StevenGarrigus Member

Awesome! Dr. Minkin was fantastic for me as well. Never had issues with nausea, dumping syndrome or any abnormal pain. I think the worst part of the process for me was the next morning drinking that liquid and getting the x-rays. YUCK! :s I'm so happy everything has gone well for you too! Keep us updated on your progress…

Hey @Jennyjen1214! Dr. Minkin did you surgery, right? How did everything go?

As @fattymcrunnerpants stated, most insurance companies will not approve you for surgery if you fail to follow the dietary outline. Just make sure you are aware that the surgery is just the beginning of a life-long lifestyle change. Good luck and let us know how everything comes along!

I've tried various brands of protein drinks and I've kept coming back to Premier Protein as my favorite. Pre-surgery, I really liked the strawberries & cream. After surgery, it gagged me. I've settled on chocolate and have been drinking one a day for the past five plus months. The Caramel is pretty good as well. Haven't…

And like @garber6th has said, your personal success will depend on you adhering to what your dietician and surgeon tell you. The surgery is not a magical cure-all where you can just "eat a little less than before" and everything will work. You have to be willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes which include eating…

What are your height and weight? Your caloric goals are determined by that. If you are a 5' 5" woman, you need 1725 calories per day to maintain your weight. If you are 5'10" woman, you need 1820 calories a day to maintain your weight. And if you are 5'0", you only need 1630 calories per day to maintain your weight.…

I think one of the biggest aspects of the surgery is that I am no longer a slave to the food. I don't sit around, dreaming up what I want to eat or planning what I am going to eat. I eat a cup of food for a meal and I'm pretty much stuffed. I'm no longer ravenous and I eat because it is what I have to do to live. In other…

Agreed with everyone else here. If you need an extra cheese stick, yogurt or whatever else to get you over a "hungry hump" then by all means do it. Most days for me 5 months post-op, 1200-ish calories per day is good enough. Every so often, it's not. If I eat 1400 or 1500 calories on those days to feel satisfied, it's…

I have to concur with Aztec4Life: BMI is BS. You can't apply one set of rules to every person. For me, a male 5'10", my healthy weight range according to the BMI chart is 129-174lbs. At 174, I would pretty thin but normal. At 129, I would look like a malnourished POW in old Vietnam photos. I also will say that anything…

Welcome cagossner! I'm sure you will find everyone here in this group are pretty pleasant, encouraging and helpful.

I've lost 70lbs. It didn't really sink in until I was at the store buying bags of ice melt and I picked up two 40lb bags. I was thinking to myself "Man, these are heavy!" and then realized that they weigh (almost) the same as how much I have lost. I think though that even more exciting for me than the 70lbs, I put on a…

I'm almost five months post-op and I typically lose 2lbs. per week and have since month two. I eat on average 1250 calories per day. Some days more, some days less. I've never worried myself with the macros. I aim for 80 grams of protein daily minimum and keep my intake of carbs low by avoiding bread and rice (I do eat a…

Best decision I've made in a long time to have the sleeve. Prior to surgery, I had chronic pain in my lower left back, chronic hip pain, knee pain and overall felt fatigued at all times. I was also extremely depressed and shied away from any human interactions that weren't absolutely necessary. My back pain was bad enough…

You are over 50? I would never have thought that. Mid 30's at most! You did dodge a bullet. A bit of loose skin isn't what makes you who you are. My wife had the surgery 4 years ago and has the "tummy apron" and she is the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I guess I've never been vain or put such importance on…

"I'm coming around to I need to take care of me to take care of them" That's it in a nutshell for me bud. My quality of life has improved. My life expectancy has improved. My risks of weight-related complications are being eradicated. I'm able to get outside and play soccer with my daughter. I can run around and play with…

Welcome! You've come to the right place for support and already got some good advice from jcavanna2. Your decision to go with the sleeve over the bypass is yours alone. I had the sleeve myself on August 18, 2016. By December 31st, I have already lost 67lbs and feel fantastic. Good luck and keep us up to date on your…

You found your main problem: 1200 versus 2000 calories per day. You are in full-on starvation mode. Measuring food can be a PITA, but it doesn't have to be. You mention peanuts. If a serving of peanuts is a quarter cup, it doesn't have to be EXACT. Use a measuring cup and realize that even what is printed on the…

Just my two cents ibscas. First, if you are a male and you are only consuming 1200 calories a day, you are way, way under your daily requirements. 1500 is the bare minimum for a male on a daily basis and even that is dangerous. Second, if you are burning 600-950 calories per day, that makes your caloric net 350-600…

Ugh. Sorry you are sick. :( Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Happy New Year everyone!

Made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and all the days in between when people are bringing unholy amounts of junk food to work every day...and still lost weight through it all. 67lbs down and counting!

Welcome! You've come to the right place for advice, inspiration, support and everything else that will help you reach your goals!

I've lost a total of 26 inches from my various measurements.

So very sorry for your loss.

You are not doing anything wrong. 12lbs per month post-op is great. The pre-op diet is always a huge loss. You are only taking in liquids, so you lose a ton of water weight as well as cleaning out your bowels, flushing salt, etc. Every person is different so don't compare your loss to others. I had my surgery on 08/18.…

Sorry, but I can't be of any help here. I don't personally use the bariatric vitamins. They are super expensive. I take 1-2 Centrum complete multi-vitamins daily, 1500mcg of Vitamin B12 and just other over-the-counter vitamins for my D, Calcium, B1, etc.

I concentrate on hitting my protein goal daily and avoid too many carbs, especially processed carbs. I do eat instant mashed potatoes because they are easy on the stomach, but it's usually about a quarter cup. I eat a very small amount of pasta occasionally, usually when the kiddos make "hamburger helper" or something like…

I've lost an elephant penis!

Welcome! I think the vast majority of us here know the pain of losing weight, only to gain it all back and then some. The six months leading up to my surgery, I had lost pretty much all hope of losing weight on my own. I was hopelessly depressed. I honestly felt like I wouldn't get approved and my life was going to be…

Glad to hear that eating out is going ok, even after the first awkward dinner. My wife and I ate out at Applebee's last night. Had wood fire grilled chicken breast, garlic mashed potatoes and fire grilled veggies. Ate a hair under half of each and it's my lunch for today. The more time that goes by, the more foods you will…