11 Weeks Post OP
Weight: 261
Total Weight Lost: -43.9
BMI: 42.3
Let’s just say that last week was a bad week. Personal issues topped off with work issues. Before the surgery I used to deal with stress by eating. I would get a pint of ice cream or stuff myself with whatever fast food restaurant was my obsession at the time. But now that I do not have that option anymore, how do I handle those bad days? Unfortunately I sacrificed my workouts. Instead of going to the gym and working out those frustrations of the week, I went home and hid from the world. By the end of the week I was disappointed in myself for not keeping my momentum going and got back on the exercise track. I feel more accomplished at the end of the day when I have done some sort of workout.
Eating is still going good. I am still consuming less than 1000 calories a day. It continues to blow my mind. I don’t feel like I am depriving myself.
I have started to notice things are getting easier every day. Walking up the stairs to my apartment. Simple movements that used to be difficult are now slightly easier. It feels good to know that these changes are happening and that it will only continue to get better!
The best thing is seeing people that I haven’t seen in a long period of time. I had breakfast with my grandma last week and she was astonished with how I looked. She was amazed. I haven’t seen here since a week post op. I really looking forward to November when I see my parents whom I haven’t seen since last November and my brother whom I haven’t seen since one month post op.
Other than that, not much more to report. All is well and moving forward. I am continuing to do my workouts and training. Three month post op follow up in a couple of weeks.
2 Months Post OP
Weight: 266.4
Total Weight Lost: -38.5
BMI: 42.5
So it has been too long since I have written anything. All in all everything is great! I’m down almost 40bs in 2 months and I am feeling awesome. So what have I been up to this last month?
My trip to Denver was awesome! Spending time with my family was simply amazing. Although the actual travel was frustrating (both my plane there and train back were delayed), it was a great trip. I had a hard time getting all my protein and liquid in because I was not in my own environment with complete control, but I never felt hungry or weak from lack of. It was weird being on vacation and not eating out, but it didn’t take away from anything.
When I got back from Denver it was time to go back to work. I was looking forward to it. I was starting to get bored. As luck would have it, the night before I was supposed to go back I got the flu! So I had to call in on my first day back. And of course, being sick made my first week back kind of miserable. It was fun seeing the reactions of my co-workers. It is always nice when people notice how different you look, even though I myself do not notice a huge difference. But I am told it is there. Joe tells me all the time that he sees a difference.
My first week back to work was also my first week of eating solid food again. I was excited to have more of a variety of food. The transition was much like my transition from liquid to puree. I could not, and still really, determine when I was full. My first week I was only eating about 400 calories a day. My mind was blown. The second week of solid food I got up to about 600 calories. Now I am eating anywhere between 800-1000 calories a day. It is still weird that I can function on so little. I never feel weak or light headed. I am still hyper aware of the food in my stomach after I eat for about 30 minutes. I am still having trouble getting all the liquid in though. I think that is something that I will always struggle with. As far as protein, I am getting the lower side of the spectrum. Working on getting more protein as well.
I have also started a workout program. My first day back to the gym, a personal trainer approached me and talked to me about training. I decided that personal training is something that I needed. I notice that when I work out on my own I tend to not push myself at all. If I feel fatigue I stop. And that is not going to get me any closer to my goal. So I have Team Training once a week, which is something offered at my gym. It is a small class of no more than 8, and has 5 stations of 4 exercises each. It’s a circuit training atmosphere. Last week was my intro class and tonight is actually my first real class. I am really excited. I have had two personal training sessions so far. I am really enjoying it. My trainer is awesome! She pushes me in a motivating manner. I have an exercise routine that she has given me to do at home once a day. This past week and a half I feel more energized and am very proud of myself.
Unfortunately, Saturday night I started feeling a cold coming on again. But I am not going to let me slow down my work out routine. In the past I have let being sick become an excuse. Now I have so motivated I will not let anything stall my progress.
One Month Post OP
Weight: 279.4
Weight Lost: -6.9 (two wks)
Total Weight Lost: -25.5
BMI: 44.2
Wow, a month really flew by quickly! It does not seem like it has been that long.
For the most part I am feeling good. I still get heartburn when I eat most of the time. I saw the doctor yesterday and he that it could either be that I am eating too fast still or it could be actual heartburn. I honestly do not know how I could possibly be eating too fast. I feel like I eat extremely slowly. I even downloaded an app called “Eat Slower”. You set the time intervals and it chimes at you when it is time to take a bite. But the doctor said that my sleeve is still swollen from surgery. It takes 6-8 weeks for the swelling to completely go down. So heartburn is not an issue until my 3 month visit. If I am still experiencing heartburn then he will have to order an upper GI. Here’s to hoping that the heartburn goes away. He also gave me a prescription to help with it for now.
One concern that I did have for the doctor was the rate of my weight loss. It seems like a lot of people that had their surgery at the same time or after I did have lost more weight. He said that my rate of weight loss is good and that I have nothing to worry about. At 6 months is when it would be time to worry if I am losing weight too slowly. That was encouraging. I feel like that once I get back to work in a week and a half that I will start losing faster. 1) I am on my feet moving all day long and 2) the gym that I belong to is right by where I work. These two things will definitely help. I am still not exercising as much as I really should.
Tomorrow I am going to Denver. I am super excited. I have never been and am looking forward to it. I am still on my pureed diet however, which puts a small damper on the trip. But I think getting out of the house and exploring Denver will be a good thing for me. Get me ready to go back to work and kick start activity.
The last thing that I am still have trouble with is getting all my liquid in. Still not hitting that 64oz target. The dietician said that as long as I am getting to at least 50oz right now I am doing well. But I really want to get that 640z.
Thanks again to all who are reading. I appreciate the support and hope that my journey can help someone with theirs.
Two Weeks Post-Op
Weight: 286.3
Weight Lost: -3.1
Total Weight Lost: -18.6
BMI: 44.2
All in all, I think I had a pretty good week. My pain has pretty much subsided. The only pain that I am experiencing is the spot where they actually pulled out my stomach. It is still tender and hurts if I bend, or cough, or sneeze. Sneezing is the worst! Thank goodness I don’t have allergies! But in general, the pain that is there is minimal. I have only been taking the pain medicine before I go to bed because the muscle is sore by the end of the day.
I have to admit that my walking has decreased. However, it is because I am up and about doing other things, and wear myself out. But my goal this week is to get back out walking.
Good things that happened at the completion of this week: Liquid diet is finished and no more self-injections! Saturday ended the injections. I do not like needles to begin with, let alone having to do them myself. It was a struggle for sure. I will get to the new diet further down.
Sunday was a family party. It was the first time that I had to eat away from home and have a ton of food sitting in front of me that I could not have. I thought that it would be pure torture. But it really was not as bad as I thought it would be. I tried to stay away from the food table, and ate my yogurt while everyone else was eating the main meal. Was I a little sad that I couldn’t have what everyone else was having? Of course! What girl who is in love with food wouldn’t be. But my overall future happiness definitely over shadows any food sadness that will come. I also tell myself that the super restrictive diet is only temporary.
Yesterday I was able to start my pureed diet that will continue for four weeks. I don’t think that I have ever been so happy to eat semi-solid food. I started with a half cup of cottage cheese. I ate it slowly while I was on the phone, and when I was finished with it I was still hungry. So I got another half a cup. Halfway through it I started feeling that super full feeling. Kind of like my stomach was overflowing into my esophagus. So I stopped eating. Later for dinner I plated myself 1.5 ounces of salmon and a quarter cup of smashed cauliflower. I was only able to eat half of that. Again, I had that still hungry feeling, but I decided to ignore it this time.
Today I saw the doctor. Main question I wanted to ask was about the hunger feelings that I am having while I am eating. He said that this is normal. The part of the stomach that pumps out food is smaller and right now working more slowly than normal. It will eventually get back to a normal pace. I was also worried that I was not getting enough liquid, I am only averaging 45 ounces a day instead of the 64 ounces that I should be having. That is normal as well. The dietician said that it takes some time to work up to the 64 ounces. The doctor was pleased with how I am progressing. I forgot to ask about the amount of weight that I have lost. But I am assuming that if the weight loss was not on track he would have said something. I see him again in two more weeks for my one month follow up.
So goals this week are to increase my average liquid intake and get back to the regular walks. Check back next week for more updates! Thanks again for reading!
One Week Post-Op
Weight: 289.4
Weight Lost: -4.2
Total Weight Lost: -15.5
BMI: 44
A whirlwind of a week has ended. Most of it seems like a blur. But here I am now, one week after my surgery, and for the most part I feeling good. I have sure had my downs, but I keep telling myself that it’s all worth it. The support of my family and friends definitely helped me get through the bad days.
Monday morning was surreal. We got to the hospital about 30 minutes before we were supposed to be there. It’s probably the first time I’ve been early for anything in a long time. We go to the lab for one last urine sample. I was also dead set on getting a notebook or notepad or something that I could write on for after the surgery. The Wal-Greens inside the hospital did not have anything, so we go to the gift shop, where I’m sure I overpaid for a fancy journal type book. That’s all they had and I had to have something to write on. Let me tell you how not write in that book once. Ha!
Any who, after a quick stop at the cafeteria so Joe could grab some breakfast, up to the 2nd floor we went to register with the surgery department. We were then taken to the pre-op room where I had to use those icky wipes again and changed into my gown. Then it was a haze of nurses, my surgeon, and the anesthesiologist. After a little over an hour it was time to go in. I don’t remember much after that, just flashes of the recovery room and then hours later waking up to Joe’s voice talking to me.
There’s not a whole lot to say about the actual hospital stay, just that I was in much more pain then I thought I would be in. I really don’t think that I ever thought about the pain that I would be in. They x-rayed my stomach on Tuesday to make sure that there were no leaks. Everything was all good. I could start taking liquids. Wednesday I was released and Joe came to take me home. We stopped at the store to get my meds and once we got home all I wanted was a shower. It was the best shower as I hadn’t bathed since Sunday night. The wipes they give you in the hospital don’t do a darn thing.
I slept alright on Wednesday, better than I did in the hospital, but still not great. I pretty much relaxed on Thursday. Drinking was a chore. Every time I took a sip of something it felt weird. It’s hard to describe the feeling. Almost like a gas pain but also a nausea feeling as well. But I kept forcing myself to take slow sips. The drinking has improved since then. It’s not as hard as it was, but I still find myself not drinking enough liquid throughout the day. I’ve been drinking more and more but still not there. I started getting out and walking on Friday. I’ve been taking two short walks every day. Each day I go farther. Today I got up to half a mile. Just taking it slow.
This is the last week of just liquids which makes me ecstatic. Even though the next step is just puree, I’ll be happy to have texture again. The nutritionist said that there are certain foods that you actually have to puree, other things you can smash with a fork….which will be what I will be doing. But until then, I’m trying to make the best of the liquid.
Thanks again for reading….and keep reading each week for more!
One Day Pre-OP
Weight: 293.6
Weight Lost: -3.1
Total Weight Lost: -11.3
BMI: 44.3
So this is it. Tomorrow is the big day! I am filled with so many different emotions. Obviously, I am super excited. Words cannot express the amount of excitement that I am feeling. Tomorrow opens a brand new chapter in my life. And there is no looking back.
But there is also fear looming about. There is the natural fear that everyone has right before surgery. Praying that everything will go right. But I also have this fear that I will not be successful. I know in my mind that I am ready, that I am determined, and that I have the full support of my family and friends. However, there is still that small little part of me that thinks…what if I can’t do this? What if I go back to my old ways? Having this fear of failure, I think, will push me not to go back to my old ways. Not only will I be disappointing myself, but I will be disappointing all those who have supported me through this process and as my journey continues.
This week was actually a breeze with the exception of the anticipation. Saw the surgeon on Tuesday for a final appointment, and all went well. The diet actually was ok. I didn’t lose as much this week, but I expected that. I stopped wanting to eat everything that I saw. Had a few cravings every now and then, but nothing too horrible. Had a weird craving for a simple deli sandwich. That’s all I wanted. But I never cheated once, and that makes me proud of myself for sure. A gold star for me!!
Now I sit here with my boyfriend, Joe, patiently awaiting tomorrow. Special instructions for tonight: shower and then wipe myself down with special body wipes. Yuck! But it is what it is, and it will be worth it. No eating or drinking after midnight. No biggie there. All I hope is that I can sleep tonight. Being filled with excitement and anxiety, I doubt I will, but one can only hope.
That’s it for today. I will definitely update once I get home from the hospital, either Wednesday or Thursday. Thank you all for reading and thank you to all my family and friends for all your love and support!!
One Week Pre-Op
Weight: 296.7
Weight Lost: -8.2lbs
BMI: 44.7
Before I get into things, I would like to stay how touched I am that so many people have taken the time to read my blog. I never imagined that I would get so many views, and am overwhelmed by the support that I have received. Thank you to all my friends, family, loved ones, and other Bariatric patients for reading about my progress and the support. It means the world to me.
Alright, so it’s T-Minus 7 days until surgery. This past week was pretty rough, I won’t lie. I’ve had a head cold most of the week, which did not help the adjustment to my new diet. For the first few days I was hungry most of the day. Everything that I saw I wanted to eat. And when you work in the grocery store, you see A LOT of food. A few times the thought “If I just cheat a little, that would be ok…” crossed my mind. But then I told myself that if you cheat once, you will continue to cheat. And that this pre-op diet is for a reason, and if I stray from that it could cause complications.
Mostly, I told myself that I really want to succeed at this. To succeed I need to change the way I think and the way that I handle situations in my life. Up until now, I have dealt with stress, sadness, anger, and being sick with food. Food has always been a comfort to me, and this week I have started the process to changing that. I didn’t put anything into my body that I was not supposed to have, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. It may seem silly that such a small feat is such a big accomplishment to some people, but to me it was huge.
Later in the week, I started feeling extreme weakness and exhaustion. I wasn’t quite sure whether it was the cold or the diet that was causing it, or a combination of the two. I was pretty miserable though. Had to call into work one day, and the next day found myself using things around me to hold myself up. I slept plenty too. Pretty much every chance I had I was lying down and dozing off.
Thankfully, by Sunday I was feeling much better. I’m no longer starving most of the day. I haven’t thought about cheating in a couple of days. This morning when I stepped on the scale and saw that I lost a little over 8 pounds I was delighted. The suffering paid off, and I feel good about myself.
This week is going to be a long week. A few doctor appointments to get through. My feet are starting hurt pretty bad, and the only thing that I can take it Tylenol. It doesn’t do much for me. Mostly I think that the waiting for the day to come makes everything seem longer. I am blessed to have people around me, especially my boyfriend, to keep me distracted. He has been truly wonderful through this whole process. He’s so supportive and wants me to be happy.
I struggled through week one….and I’ll make it through week two.
Two Weeks Pre-OP
Weight: 304.9
BMI: 45.5
Let me first begin by introducing myself. My name is Leslie, I’m 29, and have been overweight pretty much my entire life. I am a customer service manager at the local grocery store chain in Chicago. I have had two back surgeries in the last 4 years and have foot & joint pain.
I decided to start this blog because I thought it might help me to put my feelings into words. I also hope that maybe someone reading this will get know that what they are feeling is normal and they aren’t alone. I know that reading about other people’s experiences has helped me along the way so far.
Bariatric surgery was first suggested to me after my first back surgery. I’ll be honest, I was insulted. I thought it was an easy way out of losing weight and for people that had given up. A year and a half later I had to have a second back surgery because my disc has degenerated, mainly due to my weight. I started serious dieting, lost about 40lbs, and got stuck. Getting stuck caused me not to try so hard, and as time went on, I gained all the weight back plus some.
The surgery was suggested to me again. This time I took some serious thought about. It took a year, but after another trip to the back doctor, where I was told that another disc was beginning to degenerate. If I didn’t lose weight I have another back surgery in my future, and probably more after that.
That’s when I started the process. I realized that going down this road would not be easy. That it probably may be the hardest thing that I do.
I had my consultation appointment in October of 2013. I decided that I would have the sleeve gastrectomy. And then I got the laundry list of things that needed to be done before the surgery can even be processed. Blood tests, ultrasounds, sleep studies, checked out by multiple doctors. But finally the surgery was scheduled: May 19th.
So here I am, two weeks until surgery, when the real fun begins. The start of the pre-op diet. A mainly liquid diet with one “real meal” a day. The meal consists of 2-3oz of protein, 2cups of veggies, and the optional 1 serving of carbs. Not something that I have been looking forward to. In addition to the diet, I had to discontinue the anti-inflammatory that helps with the foot & joint pain.
This morning I woke up and had the feeling of a kid on Christmas morning. I woke up 45mins then I had to, and usually have to drag myself out of bed. But not today. I knew that today is the beginning…the beginning of the rest of my life. I’m ready to change, and I’m excited to experience the journey to the new me.
I won’t lie, today was tough. I was hungry most of the day. But I got through it. And I know that with each day, it will get easier and easier. And before I know it, the day of surgery will be here.
