pinkshrimp
Jan 13th 1yr Post Gatric Bypass Surgery
Jan 21, 2010
I can hardly believe I made it this far.....
Highest Weight Jan 1, 2009 - 315 lbs
Surgery Weight Jan 13, 2009 - 300 lbs
Onederland Aug 14, 2009 - 199 lbs
GOAL! Jan 5, 2010 - 159.8 lbs
Total Weight Lost - 155 lbs
Weight Lost since sugery = 140 lbs
I feel great! My health has done a 180 degree turn for the best. I appreciate just being able to do the simple things in life like lacing my own shoes, picking something up off the floor or just being able to get up off the bed without having to balance myself and waiting for my knees to feel secure before walking. I remember not being able to do these things so vividly and never, EVER, want to go back there.
Got my labs done and my iron is low and I've started taking an iron pill daily. I;ve also started taking a vitamin D3, not that I'm difficient, just as a precautionary as it's pretty borderline to me and the Dr says it won't hurt me to take it. Other than that everything was perfect!! YAY!! Dr. C even said I have one of the best cholesterol levels he's seen...woohoo 135 that is down from 170!!
I must say that my energy level is not that great. I know a lot of people say how their energy just goes through the roof after losing weight, but for me, it takes everything in me to exercise because I'm just tired. Maybe it's just me being lazy or too tired from work but I'd rather lay on the bed and do nothing than go out and do something on my day off. I do work out though. I haven't been to the gym in about 2 months but I have been trying to run at least 3-4 days a week. Even signed up for the Great Aloha Run in February which is 8.2miles. woohoo!! Granted I won't be able to run the entire thing, but I'm going to try and run at least half if not more. I'm also hoping to do a bunch of races this year. Long term, I'm looking to start training for the 2011 marathon. Seems impossible to me but hey, who would have thought I'd be running at all let alone trying to run a marathon...lol
Dr C suggested trying to lose another 10lbs to give me a cushion while trying to maintain my weight which I agree. I've already noticed while maintaining that if I go above 160 it's a mental struggle for me. So, if I stay in the lower to mid 150's it will keep me in a comfortable spot both physically and mentally.
I've been having a little bit of challenge figuring out how much I can eat to maintain while I exercise or not. It's also been a challenge to stay on the right path of eating healthy and staying away from desserts which is my weakness. Like I've blogged in the past, I don't dump. And I mean I don't dump at all. I can eat a huge amount of sugar and feel nothing but guilt. I've come to realize that this is something I'm going to have to overcome somehow in order to not regain the weight.
I am also terrified of gaining weight. I constantly think about food again as I used to before surgery. It's an everyday struggle to say no and horrified that one day I will give in to the temptation and all hell will break lose and I'll lose control completely and will not be able to get back on track. That is my biggest fear. It may work for me by keeping me too scared to get to that point but I could also give in. Let's hope for the best.
Regardless, 2009 has seen it's good times and also many struggles with food. But, overall, me reaching goal has proved to me that maybe I've done something right.
2010 still needs to be written but all I can do is pray for the best!!!
10 Months Post Op
Nov 20, 2009
Anyway, the last time I wrote I was following my diet and exercise plan but was still having problem losing. I didn't make my surgeon's goal of 195, I weighed in at 204 the day of our meeting in August. He suggested a 600 calorie diet which I tried to stay on for the next month. This had me cooking my meals which consisted mostly of no bean turkey chili, veggie burgers and tuna patties. My morning breakfast was a grande SB nonfat iced latte. His new goal for me was to meet again in September and see how the 600 calorie diet went. When I met him in September I weighed in at 185lbs. Obviously the 600 calorie diet had worked and I surpassed my expectations and his by losing 19lbs in a month. He advised me to continue what I was doing and we'd meet again in November hopefully at goal of 160lbs. Well, October I went on a trip to Vegas and everything just went downhill from there. Needless to say, I did not make the best choices and continued to make those bad choices when I returned from vacation. October was spent eating practically everything I wanted and more. The portion sizes were more than I should have had, I was carb overloading and eating all the things that put me on the destructive road to obesity. It's scary to think that being that big again is still possible even after this surgery. I've known that it is possible and only I can turn things around to get back on the right path. Although in my head, I know what I'm doing wrong and I know in my head what I need to do to get back on track, for some reason, there isn't that motivation there to get back on track. I'm not sure if it's because I'm comfortable where I'm at, I really just don't know what it is. I want to reach my goal of 160, I just need to get my head in the right place to get there. This journey is not only learning how to get the food under control, but, to get your mind in that right frame also. I'm out of control right now and I know it....... I'm thankful that my weight is still going down slowly but it really is not coming off with any help from me. Right now, it's the surgery and malabsorption that is helping me out. My weight this morning is 175lb!!!
7 Months
Aug 15, 2009
What's been going on this month? Only a 6.6lbs loss for the month of July. I must say, July was a very frustrating month for me. I felt I was doing everything right including working out consistently but the weight just wouldn't come off.
On August 8th, I met with Dr. C and went over my progress for the past 2 months since our last meeting in June. His goal for me was to be at 195lbs by the 8th. I weighed in at 204 according to his scale. Short by 9lbs of his goal. He said if I was happy with my weight loss thus far and continued at my current pace, I would probably lose about another 20lbs before my weight loss plateaus and that would put me at a BMI of 30. If I wanted to reach my goal of 160lbs, I need to step up and recommit to losing it. Be honest with myself about everything I put in my mouth and my calorie intake. Again, although I thought I was keeping myself at 700-800 calories a day, according to Dr. C, if that was the case, I would be losing and I would have reached my goal of 195. So, his recommendation was a 600 calorie a day diet and 80g of protein and see how that goes. When I first heard this, I was thinking that is just impossible! Oh and, up until now, I've been getting the majority of my calories and protein through protein drinks. Normally 3-4 protein drinks a day. At 7 months out, I should be able to get my protein w/food and to make a long term commitment, I need to start changing my eating habits to something more realistic that I can live by daily.
August will be an interesting month of change. I don't care to cook but will have to start in order to keep good track of my daily intake.
We'll see how it goes 
6 Month Surgiversary!!
Jul 14, 2009
Jan 2, 2009 - 315lbs
Jan 13, 2009 - Day of Surgery - 300lbs
July 13, 2009 - 209.2
Total Loss : 105.8
Loss Since Surgery - 90.8
So happy with how far I've come. My outlook on life is so different today compared to Pre-Op WLS. I have always been an introvert, but, at my heaviest, it was extreme. I wouldn't want to go out where there would be people I had to get introduced to. I would be so self conscious and worried about what they thought of me. I was ashamed that people would think I was "weak" and "dirty". I had in my mind different peceptions of how I thought people viewed me. On one hand, there was this woman who had self confidence and pride in the workplace. Respected and looked up to in her job. On the other hand, outside of work, someone who was weak and couldn't control her weight. Thought that if people viewed me this way, how could they think I could be in control of any other part of my life. I did not like people thinking of me as "weak". So, instead, outside of work, I limited my contact with the outside world to a minimum. Using the excuse that I didn't have time or that I didn't have a babysitter. Just any excuse to use so I wouldn't have to expose myself and lack of self confidence to others.
I remember years ago, while I was talking to a male co-worker. Remind you, I keep my personal life very seperate from my job. Meaning I didn't discuss dating or anything in that nature at work and he was happily married. I was probably around 230lbs at the time and worked out. We got into a conversation of how we thought people of the opposite sex looks at us. So, in his view he thought I was self confident and thought I could have a pick of men that I wanted to date. WHAT???? Of course I didn't say anything to him except really? You think that? I didn't deny or confirm it to him but he was so sure of it. If that is truly what he thought, then I must put on a pretty good act because that couldn't be further from the truth. To this day, I have a really hard time just making eye contact with a man. I am always the one to look away even if I'm interested.
Anyway, to get to my point, no matter at 315lbs or 230lbs, I have had self image issues which wouldn't allow me to break away from hiding. I think because I have gone up and down in my weight so often, that even though I felt pretty good at 230lbs, I never felt confident enough that I would keep the weight off, and eventually this person who I might be interested in, would see me again later on at 300lbs and be disgusted at what they saw. Don't know if that makes any sense, but, the weight just seemed to by hybernating until it was ready to come out again and it always did. With this surgery though, I have hope. I don't feel that way anymore. I feel with this tool, I have the help I need to take control of that part of my life that had gotten the better of me for so long. I can now control my weight and feel confident that it won't come back. Leaving me the freedom to go out and meet new people without the fear that they might see me a few months from now 50lbs heavier. I feel free now.
My journey is no where near the end. I still have another 50lbs I want to lose. I know I'll get there.
5 Months Out
Jun 15, 2009
I met with Dr. C on the 6th for another visit and I went in being a bit nervous because I was just shy of making his goal for me. I met with him last on April 4th and I was 251 lbs. His goal for me by June 6th was 215 lbs. That's 36lbs! Anyway, At weigh in on the 6th, I was 219 lbs. Just 4lbs from his goal. Although I was really happy about the loss, I was still nervous that it wasn't enough and Dr. C. would be dissapointed. To my delight, he was actually happy with my weight and reassured me I was on track.
I must admit, I was really sick with bad headaches about a week and a half prior to meeting with him and was barely able to eat and drink anything. My main focus for that week was to just get in all my vitamins. I was lucky if I got 8-16oz of fluids a day for that week. I absolutely didn't get close to making protein requirements. Lucky if I got 20g a day for that week. So, since being sick, I did lose 11 lbs in that week. Without that, I would not have made it down to the 219 mark. Not complaining about it, just noting it for prior reference :)
So, my next goal, I meet with Dr. C again on August 1st. He wants me to be down to 195lbs which is another loss of 24 lbs. I think that's doable. I know the weight loss will start and has started to slow down, but, I'm going to step up the work out's and Stay strict on my diet. I'll make it. I'll be so happy to be out of the 200's. When that day comes, I'll be doing a very very silly happy dance!!
So, just for reference, these are the things I've been eating. (Not all at once, but 1 option per meal period)
Breakfast ~
I did Special K with Protein for several weeks but stopped because I needed to restrict the carbs more.
Babybel light cheese
Turkey Jerky
Always have a protein shake in the morning which takes me from 7am to about 11am to drink 16oz.
Lunch~
2-3 Turkey Meatballs w/Safeway Mushroom & onion pasta sauce
salad - spinach w/ham or turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers - whatever's avail at work
soup- portugese bean or beef barley - I mostly only have the broth
hot food - whatever is at work- grilled chicken, lau lau's, lomi salmon, mexican salad day(chicken or beef)
If there's nothing I want to eat, I have an iced coffee with protein powder, sf coffee mate, and sf caramel syrup.
Dinner~
poke - ahi or shrimp
If I had a large lunch, I have another protein shake for dinner.
Turkey jerky
cuttlefish
My regular protein shake is 16oz water, 1 orange sunrise crystal light, 1 scoop unflavored protein.
I try to keep my calories below 700 a day and carbs under 30g.
I think that's it for now......Until next month.....my 6 month surgiversary!!!!
4 Months Post Op
May 13, 2009
On my last entry I was advised by my surgeon to monitor my food more closely with a weekly consult with my nutritionist and up my workouts with a group or gym to make myself accountable. I have done both. I haven't eaten anything that I can find that would be causing my slow weight loss. My daily calories have been between 500-600, occasionally (2x) 700.
I've joined the gym and have been going to step classes and body sculpting classes for the past month. This past week, I started the Couch 25k beginning runners podcast on top of the other classes. I don't know what's wrong with me. From everything I've read, any idiot should be able to lose weight during the first 6 months after surgery. I just don't get the mechanics of the whole thing. I think, the amount I've been eating plus exercising, someone who hasn't had the surgery would be losing weight. So, me having the surgery, I don't understand why I'm not losing. Regardless, my nutritionist says to just continue what I'm doing and it will come off.
My weeks have gone similar to this. 3 lbs, 2lbs, 1lb, 1lb, 2lbs. What brings me down the most is that I'm not making any of my surgeons goals for me. I was behind 20lbs at 3months out. I now have 3 1/2 weeks until my next visit and still have to lose 22lbs by then. With my average of 10lbs a month, I'll be behind yet again
Oh, and what makes it even better, my hair is constantly all over my clothes and body....lolLooks like I'm going to have to take more drastic measures and end up only eating one meal a day and protein shakes for 2. I'm doing 2 meals a day now and it's hard. Don't know if I can do it, but, I think that's my other option right now.......
Wish me luck for a good 3 weeks!!!!
3 Months Post Op
Apr 14, 2009
I am so bad at updating on here.....
Yesterday was officially my 3 Month Surgiversary.
My journey started with my pre-op diet on January 2, 2009 at 315lbs.
Day of surgery, January 13, 2009 at 300lbs [-15]
February 13, 2009 at 277.6lbs [-37.4]
March 13, 2009 at 264.4lbs [-50.6]
April 13, 2009 at 245.6 [-69.4]
I just realized while writing this, March - April has been my best month as far as weight loss. Yey!!
As I wrote in my last blog about my surgeon, I'm a bit behind as far as making goal by my 6 month mark. I have taken seriously his recommendation's about joining the gym and speaking with the nutritionist weekly. This is my second week at the gym and have been taking the step and body sculpting classes 3x a week and 2 days of cardio. Talked to the nutritionist today and she said I'm doing good and just keep it up and the weight will come off. I'll talk to her again next week. I lost only 2.4lbs this week which puts me behind my surgeons weekly goal of 4.5lbs a week. I'm going to have to do something to make up those 2 lbs and hope for a loss of 6lbs this week!!
Met with my Surgeon Today
Apr 04, 2009
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2 Months Out
Mar 13, 2009
Since my one month out, I've lost an additional 13.2 lbs. That's an average of about 3 lbs per week. I must say this is moving alot slower than I've expected. For example, on week 7 I lost 6lbs. Then week 8 I lost 1lb. I'll be 9 weeks out on Tuesday, and I've only lost another pound. I was unhappy with 3lbs per week but these 1lb weeks are just killing me! I am so impatient. Especially when my surgeon says even if you don't exercise and follow the diet, you should be averaging about half to 1 pound per day. Well, I exercise at least 3 times per week and eat right and lose only 1 pound!! I just don't get it. I just don't get it. I'm thinking I'll have to go back to liquids to jump start my weight loss. I can't be going through a stall, I'm too early out still.
I'm going to wait until my official 9weeks out on the 17th to see if I lose anything more. If not, it's going to be liquids for me for at least a week.
That's it for now. I am really grateful that I am losing. Even though it's just a little at a time, without the surgery, I would definitely be gaining.
