ObesityHelp

Has it really been one month since my surgery?  Hard to believe, but the time has really flown by.  I think I can honestly say that it's been, for the most part, exactly how I expected it to be, although there have been plenty of surprises (both good and bad) along the way.

On to the numbers!

Weight: all-time high (10/23/06):                  327
Weight on surgery day (6/19/07):            297
Weight one month post-op (7/19/07):    265

So I'm down 62 pounds from my all-time high and 32 since surgery.  Roughly a pound a day.......can't complain about that.  The weight loss has slowed down since my last post, although I really didn't think I could sustain that kind of loss long-term.  

I feel like my energy is almost all the way back to where it was pre-op.  I still get tired sometimes in the afternoon, but I think it's more a function of how hard I worked in the gym that morning than anything else.

Eating has gotten more interesting lately.  I've been in Stage 4 for the last week, so I've moved off of liquids and onto pureed foods.  I've found that I definitely tolerate tuna and salmon, as well as turkey chili and refried beans.  I'll occasionally have some deli turkey slices or a cup of my homemade soup for a snack throughout the day and I'm still rockin' the Crystal Light all throughout the day, so getting my fluids in hasn't been any problem.  Protein can be a bit more problematic......when I was drinking 3 protein shakes a day, there was never any question about getting enough protein, but now.......well, if I make sure I eat enough tuna/salmon and then make sure my snacks are full of protein, then I'm ok.

I did manage to get myself in a little bit of trouble when I tried eating a little hamburger.  When it was fresh off the grill, it was still plenty moist, so it wasn't too difficult to get it down, but when I tried to have it the next day, that's when the problems started.  After reheating them in the microwave, they were a bit dried out, but I still thought I'd be able to handle it if I ate them extra slowly and chewed everything within an inch of it's life!  Needless to say, it was a real struggle and eventually things got stuck halfway down.  Not fun to feel that particular feeling, but I topped that the following night when I ate some fish too fast.  Suddenly, I felt like I was going to be sick, but all that came up was foam......yuck!  Eventually, I took matters into my own hands, stuck my fingers down my throat and expelled the offending fish.  I feel like I definitely learned my lesson.......follow the program and EAT SLOWLY!!!!!

I've already had to abandon several pairs of shorts which are now too big, as well as finding shirts I haven't worn in years that now fit comfortably.  I know that there's going to be more of that to come in the future, but it's pretty cool to see some of those changes starting to happen.  Watching the scale numbers decrease is cool, but seeing how my body is changing really drives home what is happening.

Went to my first Gastric Bypass Post-Op Support Group meeting at Tufts this past Monday night.  There was a lot of great information provided by the staff but the really cool stuff was hearing the inspirational stories of the other patients there.  While I had no really serious health issues prior to surgery, hearing how other people's lives have changed due to the surgery reinforced that I made the right decision to go through with it.  I look forward to being able to share my story sometime in the future.

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to tell my colleagues when I get back to school at the end of August.  The only people I told were the other members of my team, but I have a feeling that there are going to be many people wondering what happened to me over the summer.  I guess I could just say that I really focused on diet and exercise over the summer, but something tells me I might have a hard time selling it.  I guess I'll figure it out along the way.

More to follow......this journey is AMAZING!!!!



Music Video:  NOW & FOREVER  (by Richard Marx)

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So another week has passed, and another 8 pounds have melted away.....I'm still walking every day, either on the treadmill or just heading outside and communing with nature.  One of the most beautiful things about being a classroom teacher is that your summers are yours, so I really have nothing to do other than focus on my recovery and learning a new, healthier way of life!

My discomfort is lessening each day, although my digestive system is still a bit of a day-to-day adventure.  Some days, everything's great.....and other days, well.....keep me away from any open flames!  LOL

I'm starting to see my jawline really emerge and my stomach is decidedly smaller than I can ever remember it.  I've already had to discard some shorts and went to Kohl's to purchase a pair of Columbia cargo shorts in my "incentive" size (40).  Don't quite fit into them yet, but I figure it can't be much more than a week or two away!

On Saturday, we went to a going-away party for a colleague of mine who's going to teach overseas for 2 years.  I was wondering if any of them would have noticed my new appearance......and nobody did.  I'm still not sure if I'm happy or sad about that, but I guess after you see somebody every day for 10 months, you might not notice if they drop 20 pounds over a week and a half.  Anyway, it was pretty tough to sit there sipping my Crystal Light while everyone around me was enjoying chips and salsa, hot dogs, roast beef, salads, pasta, sausages, etc....I think it was actually the first time I experienced "head hunger".  I mean, I definitely wasn't hungry, but those old friends of mine sure looked tasty!

I'm not sure it's a reaction to that experience, but now I'm hooked on watching cooking shows on TV!  My wife thinks it's particularly funny that before the surgery, she couldn't have paid me to watch "The Barefoot Contessa" or "Everyday Italian" and now I arrange my schedule around those shows (and others).  I did get inspired and made my own yummy broccoli soup so I could have something to snack on between protein shakes.  My hope is that as my diet starts to move back to something approaching "normal", I'll still feel that inspiration.......there's something VERY satisfying about making a soup!