billho

Goaaaaaal! I set out last July to lose 100 lbs. and I picked a random date at the end of May to get there. Today, May 25th, I'm down 100 lbs. and am lighter than I have been since college (30+ years ago).

I have two brothers- my older brother is heavy and my younger brother has been thin. I always thought I looked more like my older brother, and nothing like my younger brother, Soon after I lost the weight, I was going through some photos from a family gathering and thought- "why is my younger brother wearing the same shirt as me?". Then I realized it was a picture of me that I was looking at.

update: I got serious about following the program again about a month ago. I've gone from 230 to 210, so I'm happy with the progress. I feel better and am not far away from my goal of 200. I'm a volunteer fireman and it was kind of embarrassing a few months ago to have to ask for bigger pants. I put them on on Monday and I had tons of room, which was nice.

Hi everyone! It has been a while since I logged in to this forum. My journey started about three years ago. It has many ups and downs. Started at 284 and I got as low as 183. Over the past two years, I got lazy and stopped following my program which ballooned up to 230. So it's time to get serious and get back to what I'm supposed to do. I really don't want to lose all the progress I made. Some of the bad habits I need to kick- eating junk food, especially late at night. Also eating too many "slider" foods that are easy to go down, which happen to be ice cream, chips, crackers... all the stuff that I don't need. I still walk 4-5 miles a day but have skipped a few more days than I should. I decided to log back in here for accountability and to remind myself how far I have come. Last week, I started counting the calories of everything I'm eating and trying to keep it under 1300 calories a day. I have gone from 230 to 218 in a week. My goal was always 200 lbs, so that's where I want to get to. I have my 3-year checkup with my bariatric surgeon on 9/21, and I hope to get to my goal by then. I appreciate any advice or encouragement here. And I will try to go back and catch up on all of the wonderful stories I have missed over the past year.

I have accumulated some Unjury that I would like to donate to someone in my area. I have 24 cans of Strawberry and 19 cans of Chocolate. These sell for about $25 a can, so about $1,000 worth. I got them for my son, but he only likes the Vanilla flavor. I'd like them to go to a good home. Would anybody want it? I am in Winston-Salem, NC and happen to be planning to drive through Raleigh and to Eastern NC this weekend if anyone wants to met me along the path. Let me know.

I'll be driving down US64 from Raleigh to Williamston tomorrow, and then on US17N to Hertford.

my wife bought the whole family Christmas pajamas. I was annoyed, mainly because I didn't want to be one of those families that do that and the PJs for guys are never flattering. On top of that, she got me a medium. I haven't worn a medium since I was about 12, so I didn't even want to put it on. But... it actually didn't fit too bad. It was a little tight, but didn't look like a body suit like I thought it would. A few Christmases ago, I would have probably needed either 2x or 3x, so that's a big change.

I second this. I stocked up way too much on stuff that I threw away. You may want to have a small assortment of allowed foods on hand, but just enough to sample to decide later if you want to have them again. And I know this is a site sponsored by a supplier of bariatric products and maybe even your doctor's office may recommend something specific, but you can find cheaper options that are probably just as good. Read labels and make sure you're following your nutritionist's recommendations. Wait until after your surgery to stock up on stuff you like. Costco and Walmart have lots of options that worked well for me. Costco's store brand Kirkland protein bars and multivitamins are just fine. I do buy Premier Protein branded shakes, but I get them by the case. Other advice: walk, walk, and walk some more. The more you move, the faster you will recover (within reason, of course). Avoid the urge to let people wait on you. The more you do for yourself, the better.

I think the previous posts are spot on. It really depends on you, your current health situation, and how your recovery goes. I can only speak for myself- it was pretty easy the first week and I didn't need help. I fixed my own food and can't remember needing my wife or kids to help me out. I specifically didn't want them to help because it was important that I got moving and walk as much as possible. So I did. Walk as much as you can. I would be careful about stockpiling a ton of one type of food over another. Have a variety, since you really don't know what you'll like. I know I bought a bunch of stuff that I never ate (broth drinks, made jello, protein shakes in flavors that were not appealing after surgery). If you have a grocery store in walking distance, maybe that can be part of your exercise to walk there to get what you need for the day.

Yeah, I was overweight as a kid and got bigger as adult- I was told that horizontal strips around the belly make you look like a globe with the equator around the middle. Naturally, I have avoided horizontal stripes all of my life. Maybe it is time to revisit this fashion choice, now that I'm not so big anymore.

95 lbs in 6 months is doing great! Everybody is different and if you're following the program and are doing the right things, your weight will settle out where it is supposed to be. I think I lost my first 90 lbs in six months, but it took another four or five to get the last 10. The losing tends to slow down as you approach your goal. Keep going and be proud of the work you have done... and keep going!

I drink a protein shake with my coffee every morning. I have a really big tumbler, so just pour the cold shake from the fridge into hot coffee and sip on it for a while through the first part of the day. I prefer the ready-to-drink shakes from Premier Protein, but I really only like the Cafe Latte. The rest are too sweet for me too. You asked about fruit-flavored protein powder- have you looked at Unjury? They have a ton of different flavors. I've tried the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla, but they have a long list of choices. It has been a while, but I don't remember them being very sweet. https://unjury.com/protein/protein-powder.html

Every morning, my routine is that I make 10 oz of coffee (Keurig) in a big tumbler and I pour in a Premier Protein Cafe Latte. I have tried other flavors, but always keep coming back to it. I just buy the shakes by the case at Costco.

How has that worked out in the past? For me, I was good at dieting. The problem is that after I lost 30 lbs, I'd be content with the progress I had made and always gained it back when I got lazy and or didn't get the same results. Do I regret it? No way Do I feel like my life has improved? Absolutely. I'm 100 lbs lighter and am a completely different person. I'm in the best shape of my adult life (aside from a brief time in college). I am more active, have learned some new skills and am doing things that I put off for years. I have more energy and feel better. I got rid of my CPAP, a bunch of meds, and don't hurt all the time. I can fit in an airplane seat, don't worry about breaking chairs, and can fit in normal-sized clothes. I can't think of a single down side. Are you overthinking it? I can't speak for you, but probably. This is a big decision that only you can make- when you are ready. Of course, your medical history and particular situation is unique to you, so talk to your doctor and follow his/her advice. What should you be aware of? take it slow and steady and expect it to take time to get where you want to be. Also, there is more of a social stigma to doing surgery than you might think, so be careful about how much you want to share, or at least be prepared for some negative reaction from those that don't understand. Your relationship with food may change. I can only speak for me, but mealtime was the highlight of my day and the center of my universe was cooking and eating and preparing for the next time I got to eat. Now, it's "meh". I eat when I need to, but don't really think about it much. I still like to eat, but in much smaller amounts and I'm more concerned about good quality food that I can tolerate well, vs. food in large amounts. Also, my tastes have changed (may have been a result of getting COVID, though) and I don't like a lot of the things I used to crave. Be prepared to spend less on food, but much, much more on clothes and running shoes. If this goes well, you'll need to replace your entire wardrobe. Ease into it at first, only buying the minimal things you need to get by, as you will move through sizes quickly. This is how I feel most days:

There is something therapeutic about getting rid of all of your big clothes... this is a new life and you're not going back. But, I get it- if you're like me, this is a lifelong roller coaster of gaining and losing and gaining more, etc., so we don't want to get our hopes up. I took it a bit slow about getting rid of stuff. First I threw out (or donated) the big clothes that I didn't really like and kept some things that were my favorites. Over time, as my sizes changed, I periodically purged the largest stuff, keeping a buffer size or two. Even after losing 100 lbs., I still have some things I need to get rid of. As I type this, maybe I need to go through my closet again. I'm not going back! There is a ton of XXL stuff in there that I will never wear again.

Everybody's feet are different and you need to find what is best for your particular foot shape, amount of pronation or supination, and comfort. Another factor is the change in foot size and musculature as your weight comes off. I didn't really think about the budget, but I have spent way too much on shoes over the past year. A good pair of running shoes is good for 300-400 miles for someone of "normal" weight, and probably less when you are heavy. So if you are walking as your doctor likely recommends (if you can), expect to be buying many pairs of shoes over the next few years. The good news is that you selection right now isn't permanent. If you don't love the ones you have, you get the chance to buy something else in a few months . I'm walking about 50 miles a week, so I replace my shoes every 8 weeks or so. Because of that, shortly after I get a pair, I'm already thinking about the next one and looking for a good deal or sale online so I'm ready when it is time to jump to the new pair. I also have fallen arches (including forefoot arch), so I have to add in insoles. I keep several pair that I can swap around to whatever shoes I'm wearing. My progression since I started this journey a year ago: Brooks Ravenna 10> Brooks Adrenaline GTS > Hoka One One Arahi 4 (had surgery here) > Hoka One One Arahi 4 > Hoka One One Arahi 4 > Asics GT-2000 > (decided to not get "stability" shoes) Hoka One One Clifton 7 > Hoka One One Clifton 7 I don't want to think about how much money I've spent on shoes. I remember when a good pair of shoes would last a year or more. I guess that says a lot about how little I used to exercise.

I would be careful about doing anything that would be considered as fraud or inflation of your numbers, as that could really come back to bite you when it comes time for approvals. But, this is probably a conversation you need to have with your doctor/nurse coordinator. They should know the rules for approval with your insurance company, as they tend to vary. I was really worried about this for mine, as I was right on the 40 BMI line and, if I did the pre-surgery diet, I would have dropped under the line. But, since I had blood pressure and sleep apnea, the line was down to 35 and I was free to go ahead and get started losing weight. Assuming you have some other medical conditions, you might be OK. Even so, when I had my day-of-surgery weigh in, I was still worried that they would deny and I'd get stuck with a big bill. It turned out that my original weight was the only number they looked at and it was fine.

it depends- what surgery are you having? and how much will you be lifting? I had a VSG and was back to work in a 4 days (though I was pretty tired for a week or so after that) and I avoided lifting anything more than 10 lbs for several more weeks. I was pretty surprised how fast I felt good and how easy the recovery was, almost to the point that I felt guilty for laying around and not doing anything productive right after. The most important thing is that you follow your doctors instructions, as none of us here are qualified to make those recommendations (at least not me). Start walking as soon as you are able and keep walking as much as you can. You'll feel better and it will help with the gas after surgery.

based on your numbers (it would be helpful if you filled out your profile so we can see how you are doing), but it looks like you're right on track. I started at 284, was 255ish at surgery and got below 200 about 4 months later. So you're tracking where I did and I'm very happy with my progress. Just keep it up and you'll be fine.

I'm not sure. It's worth looking into, though. Go to UnitedHealthcareMotion.com and see if you can verify that it is offered through your plan.

Do you have United Healthcare? I recently discovered a plan through them called "United Healthcare Motion" where they will send you an Apple Watch SE for $23 (for a $300+ watch) and in return, you have to pay off the balance over 6 months by walking three times a week. There are fitness goals of F: Fitness- walk 500 steps 6 times a day I: Intensity- walk 3,000 steps in 30 minutes T: Tenacity- walk 10,000 steps throughout the day I got my watch right after Christmas and have had no problem with the "I" and the "T" and just had to make a few adjustments to my normal routine fit in the "F" portion. I'd encourage you to check it out if you happen to have United Healthcare your plan includes this benefit and want a new watch for almost nothing. https://unitedhealthcaremotion.com/

I tried many different ones, but Premier Protein has been my favorite. Many here will recommend Fair life, but they are more difficult to find at my local store (they recently showed up at Costco, so I may get them the next time I'm there). Plus, I'm sure the sponsor of this website has their own products that they can recommend, though I have never tried them. Make sure you read the label, because your nutritionist may have certain things that he/she likes or doesn't like about different ones. Premier Protein isn't perfect, but I like that they come in many different flavors and I have options (my favorite is cafe latte). My nutritionist actually didn't really like Premier Protein, but she got over it. She wanted me to drink Unjury, but I didn't like the hassle of having to mix them up every day.

For those that in the pre-op phase, just know that there are lots of different opinions you'll hear about nutrition and getting ready for surgery, and after the surgery. The main thing they want to see in the beginning is that you can stick to a program and show progress before you introduce the element of surgery. Because after that, there's no turning back. Try to find a routine that you can keep up for months and months (maybe years), as this is a life changing decision. What worked for me- high protein, low carb, kept calories below 1200 pre-op, and drank lots of Gatorade Zero and protein shakes. I had to read lots of labels and try different things to find foods/shakes/protein bars I liked enough to have every day. And I kept a log of everything I ate and drank for three or four months until I got into a solid routine. I stuck with it and am still following the program for the most part, although I have made a few changes as my body has changed. Remember that everyone is different and you may need something different - That's between you and your doctor and the nutritionist. They should be able to help you come up with a good plan that works and this forum has lots of people that have been down this road, so there is a lot of helpful advice and wisdom to get here.

my typical response when people comment on my weight loss is that I have been walking a lot (average 14,000 steps a day) and and eating less. That's all true and enough information to get past it. But I have told a handful of people that I trust about my surgery. I don't hide it if asked, but don't feel that it is something I need to broadcast to everyone. It's not everyone's business to know my medical history.

I, too, have pain in this area. I think it is a combination of the two previous thoughts- there is no padding, and what's there just slides around (also down 100 lbs). I don't know what the answer is, other than using a pad as much as possible. I did put a pad on my office chair briefly, but it raised my sitting height too much to make it uncomfortable in a different way. Now I just try to get up and move at least once an hour to go for short walks. That keeps it so I don't think about it much anymore.