scott54

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It’s hard to believe it has been a year since I had surgery. My wife was going thru some old pictures and found the one that I took the day before surgery, when I weighed 295. She looked at the picture, then looked at me, and asked me if it was me in the picture.

The good – weight loss. This morning I weight 176 pounds. The highest weight I know of, in August 2008, was 318. I am pretty sure I weighed more but it is hard to tell because I only weighed when I went to the doctor. On the day of surgery I weight 295. So since August 2008 I have lost 142 pounds and since surgery I have lost 119 pounds. This time last year I was taking the max amount of glypizide I could take for diabetes. That wasn’t working and I was looking at starting insulin because my blood sugars were out of control. Since surgery – no meds and normal blood sugars. I was taking two different types of blood pressure medication – since surgery I am taking the lowest of dose of Lisinopril that can be taken and will probably be taken off that soon. I have not had to use a CPAP since surgery. I have more energy and have been able to have a great summer – by the way, I have big plans for next summer. I have cirrhosis and hoped it would improve but it hasn’t gotten worse, so that is a good thing. I stopped throwing up a few months ago – that is a really good thing that I am thankful for – my pouch was really grumpy at times and seems to be much happier.

The bad – I can’t eat chicken (not really all that bad) or eggs. I can’t eat rice but I don’t like rice anyway. Fresh, uncooked veggies give me trouble. Fresh fruit gives me trouble. It seems I am one of the people who can consume as much sugar as I want without dumping. If I don’t eat right I will have a hypoglycemic reaction.  

The ugly - I have terrible gas all the time. I alternate between extremely loose stool and constipation. My stomach gurgles and makes sounds all the time – loud sounds at times. Off topic (hey, this is my story)

Depression – I was kind of hoping that it would improve, I guess by magic. I guess it is a generational thing or maybe something I learned from my Dad but I just can’t seem to talk about it with anyone (this is actually the most I have every talked about). I have never talked to my doctor or anyone else about being depressed but some days it is like a millstone hanging around my neck. I get down and just stay down. I think it is odd but it doesn’t seem that people notice – maybe because I am quiet and don’t talk much. Oh well, maybe someday I will group up and talk to a doctor. Maybe it is my kids leaving home. I know some people like when the children leave home, but I have to say while I am proud of them I miss the days when they thought I was the greatest. My oldest daughter graduates from college this year, my middle daughter began college this year, and my youngest is a HS senior who will be gone next year. I think I am having a harder time with this than my wife is.

So – was it worth it? Oh, yeah. I wish I hadn’t waited as long as I did. The bad stuff I talked about is nothing compared to where I was heading with diabetes and its complications. I realize that the diabetes will come back if I don’t take care of myself but it is a second chance I am going to take advantage of.

When I weighed myself this morning - 199.6, 199.2 without the camara.

Today - 208 pounds.  Wow.  I am in one of those crazy stalls where you go back and forth losing the same 2 or 3 pounds over and over.

Still, great progress.

Funny story - well, not really but . . .

Yvette and I went to a move (Taken with Liam Neesom).  Yvette wanted me to to give the girl (16 year old, I think) my ID so that we could get the military discount.  The girl carefully explained that she'd already given us a discount, the seniour discount for me.  Yvette started to explain how I wasn't 55 yet but looked old because I had WLS and that I am saggy all over now, etc.  Oh well.

I haven't done this for awhile.  I am 9 weeks post op.  This morning I weighed 239.

HW:  August 2008 - 318
Weight at operation:  295
Today:  239

So, since August I've lost 79 pounds.  Since the day of my operation I've lost 56 pounds.

Wow, I would have never believed it possible.

Scott

Here I am one month post op.  I weighed myself, naked, after taking my shower and it was 258.  So, one month post op I have lost 37 pounds and since August I have lost 60 pounds.  I saw the surgeon and NUT yesterday.  I can start lifting light weights and eating regular food.  The NUT calculated my protein for the day prior and it was 66 (I actually thought it was lower).

I borrowed this from another OH user, Madcow - thanks Madcow.  It seems like good advice and this way I don't have to look hard to find it.

1. - Eat only small meals (6-8 ounces/2/3 to 1 cup) I have 3-4 small meals a day plus a snack and try to space them 3-4 hrs apart.

2. - Cut food into small, dime-size bits. Eat one bite at a time, chew thoroughly and swallow carefully. RIGHT!

3. - Stop eating when you feel full. Feeling full is a different kind of feeling for each of us now. So I just stop eating when I have had the proper portions. This can be tough sometimes, specially when you are waiting for a fill. Work with the band.

4. - Do not drink while eating. This is vital. Occasionally with dry foods, I have a sip of water to help.

5. - Do not drink fluids for 45 - 60 minutes after eating. This is to allow your meal to digest and pass through the band.

6. - Eat only quality, nutritious foods. Remember, protein first.

Good luck in this fast paced world! Also, just because they are easier to pass, many bandsters stay to soft, mushy foods. You need to eat well chewed solid foods because they stay longer in the stoma and give you that full feeling for a longer time.

5. - Avoid white, starchy foods and fibrous foods with stalks. After you get a piece of celery or carrot stuck once, you'll never want to do it again.

8. - Drink plenty of fluids during the day. 8 8oz glasses of non-caloric liquids (preferable water) a day. Some are lucky and can still drink carbonated liquids but I feel that that leads to too much of a chance to distend the stoma, so I don't.

9. - Drink only non-caloric liquids. Fruit juices are good for The first 6 weeks after surgery while you heal but after that, water them down cause of the sugar content.

10. - Exercise at least 30 minutes a day unless restricted by medical conditions. Easiest is to start walking for ten minutes three times a day and work your way up to longer walks.

11. - Call your surgeon or nurse practitioner with questions, concerns, vomiting or when unable to keep down liquids. And hope they are compassionate bandsters also.

One other thing is an article I read and posted on another Support group about portion control.

***

How to Combat Portion Distortion

1. Know what equals a serving size. Learn standard serving
sizes, and what they look like. For example:
1/2 cup of rice looks like a cupcake wrapper
1 cup of pasta, cereal, is 2 servings, and looks like a medium-sized fist
3 ounces of fish, chicken, or meat looks like a deck of cards, or a computer mouse
1 medium-sized fruit looks like a tennis ball
1/2 cup of cooked vegetables looks like a scoop of ice cream
1 ounce of cheese looks like a pair of dice
2 tablespoons reduced fat salad dressing looks like a 1 ping pong
ball (if regular; do 1 tablespoon or 1/2 ping pong ball)
1 teaspoon oil or butter looks like the tip of a thumb.

2. Servings can be larger, depending on your calorie needs. For example, someone on a 2,000 calorie diet may follow a budget of 600 calories/meal, which would translate to:
6 ounces of fish (2 decks of cards)
1 1/2 cups of pasta (1 medium fist and 1 cupcake wrapper)
1 cup of cooked vegetables (2 ice cream scoops)

3. Watch out for value meals at fast food restaurants. We are often encouraged to buy larger-sized portions because they provide a better value for our money. But while these oversized portions may be good for our wallets, they are not necessarily good for our waistlines or our health.

4. At restaurants, take half home. Most restaurants provide take-away containers if you want to turn tonight's dinner into tomorrow's lunch. You can even ask for this before you take your first bite.

The Bottom Line: Remember, when it comes to our weight, how much
we eat is just as important as what we eat. Learn the proper portions for your calorie needs, so that you can judge for yourself if you're consuming too much.

Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D. is the Director of Nutrition Services for DietWatch.com. Lisa has provided nutrition counseling to clients, written material for books and health Websites, and appeared in several national magazines and on television as an expert in the nutrition field.

****
Breaking a Plateau.
(Being stuck at one weight for more than two weeks) Got this from a bandster posting.

#1 - Do this for 10 days to break a plateau

#2 - Drink 2 quarts of water a day

#3 - You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamins/minerals supplements each day (some suggest at least 60 - 80 grams).

#4 - You may consume up to 3 oz of the following high protein
foods, 5x a day
beef
pork
chicken
turkey
lamb
fish
eggs
low fat cheese
cottage cheese
plain yogurt or artificially sweetened (?)
peanut butter
beans/legumes

You may also have:
sugar free popsicles
tea or coffee
sugar free jello
broths/bullion (sp?)
crystal light drinks

#5 - If it's not on the list, you can't have it for 10 days!!!!

#6 - Keep a food diary and try to get up to 30+ min of exercise 4-5 times a week.
***********

*******

10 Important Rules

Here are ten rules for eating, drinking, and exercise. How willing you are to follow a new way of eating is key to having success with this tool.

1. Eat only 3-4 small meals a day. 6-8oz each.
2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full or finished the portions.
4. Do not drink while you are eating or for 45-60 minutes after eating.
5. Do not eat between meals.
6. Eat only good quality foods.
7. Avoid fibrous foods.
8. Drink 6-8 glasses of non-caloric fluids a day.
9. Take liquid vitamins twice a day.
10. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

********

Before getting a fill, ask yourself these questions.

Are you getting enough protein?
Are you avoiding liquid calories?
Are you making healthy food choices?
Are you eating proper food portions?
Are you avoiding soft foods?
Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals?
Are you avoiding drinking during and for at least 45 minutes after meals?
Are you avoiding junk foods?
Are you eating protein first, then veggies?
Are you eating only when you are hungry?
Are you sitting down to eat? No distractions.
Are you committed to weight loss?
Are you honest to yourself about how much you are eating?

Avoid all liquid calories.
-Soups
-Alcohol
-All fruit juices
-All soft drinks. No carbonation.

Proper portion sizes.
-Meat and fish - 3 oz is the size of a deck of cards.
-Vegetables - 1/2 cup is the size of your fist.
-No rice, potatoes, pasta and fried foods.

Now that you are following the above guidelines, you may need a fill
if:
-You are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but
getting hungry within 2-3 hrs after eating.
-Your weight loss has stopped for 3 wks even though you are controlling portions and getting in enough protein and avoiding liquid calories.
-You are not drinking with meals.
-You are hungry between meals even after a proper band snack.

I hit the 3 week stall early and didn't lose weight for about five days.  Today, 3 weeks post op, I weighed 262.  So I am still losing but it is slowing down a little.

I feel good about going from 318 (highest) to 295 (day of WLS) to a weight of 262.  That's 56 pounds from highest weight in 2.5 months and 33 pounds in 3 weeks.  Great progress that I am excited about!!!!

I get to start "mushy" food today, that's nice.  I weighed 267 this morning, so still heading in the right direction.

I feel pretty good.  My back hasn't been hurting as much - maybe the gallbladder removal did me some good.

My one week post op was on Wed.  I forgot to post this - I weighed 275 and feel pretty good about that.

I am going to see the surgeon today and will edit this later.

Well, it's the big day.  I'll be heading out in a couple of hours to the hospital.  I weighed 295 this morning.