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8 Weeks Post-Op And Discerning The Truth About Protein

Last Wednesday, I had a 7 week check up. At that time, I was down nearly 60 pounds. Since last Wednesday, I have lost another 6 pounds. I am 8 weeks out and have lost about 75% of what I wanted to lose. For those who are wondering, I did not start out an ultra heavyweight. I started out with two goals: a weight goal and a sculpting goal. I am certain that the sculpting goal will take more time.   My restriction hasn't really changed but there are times that I can eat more than I would expect I could. Sometimes, my stomach is fickle.   My new obsession is the chicken tortilla soup I wrote about last time. I must have been in Whole Food's three times this week just to get that soup and those parmesan crisps. I'm addicted. I found the nutrition info online and it's not too bad at all.   In a more technical vein, I have heard people on these various boards talk about how much protein one can absorb in a single setting. It usually comes up when people are drinking a protein shake that has 40+ grams of protein per serving.   I think the magic number at which your body supposedly stops using ingested protein is 30g. This doesn't make any sense to me and here's why:   First, our intestines are nearly 30 feet long. The process of digestion takes hours. While it's feasible to assume that we only digest so much per hour, it makes no sense to think that after our bodies have digested a certain amount of what we've eaten, no matter how much of it we've eaten, it just stops and won't process any more.   Secondly, let's say one eats all of the 0.8g/kg of body weight that the RDA recommends for protein intake in 1 meal and another person ate the same amount of protein as the first person but spread theirs out so that they didn't go over the magical 30g. This means that when it's all said and done, the first person, who is eating the exact same amount of protein every day as the second person, would end up being protein deficient while the second person would be perfectly okay (from a protein perspective). The only difference I can see here is that the first person's body will take longer to digest and process the nutrients and the second person will have shorter digestion sessions.   I'm sure that body weight, genetics and all of that other good stuff has a lot to do with it as well; not to mention goals (ie. muscle building vs. fat loss).   It seems to me that the "limit" that a body can process and use in a single meal would be pretty much equivalent to what it can use in a whole day (more than 30g, I'm sure). There's an empirical study that actually appears to state that the older the individual, the better it is to do a large serving of protein for muscle retention than several small servings. There's also another that says that there was no difference in eating the bulk of the day's protein in one meal or spreading them out.   The studies I'm referring to are both by Arnal et. al. :   Journal of Nutrition- 2000- Vol.130(7) "Protein feeding pattern does not affect protein retention in young women." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition-1999-Vol 69(6) "Protein pulse feeding improves protein retention in elderly women."   They're good studies and they are short reads.   Do your own research but whatever happens, always stay vigilant.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

1
 

Week 7 Post-Op: Post-Exercise Restriction, At-Home Exercise & Food Substitutions

Today marks 7 weeks since I had my surgery. I did not weigh today because I have an appointment on Wednesday and will wait until then. I am still feeling great and have no complications to report.   The first thing I want to make note of is post-exercise restriction. I have noticed that after exercise, it seems as if the sleeve constricts, as it is hard to even get a decent amount a water down within the 45 minutes (or so) following exercise. My concern is that water is so important before, during and after exercise and this issue temporarily hinders my ability to get in fluids when I need it most.   I've noticed this over the past two weeks so I decided to wait until Wednesday to speak with my surgeon about it. In the meantime, the workaround that I use is to consume a sugar free Popsicle after working out simply for the sake of getting in some form of hydration until I can really drink water like I need to. I do not know why this happens to me but I can only guess that the muscle contractions that take place during and after exercise contribute to it. I do not do concentrated abdominal work but I do do work that use core muscles.   I'll use that to segue into my next topic. I do not have a gym membership. I'm a very busy person and I hate traffic so at the end of the work day, I know that I will not go. I also refuse to wake up before the sun shines through my windows to work out so the gym is not an option for me. What has helped me more than anything is body weight exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups, etc), running and HIIT training. I also like using DVD's.   For those of you who are like me (gym-avoidant), I thought I'd give a list of the DVD's I am currently using and that I like. They are:   Lean Hot Body (Patrick Goudeau)- about an hour long and combines cardio and strength Peak 10 Cardio Strength (Michelle Dozois)- similar to Lean Hot Body but has levels that build into higher intensities Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn (Michelle Dozois)- pure cardio Cross Fire (Cathe Friedrich)- HIIT that also uses weights Chiseled (Toby Massenburg)- strength training combined with high intensity cardio that involves a step bench   I don't do these everyday. I like to mix it up, lest I get bored. However, I would highly recommend these videos because they are straightforward and non-cheesy. The next development is my use of almond milk. Let me just say that the transition to skim milk was very hard for me. I just don't believe in see-through milk. Further, the carb count of skim milk is not something that I am willing to acquiesce to at this point. This weekend, I started to miss my cappuccino so I had to try to come up with something that would do. At Whole Foods, I found some espresso and as I perused the diary section and could not find the low-carb milk I was used to so I took a chance and picked up some almond milk.   I purchased the unsweetened vanilla variety that only has 40 calories for 8oz. and 2 grams of carbohydrates. Both of these figures have skim milk beat. I made a cappuccino with this milk and I must say, it was quite satisfactory. Almond milk smells wonderful and it's not see-through either. If you are lactose intolerant, this may be a viable option for you. I also used this milk when I made myself a hot chocolate using Ghirardelli's unsweetened cocoa powder (15 calories and 3 grams of carbs per serving). I know we are always told not to drink calories but the 55 calories in that cup of hot chocolate was so worth it.   For the potato chip lovers, I also discovered that Whole Foods sells "chips" made only out of parmesan cheese. They come in 1 serving containers in the hot soup area. They are crispy like chips but only made out of parmesan cheese (I guess they bake them because they aren't oily). They are delicious and I ate them with my soup. Although they are only 1oz. servings, it took me a couple of days to eat them all.   Anyway, that's all for now. Happy losing!
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

1
 

5 Weeks Post-Op: The Stall Is Over

Today I am 5w 1d post-op. I'm feeling great and am back to full activity. There are no more aches and pains and I've finally managed to regularly get in over 90g of protein without reliance on protein shakes.   At three weeks, I hit the dreaded stall but continued to lose inches. It was a little disconcerting for me to be in that position. Of course, inches are great but when I go to the doctor, they don't measure my waist, they weigh me to see if I'm on track. Nonetheless, I was prepared for it and had already made up my mind what I would do when it came.   The stall broke today so for 15 days, I was at the same weight. In those 15 days: I increased my protein to between 90-115g per day.
I increased my water to at least 84oz. per day.
I increased the length and intensity of my workouts.
My total calories increased to around 850.
I increased my intake of carbohydrates.
As I said, I'm doing a good job of weaning myself off of protein shakes. Some would say that it's too soon but I'd rather get my protein through food than a shake. I've found myself in a predicament where I have to eat something every three hours anyway so I just get the protein in at each small meal (about 5 per day). My go-to sources are chicken, fish, shrimp, very lean ground beef, ground turkey, and low-fat cheeses.   Increasing my water was the hardest part because water temporarily fills me up so it takes longer than I'd like to get all my water in (and I'm past the sipping stage). However, if we jump into the Way Back Machine and go back to high school physiology class, we remember that we need water to metabolize stored fat. On top of my workouts, dehydration wasn't going to do anything for weight loss so I had to get in more. Some surgeons tell their patients that protein shakes count towards their water totals and since water is in the shake, it makes sense but I believe (and have always believed) that regular water is the best to meet water needs.   My workouts started off slow because my surgeon has a sort of vesting schedule for workouts. At two weeks, she only allows walking. At three, speed walking, and it progresses from there. At three weeks, I felt fine. I had no more aches and pains so I went ahead full speed. Pre-op, I was a runner and frequently used HIIT training. I transitioned back into those forms of exercise. I gave myself about 4 days to adapt and then increased the running by about 15-20 extra minutes (about another 1.5 miles). I also reintegrated strength training.   The increase in my workouts warranted the increase in my total calories. I was never given a calorie level to maintain by the NUT. In fact, she said not to count calories but to just eat according to the sleeve. The 450-500 calories I had been getting just is not conducive to long-term functionality and it was causing me to retain water. Over the course of a week or so, I increased my calories in a number of ways. For example, for breakfast, I would have a serving of turkey sausage crumbles. I started to add one serving of shredded mozzarella to it for an additional 80 calories and 6g of protein.   Lastly, I increased carbs. On my plan, I cannot have raw fruit or vegetables until 6 weeks out. I can, have canned veggies and fruit though. I found some "No Sugar Added" canned fruit that has 30 calories and 6 grams of carbs per serving (1/2 can). I started eating a few slices of the fruit (because I can't manage a 1/2 can) with my protein at lunch. I'm not 100% certain about the science behind this but since our bodies need glycogen and the need to glycogen is one reason that stalls happen, I figured introducing some carbohydrates through food would help my body get what it needs without prolonging the stall. I just started doing this over the last week and apparently it worked because I lost 1.2 pounds between yesterday morning and this morning.   As a final note, my surgeon's nurse practitioner explained that with the sleeve, they usually see stair step weight loss. She noted that most people will lose a large amount of weight and then level off for a week or two and then lose another lump of weight throughout the process. Although I'd like to see a weekly decrease in weight consistently, I'll take the alternative as long as my total body composition is changing.   My NSV (inspite of the stall), is that I'm back at The GAP! Here's to a fashionable fall.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

3
 

2 Weeks Post-Op And Refusing To Be A Mascot

First things first: I'm two weeks post-op today and feeling better everyday. This past Saturday we went to the mall and walked around for about an hour, went to the grocery store, and then ran some other errands. I felt pretty good minus the Texas heat (106 degrees). I'm still experiencing some left-side pain and I've stopped taking the Hydrocodone because it's not doing anything anyway. Inspite of that, last night, I did sleep completely on my stomach for about 4 hours and it wasn't too bad.   Today I had an unseasoned egg white. That was a new experience because I'm not used to eating food without seasoning but I figured that was the safest way to go for now.   As for the numbers, I am down 29 pounds since surgery and 40 total (I lost 11lbs. pre-op). I attribute that to a couple of things but namely just having some pep in my step and trying to find some way to move around and do the most intense exercise I can do within my doctor's guidelines. My go to protein shake is 220 calories and 32g of protein. During the full liquids stage (first two weeks after surgery), I got about two of those down each day. Of course, it took all day long to do so but where there's a will, there's a way.   On to more pressing topics....   When I decided to consider having this procedure, I signed up on a popular WLS blog just to glean some information from individuals who had undergone this procedure. Some of the input was good, and some of it was rather asinine. But, what I did notice was an underlying air of unnecessary desperation.   Before I get into this, I want to let anyone who may be reading this know that "mascot" in this case means someone who is the embodiment of negative stereotypes assessed to a group of people. With that said, I was surprised at how many individuals on the WLS boards take on the role of a mascot when it comes to overweight/obese individuals.   WLS boards appear to be littered with tales of people who hide Hershey Bars in the closet, don't go out in public, cry themselves to sleep, lament about never having tried out for the volleyball team, didn't go to their high school reunion, can't get a date, don't play with their children, etc....I sometimes read these tragic stories and wonder how and why people end up like that just because of their weight.   When I look back at my upbringing, I am so grateful that my parents did not allow us to use our physical appearance and how society may feel about it as a way out of participating in life. I've never been thin. I was always the tallest one and I always had extra weight. But, my parents taught me that I can do anything I want to do. Never once did it cross my mind to not try out for the swim team because of my weight. I was good, why wouldn't I try out? Never once did it occur to me to not sign up for summer Track and Field because of my weight. Never once did it cross my mind to not go to the prom because of my weight. Never once did it cross my mind to lock myself in my house because of my weight. Never once did it occur to me that I should be meek, apologetic, or sad because of my weight.   If anything, it was a badge of honor knowing that I was setting an example for other people letting them know that just because you have extra weight on you doesn't mean that you can't excel at sports, go to the prom, date a cute guy, speak up for yourself and all of the other things that unbeknownst to me are supposed to be reserved for people who are height/weight proportionate.   This concerns be more because I truly believe that you pass your junk onto your progeny. This became clear to me when I taught Kindergarten. There was an obese child in my class and her mother was obese. The mother had the same tragic thing going on where she only left the house to pick her children up from school because she was embarrassed about her weight (yes, she told me this). On field day, her daughter, a born chatterbox, sat out of every single event by pretending that she needed to tie her shoe. I watched her stand at the start line and by the time the school secretary got to "set", she would bend down, untie her shoe and slowly tie it back up so that by the time she was done, the race was over.   We all knew why she was doing it. The saddest part is that at 5 years-old, she had already learned that because of her weight, she should automatically exclude herself from the same privileges of childhood in which every other child gets to partake. Repeat: exclude herself. None of us told her she couldn't participate. None of the games had a weight limit. She placed the limit on herself. That was 4 years ago. I can only hope that in 15 years, she won't be someone who is steeped in regret about what they never did in life because she was/is overweight.   As I read through the WLS sites, my long-held thoughts on the matter are confirmed. I read posts and wonder when the individual learned to limit themselves because of their weight and who taught them to do so. To me, it's a tragedy to be 25, 30, 40+ and never have lived out anything you wanted to do because of how much you weigh.   We all get down about something every now and then, but to stay down for an extended period of time, that's where it becomes troublesome. So instead of waiting until you're at your preferred weight or until you can wear a size __ to do what you want to do, know you can do, would like to try to do, would like to learn to do, do it now.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

4
 

One Week Post-Op

I had my surgery on July 23rd at 7:30am and it has been a ride. Although I woke up from surgery thinking WTF I had just done to myself, I have no regrets about it (at this stage).   My one week post-op numbers show that I am down 26 pounds. That's comprised of 11 for the pre-op diet and 15 for the first week post-op. Not to sound cocky but I'm not surprised. Weight loss has never been a problem for me-it's always been maintenance. That's the main reason I elected to have this surgery (although I don't know why this surgery is considered "elective" when it is being used to treat a disease).   In my obligatory pre-op nutritionist visit, she also confirmed I'd lose weight quickly because of my athletic background and the fact that in spite of my weight, I'm a true mesomorph.   I must admit that at one point I felt that my submission to surgery felt somewhat like defeat. I felt like a lame-o. I felt like a stereotype even though I know I'm not. I'm not necessarily an overly competitive person but I am good at enduring in most of my undertakings. I felt like I was throwing in the towel.   Back in late April, my husband I went to the mall to shop for suits (for him) and I happened to walk past one of the mirrors and it pretty much ruined the rest of my day. It was bad enough that the Old Navy that I live and breathe by was starting to lay problematically but this real live visual was just too much to bear. Being a mesomorph, I don't have big round hips (my husband calls me "muscle booty"), round wrists, and fluffy thighs so I couldn't pretend that I was "voluptuous" or "thick" or Rubenesque. A journey into higher and higher weights would surely make me look like a member of the powerlifting team. Aesthestically, my frame is just too large to carry too much weight while at the same time people always visually underestimate my weight. That was my end game for the dieting rat race.   That Monday, I must have called or Google'd 100 doctors under my insurance plan. It was more work than I thought because I refused to use a TV doctor and my inane insurance company refuses to give bariatric surgeons their own category which meant that I had to weed through the people who only took out spleens, cysts, tonsils, etc....   I finally found a surgeon and made an appointment for May 9 and the rest is history. I walked away from the first consultation mainly feeling happy that because of my height and structure, my "ideal" weight is considered 20lbs. more than the height/weight charts dictated. I was happy that I wouldn't have to reach for some totally impossible number. I'm mean, in the 5th grade I was 5'7" and 155lbs. so I will probably NEVER make the height/weight chart's definition of "ideal" in a healthy manner.   8 days post-op and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm increasingly able to sleep on my stomach and I'm not bothered by the broth, protein shakes, and liquids. I'm just waiting for my two week follow-up where I will hopefully be released to start back running everyday and get this show on the road.   Life is wonderful when you have something to look forward to.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

0
 

6 Weeks Post-Op, Stir Fry, And Labor Day Eats

I am officially 6 weeks post-op today. I lost 5 pounds between today and last Monday. I'm at the post-surgical point where I am allowed to eat whatever I want except raw vegetables and I wanted Chinese food; namely sweet and sour chicken.   Since this dish is usually batter dipped and fried, going to the local Chinese restaurant wasn't really an option (I vowed not to consciously go off plan until 6 months out). So, I diced some chicken cutlets and stir-fried them using Pam and a little olive oil. For sweet and sour sauce, I just made my own. The recipe I used is pretty good for those of us watching our carbs. The recipe makes so much that you shouldn't have to worry about the carb load unless you plan on using the whole yield in one setting. Plus it's thinner than the kind in the restaurants so you're really just getting a light flavoring instead of a sugary, bulky condiment that sticks to your chicken.   Today, we grilled shrimp, swordfish, and hamburger patties. We used the sweet and sour sauce and Tai curry seasonings for them. Not being able to eat raw fruit and vegetables is bugging me so I threw some pineapple on the grill because I needed something other than meat. The upside is that I can only eat four shrimp and about an eighth of a the hamburger patty so we have food for days now.   Anyway, it's a beautiful day today so get out and do something; even if it's just sitting on your porch.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

0
 

10 Weeks Post-Op: My Thoughts On The Anchorwoman's Speech

This past Monday was my 10 week mark. Between that point and the last time I blogged, I lost 15 pounds. I realize that is abnormal for such a short period of time but I contribute it (at least in part) to finally curing myself of the constant constipation I've been dealing with since I had the surgery. This now puts my BMI in the high 20's (29.2). Now, I plan to get more serious about my sculpting goals although I still want to shed about 25 more pounds of fat.   This week, the internet was flooded with a video of an anchorwoman who had received an e-mail from a man who said he rarely watched addressing her appearance (weight). Based on the letter, the man's approach was coming from one of concern with a mix of overstepping but it obviously bothered the anchorwoman enough to address it on the show. The video has now gone viral.   The anchorwoman said a lot but she drew it back to bullying and letting children know that they should not let the opinions of other affect their self-worth.   Most people say she ethered the anonymous man and I do think that it was clever to use her platform to address him....since she cared.   In general, I thought the speech was ok. Do I think he bullied her? Not at all. An e-mail telling you that you should lose weight is not enough for me to say that the person is being bullied; especially amongst adults. I feel she did herself a disservice by acting as if she was bullied by this stranger. The facts are, had she just deleted his e-mail, we would never know about it. Now, we all know this guy's name and he has made further statements in the media since this video went viral. He's an attorney who has now gotten free advertising. His picture is up everywhere and he has "offered" to "help" her with her weight (sounds like a personal training business plug). Now, she's reading and hearing the comments from the general public that are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay worse than what the man said to her through e-mail.   The anchorwoman and her husband went on GMA and her husband noted she has a thyroid problem. The anchorwoman stated that, "It's not about him anymore."   The problem is that she was the one who made it about him. Anyone who has experience with a real bully knows that the worst thing you can give them is attention because they live off of it. Yet, this man never shared what he said to her in the media at all. It was her. I can only hope that as an adult, she is past the point of internalizing the unwanted comments of strangers (although doing a segment about it may mean she's not). If it weren't for her, this man would be a non-factor that very few of us even know exists. As wrong as it may be, it is a fact of life that everyone will not like you, be nice to you, find you attractive, think you are smart, or any other subjective measure.   I feel that her activism would have been more productive by doing speeches in her local community at schools about bullying. Someone in her position could do a world of good by mentoring girls or young women who wish to go into the media arts and may be unsure about themselves. The way this played out seems like she was someone else resigning themselves to victimhood and it invited people to either pity her or lambaste her further; neither of those is preferable. Now, she's ready to move on and the rest of the people are still talking about her, him and it.   Deepak Chopra said something that equates to this: what other people think of you is none of your business and when you try to make it your business, you'll perpetually be miserable (paraphrase). I think that applies to this situation.
prettysleeved1

prettysleeved1

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