015-0101-5 http://m.advances.nutrition.org/content/5/1/71.full Regarding the claim that there is a 3-4 year period before your genotype adjusts towards that of a non obese person, I learned that from a podcast with a bariatric physician who treats 15,000+ patients per year with a ketogenic diet. I will try to find which episode it was, the podcast is called Keto Talk if you're interested.

If he's into statistics and studies, I would approach from that angle. Studies show that 1/1200 women will be able to lose 100lbs and keep it off for 5 years. So your trainer and gym and diet plan has about 0.0008% of working out, short term. There are no real long term studies, probably because basically no one loses that much weight and keeps it off for 10, 20, 50 years. It takes your body 3-4 years to adjust to your new weight. So lose ALL your excess weight, then don't gain anything for 3-4 years before your metabolism starts to upregulate and your genetic profile shifts away from being an obese person. Most of us cannot (1199/1200 people). We lose the weight and start to slip up. Even though we are no longer obese, our genetic profile still is. THIS is the challenge of weight loss, not just getting the scale to move. THIS is the reason we fight to lose weight but regain is so easily and so quickly. Bariatric surgery offers you a 5ish year window to lose the weight, and maintain the loss long enough to make the genetic shift. Thousands of genes express themselves in different ways, and your lifestyle absolutely can change them.

This was a part of my decision making process when I was deciding who to tell. My wife and I both had the surgery and discussed it openly with her parents before hand. Her 70 year old father cried and her mother was intrigued (she's obese) and also worried, but respected our decision. She didn't support it. Her father still doesn't think we did the right thing. I told my parents after I had it done (called them the night I got home). I always planned to tell them, but I knew my mom's anxiety would be through the roof and that would make it hard on my dad. I didn't expect their support: mom's a pharmacist and doesn't even support taking Tylenol for a headache. There's drugs/surgeries you NEED, and in her mind this was an elective. She's been better than I expected, and that's because (as she said) "well, it's done. You'll make the most of it now". I'm not telling my brother. He's on steroids, a gym rat bodybuilder who never struggled with his weight when we were kids, and honestly - I just don't like him. I don't want to deal with listening to any more of his opinions than I have to. Ditto for brother in law, except he's borderline functioning IQ for an adult. I don't want him going around fabricating stories that everyone (including him) knows are false, and dealing with his wife's sniper-gossip. The long and short of it is this: we're adults. I'm 32, wifey is 27 and we've been paying our own way since day 1. We rely on each other and ourselves for support, and don't expect or demand it from anyone else.

I should say that everything I eat is approved on my plan, but I do not eat everything my plan approves. I stayed away from sugar free substitute food, frankenfoods, juices and sports drinks of all kinds. Basically, if I can't pronounce and define the ingredients on the label - I'm not eating it. Over the years I spent countless hours turning every can of vegetables or sauces around and reading the labels, and I finally accept that condiments and salad dressings are a lost cause. It means my food choices are pretty limited, but the point of trying to forge a new relationship with food for me is breaking my attachments to food.

Hello all! None of you know who I am, but I know many of you from obsessively reading your posts, trials and success stories for the past several months. I'd like to thank everyone who puts themselves out there to the broader public to educate us about this procedure and many of the bumps in the road. Like many of you, I have struggled with my weight for most of my life, starting in adolescence. Despite assurances from my friends and family that I looked fine, and that I wasn't really fat (just a little fat, I guess) I was never at a weight where I felt truly confident in my own skin. More importantly, I never truly felt that I was fulfilling my physical capabilities. I excelled at sports when I was younger, but I could recognize even then that my weight was holding me back from taking it to the next level. Jump ahead 15 years (I am 32 now) and my "normal" fluctuations of weight went from about 20 lbs (I stayed between 185-205 for most of a decade) to more like 60lbs (getting as high as 250, doing keto for 2 years and getting down to 150, only to gradually start gaining back to 250. I work as a long haul truck driver, and although I don't indulge myself at most truck stops, the sheer lack of physical activity is certainly part of my weight issue now. After maintaining this new (disappointing) weight, I decided it was time to avail myself of every tool in the box. During a very drunken conversation with an old friend, she said that I she couldn't lose her excess 120lbs by her birthday, she was just "gonna get the gastric surgery". This sent me searching for more information, and one of the sites I found was this one. Never one to say or do things I don't mean, I ended up researching the process with my mind set on making it happen. Unfortunately, in my part of Canada, the wait is very long (more than 5 years, start to finish) and at a BMI of 36, there was no hope I would be approved. I could never afford $20000USD+ to have it done south of the border, so I contacted A Lighter Me and got the ball rolling. I just had my surgery last week, I am 6 days post-op and just got back home today. I feel prepared for some of the challenges coming my way, and hope that I can be of some help to someone else who is out there, reading this and trying to decide what to do. Thanks for reading!

My wife is blessed (cursed?) with very large breasts for her height/weight/frame. While losing weight, the skin on the top (while wearing a bra) gets very wrinkly and loose (you can pinch it and it will stay in that shape after letting go) but has always shrunk back down to accommodate the fat loss. It takes a few months, but everything "snaps back". Similarly, when I lose weight off my butt and hips, the skin and fat underneath changes its appearance and gets pretty soft. Then I will not lose any scale weight for a week or two but my skin will become tighter and the fat become firmer underneath. For this reason alone, I cringe when I hear about people rushing into plastic surgeries to correct these issues very soon after surgery. Our bodies are amazingly adaptive, and it all takes some time. If after 3-4 years (after losing to goal) inwas still dealing with skin and flappies, I might consider it but certainly not until I was certain my body wasn't able to make any more adjustments on its own.

Thanks for the well wishes. I am very happy with my success so far, down 44lbs in 49 days. I am only home once every 7 days, so there is no way I can do daily weighs and get hung up if I haven't lost a lb here or a lb there. That helps eliminate a common source of stress I read a lot about on here. I keep bracing myself for the inevitable stalls that will happen. I am following a modified post op plan that is truly ketogenic, and hopeful that will help me build muscle and lose fat as it has in the past.

The 18th of what month? It depends what you are eating and how much. If it was Nov, I wasn't eating anything at 10 days post op so I can't say whether it's normal or not. I was on 7 days of Water only, 7 days of full liquids and then 7 days of purées before I was okayed to eat anything. If you're concerned, you should refer back to the Info your doc gave you and if there's no answers there - contact your surgery team.

I have quite a few piercings, and I had no idea I needed to take them out for EKG. I told the doctors I would need a few minutes and some pliers (I have a couple of captive beads and 1/2" metal flares in my ears.) I got a wide eyed stare when I requested tools to open and remove 5 of my piercings. They decided it probably wasn't a big deal to just do the EKG with the piercings in after all (including both nipples).

I had a huge caffeine and diet coke addiction for most of my life. I drank it all up until 3 days before my surgery, but I have now been without it for over 2 months, and my plan is to never go back. I can't say that I don't miss it -- I do and I'd be lying if I said that I don't -- but I think it is in my best interest to capitalize on my hard work of ridding myself of it. I mostly drink Water, but I usually have 16 oz of decaf iced tea with 1 stevia packet in the evenings. That's about it. (I never was a coffee drinker...) Aye, I was also a Diet Cokehead for 16 years prior to this year. When I read that carbonated beverages were off plan and would likely remain so either permanently or for at least a year or so, I replaced that with coffee. So instead of 2 coffees and a 52oz Diet Coke per day, I just replaced with 4 super sized truck stop coffees. 2 years ago, I was popping 6-8 wake-ups (little pink 100mg caffeine tablets) and chasing them with Diet Coke or coffee. It was ugly, and quitting sucked but remembering those headaches helped me along. I also haven't had a single heart palpitation or problems sleeping since about 1 month after quitting.

It comes and goes. I am in my 5th week post op and I still occasionally have bouts of nausea. They tend to pass pretty quickly, and a drink of Water and sitting down for a few mins will usually help it pass. If it's linked to something you're eating or drinking, that could be your body's way of letting you know that you're not ready for that food or drink yet. Also, monitoring your blood sugars (get a cheap meter and some strips for about $30) may allow you to see how certain foods are affecting you. I still have pretty low energy, so climbing the 3 stories to my apartment while toting my groceries and duffle bags can bring on some light headedness and nausea. Again, a glass of water and taking a seat for a few minutes helps it pass quickly. I haven't actually vomited since surgery (except once about 6 hours post op while I was coming off the anaesthetic).

I was so motivated about WLS and paid out of pocket for it. I had my preop diet plan a few weeks before I was to start, and I found myself questioning all of my food choices against my diet plans for pre/post op. I actually ended up basically doing preop for a few weeks longer than I needed to. I had great results during the actual 2 weeks of preop, I was down 14lbs in 14 days going into surgery. It helped me break the connection/addiction to foods I know I shouldn't be having. Slipping and eating junk food will not help me "get it out of my system", but will actually just foster more cravings in a similar way that getting wasted the nigh before checking into rehab won't make rehab any easier.

I started drinking decaf about 3 months before surgery. I was drinking close to 2 litres of strong coffee before and definitely a caffeine junky. After suffering through the headaches and general malaise of quitting, I vowed that I would stick with decaf only post op and never let myself get addicted to caffeine again. To my surprise, at 5 weeks post op I have no desire for coffee at all. I've had a few decaf teas, which is a nice way to warm up in our cold climate this time of year.

Crackers have little to no nutritional value. I am also in my 5th week out, and I can eat so little that I have to make every bite count. Carbs, especially starch, are the reason I gained weight in the first place. I get a much more significant blood sugar spike and insulin response from starches than I do from sweets. Also, despite the mantra about "healthy whole grains", from you look at the glycemic index, whole grains have a longer and more pronounced glycemic effect than plain white bread.

Lately, this has been driving me nuts. We don't all have the same opportunities for education, nor do we have the same backgrounds but we can all make an effort to improve the quality of our comments and arguments (not in the bickering sense) by referring back to some trusty critical thinking skills. Here are just a few of the nonsensical, circular logical tendencies I see on a regular basis here: The straw man: When you create an argument that doesn't exist as a way to shutdown someone'a comment. Ex: Commenter A: "I think a preop diet plan should be treated as a prescription by the patient, not as a suggestion." Commenter B: "Well, if you think everything a doctor says is always right, my mother got really sick by taking a prescription drug that her doctor gave her!" See the problem? Commenter A never suggested that everything a doctor says is right. The comment was simply stating as far as preop diets go, it isn't a suggestion but rather "doctor's orders". Ad Hominen: In this fallacy, you attack a person instead of their argument. Commenter A: "I think a preop diet plan should be treated as a prescription from your doctor, and not just as a suggestion." Commenter B: "Come on down off of your high horse and stop being so condescending! We're all here to support each other and your arrogant attitude isn't helping anyone!" See the problem? Name calling doesn't actually address the perceived problem with the argument. Not liking someone doesn't mean they are wrong, and it's a logical fallacy to let your personal feelings about a person cloud your judgment on their opinions. False Dichotomy: This fallacy misconstrues an argument by setting up an either/or scenario when there are multiple options available. Commenter A: "I plan to follow my doctor's post op plan, because he knows better than I do about how this whole process works." Commenter B: "it's not like you'll die if you don't follow the doctor's advice exactly as written!" See the problem? Commenter A never suggested that the only possible outcomes were living or dying. There are a multitude of possible effects, including none whatsoever, that could result from not following the doctor's plans. Ad Populum: In this fallacy, you assume that because many people believe or do something, therefore it is safe. Commenter A: "I plan to follow my surgeon's plans, because there are lots of problems that could arise if I don't." Commenter B: "Basically no one is perfect, okay? We all cheated at some point either preop or postop and hardly anyone has serious complications from it. It's no big deal!" See the problem? Just because many people believe that cheating has little or no ramifications, does not make it so. We are only a small sample of people who have had WLS, so our forum's results are already skewed. I don't know any astronauts, that doesn't mean they don't exist. The Appeal to Authority: Here, we assume that because someone with authority makes an argument, it is somehow correct. Commenter A: "I plan to follow my doctor's advice on not exercising for 8 weeks post op, because of all the problems it could create while I am healing." Commenter B: "Yeah, well I've been doing this much longer than you and I was fine excercising right after surgery. You need to be increasing physical activity as soon as possible, trust me - I would know." See the problem? Commenter B never addressed the possible issues that could arise from exercise, but simply stated that since s/he has more experience with WLS, his/her opinion is correct. There are dozens and dozens more of these, but this is pretty basic stuff we learned in high school. Your mileage may vary, but now you know. Now go forth and let's all try to make sense when we disagree with other people!

Drinking diluted your stomach acid, which is ph of 1, or the most acidic on the ph scale. Your stomach acid is responsible for quickly breaking down food, and drinking while ingesting food will impede its function. Also, drinking liquids allows your stomach to stretch and hold more food in one sitting. It is the exact opposite effect that you want.

Your parents had this discussion with you?

You're fairly new. Browse these boards a few weeks more and you're gong to have material for a whole season of a 30 min sitcom. I registered after I had my surgery, figuring I didn't have any new questions to ask and no advice to offer pre op. I've been reading on the site since May or so. The clearest trend I've seen is people asking vets questions when they already have a predetermined answer in their head. Then the askers, and a couple of others, lose their $!?& at people who dare to disagree. I still don't think that means the whole board is wrapped up in drama. I have yet to witness the legendary bullying that vets are accused of daily.

I belong to a Facebook group for the company that I had my surgery with. As an example of the kinds of posts people make about WLS, one woman wrote about her experience with her IV. She said it was so painful when they inserted the (tiny) needle that she screamed. She swore and burst into flames at the nurses, basically. She told them she couldn't stand the pain when they had to reinsert the IV. The nurse gave her a few mins, then returned. She refused, because it was just the. Let excruciating pain in the world. The doctor came in and told her they were not going to operate if she couldn't tolerate a simple IV. SHe was so offended that she trashed this doctor to the group, because no one had ever been so rude to her in her whole life. She bravely suffered through the IV, but when it was removed after surgery it left a small bruise on her arm. It was the most painful thing she has ever endured. This is just 1 example of many of the things people say/write. Take everything with a grain of salt. I struggled to feel empathy for this person, because she clearly has a flair for melodrama, and I thought it was super crappy of her to mistreat the hospital staff over a simple, routine and medically necessary part of being admitted.

I think the problem might be your expectations. You had surgery 11 days ago. It's not liposuction, your body must actually metabolise body fats, and this takes time. People lose weight at different rates and in different ways. We don't all have the same history with obesity. You started at under 200lbs, so your losses will not look like someone who started at 300lbs or 400lbs. You are female, and depending on your menses, there will be a week each month where you retain Water, are bloated and your cortisol is soaring from the stress of menstruating. Cortisol is a stress hormone. You will struggle to lose weight when your cortisol is high. Stressing over not having lost XX lbs after only 11 days will only make it harder to lose weight.

No, but I don't share much personal information on Facebook. I told my parents and my parents in law. They are the only people I consider close enough to share this personal information with.

Ya know, fun story: This is a public message board. Members are free to start posts on any related subjects they please, and other members are free to chime in. Even if it's not their personal journey. Your outrage is palpable. If I were prone to getting so upset by others' opinions, I would avoid reading that material.

sleep apnea has been a very hot topic in the trucking industry for about 10 years. A combination of extremely poor diet, constantly rotating sleep schedules, high stress and very long hours of sedentary work put truckers in a particularly high risk group to become obese and develop sleep apnea. Many obese drivers will be subjected to a sleep study when renewing their medical card. Truck stops are starting to sell components for CPAP machines on their shelves, which indicates the sheer demand among the driver population.

In fairness, your analogy of seniors picking on freshmen kinda reminds me of you just throwing millenials under the bus. Those are pretty broad assumptions to make about a generation of millions and millions of people. As far as I can see, every generation has a fair share of arseholes, not just folks born after 1980. This forum has 250k registered users. You managed to find 1 religious zealot who hasn't posted here for years and 1 emotionally unstable girl looking for dating advice, and you conclude there is "so so so much drama"? We couldn't even make a 30 min sitcom with so little material. As far as people openly making fun of newbies, I see the accusation tossed around constabtly but I haven't actually witnessed it.

@@OzRoo Thanks for the encouragement! We are 2500kms from home at the moment, but pointed in that direction now. I'm sure i'll be able to come up with something tasty when the eagle lands! Enjoy dinner!