8 Month Review / 7 months since surgery

As I have kind of hit a milestone, I thought I would share some things for those of you starting out on this trip. First off, thanks to all you guys here on the board. You know who you are, and your support is greatly appreciated. The "Locker Room" has also been my greatest source for knowledge for all things WLS related, hands down. It seems hard to believe that it has only been 8 months since I got serious about my health and 7 months since I went under the knife of Dr. Joya. I am down 130 pounds, 346 to 216. Waist 54" to 38". Neck, telephone pole - 17" CPAP Machine RETIRED, with over 10,000 hours on it! (at about 250 pounds) I'd like to tell you that it has been hard to stay on a strict diet and exercise program, but it really has not. The "psychological blender" that is Rapid Weight Loss has been much more difficult to handle than dealing with the fact that I have not had any carbonated drinks, pizza, ice cream etc... The diet part has been a piece of cake, if you will excuse the pun. I must temper the Psych issues with the fact that I was half crazy already, before the major lifestyle change and subsequent rapid weight loss. Thanks to a good support system, a good Psychiatrist and "better living through chemistry", I have been able to hold it together without going completely off the deep end. We all take great efforts to prepare for this journey. Speaking for myself, I probably would have done well to do as much research and preparation on the psychological issues as I did the physical. When you make a major lifestyle change and take away a primary coping mechanism at the same time, something has got to give. I believe this is why "Transfer Addictions" are so prevalent among us. Just a head ups for those coming down the path. You have a nutritional and exercise plan, it might be wise to have a psychological plan as well. Now, about the myths, rumors, farts, etc.. Just my experience, your mileage will vary. But; It does get bigger. You will feel much like you did at 18, for better or worse. I have heard this has to do with stored hormones being released along with the burning of stored fat cells. I have no proof on that, but the results seem real enough. The irony of being MO, is that the bigger you get the more invisible you become. Being invisible is not all bad, so be prepared for being noticed again. Walking down a city street at 346, almost no one makes eye contact with you let alone speaks. At 216, at least half the ladies make eye contact and smile. In book stores and coffee shops people will actually strike up a conversation and even make themselves comfortable at your table. As nice as this is, it can be unsettling when you have been invisible for the better part of 20 years. Again, just a heads up. Best to be prepared for the social changes. Even though they are very positive, they can still affect you in funky ways. Brief list of FARTS: CPAP GONE! Buying nice clothes off the rack! Fitting in the 2 seat mid-engine race car I bought for fun! Not only giving up the seat belt extenders on the airlines, but actually fitting in the chairs reasonably comfortably! Did I mention many of the ladies make eye contact and smile now? Blood work NORMAL in all categories! Dropping a shoe size! Being able to attend Pro Sports events again. (Fit in the chair)   and last but not least,.....taking a vacation, my first real one in over 8 years. I am off to Alaska tomorrow for about two weeks! Highlights include taking a helicopter tour of glaciers, including landing on two of them for 2 mile hikes! White water rafting, horseback riding. etc..... None of this would have been possible 8 months ago. Period. Do I have any regrets about having RNY? Yes. I wish I would not have waited so long and did it 5 years ago. Thanks again, men of the Locker Room. I will post some pics from Alaska upon my return. JP

Bravo, JP! Well written, and insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks. I couldn't agree more about the psychological challenges of WLS, and the addiction transfer. Me, I'm spending money like a drunken sailor. Clothes. Sporting goods. Trips. But Man, I'm loving life baby! Congrats on your journey so far. Awesome progress. Thanks for being such an integral part of this forum. DD PS  When does my willy start beefing up? Probably about the time the ladies start smilin' at me, huh?

So much to worry about,...so little,...time. Bigger or just more easily accessed??? Its been a few years.........

Bigger or just more easily accessed??? Probably the second, but who cares with the how?! LOL

Hey FMW, you gonna changethat to PhatManStrutt'in?? Good post, I enjoyed the read too.  Thanks for sharing your experience(s). 

Way to go JP.  I'd be right with you if I wasn't screwing around so much.  You are right on with all of these issues.  Thanks for the great post.  To make the progress you have made with all the travel you have done is really amazing.  Way to Go!!!! Enjoy Alaska...It's wonderful!

Thanks. Finishing up packing now. The car will be here at 9am to take us to the airport, at which point I am on VACATION! First real one since 2000. Never been on a cruise, never been on a train, never been to Alaska, but I did see a bear in Colorado once. However, this trip should be a plethora of firsts! All the travel was tough, but it was quite an adventure. I ended up putting over 18,000 miles in on the new Honda I bought for the project on April 16th. That is a lot of windshield time, but I saw some great sites including, most of the Smokey Mountains, A great deal of Maine (saw three Moose), New Hampshire, Vermont New York and Mass, Montreal, Quebec City, and a whole bunch more. By the way, I do not recommend trying to enter the US from Canada at Madawaska, ME, with a Honda with Texas plates and stuffed full on more computer, GPS, and misc engineering and other tech gadgets than the space shuttle. I was finally spared the anal probe when the border patrol's pizza they had ordered arrived. All the sudden, my inspection wrapped up pretty quick. I think they were bored, border patrol.  I could have never pulled the project off physically at 346 pounds. It was fun to do, but nothing feels better than calling a project done. (and submitting an INVOICE!) I'm taking the rest of July off and will try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up when I get back from Alaska. As for you, enough of the screwing around! Back on the chain gang, Buddy. No really, I have been tracking your weigh-ins, you are doing great. Take care. JP

Very cool, Thanks for the inspiration! Dale

Thanks Dale, I remember one of your posts about people's reaction to your plans. One thing I have noticed that you might want to watch out for is this; Once you start losing a bunch of weight, people will start congratulating you on it all the time. I don't know if it is normal, but I found this very uncomfortable myself. Even though I know their intentions were pure, somehow I took it as "Glad to see you have finally stopped kicking the **** out of your body and are starting to take care of yourself." Crazy, I know. A friend of mine that had a real drinking problem for years and quit about 2 years ago expresses a similar feeling when people (including me) congratulate him on his sobriety. Just something to think about. Take care. JP

FATMANWALKING, where are you!?  Hee hee You've done super fantastic!!  I can't wait to start my journey so I can be invisible, not draw the stares, you know the ones I speak of!   I bought my wife a horse 5 years ago, he skidded her off and my daughter also when we first got him and hasn't been messed with since.  My first order of business when I hit 210 is to ride that ******* into the ground.  My wife asked me today, why you buy this 17" saddle?  Wait and see babe.  I also customized his bit with a little barb wire, he and I are going around a bit - but I'm going to have the upper hand!  Can't wait!  LOL  It's going to be my little Xtreme sport just for me.