The Reducer

Feeling pretty good. Pretty much able to eat any foods I attempt to eat. Some things sit better than others. Went out of town for Thanksgiving. Visited DC to spend the time NOT focused on cooking/eating. Instead opting to haul my fat (but shrinking) ass around by foot to see all the memorials and museums on the National Mall. Had a lovely dinner at the Capital Grille steakhouse on Thanksgiving evening. Of course, I could only take a bite of my wife's appetizer (a bleu cheese wedge salad with porkbelly bacon) and could only eat a few ounces of the filet and lobster tail. Ate the leftovers slowly over the next few days. But happily, I came home another five pounds lighter! Also, bought some souvenir t-shirts and sweatshirts in size XXL (down from a XXXXL) because I really needed new threads. All my clothes are way too big! Things I welcome: Being able to fit in booths when I visit a restaurant - I had been unable to fit at all for years, needing a table instead. Fitting into smaller clothes and needing to go shopping Being able to walk very VERY far and stand for hours on end without feeling tired/pain in ankles, knees Being able to keep up on brisk walks with my very athletic wife Drinking a pint or two of Guiness (because it is nitrogenated, not carbonated) although only once in a while Having a much more sane relationship with food. I still feel cravings at times, but am physically unable to indulge them. The few times I tried, I thought I would vomit (almost did!) Eating very expensive foods I used to avoid due to price. A single Alaskan King Crab leg provides enough meat for two meals and its very cheap to buy a single leg (although the fishmonger looks at you sideways) Being able to reach every part of my body in the shower for a good solid washin' The extra room in our queen sized bed which used to be too small (arm hanging over the edge while I slept). Now there's plenty of extra room. Slept in a double bed on our trip and it was still roomy enough. Having much more fun in the sack, with a far smaller gut getting in the way of business (and the missus is diggin' that too) How the extra exercise increases "staying power" during the aforementioned boudoir activities How smooth and soft my skin feels - I think the sugar and wheat used to make my skin ruddy and bumpy Snoring is gone (although I still need the CPAP for now) Buying clothes in stores BESIDES DXL and Rochester Big & Tall Things I miss: Being able to have a cocktail or two before sitting down to a nice meal Especially being able to enjoy fine wine with a nice meal Drinking seltzer and bubbllier beers like Pilseners and such. Also mixers with my booze (i am a straight up or shots guy now i guess) Being able to slake my thirst by gulping down water. Now I have to sip it slowly and that doesn't destroy a thirst the way pounding water once did Baked/goods, crusty bread, croutons - basically crunchy things. I do take a little taste from time to time, but cannot revert to my former starchy insanity Eating lunch with co-workers I also returned to live performance with my band and had been concerned that smaller stomach meant less vocal capacity. But my first gig after the surgery was 11/18 and the band and I blew DOORS! It has been amazing noting the change. I have great energy and endurance that I missed for years. It is tough, but worth it. Keep on keepin on September sleevers! You got this!

It is a misnomer that spicy foods are bad for a stomach. If you've always tolerated hot foods or were a spicy food lover before (like me) your stomach shouldn't be bothered by spicy foods after. The confusion comes from fatty foods that are spicy. If the foods you eat (with or without surgery) are spicy AND greasy, it is the grease that irritates the stomach lining and THEN the spicy food makes for some unpleasant pain. But if you're following a lower fat post op diet, no reason to avoid your favorite hot sauce. 'Course, I am not a doctor so check with yours. But this has been my experience so far. Viva la Sriracha!

So 18 days post op. Weighed 410 when I began pre-op diet and 389 when I went for surgery. This morning, 354 for a total weight loss of 56 lbs (35lbs post operative)! Into the pureed foods phase of the post op diet. Really grooving on mushy chicken and blasted broccoli! Went to a party at a friend's house this weekend. Taco party. Didn't miss the drinking too much (but left as the crew began to get sloppy) and I ate like 2 oz of ground turkey chili with a tiny knob of guac and a splash of hot sauce. After that I was fine and didn't feel deprived. Drank my vitamin water and was okay with it. Really enjoying making homemade pureed soup. I buy a rotisserie chicken and use it to make a rich, golden, flavorful stock (the meat is eaten by others in the household, although now I can puree 3 oz of it and enjoy it at dinner). But I have been making mushroom marsala soup, sweet potato soup with a dash of Chinese hoisin sauce for flavor, french onion (without the swiss cheese, but a teaspoon of parmesan for the flavor of cheese), broccoli soup and these have been excellent. Walking a mile, four days a week. I find that the days I walk, i have better weight loss the next morning. Also, my wife is thrilled that I am now able to keep up with her when we walk together (which I hadn't been able to do for a long time). Pulling all kinds of old clothing from the back of the closet. Favorite duds I grew out of long ago are fitting nicely now. ALL MY 4X clothes are too damn big and have been removed from the closet to be donated or chucked. So that's a gas! Now that I am ingesting things other than pure liquids, it is interesting to see how small the capacity is of my new stomach. I am eating slowly so that I can tell when it is full up. Sat down to 3 oz of soft chicken at dinner and could only eat 2 oz before i was totally full. Couple bites of mooshat broccoli too. So about 3 oz capacity altogether. Very weird! Anyhow, no pain, no nausea, mental clarity returned tuesday last week and I am back to work. My ankles and knees don't hurt any more. Really feeling great. I guess the emergency second surgery was the worst of it and I life is making up for my almost dying by making easy the rest of the journey (so far).

Don't sweat it. My first visit i weighed in at 390 and the surgeon told me I'd have to be 389 or less by my surgery date 6 months later. I had a serious case of last supper syndrome and ate my way to a 20 pound gain in 3 months. Each time I saw my surgeon during those months, he said, "not good man. You're going the wrong way". I finally got serious about a month before my surgery date and slid in at 389 at my final pre-op appt. As of today, (my surgery was 9/7) i am down 50 pounds! Although, today in particular, I would sell a kidney for a cheeseburger and fries having had nothing but liquids for 5 weeks now. Hoping that feeling subsides soon!

Hi gang. New to the group. Had my sleeve on 9/7 but bled internally and had a seizure on 9/8 requiring a second, emergency surgery. Spent 2 nights in ICU and overall an extra few nights in the hospital. Got home 9/12. On stage II foods (full liquids) and have returned to work. Never felt too much pain although the hernia repair really made my tummy bruised. Feeling ok physically, but my mental acuity is still impaired a bit. Its hard because my job requires a lot of quick thinking and writing. But it is getting better each day. Really tired of the flavor of the protein shakes. But i have been making nice strained soups - mushroom-marsala, sweet potato with a touch of hoisin sauce (probably a no-no), cream of broccoli and they are the flavor highlight of my day. First day back in the office today. First time ever I didn't eat a bagel and cream cheese and I did want one but I know I won't tolerate it. Worst was when a group of co-workers brought in fried chicken for lunch. My stomach is not hungry but my mind is. I have been jonesing for all my favorites - pizza, wings, burgers. I am hoping the desire to eat these things will ultimately subside. But I kind suspect it will never go away. Kinda bummed about that. But i am down a great deal of weight since the pre-op diet. 45+ pounds! Wearing some clothes I hadn't fit into for 3 years! So that's a plus. Scale kinda stopped the last few days. So i hope it starts moving down again. Looking forward to pureed foods and ultimately solid foods again.