I have a question but it’s going to take some ‘splaining, so I hope you’ll bear with me.

I was sleeved almost a year ago. I’ve lost 63.3 lbs. since the day of my surgery, 88 lbs. from my all-time high weight. My goal is to lose 30-35 more pounds (I figured I’d decide what felt right when I got closer). I’ve been struggling for the last few months with life, the universe, and everything including persistent severe pain in my shoulder (since August), and a broken big toe in early February (missed having surgery by a hair…or by the week between breaking it and when I got in to see an orthopedic doctor). During that period, I also had to have my gallbladder removed, learned that my thyroid is enlarged and has nodules (which were biopsied and declared “consistent with benign nodule findings, come back in a year”), and experienced worsening fatigue and brain fog. The doctors I’ve seen have told me to get more sleep. Thing is, my thyroid values were all very low, but within the normal range except for one, which was .1 below normal. Research and discussion among thyroid patients revealed what while I’m in/near normal, the numbers are too low and that it’s possible I’m hypothyroid (which would account for the fatigue). So I tried looking into that, but THOSE doctors all said, “Your TSH is in the normal range, you’re fine.”

So I turned away from allopathic medicine to more integrative/holistic/functional medicine. My thyroid may be fine but my symptoms are undeniable so SOMEthing is off and I’m not having luck finding out what it is with traditional Western medicine.

I found a local doctor with a good reputation and went through a bunch of tests, then had an appointment with him on Monday. My thyroid values were all once again, within low but normal range. OTOH, my estrogen and progesterone were both very low. I’ve been in surgical menopause for 7 years with no HRT since the first 8-10 months. The low estrogen and progesterone can both account for at least as many of my symptoms as being hypothyroid can. Estrogen gets stored in fat cells, and I had plenty of fat until this past year, so he thinks I’ve been feeling worse as my source of estrogen depletes. So I’ll be starting on new HRT in the next week and hoping that helps with my issues. I’m still not sure about the thyroid (3 low values like mine usually indicate pituitary involvement but could also potentially be a result of the low estrogen/progesterone since they all work together).

Anyway, while I was there, he did a full body composition on me and that showed that bingo! I’m in between the values the various online body fat calculators gave me (as I suspected but now I know exactly how in between). Turns out I have 30 lbs. of excess fat. Right within the goal I’d set for myself. So I wan’t far off. The good news is my muscle composition is great so what I’ve been doing is working. It’s just slow going. It’s always been slow going for me but that’s okay. It’s still coming off. Just s-l-o-w-l-y.

My problem is that he wasn’t familiar with the VSG and has suggested I join the diet program offered through his office. It’s called “Ideal Protein” and is similar to other diet plans in that there are phases, you buy their food and use your own vegetables, etc. Their stuff is all highly bioavailable protein, high-protein and supposedly low-carb, but looking at their non-shake stuff it’s not very low-carb. Some things have 22g carbs per serving. That’s more than half my daily maximum! I can eat better on my own, and I do. So I’m not going to do his diet plan.

He was also pushing me to switch to the vitamins HE sells. So it’s a money-making deal. I compared what I take with his stuff and mine are better, at least as far as daily recommended values go. His has a few more things in it with which I am not familiar, so I can’t say how they might hel*****t, without doing more research. I’m not jumping ship though. I like the information he gave me, but the diet and vitamins part left a not-so-palatable taste in my mouth. I think he knows his stuff hormone-wise, and I learned more from him and the analysis he gave me than I’ve been able to find on my own. But…now that I know what I need (at least to start), I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just take the information I have and go to my primary care doctor with it. Getting the HRT through him…well, it won’t be bioidentical, most likely, but it would be available through my insurance rather than out of pocket.

Living in the Boston area, you’d think it would be easier to find a doctor qualified to figure these things out without being closed-minded and/or trying to suck your wallet dry, but I guess not. I trust my PCP. Still not sure about this guy. Seems like a very fine line here. The functional medicine is a new thing for me and it makes me a little nervous. Has anyone else had any experience with it?

Thanks!

Livin' the life. You look wonderful!

My 13yo son is taller than I am, his shoes are bigger than mine...I've almost lost enough weight to fit into his jeans--looks like you and your godson could swap clothes. I'm looking forward to the day when the only way to tell the difference between our jeans is by the length, lol.

Courtney, you look absolutely beautiful. Both you and your husband look wonderful. Congratulations to you both. The transformation...thank goodness for before/after pics because although they don't tell the story of what went on in between, they are great indicators of how much you've accomplished. :)  You've done so well and have been such an inspiration for me (thank you!).

Woo hoo!!!

I agree with talking to your doctor about it. Mine ran a liver profile ahead of my VSG and everything checked out fine. No idea whether he looked at the gallbladder while he was in there--I never thought to ask. But lo, come last November, the gallbladder reared its ugly head had to come out. Now I've got 8 or 9 little scars where there used to be 4-5 on my abdomen. It wasn't a BAD surgery from which to recover but it was another week out of work, more time to regain full energy, etc. I've had no unpleasant side-effects to this point but I understand some do.

It's a trade-off. I don't think there's any way to predict who's going to develop gallstones during rapid weight loss, and even if you DO develop them, that doesn't mean they will be symptomatic or cause problems.

Will think positive thoughts for you!

I use Unjury powders. The Chocolate Classic is good, as is the unflavored with sugar-free cocoa powder and some Truvia. Sometimes I use unflavored with Truvia and a tsp of vanilla, or one of the Torani-type SF syrups. I mix one scoop with 16 oz. of water in a shaker cup. Not thick at all.

I'll second the Eatsmart scales from Amazon. This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Bathroom-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358882650&sr=8-1&keywords=eatsmart+scale

and it's been very accurate (even with my doctor's scale). Nothing fancy, just reliable weight measurement. :)

Isn't that the best feeling? Congratulations!

I tried on my wedding dress (from 1992) a few weeks ago and it fit. But I'm not going to tell my ex (we're still friends****il it's actually too big, lol.

OOoh, great ideas on this thread! I have a hard time with chicken and ground turkey...well, any dry meat. Even my last batch of Elina's Green Chicken Soup was a little tough to manage because I overcooked the chicken and didn't get it shredded nicely. I'm going to have to try some of these ideas to see if they help. Thank you!

It's been 20 years since I was at this weight. I'm happy to be where I am (and eager to get closer to goal) but at the same time I'm sad about all those years in between when I hated myself so much for being a fat slob. I wasn't truly a slob but I was certainly fat. It was all that negative self-talk...and using food to try to make myself feel better...

And yet, with healthier eating and exercise habits and my sleeve, here I am, back at that weight and feeling SOOO much better about myself and the journey still ahead of me. :)

Oooh, thank you! I don't have them all the time but the sprouted ones sounds really good! I'll have to see if a local shop carries them; we're done with farmer's markets for the season. Or maybe I'll see if I can get some really good quality almonds and sprout 'em myself.

Thank you for the idea and information! :)

B: Unjury vanilla shake with cinnamon sprinkled in. And coffee.

S: 9 raw almonds

L: Elina's Green Chicken Soup

S: Fage 0% plain yogurt with Equal

D: Chicken breast with a bit of pesto mixed in

Water: 5 cups in

Vits: done

Exercise: um...it's cold and raining/snowing out. Maybe I'll walk do a lap around the parking garage (six levels up, six levels down, up on one side, down on the other). If not, I'll use my stretchy bands tonight at home and do a few tabata sets.

I wonder if I'll be able to skate again when I get closer to goal. Way back when (like when I was 12 or something) I earned my 9 badges and was working on an axel but never did get it--I gave up my lessons so my parents could afford to continue with my sister's lessons.

The last time I skated with my boys, I was as shaky as they were. Maybe it was the rented skates...mine didn't fit after I had children and the rental ones were painful and completely dull. I was also 70 lbs heavier at the time. Maybe we'll give it a try again this winter. :)