Before & AfterThere are currently no before and after photos for this member. See these instructions if you wish to submit your own Before & After photos. Surgeon TestimonialNicolas V. Christou, M.D.Very nice and easy to talk to surgeon!rnHis office staff are great!rnHis bedside manner and surgical competance are both great :)rnNo complications at any stage for me with this doctor and his staff :) Member Interests
- Cats - Mommy of 3 baby girl kitties
- Bicycling - I haven't biked in a few years and that is about to change in a month or so
- Walking - I love walking with my husband every night for 2 - 3 kilometers
- Board Games & Puzzles - I'm a gaming addict, especially word games :)
- Dolls - I am a Barbie One Of A Kind (OOAK) maker and collector
- Interior Decoration - I have a slight re-decoration addiction and love
- Road Trips - I LOVE long car trips and have driven through 5 provinces and 29 states
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - I have had PCOS since puberty but was diagnosed at 25
- Metal - I love hard hard hard music :)
- Flea Markets - I LOVE yard sales and flea markets and that Im small enough to do them again!!!
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Maybe you need a little hope for the future?
posted on 10/8/08 7:26 am
Anyone who knew me while losing weight knows I was a food nazi in all respects. I counted calories, fiber, protein, and fluids everyday and journalled them. I pre planned meals and was as active as my illness allows. I have even been called the food police by quite a few people (mostly people from other boards who don't actually know me). It was never my intention to eat like that forever. Living off of 600 - 1200 calories a day is perfectly fine when we have lots of fat on our bodies to subsidize calories needed each day. That's the whole point of surgery. This post is for the people who are eating poorly while trying to lose weight and for people who are regretting surgery because they miss food.
The first goal of RNY or any weight loss surgery is to lose a significant percentage of excess body weight. How much of that weight will be lost is dependant on how much effort the person puts forth and how lucky they are to have good genes. I went into this knowing I did not have anything on my side when it came to internal issues. I had diabetes, pcos, severe bipolar depression and a life of ruining my metabolism through dieting and binging. I knew I was going to need 100% of my weight loss from external sources. The RNY surgery was perfect for me and I used its benefits to their maximum potential until I got to goal.
I did not eat non nutritional foods until I got to goal. I define non nutritional foods as those which have more than 100 calories but do not have protein or fiber. So basically 1 candy is ok, 2 is not. I also had strict daily protein and fiber needs. I increased these as time went on and I could eat more and more. I avoided white starches. I did not ban them because there are some really good foods out there that happen to have a small amount of white flour or sugar in them. The cost benefit of these foods allows for me to eat them guilt free.
I never counted carbs or sugar. I feel that if I am eating the right amount of dietary fiber and protein as well as drinking lots of fluids it is impossible for me to over indulge in carbs. My pouch and appetite simply aren't big enough to eat 25 grams of dietary fiber, 120 grams of protein, drink 124+ ounces of fluids a day (while maintaining my calorie restrictions) AND over indulge in carbs. Carbs were part of my post op plan from day 1 and were never limited. They simply come last after protein and fluids. I think people who restrict carbs too much are in for trouble ahead.
I ate low fat from the begining because fat is higher calories. I was avoiding any high calorie foods in the begining. I prefer low fat meat and dairy so this was never a hardship for me. At some point around 1 year post op I increased my fat intake to help with bowel issues. I eat a large percentage of fat now and am OK with it taste wise (usually).
So what did I get for all of this hard work and dilligence? I went from 330+ pounds pre op to a low of 137 pounds in less than 2 years. I went from morbidly obese (heavy on the morbidly because I was literally dying) to a bit under weight. I went from constant pain and sickness to some version of normal.
How do I eat now? Well in all honesty I actually do eat like a normal person. I eat relatively normal portion sizes and relatively normal types of food. I eat cheeseburgers, hotdogs, pizza, chinese, and even mac n cheese. Keeping in mind I get whole wheat noodles, crust, buns and bread and I get the best meat selections. I put a normal amount of margerine on my toast and squash. I go heavy on the dairy to up the protein on foods which might be a little low. On Sundays I eat a bag of regular chips while watching the Greenbay Packers. When I go to the movies I get popcorn and yes I add the grease. If I go out to eat I order similar to everyone else without a long list of rules for the cook. On average I eat around 2500 calories a day with a spread of 2000 - 3000. I eat 3 - 6 times a day. I eat at night and before bed too ;)
I didn't eat normally pre op. Had I eaten normally I wouldn't have weighed 330 pounds. When people say they want to eat normally my first thought is, do you want to eat normally for an obese person or for a normal person? I hated how I ate pre op. I never wanted to eat like that again. I like that I can buy a small bad of chips and eat them and not want more. Pre op I would have bought the super size family bag and a tub of dip, ate them all and looked for dessert to go with it. That wasn't normal though sadly it was normal for me and happened a few times a week. I ate once or twice a day and 4000 - 6000 calories. I hadnt plateaued pre op. I was still gaining weight easily and at an alarming rate when I ate as I wanted.
I will say I still do not eat fast food. Fast food restaurant food messes with my head. Maybe its just my hard wiring or maybe its something they put in the food but either way I obsess about getting more of it when I've eaten it. Some things just aren't meant to be and McDonalds and normal eating aren't meant to be for me. Learning what you can and can't control about your eating is so important. Don't ignore the warning signs when you discover them.
So you may be 2 weeks or 2 months out and missing something about your old life. You aren't yet thin and you don't yet have a normal diet. Its not forever. You can muster up the strength to get through this very hard part and reep the rewards in the future. If I can, anyone can ;)
Snugs
PK
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Renee_mom2_5 commented on 1/7/09 5:08 pm 
