JoWhee Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 After years of various diets and exercise, I decided last year to bite the bullet. I'm going in for gastric bypass surgery, specifically roux-en-y. I'm 6'3" and 335 lb my already bad knees are really giving me problems. I've got the usual problems with being obese: sleep apnea, borderline diabetes, high blood pressure, etc... The procedure is a little more complex than a stomach stapling, they actually bypass the first 3' if small intestine and reduce my stomach to the size of an egg. This involves several life changes, which is one of the reasons for the long process. I've had to give up alcohol, smoking (non smoker anyways), caffeine, soft drinks, and NSAIDS for ever. The nsaids were the toughest to let go. There is also lots of behaviour testing and followup to make sure I don't transfer my food addiction to something else like gambling, drugs, or sex (girlfriend is hoping for a sex addiction). After the ~30 days recovery and back on solid food I will need to be on multivitamins forever too as my ability to absorb nutrients will be impaired. The results vary, but most people lose 80% of their excess weight, I'll never be a bean pole, but at least I'll be healthy. I don't believe in karma or any of that BS, but every now and then I'll meet someone in their 40's who has had the procedure and they say they have the energy of a 20 something person that's a pretty good endorsement in my book. The surgery is about as risky cardiac surgery. If I'm a good candidate for surgery (so far so good), I'll have to be on optifast for 3 weeks pre-op to clean out my gut and shrink my fatty liver. It's been a year that I've been in the program, and I meet with the surgeon tomorrow, fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Good luck to you. I hope it all goes well. My neighbors, man/wife, both had some form of bypass done. It is amazing how quickly they both lost weight. They are almost unrecognizable from their past selves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 I got the call today. ~3 weeks of Optifast then surgery on the 27th. 900 calorie shake diet isn't going to be easy, especially since the stuff tastes like Betty Crocker cake mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowrideCX Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Best of luck to you on this. My brother in law had the same thing done 7 years ago and did really well for the first 4 years but he liked to drink more then be thin and has since put most of his weight back on. Just keep in mind the stomach will stretch over time. You have to be strong and stick to your program. I wish you all the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearXX Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Good luck. I'm doing it the hard way, and it is tough. But I’ve manage not go up this summer, and plan to loose the last 20lbs this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Good luck. I'm doing it the hard way, and it is tough. But I’ve manage not go up this summer, and plan to loose the last 20lbs this winter. I'd like to say this is the easy way, but after a few diets, regimens, and blown out knees, this is a last resort. If this doesn't work I might as well cash in my pension as I won't be around long enough to spend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Optifast day 3: I've lost 7 pounds, damn that's fast. And my blood sugars dropped a whole point (1.0 not 0.1). I'm drinking about 3.5 liters of water, including the water in the optifast, I'm worse than my GF having to pee all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 My surgery is booked for Monday the 27th of August, since I started Optifast about 17 days ago I've lost 20 pounds (or almost gained 3hp), man this stuff is nasty but 4 shakes a day gives you 90 grammes of protein, it also cleans you out better then a wire brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Did you have headaches the first couple of weeks? I had to do an isolation diet to see what was messing with my liver enzymes (never did find out) and I was ~900-1200 calories a day on the prescription shakes. Headaches and weakness, they said "oh, yeah, that's normal". Water helped the worst of the hunger pangs. Smelling bread baking was torture. If you can do that for 17 days in a row, could you do it 3 days and have a regular day of meals, rinse, repeat? Would that keep the weight down without surgery? Congrats, either way. You really have to learn to think differently about food, and it's tough after being totally in love with it and eating with minimal felt consequence for decades. But it adds up. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Did you have headaches the first couple of weeks? I had to do an isolation diet to see what was messing with my liver enzymes (never did find out) and I was ~900-1200 calories a day on the prescription shakes. Headaches and weakness, they said "oh, yeah, that's normal". Water helped the worst of the hunger pangs. Smelling bread baking was torture. If you can do that for 17 days in a row, could you do it 3 days and have a regular day of meals, rinse, repeat? Would that keep the weight down without surgery? Congrats, either way. You really have to learn to think differently about food, and it's tough after being totally in love with it and eating with minimal felt consequence for decades. But it adds up. Good luck! My brother in law did the shakes for 16 weeks, he lost a bunch of weight and put it all back on and then some, half the people in my pre-surgery group tried the shakes first. I decided to not waste the ~$1600. The first 72 hours was hell, no headaches that tylenol couldn't handle, and the cravings subsided pretty quick. I watched my wife eat a steak and didn't feel the urge to attack, these shakes give you about 90 grammes of protein a day, so you don't feel hungry, the worst smell for me is onions. I think you'd have to do it for at least two weeks to "clean you out" and it WILL clean you out, it also shrinks your liver. Yup I've been a foodie.. OK a glutton, almost all my life, and went from burning about 4000 calories a day down to around 1200 while still eating like I was in training. I'm seeing how prevalent food is in our society, not just advertising on TV but even in shows, it seems since you can't smoke on TV now all they do is eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanix Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 I would humbly suggest marksdailyapple.com as a guide for your future path. Essentially, it's Atkins with a twist. Grains bad, meat, fat and plants good. Most dieticians unknowingly prescribe the same diet but then throw in "whole grains are good for you so you need a bunch of that shit". Your mileage my vary. I hate to say it but in every time I lost weight and kept it off, I was always hungry. That seems to be the theme with me. I have come to use it as my indicator that I am doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing. I know for a fact that simply counting calories using any of the internet and phone based calorie counters is the most simple and effective way to monitor calorie intake. It's not what you burn, it's what you take in. You will be amazed what simply tracking your intake will do for you. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 The new post bypass diet is going to be mostly about protein, and special multivitamins to sum up about 50 pages in a sentence. Like you siad, grains/carbs bad. I have been tracking my food intake with myfitnesspal.com it's unnerving when you look at the numbers. By the time I get all recovered I'll be able to eat between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkside Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Sorry we missed you at Mosport this past weekend, only a few showed, but we did have a great time, and saw some really good racing all weekend. Enjoyed some steak and beers, but the wife did have some vegies made up as well, so you could have eaten. Hope all is well with the surgery and wish you a speedy recovery. All the best Brian The new post bypass diet is going to be mostly about protein, and special multivitamins to sum up about 50 pages in a sentence. Like you siad, grains/carbs bad. I have been tracking my food intake with myfitnesspal.com it's unnerving when you look at the numbers. By the time I get all recovered I'll be able to eat between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 +6 hp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 For anyone keeping track 2/3 of the way there or +10 hp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John01XX Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 For anyone keeping track 2/3 of the way there or +10 hp A huge congrats :icon_thumbsup: I have been skinny all my life but have worked with a few men with food addictions. I have been an accountability partner with two obese men that lost over 200 lbs each and are still keeping it off after 10 years. Most people have no idea just how hard it really is and also what a tremendious accomplishment it is to be able to say "I Used to be obese" You should be proud of the decision you made, best of luck. Keep us informed of your progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBLXX Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Just saw this thread for the first time. Huge man.....this is fantastic but it's the easy part. Maintaining is the hard part. You can do it! Super terrific bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 13.5 horsepower gained, kind of at a plateau right now, but I've been rocking the elliptical trainer to get me down that last couple of ponies. The only bad medical news was from my Cpap therapist who said because of my build I'd probably be on it forever. I can live with that, I can't even remember sleeping without it, getting the mask on has become part of my sleep routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicholy Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Congrats on knocking the pounds off!! Do your knees and back feel better? Good luck in keeping to the methods that seem to be working for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXX Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 13.5 horsepower gained, kind of at a plateau right now, but I've been rocking the elliptical trainer to get me down that last couple of ponies. The only bad medical news was from my Cpap therapist who said because of my build I'd probably be on it forever. I can live with that, I can't even remember sleeping without it, getting the mask on has become part of my sleep routine. I can think of worse things to have to live with. Yeah, it has become routine enough for me also. Congratulations on the weight loss. I work around several big boys and girls and I worry about their health. (I am no Ken, either) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Back knees ankles, all is good, I can't remember the last time I took a pain killer, but last one was only an extra strength Tylenol. Beats the hell out of taking tramaset or Tylenol 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 Milestone today 100lb! or a two month horse, my goal is a supermodel. If you see me getting arrested for carrying one around, please have a fund drive to bail me out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John01XX Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 huge congrats There are very few that have the willpower and desire to accomplish such a feat. Forget the horsepower, you adding years of enjoyment to your lifespan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoWhee Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 Got out on the Ike today, first real ride since I started my weight loss. Down 106lb the bike sure handles differently, it's like NOT having a passenger on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardCranium Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 How goes the quest for hp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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