Two month postop
Hi everyone, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted so hello to
everyone. Today is my two month post-op anniversary - woohoo!! I feel
so blessed to be on this side of the surgery. I have now lost
approximately 47 pounds. This morning I got on the scale and it read
218…this is the first time in 8 years that I’ve been under 220. WOW!
I feel absolutely wonderful! I am dropping the pounds so quickly that
I can already feel a big difference. I feel healthier and that is
such a wonderful feeling. I spent about 2 years pre-op with constant
migraine headaches (due to hypertension), diabetes and bloatedness.
Today, I feel none of those things and haven’t since the surgery.
This is truly a blessing to me.
Food is something that I consume to live, not live to consume. Don’t
get me wrong, I still get head hunger and probably will for years to
come, but I am getting better and better control of that each day.
There is so much to say and I just can’t seem to get it out so
forgive if this post is long. I just want to say that this is the
biggest blessing of my life. I have been overweight since I was a kid
and to know that for the first time in my life, I will actually be
thin, it’s almost mind-boggling. I don’t know what that feels like at
all so this will all be new to me. I know that the first time I’m
able to walk into the GAP and buy an outfit in a size 12, I will
practically pass out. That’s how much of a big deal this is to me.
I’m sure most of you can relate to how I feel.
At work, I keep getting asked this question and my answer to it isn’t
what most people expect. The question is, “What is your goal
weight?”…my response to this has been…”I don’t have one.”
The reason I don’t have a goal weight is because since I’ve never
been thin before, I don’t know what normal is for my body. I just
tell people, my goal is to be where my body is supposed to be. I
don’t have a weight goal, I don’t have a clothing size goal…I have
a health goal and whatever weight I’m at, I’m good with.
So, to those of you post-opers…thanks for sharing your experience
with us that were waiting for surgery. To those of you pre-
oper’s…hang in there, surgery is on the way!
Peace to all of you.
Patricia
Cleveland Clinic Florida
Dr. Rosenthal
8/21/03
Pre-op 265
Today 218
August 30th, 2006 at 7:55 am
Patricia, congratulations on your road to health! That sounds so
corny, but I remember how amazed I felt at two months post op. I
couldn’t believe how easy it was after all the hassle to get
approval.
Good luck and keep posting
Mary
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:56 am
Morning all from sunny (tis almost Summer!) New Zealand
Take care
I have been experimenting abit this week .. with carbs. OMIGOSH am I an
addict. Sheesh .. its been so bought home this past week by a variety of
things which I thought I’d share as there may be other people who are in
the same boat and can learn from my experiences.
Tuesday morning - had my usual morning protein shake - didn’t have even
the remotest desire to eat all day, whilst at work. Sipped on my shake
til about 1pm and was fully satisfied. Came home and had a beany stew
type thing - high in prot again .. only a few teaspoons as I wasn’t
hungry and am trying to only eat when my body tells me to.
Wednesday - ran late, no prot shake. Went out for lunch with colleagues.
NOTHING on the menu low carb / vegetarian AND safe for me from a dump /
tummy ache angle .. opted for potato skins as they’re something I can
eat .. had 5 or 6 .. very yummy they were and I enjoyed them thoroughly.
An hour later, in a meeting .. I’m sitting there thinking “boy I sure
could go some food right now” .. got home alittle while later .. cooked
myself a slice of toast. Spent the next hour eating it. (my limit is
half a wholegrain slice as a rule .. I just cant stomach any more) I
slogged my way thru the entire slice .. an hour or so later, another ..
later that evening my daughter wanted some crumpets .. I made her a
couple and nibbled on one .. OMIGOD again!
What an amazing experience. Those of you who’re not carb addicts will be
sitting reading this thinking I have lost the plot but those of you who
KNOW the carb addiction thing will be saying “doh!” ..
If I eat carbs - even supposed “good” carbs (as opposed to sugary /
refined carbs) - I want more. Its that simple. It so confirmed for me
the fact that where possible, I need to limit my carb intake because in
doing so, I limit the craving for scoffing anything I can lay my chubby
lil fingers on!
Whilst those of you who’re pre op may be thinking “What a drama queen,
it was only 6 pieces of spud and 2 slices of toast in a day”, what I am
saying here is that normally my body didn’t NEED these things. I
seriously never suffer hunger pangs .. I’m only 3.5 months out .. my lil
tummy is full when I take my vitamins, sorta deal lol .. a prot shake
and a few tsps of beans or whatever is on the dinner menu and low in
carbs, is all I usually need. I ate some high carb carbs and voila - I’m
on the forage for more.
Anyway not really sure where I was going with this, I guess its just to
highlight my experiences with carbs this week as it was something which
stood out so much as I lived it! Combine this experience with the fact
that whenever my loss slows down (since surgery) if I do a total protein
oriented woe (way of eating) my weight fire back up again .. its
interesting, isn’t it!
Now if ya’ll will excuse me, I need to go and make myself a protein
shake for brekkie
Joan
- 99lb
September 2nd, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Joan, I’m only 6 weeks post-op but it sure doesn’t sound like drama queen
Barbara
worrying to me! I’m
freaking a bit because I had a steady (though unspectacular compared to so many
others) weight loss
my first four weeks, of 21 lbs. Then had a little plateau……not worried cuz I
was doing
everything the same as before. But THEN, I had a bad episode of vomiting after
eating 5 bites of
chicken breast.Too dry/not chewed well enough. It got stuck so bad that I
vomited for 3 and a half
hours. A few hours later, my family ordered pizza. Up till that point, I’d done
so well at staying
away from junk like that but I was feeling so miserable and sorry for myself
that I indulged in my
first post-op comfort eating and ate a whole slice. A couple hours later, ate
another. I’ve had a
problem from the beginning with being able to eat more than normal post-ops,
with no discomfort,
but at least till then, I’d had no high carb foods. Ever since, I’ve been
dealing with strong carb
cravings. Have been trying to satisfy it with healthier carbs like oatmeal,
whole grain toast or
yams but still found myself today nibbling on a pretzel, taking two bites of a
banana, two slices
of an apple, 4 crackers. This is nothing compared to pre-op but it’s frightening
that it’s begun so
soon. Didn’t expect to deal with it till at least 6 months, maybe a year –
certainly not 5-6 weeks
out. Any pre-ops or new post-ops reading this, please, please, PLEASE, listen to
what the
successful post-ops say. Things like “Just because you CAN eat it, doesn’t mean
you SHOULD!!” and
“Don’t test the waters!” I *thought* I could get away with eating pizza just one
time and now I’ve
lost no weight for two weeks, which is unlikely to be a normal plateau this
early out. Prior to
indulging in a high carb meal, I had no carb cravings at all. Now I’m grazing
again…on carbs, of
course. And craving chocolate again…sigh. Those waters I am absolutely NOT
going to test. The
last thing I want to find out is that I won’t dump on chocolate.
Yep, and inspiring too. I started today with protein, but got sidetracked down
Carbgrazing Lane. I
*will* do better tomorrow!!! Best wishes, Joan, in the taming of the carb
monster.
Proximal GB 9/15/03
Dr. Oliak
255?/234/150 or below