I have been neglecting this blog for the past several weeks, and I do apologize for that.
When I started my weight loss journey, I weighed 454.0 pounds. People would look at me and be like "there is no way you can weight that much." But when I would be winded after walking up the stairs to my second floor apartment, I knew the scale was not lying. I was a morbidly obese man who was on the fast track to dying an early death.
I am a bit of an oddball. I don't keep my scale in the bathroom like most people; my bathroom simply isn't big enough to have it take up the real estate on the floor. So I keep my scale outside the utility closet at the entrance to the kitchen. As I was passing by there this morning, I decided to step on and see what the damage from the Thanksgiving holiday was. Imaging my surprise at seeing the following numbers on the scale: 342.6.
In just over two weeks since my final appointment with the surgeon, I have lost about 15 pounds. Including surviving the dreaded Thanksgiving feast my family puts on every year. I am totally stoked about this!!! That puts my weight loss so far at 111.4 pounds. And I am starting to feel fantastic!!!
Granted, I need to continue this journey; I still have a way to go before hitting my goal weight of 220. But, man, I am basically halfway there! This is so amazing.
But as I realized at my surgical appointment two weeks ago, I need to refocus on the basics and get back to measuring my portions out, continuing with my supplements, and increase my exercise even more. All very do-able, I just need to refocus myself.
*happy dance*
One month post-op
Well, technically I am one day early. However, my schedule tomorrow prohibits me from taking the time to blog about my experiences thus far following my VSG surgery.
I can honestly say that I have had no regrets at all from the surgery. I am seeing weight loss numbers that continue to surprise me. I have had no complications at all from the surgery. My incisions are healing up nicely. I am back to work and am having relatively few issues there. I am wearing clothes that have been hiding in my closet...some of them potentially for the last time.
Admittedly I have made some mistakes. I had three nights in a row of dumping after making poor choices for dinners. I cannot blame the surgery for my bad decision. And today, as I migrate to the fourth stage of eating, I found myself eating a bit too much for lunch and am paying for it an hour later as my stomach continues to ache and I pray I won't have to go into the bathroom and vomit. Again, my bad choice and not an issue with the surgery itself.
So what do I need to continue to improve upon? First and foremost is exercise. I have been under-utilizing my gym membership and the cooler weather that has moved in. I am finding more and more things to do in my apartment instead of getting out and getting in a workout. I really need to focus on making exercise a routine...to the point of missing it if I don't go. I've been at that level before and know I can get back there again.
I also need to keep a focus on the quantities of what I am eating. And making sure I am eating often enough as to not cause problems when I am out and about. There have been some cases of me getting clammy, sweaty, and light-headed while shopping; all of which I know is because I have gone too far without eating and am pushing myself too much.
So if given the chance to go through this process again, I wouldn't hesitate to go thru the surgery again. I feel like I am beginning to reclaim the physical portion of my life. Now to get the rest of it under control. But that's another blog post....
I can honestly say that I have had no regrets at all from the surgery. I am seeing weight loss numbers that continue to surprise me. I have had no complications at all from the surgery. My incisions are healing up nicely. I am back to work and am having relatively few issues there. I am wearing clothes that have been hiding in my closet...some of them potentially for the last time.
Admittedly I have made some mistakes. I had three nights in a row of dumping after making poor choices for dinners. I cannot blame the surgery for my bad decision. And today, as I migrate to the fourth stage of eating, I found myself eating a bit too much for lunch and am paying for it an hour later as my stomach continues to ache and I pray I won't have to go into the bathroom and vomit. Again, my bad choice and not an issue with the surgery itself.
So what do I need to continue to improve upon? First and foremost is exercise. I have been under-utilizing my gym membership and the cooler weather that has moved in. I am finding more and more things to do in my apartment instead of getting out and getting in a workout. I really need to focus on making exercise a routine...to the point of missing it if I don't go. I've been at that level before and know I can get back there again.
I also need to keep a focus on the quantities of what I am eating. And making sure I am eating often enough as to not cause problems when I am out and about. There have been some cases of me getting clammy, sweaty, and light-headed while shopping; all of which I know is because I have gone too far without eating and am pushing myself too much.
So if given the chance to go through this process again, I wouldn't hesitate to go thru the surgery again. I feel like I am beginning to reclaim the physical portion of my life. Now to get the rest of it under control. But that's another blog post....
The allure of the scale
I hear stories all the time from people who are in the midst of losing weight who monitor the numbers on the scale religiously. Scaletians? Scalethoc? Scaleists? I dunno what to call these people. Anyway they follow the scale as if it were the only indicator of weight loss.
Now I'm not saying that getting on the scale is a bad thing. Heck, just before starting this blog post, I stepped onto the scale to see what number it gave me. 390.2. A nice number that continues my downward trend every since surgery. But that isn't what matters to me.
Last night, I went to the movies with my girlfriend. I wore one of my favorite polo shirts--a nice crimson number with the Alabama "A" over the heart. (What can I say, Crimson Tide fans carry the team on their heart anyway.) She made the comment that my shirt was starting to look a bit loose on me. I had already noticed that I was tightening my belt on a regular basis and have only one hole left before I need to break out a hammer and nail to add more.
See, we look at the scale and say to ourselves what does the number say. If it goes down, we are happy; if it goes up, we are sad; and if it is unchanged, we are frustrated. But we fail to notice the little things in life. The clothes that fit better--or are getting too big. Being able to climb stairs without gasping for air. Walking around your local big box store without getting tired. All of these are signs of improving the quality of our lives by losing weight and exercising. Yet we often discount those circumstances as we focus on the scale.
But a healthier lifestyle is not a number. It is our ability to get out and enjoy life to its fullest. It is the ability to go hiking if we want to. To jump on a bicycle and spend three hours cruising the countryside looking at things differently than we would if we were trapped in a car. It is about being able to get on the floor to play with our children without worrying about getting back up. Those are the things that really matter...not the num,bers on teh scale.
So I challenge you to change your perspective. Yes, the scale is one indicator of a weight loss journey. But it isn't the only one. Stop worshiping at the altar of the scale and start living life. It's truly so much better.
Now I'm not saying that getting on the scale is a bad thing. Heck, just before starting this blog post, I stepped onto the scale to see what number it gave me. 390.2. A nice number that continues my downward trend every since surgery. But that isn't what matters to me.
Last night, I went to the movies with my girlfriend. I wore one of my favorite polo shirts--a nice crimson number with the Alabama "A" over the heart. (What can I say, Crimson Tide fans carry the team on their heart anyway.) She made the comment that my shirt was starting to look a bit loose on me. I had already noticed that I was tightening my belt on a regular basis and have only one hole left before I need to break out a hammer and nail to add more.
See, we look at the scale and say to ourselves what does the number say. If it goes down, we are happy; if it goes up, we are sad; and if it is unchanged, we are frustrated. But we fail to notice the little things in life. The clothes that fit better--or are getting too big. Being able to climb stairs without gasping for air. Walking around your local big box store without getting tired. All of these are signs of improving the quality of our lives by losing weight and exercising. Yet we often discount those circumstances as we focus on the scale.
But a healthier lifestyle is not a number. It is our ability to get out and enjoy life to its fullest. It is the ability to go hiking if we want to. To jump on a bicycle and spend three hours cruising the countryside looking at things differently than we would if we were trapped in a car. It is about being able to get on the floor to play with our children without worrying about getting back up. Those are the things that really matter...not the num,bers on teh scale.
So I challenge you to change your perspective. Yes, the scale is one indicator of a weight loss journey. But it isn't the only one. Stop worshiping at the altar of the scale and start living life. It's truly so much better.
Getting in a rut
Well here I am, 11 days post-op. And I am finding myself getting into a rut. I wake up at the same time everyday, start with my blood thinner shot, eat breakfast, take my morning meds, sometimes have a mid-morning outing, eat lunch, have an afternoon outing, take a nap, take my afternoon meds, eat dinner, take my evening meds, go to sleep.
My energy levels are still in the toilet...I feel like I should be able to do more throughout the day. I want to do more, but physically I just can't. For example, after visiting three stores yesterday afternoon and roaming around them, I returned home totally exhausted and feeling a bit light-headed. It is really frustrating because my gout attack is almost over with and I keep telling myself that I need to be out and doing more than I am. Am I putting too much pressure on myself? I don't know.
I am anxiously awaiting my post-op follow-up with my surgeon on Thursday. I am hoping he clears me to return to the gym so I can get back to the exercise bike and getting more miles on my legs. I know the medical team says walk, walk, walk after surgery but I would rather spin the miles away on the bike than walk with nowhere to go.
I know it is not only a physical journey, but a mental one as well. And it is the mental struggle that I am dealing with right now. I am noticing how frequently we are bombarded with commercials and advertisements for food on the television, radio, and in print media. We have made food such an integral part of our lives that (I believe) most people have forgotten that food is simply fuel for our bodies and should not be a major focus for our day-to-day lives. I think if we looked at food as fuel, we--as a society--would not have this struggle with obesity. This is not to say I have accepted this mindset completely; heck, a nice thick, juicy hamburger sounds pretty damn good to me right now. But I know that whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables are going to do me more good in the long run than a burger will. So I sit back and long for a nice, wood-fired piece of salmon.
On the bright side of things, I have been weighing myself every other day. And I am pleased to report that two days ago, I crossed the threshold back into the 300s. One step down, many more to go.
My energy levels are still in the toilet...I feel like I should be able to do more throughout the day. I want to do more, but physically I just can't. For example, after visiting three stores yesterday afternoon and roaming around them, I returned home totally exhausted and feeling a bit light-headed. It is really frustrating because my gout attack is almost over with and I keep telling myself that I need to be out and doing more than I am. Am I putting too much pressure on myself? I don't know.
I am anxiously awaiting my post-op follow-up with my surgeon on Thursday. I am hoping he clears me to return to the gym so I can get back to the exercise bike and getting more miles on my legs. I know the medical team says walk, walk, walk after surgery but I would rather spin the miles away on the bike than walk with nowhere to go.
I know it is not only a physical journey, but a mental one as well. And it is the mental struggle that I am dealing with right now. I am noticing how frequently we are bombarded with commercials and advertisements for food on the television, radio, and in print media. We have made food such an integral part of our lives that (I believe) most people have forgotten that food is simply fuel for our bodies and should not be a major focus for our day-to-day lives. I think if we looked at food as fuel, we--as a society--would not have this struggle with obesity. This is not to say I have accepted this mindset completely; heck, a nice thick, juicy hamburger sounds pretty damn good to me right now. But I know that whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables are going to do me more good in the long run than a burger will. So I sit back and long for a nice, wood-fired piece of salmon.
On the bright side of things, I have been weighing myself every other day. And I am pleased to report that two days ago, I crossed the threshold back into the 300s. One step down, many more to go.
Eight days out
It's been eight days since I had my gastric sleeve procedure. I ended up spending five days in the hospital thanks to my blood pressure getting thrown out-of-whack as a result of the surgery. Add to it an acute gout attack in my left foot (which made walking extremely painful), and I will admit is was a rough start to my new life.
But now I've been home for a few days and am getting settled into a routine for taking meds and getting all of my supplements in. I am still struggling to get in all of my protein needs because I keep experimenting with different protein powders and am finding all of them downright disgusting. Fortunately my nutritionist has approved a protein shake I was drinking before surgery and it still tastes good.
Walking is still a chore. I am very discouraged that I cannot get out and walk more without my foot being in pain. There are no practical medicines that I can take for the gout attack, so I am trying an old-fashioned treatment of drinking cherry juice (diluted with water) to try and end this setback. Today is day two of that treatment and I am still waiting on major results.
Needless to say, I am very frustrated right now. I do not feel like my old self; my energy levels are in the toilet. And even though my stomach doesn't hurt from the numerous incisions, I still don't feel like doing much of anything. I'm sure part of this is psychological; I am mentally adapting to the new ways of eating and drinking and am struggling to leave the old habits behind. But it kind of feels like there is more to it, but I cannot figure out why I feel that way.
I don't regret being sleeved. I know it was the right move to make for my health and my future. I guess I just didn't realize how run-down I would feel afterward. I had mentally set myself up for walking around the day of surgery and being out several times a day to walk and that hasn't materialized. Maybe a part of me feels like a failure because of that. I just don't know.
So I am just trying to maintain my schedule, get out one or two times a day, and hopefully get my strength and energy levels built back up. I keep telling myself this is just temporary. I hope I'm right.
But now I've been home for a few days and am getting settled into a routine for taking meds and getting all of my supplements in. I am still struggling to get in all of my protein needs because I keep experimenting with different protein powders and am finding all of them downright disgusting. Fortunately my nutritionist has approved a protein shake I was drinking before surgery and it still tastes good.
Walking is still a chore. I am very discouraged that I cannot get out and walk more without my foot being in pain. There are no practical medicines that I can take for the gout attack, so I am trying an old-fashioned treatment of drinking cherry juice (diluted with water) to try and end this setback. Today is day two of that treatment and I am still waiting on major results.
Needless to say, I am very frustrated right now. I do not feel like my old self; my energy levels are in the toilet. And even though my stomach doesn't hurt from the numerous incisions, I still don't feel like doing much of anything. I'm sure part of this is psychological; I am mentally adapting to the new ways of eating and drinking and am struggling to leave the old habits behind. But it kind of feels like there is more to it, but I cannot figure out why I feel that way.
I don't regret being sleeved. I know it was the right move to make for my health and my future. I guess I just didn't realize how run-down I would feel afterward. I had mentally set myself up for walking around the day of surgery and being out several times a day to walk and that hasn't materialized. Maybe a part of me feels like a failure because of that. I just don't know.
So I am just trying to maintain my schedule, get out one or two times a day, and hopefully get my strength and energy levels built back up. I keep telling myself this is just temporary. I hope I'm right.
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