MeanSleevedMachine

My wedding ring has had to be sized down twice. The first time it went from a 17 to a 15 and this past time it went from a 15 to a 12.5. I go to 10-15 ballgames a year and it was nice to not have to buy an extra seat just so I could have shoulder room.

Why do you all keep asking me for pics? I’ve posted pics in my own thread about my weight loss. I’m not going to steal someone else’s thread. I do need to update my own thread with pictures though. I haven’t updated them in a month and a half.

@johnson My kids eat junk food all of the time. Cake, cookies, you name it. They can do that and burn it off and get away with it. So I’m not Scrooge. They deserve to enjoy the gift of a youthful metabolism. :) I exercise pretty hard. Five days of weight lifting alternating two ways: upper body then legs. Then I alternate by lifting heavy then light. I do seven days of walking between 15-20k steps. I hit stalls along the way too and how I shortened them was to actually eat more. Anytime I stalled more than a week I’d up my calories 200 and protein by 10. At this point I am eating 2200 calories and 190 protein a day. But my resting BMR at my goal weight will be 2400. So 2200 calories is about where I should be since I am 31 lbs from my goal weight. I want to be at 2400 calories by then and just stick there.

Just an update. I am down a total of 188 pounds now. I am at 301. My goal before this all began was 300 but I am amending my goal to 270 because I still have some fat in my stomach I could stand to lose. The rest of my body is pretty firmed up and my wife has been amazed at how quickly I have gotten into shape. It is funny how at the time I was at my heaviest I thought I was fine. I never thought I was “that big” and thought I felt good. Looking back at photos I don’t know how I ever convinced myself of that. Onward and downward I say! As far as the scale goes anyway. :)

Depending on your take on geography I could be considered from the south or the Midwest. I’ve always considered my state to have more characteristics of the south than the Midwest, so I’ll answer this. I started out at 489. It is hard for me to type that because I can’t believe I let myself get that bad. I was sleeved on May 10 of this year and I have lost 188lbs. I am currently 301 lbs. My goal at the start was 300 but I think I am going to amend that to 270. I have a little more fat around my abdomen I could stand to lose. 270 is still large for most men but with my frame — 6’6” and built like the college defensive lineman I was in my youth — I carry 270 fairly well. Heck, I carry 301 well. Most people that see me now think I am 240 or 250 because I do not “look like a 300 lb man.” I am. Still. For at least a little bit. 2 lbs away from the 200’s!

I cannot speak to period cramps due to never experiencing one. However, I can speak to general need for NSAIDs. Prior to surgery I used naproxen all of the time for hip and knee arthritis which was always inflamed and sore: a gift from a college football career that keeps giving and the fact I had ballooned up over 400lbs kept me in constant agony with those conditions. My back always hurt. I though, how will I ever survive without naproxen? But quickly after surgery all of my inflammation went poof - bye bye. I still have arthritis, there is no putting that genie back in the bottle. However, now that my weight is back to a normal range for my size and build, it rarely acts up or hurts. It only gives me issues if I pack heavy items (which puts added weight on the joints) or if I move the joints into awkward positions. But just walking and getting up and down no longer causes me any discomfort. So I think you will find you no longer need anti-inflammatories after surgery.

I mean exactly what I said. The most important people in this situation are the husband and wife. A bunch of internet strangers shouldn’t even be in the equation. I’d never seek the counsel of an Internet forum when it comes to my marriage and I would hope my wife wouldn’t either. Then again, when things irritate us we talk about it and resolve it. Because the only people that can fix a problem in any relationship are the people involved.

Just go to social events and strike up conversations with those you are interested in. That is how I met my wife. Although I have not been single for awhile so maybe social events no longer exist. Half the young people we see at restaurants are more interested in their phones than the people they are with. :)

My opinion is it is unnecessary. I’d limit sugar and starches but I’d never cut carbs the way keto diets demand. There is nothing wrong with piles of carrots, peas, asparagus, salad, etc... The important thing is to get plenty of protein and limit your calories. I eat vegetables every single day but I also never eat over 2200 calories and I make sure I get 180+ protein.

How about sitting down and talking to him about this rather than a bunch of strangers? I’d tell him why you want to have the surgery and why it is important to you. Then I would hear his concerns and see if they are really as superficial as they may outwardly appear or if there is something else. Don’t listen to the people here that instantly tell everyone to leave their spouse the minute they are unsupportive. You have been with him for 21 years. I think before I threw a relationship like that away I’d sit down and try to work it out first. I’d make sure he knew how he makes you feel when he says unsupportive things and that you’d appreciate support on your journey. Give him a chance to do better and if he has legitimate concerns like complications from surgery then take him to your consults and let him talk to the surgeon and even post a thread on here where he can ask questions using your account. We’d be happy to answer anything he has. But don’t listen to a bunch of people that have nothing invested in your relationship and immediately say leave him. That is ridiculous and they have no skin in the game. Try to work it out. Like adults.

No.

How big is she? I just looked through my baritastic app and I was eating 800 calories by week two. I eat 1800-2000 now with plans to eventually cap out at 2400. I am 6’6” with 220 lbs of muscle mass according to my body composition scale. So my BMR at my ultimate goal weight would be about 2400. To me, 800 calories sounds way too low and I would be shocked if she wasn’t malnourished unless she is short and super skinny.

I’ve been working out since week 6. I still log and track every liquid and food that goes into my mouth; I hit my macro goals daily and limit my sugar to under 30 a day. It has worked well for me because not only have I shed tons of pounds I am getting excellent definition. I’ve averaged 26 lbs a month of loss the last 7 months and my pant and shirt sizes have went below the point I’ve ever worn my entire adult life. So yeah, I think exercise is a big credit for that. Would I have lost weight anyway? Yes. Would I have lost this much, this fast? No. Would I have loose skin if I didn’t workout? I think so. Instead I have zero. So, not sold. Not at all.

I use it. Overall it is a great app. The last update fixed a lot of the issues with it but I cannot stand how it doesn’t store all the foods I scan and put in on a daily basis. I constantly have to scan foods over and over each time I eat them. However, for free, I can’t complain too much and it has certainly aided a ton in my 160+ lb weight loss.

Well, to be fair, a lot women are the same way. It probably has more to do with the narcissistic society we live in that is all too full of themselves.

Yeah, I still have zero loose skin. Like I said earlier, I don't do anything special aside from using skin so soft lotion everyday after I take a shower and weight lifting/exercise. I also make sure I stay well hydrated which may not sound hard but anyone that has had this surgery knows getting in your fluids is difficult as all get out. I don't know what, if any of that, leads to not having loose skin. It could just be genetic.

I drink premier protein chocolate shakes. I also drink premier protein clear protein fruit punch drinks. I also drink Protein 2O water which is like a vitamin or coconut water infused with protein. They are delicious. I also use unflavored isopure in my decaf coffee in the morning. I pound 190+ grams of protein a day and with a small stomach and the inability to eat a ton of food, I have to drink about 80 grams of protein a day. So I drink a lot it this stuff every single day. My wife loves the peach premier protein but I hate every flavor outside of chocolate. So I’d try a few flavors. For my money premier is the best though. Legit protein claims and a good taste. I tried about every protein shake on the planet before settling in premier.

Awesome. I was a quick loser too. Well, I am still losing as just six months post-op. But I am already almost at my goal weight too which was a 177 lb loss. Awesome work and keep going!

Yeah, scrambled eggs tear me up too. My wife who also has the surgery eats them without issue. But I can eat cottage cheese and she cannot. It is odd how different the results of this surgery are for people. Especially since she and I had the same doctor, same everything. Just different bodies. Now, I can eat fried eggs and boiled eggs. Scrambled are no bueno.

Six months since surgery and I am down 155 lbs. Pretty amazing journey. I have been very fortunate as well to have zero loose skin. I am currently eating 1800-2000 calories a day and 190+ protein. I walk 15-20k steps a day which usually translates to 7-10 miles a day. I workout with weights five days a week. I feel better than I have since I was probably 25. My only suggestions are to get active as soon as you can after surgery and build on it. I started at 3-4K steps a day before building up to the level I am now and I started with relatively light weights (for my size and history of weight lifting as a college football athlete) and high reps before building back up to heavier weights. My point is, you gotta start somewhere. And once you start keep going even when you don’t feel like it because it gets easier and the health benefits are amazing. The other suggestion is when you hit a stall, up your calories and protein. I hit stalls along the way and instead of decreasing food intake I increased it. I would add 200 calories and 10 grams of protein each time installed and instantly I’d start losing again. It seems counter intuitive, I know. Especially given how all of us, myself included, previously had to cut caloric intake to lose. But before the problem was we were eating too much and needed to cut back. Now the problem is we are eating too little and our body goes into starvation mode and starts fighting the weight loss. I found if I fed it more, it would keep burning away he fat. Good luck to all and anyone considering this surgery do it!

139 lbs down total.

My thought is this, we are the master of what we eat and do. My wife didn’t have the surgery, I did. If she wants to eat peanut butter m and m’s and cookies and things, that is her choice. It doesn’t mean I have to eat that stuff and I do not. I feel so much better post surgery and now that I am eating better my energy levels rival the energy I had in my early 20s. That is enough of a reason for me to say “no” to junk food whether it is a five mile drive away at the store or on the table next to me. Heck, yesterday I baked cookies with my two little girls and I ate an oatmega bar while they munched on cookies we baked. At some point we have to own our actions and understand the world doesn’t change to suit our needs. We have to change.

I just tell people I eat the right food, stay away from the bad, control my portions and exercise. All true statements. My medical history is no ones business.

I do alternating days M-F of upper, lower body. I also alternate style. I do heavy, heavy then high rep, high rep. I do circuits so no rest between exercises. Basically I do a set of each lift and then once they are all completed I take a 90 second break and do it all over a again. Three times. It takes about 25 minutes to complete a full workout. For heavy days I do sets of 5. For high rep days I do sets of 15. I think it is important to do both. High rep will help lean you out but it is very easy to lose muscle mass with as little as you are eating. Lifting heavy helps maintain muscle mass. Take it slow. Stay hydrated. I drink water between sets. Also, right after my workout I drink a premier protein shake. That is my routine five days a week.

So I am off all medication other than vitamins. I am down 122 lbs total since my surgery on May 10, 2018. Hard to believe how much my life has changed in just four months. I have continued to eat right. I walk at least 5 miles a day and workout five days a week M-F and take weekends off from lifting. My body has changed completely. I haven’t been in this good of shape since I played college football. Amazing journey so far.