30 days post op

Well today is 30 days post-op!!!! Today was also the first day to the gym in over a year.  Boy was I surprised at how out of shape I am and how soft my  body is and how much I still need to heal from the surgery. I could only do 15 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the rowing machine. before my body started hurting and my belly started saying what the hell are you doing stop!! LOL well at least I got a start and will be working up the endurance and increasing to lifting weight next month. I will also be splitting wood today again for several hours so that will be a work out in its self. My weight is currently 387 pounds down from 441 when I started the WLS journey and down from 412 on the day of the surgery. I am on soft foods and the such and can not eat much I had 3 1/2 strips of bacon and 1/2 fried egg with 2 tbl of salsa on it and a half cup of 2% milk, and that was to much. I find my self eating a bunch of SF popsicles like 8 a day, I just cant get enough of them. Don't know why because I am drink my 64 oz of water a day and taking my Vit's and minerals every day also. Luckily I like the Wal-Mart ones that sell for 12 for $2 and eat a half bag a day but any way that is where I am at today.  

Good news on getting back to the gym. As far as food, it sounds like you are working to make sure you are getting your protein in. I am slightly behind you (10/13 sleeve) and it is very strange when when you can't finish the small amount of food we are serving ourselves.

Ooh...30 days out and rowing machine already?  that's tough on your abs, which is probably why it hurts.  I wasn't cleared for anything beyond walking until 6 weeks.  take it easy and follow your doc's rules.

Also - at 30 days, a 1/2 egg plus 3.5 strips of bacon is a lot of food.  (Also - bacon is not "soft")  Be sure you are measuring and tracking your food.  My NUT said 1/4c of volume was about it for a meal at that point since the nerves were cut and might not tell us we are full until it is too late.

Splitting wood sounds like a great workout!

Hey there, Sounds like you are doing great. I never thought I would ever be this strong and almost 10 months after surgery, I ran my own 5K the other night in preparation for the one I am running on the 22nd. I have never ran for a mile straight, let alone 3.2 miles. Soon, you are see what you are capable of and it feels great!

I would caution on how much of the bacon you are eating and the amount of sodium. SF popsicles are good and gives you that sweetness that you may be craving, but im wondering if the amount of salt in the bacon is causing additional thirst...if that makes sense LOL.

Keep  up the great work! And chopping wood is huge! And your 15 minutes of walking on the treadmill will start increasing. Rowing takes a huge toll on your upper body. If you find it easier to chop the wood right now vs. rowing, I would stick with that! You are only a month out and your possibilities will soon be endless :) So happy for you!

Wow your doing so good i bet chopping wood is your biggest work out keep up the great work

Just a question - you're not drinking milk with your meal, right?  Please tell me you drink the milk FIRST and then eat.   

Frankly, the amount you say you are eating at one meal is a lot for 30 days out.  There's no way I could have eaten that much but your sleeve may be larger than mine. 

Also, rowing machine and chopping wood is probably too strenuous at 30 days out.  I'm a little worried about you.  

I am also concerned about you.  Rowing on a newly cut stomach seems like a bad idea.  It uses your abs quite a bit as you've found out, and you can risk opening newly stitched holes.  There's a really good reason that most surgeons advise people to only walk for the first 6 weeks, because that's the prime healing time.  You can easily damage yourself right now when you're only 30 days out.  I know that you want to do ALL THE THINGS RIGHT NOW, but the worst thing for you would be to put yourself back in the hospital due to a complication or due to an injury.  Take it easy and let yourself heal.  Then you can start ramping up with all the exercise you want to do.  But, seriously, step back right now and stick to walking.  

I also think it sounds like you're eating quite a lot in terms of volume.  Are you measuring your food?  Are you drinking with your meal?  Get a scale and weigh everything you eat if you're not already.  It sounds to me like you're eating until you feel full, which is not the optimal way to do things right now and, possibly, not ever.  Right now your stomach is still healing from being severed, the nerves aren't working right.  You can't trust your stomach to give you any reliable sense of fullness.  Please, measure what you eat and don't try to figure out what your limits are right now.  If you keep trying, you'll either damage your stomach or stretch it out, over time, and then you'll be right back where you started.  

I assume that you're craving the SF popsicles because of the sweetness.  That's why I like them.  And because they feel like a treat.  I don't want to get drawn into that thought process, though, so I limit myself to a few a week.  I want my treats to be non-food based and I don't want to crave sweets.  If I limit sweet things, I don't find myself wanting them as much.  

Take care of yourself and be mindful of the fact that you're still healing.  

Awesome update and awesome job!!

Doctors have different orders, but I wouldn't be on a rowing machine or chopping wood at one month out. My doctor said no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of mil****il eight weeks. I did nothing but walking and recumbent bike until then.

Thanks you everyone. Yes rowing was a mistake and I won't be doing that. As far as splinting wood it is all the lifting by the kid at the next farm. The amount of food is only 3 oz I messure it all out and am stopping the bacon.