So I have been over weight most of my life. I have been dieting on and off since I was 14 years old. I have done them all. Weight Watchers, Atkins, low calorie, low fat, biggest loser, all of them! lol! I have always been a pretty muscular guy. I am 6,1" tall and to be honest have always had an easy time losing weight in the physical sense. When I am geared up and going good I can lose a pound a day no problem (physically)! Mentally is a whole other story. I feel as if I have an Angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other. This struggle continues the entire day. A silent battle that no one else can see. I wake up and my brain says FOOD! Hour after hour, FOOD FOOD! People who do not have this addiction can never understand. Within the last 3 years I have lost 120 pounds only to gain 80 pounds of it back. I have done this many times throughout my life. The longer I am on my diet and the more weight I lose the louder the addiction voice inside my head gets. I have even went as far as spending 6 weeks in a "resort" working out as much as 8 hours a days and taking daily classes on not only nutrition, but the mental health aspect as well. I did not come to the decision of bariatric surgery easily. I have always been a proud guy and no matter how hard I struggled I was going to lose the weight on my own. I will be turning 35 in two weeks after my surgery. My joints hurt, I now have moderate high blood pressure and the weight keeps coming. I am not getting any younger and I do not want to look back on my life and regret never have reaching my goal. Even more importantly I want to be able to make it out of my 30's without having a heart attack! So here I am, I go in Friday May 13th! My new birthday! So ironic it might just be good luck! I am one hell of a fighter and my prayers are with the help of the surgery I am about to turn my life around, achieve my life long dream, and be damn proud of what I am doing. Want to see what it looks like to lose a ton of weight and work your butt off!? Then keep in touch:)
34 Year Old Male. Battled my Weight All my Life. After Years of Yo Yo Dieting I Am Getting the Sleeve.
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Ross1981
- Worth It
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Cost:
$18,000 - Dr Cameron Hodges, Hodges Weight Loss and Advanced Surgery
2 Week pre op liguid diet starts today! 4-29-16
So for the last week I have been on a modified pre op diet. Shake in the morning. One at lunch and then a 4-500 calorie meal for dinner. That was bad enough! lol! Been taking my multi vitamins too! The first week was bad enough and I was still able to eat one meal a day. I have two weeks of this. Bottom line is it is going to suck! This last week I have been pretty irritable and sluggish! I have also had a couple of dizzy spells but not too bad. I have learned to drinks lots of fluid and get up SLOWLY! This will all be worth it and I know nothing worth while is ever easy. I will stay in touch!
P.S. I started my day out by watching all my co workers eat breakfast burritos! I will just be here over in the corner sipping this shake! lol!
P.S. I started my day out by watching all my co workers eat breakfast burritos! I will just be here over in the corner sipping this shake! lol!
Gastric Sleeve switched to duodenal switch loop!
My Dr. is adamant that I do the duodenal switch. He swears the loop version is showing the same side effects as the sleeve which is very little, but I should receive a 20% boost in my weight loss. He wants me to lose 200 pounds. So that is what I am doing! I go in this Friday morning! 7:30! Lost 20 pounds so far on the pre-op diet. Excited and very nervous!
p.s. The pre-op diet sucks!
It is done!!!
Well it's done! Had me surgery yesterday around 8:30. All went well. I was hurting a lot when I came to but they got my pain under control pretty quick. Been sipping on water, eating ice chips, and a few Popsicles. Very hard to get anything in my stomach right now. Even a very slowly eaten Popsicle can even be a challenge. Sorry if my spelling or sentences seem weird at all. Hurting and drugged and the moment. So at this point still in the hospital may go home today. You can do it. It is possible. Also I'm not going to lie. It's damn tough. I had the sleeve and switch and hernia repair and it's painful. You can do it. Nothing worth while is easy.
Home!!!
Been a rough day but I'm home. Not feeling super bad but not feeling great. Will have better updates as I feel human again! Thanks
Day 4
Today in the start of day four. Still very sore and it is hard for me to get fluids down. I almost have to burp after every other sip to make room. It is very frustrating because I know my body needs the nutrients and the water. So it will be a major goal for me today to drink as much as possible. I have hit a bit of a wall today. Everyone told me I would have a day where I ask myslef what the hell was I thinking. Today is the day. All I can do push through. I knew this was not going to be easy but completely worth it in the long run. So I am going to keep moving forward. To all the people who just had surgery or having surgery in the next few days just know you are totally capable of doing this. But don't kid yourself. It's going to be tough for a little while. Nothing worth while is easy.
5 days under my belt! Working on a week!
So finally I am starting to feel like I'm getting over the hump! I am not going to lie. It has been tough. Hard to get many fluids down. Just the thought of protein shakes made me gag! Lol! It does get better! I had the gastric sleeve with duodenal loop and hernia repair. Definitely don't feel like running any races but I can get fluids down easier and not near as sore. Did some running around town and it was nice to get outside! Hopefully things keep getting better! Will keep everyone updated!
8 days Under My Belt!
It has been full of ups and downs but my body is healing and the weight is falling off! I'm going to get real with you guys! Something I normally wouldn't talk about but it seems to be the whole point of what we are doing here. Sharing knowledge and our journey. It is hard to get all your food, protein, and water in during one day! Sometimes it is impossible! Trying to get all of it in can become very frustrating. I have been using a multivitamin patch provided my my surgeon. Run about $20 a month. Now the part I don't want to talk about but should. Getting your bowel movements back on track. Let's just say 4-6 days without having one. Struggling to get fluids in, and pain meds can make your first one pure hell! I tried for two days. Let's just say it was hard. Meet hard! Lol. Finally I made it my mission and. After some very painful moments I had success. Well kinda, I also have myself a giant hemorrhoid and the rest of it was very tender and swollen as well! Then the days following I have had the opposite effect. Very loose. Very oily. Very painful! Due to the fact I had to pass a brick and now I feel I am passing acid! Okay enough of that! Lol! I just think it needs to be out out there! I am keeping very clean and using preparation H. It is slowly getting better and I pray it is soon resolved. I can handle the looseness but the pain from going it getting very old! Beside that I'm doing better everyday!
Ten 10 Ten 10 days down!! Feeling better everyday!
So today is ten days post op! Feeling much much better. Still adjusting to my new life! Still hard to get all of my protein and fluids in everyday but getting easier! Starting to go stir crazy at home! Have the rest of the week off! Felt good enough to start some spring cleaning today! Even cleared a little of my closet out for some new clothes in the future! I feel like I should touch base from my last post. My bottom half has healed very well and that part of things is getting better! Can't wait until I can eat and drink a little more so my energy level gets back up!
Weight updates
Kinda realized I haven't really been keeping everyone up to date on my weigh loss. So today is 11 days post op. Went to Dr today. He said I was looking good. See ya in 3 months! Down 18 pounds since surgery and 38 pounds since the pre op diet started less than a month ago!
13 days and counting!
Today was a good day! I can definitely tell the swelling in my stomach is going down. So much easier to get fluids in! Not feeling near as dehydrated and so much more energy! I have been only getting 3-400 calories a day so far and let me tell you, that doesn't go too far when you're a big dude! Today I bet I was able to get 600 calories in and 64oz of fluid. 60 + grams on protein. It was a blessing because although I've felt so much better everyday my body hasn't been getting enough! Here is what I had today as far as my diet goes. 2 premier protein shakes. Two 5-6 oz cups of soup. 1 sugar free Popsicle. 64 oz of water. We took a nice walk around the neighborhood tonight and with me losing 40 pounds in such a short amount of time I could instantly notice the weight was gone! Like I had been carrying a suitcase and dropped it off my back! Hope everyone is doing well and that these posts might help some of you guys! Bye!
15 days! My face looks like it dropped 10 pounds! Lol
So my daughter and I were playing around and she put this mask junk on my face. Then took a goofy pic! After looking at it I'm pretty sure I lost 10 lbs from my face! Lol! Feeling good! Been working around the house all day! First photo is from April 24th
19 days and counting!
Well today was back to the grind. My first full day back at work. It was tough. I realized I get up and down from my desk about a thousand times a day and by the end I was feeling it. Plus it's skittle different than being at home. My job keeps me moving almost all day and I could tell with the restricted calories that my butt was dragging. I am a averaging around 600 calories a day now. 50-60 grams of protein and getting close to my 64 oz of fluid. Still depending mostly on high protein shakes and yogurts. Also adding in cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. They taste amazing but are definitely at this point a bit harder to get down. This Friday will be 3 weeks and I can start adding in some soft meats. Canned tuna. Chicken. After 3-5 days of that I can step it up to baked fish and ground meats. Few days of that and then baked chicken. After about 5 weeks my solids begin but I have learned some lessons on this path and all though I'm dying for different food I will be taking it easy. Hope everyone is doing well. I lost 45 pounds in the month of May. Pretty excited about that. Looking forward to June. Being able to get a little more food. Be more active. Get completely healed up. Get some different food and lose so more damn weight:))
P.s. I ordered a bike and it will be here in a few weeks. Never thought I would be so damn excited about that. Went with a worksman cycle. The wounded warrior edition. They custom build so will take a bit. 500 pound weight capacity. Don't really need that but I may want to take it off some sweet jumps and I don't want a Walmart bike to break and stab me in the butt! Lol! Also purchased a Bowflex Revolution. Probably be a month or some before I get going on the weight lifting and bike but getting prepared. Need to step my walking game up now. Moving around plenty through the day. But I need to set out at night for more actual walks then I have been doing. Just so tired at night. I know that will get better when I can get my calorie intake up just a little. Okay fine blabbing. Goodnight to all! Oh and that 45 pounds. 25 since surgery in the 13th. 20 from the pre op diet !
4 weeks down!
Four weeks down as of yesterday! 30 days as of tomorrow! This ride has been up and down, but I would do it all over again. I want my life back and I'm going to get it! Full week of work back at 100%. It kicks my butt but the fact that I can do it lets me know I'm getting stronger, healed, and starting my new life! On Monday I was down 52 Pounds. That is from the start of my pre op diet May 1st! I'm not going to weigh again until Monday. I'm trying not to be obsessed with the scale. So I make my girlfriend hide it from me while I'm at work! Lol! Going to weigh once a week on Monday's! I put a picture of my jeep on here because it is all about the little victories. I bought this jeep as a toy and something to cruise around in this summer. I haven't been driving it because it was so damn hard to get in and out of! Well 50 pounds later and it's no problem! Also the fact that I'm healed enough to get in it! Hoping my bike come in next week. Here in a couple weeks I will start riding. In 3 more I will start lifting. For now work and walking. May have to get the go pro out for my first few bike rides! I hope everyone is doing well! See ya!
34 days and counting! This dude is tired!
So tomorrow is last day of my 4th week. Feeling stronger. Felling better. Solid foods such as fish are still a challenge to get down. Still having to concentrate very hard on eating slowly or it feels like it gets hung up and that's no fun. I have confidence that will resolve it's self as my body heals. It is now possible to get my 64oz of fluid a day. At first it was hard to get 40 or 50. Probably getting around 700ish calories a day. At least 50 grams of protein or more. So most of my pain is gone. Like the sharp hurtful pains. After a ten hour day or work I still get sore. The sore doesn't bother me. It's just my body saying hey. You're working hard and I'm still healing, but I'm okay. Keep it up big guy! Lost 58 pounds since May 1st when the pre op diet kicked in. 38 since surgery May 13th. I get tired but I fog myself doing twice as much as I use to. For example went to work at 7 this morning. Constantly moving most of the day. Got home at 6. Ate. Went to the garage and built cedar shutters for the front of the house. Been going for 14 hours straight! So I'm tired. But it's a good tired! Well time for a hot shower. Later guys!
7 weeks post op!!!!!
Seven weeks post op today! I have lost 75 pounds since the beginning of the post op diet May 1st and 55 since the surgery May 13th. Been getting about 64 oz of fluid a day and around 800 calories. I make it a goal to have a minimum of 50 grams of protein although it is usually higher than that. I've been doing some light weight lifting and keep myself moving all day! About to get more serious over the next couple weeks on my workouts. A week ago I over did it and probably lifted too much and could feel a small pain under my large incision. That's when I realized I better take it a little slower. Only lasted a day but man it freaked me out. My clothes are falling off of me and I feel wonderful! Going to try and hold out a little longer before throwing out the wardrobe:). I hope everyone is doing great!
Ps. The photo on the left was taken a couple years ago at my heaviest. The one on the right was taken today! My heaviest was about 30 pounds heavier then when I started this May 1st.
Ps. The photo on the left was taken a couple years ago at my heaviest. The one on the right was taken today! My heaviest was about 30 pounds heavier then when I started this May 1st.
3 months post op! 110 pounds gone!!
Well 3 months gone. 3 month appointment tomorrow. Lost 110 pounds since May 1st. 138 from my heaviest. Snapped this goofy photo while I was on the stationary bike. I workout almost every day. I lift 3 times a week ride my stationary bike or real bike at least 3 times a week. Still going for the 60 plus grams of protein a day. Was at 1000 calories forever but last 2-3 weeks been more around 1000-1200. Some of my bike rides burn over a thousand calories! My body feels so much better. Things that always hurt rarely do now. I can keep active from sun up to sun down no problem. Excited for the future. Changed jobs a month ago and it has kept my butt busy. Will try to get in her more often! Keep your head up!
4 months post op! 128 pounds down!
As of September 13th 4 months post op! 128 pounds down since May 1st. 156 total! Feeling good! Still working hard. Around 1200 - 1400 calories a day! Getting a little harder to not want and eat. Nothing like before but it can be easy to snack between meals! Don't! Lol! Still so much easier just having to use a bit more discipline! Hope every one is well! Keep your head up:)
So far so good! WIll be updating!
