The scoop on fullness

Here is the thing. I don't get "full" anymore.

I know how much to eat, my sleeve can hold two mushy ounces at this point. I can drink 8 ounces of water in an hour, but God forbid I eat over two ounces.

Unless it's whipped greek yogurt, which I no longer eat.

So I have a knowledge of how much to eat and after I am done, I am invariably still raring to eat more.

After about 20 minutes a feeling settles over my sleeve, a pushy feeling. It feels like there is something there and at that point, any thought of eating more is completely gone.

So the old feeling of gut bloating, pants loosening, leaning back in the chair saying, Wow. I am so full. That feeling is gone.

But so are a lot of pounds in a very short and painless time.

I can deal with the loss of that feeling of having feasted. I would rather be thin than to be full.

Things are getting more and more settled for me with each passing day. I had my Vertical Sleeve surgery on Feb 4th. Wow, it is hard to believe that I am coming up on three weeks soon.

 

I have gotten into a good routine of having my protein shake in the morning (cashew milk and chocolate egg white protein: 150 cals and 24g protein) and having soft foods for the rest of the day, such as egg beaters, fake lobster (white fish), and Yoplait whipped greek yogurt. I also puree chicken and tuna and have had some sweet potato pureed to add some fiber.

I am glad that I tried a lot of protein drinks before my surgery, so that I could find one that I can manage to stand the taste of, and which does not set off my daily sensitivity. Strangely enough, the yogurt is not bothering me, but I am having that in small quantities.


Yoplait has two different kinds of whipped yogurt. One is greek, with 9 grams of protein and 100 calories and one is regular yoplait whipped and has 5 grams of protein and 140 calories. Be careful when choosing. The higher cal/carb variety has more flavors, but I am opting for the higher protein greek type. This yogurt is not very filling and I believe it is a "slider food" so be careful.


I am down a solid 20 pounds since surgery, which is incredible for me, since I suffered through that six month insurance diet and only lost 17 pounds and it was a STRUGGLE the whole time. This has been so painless.

Some things that are harder are:

1. Waiting to drink until at least a half hour after eating.
2. Remembering to take water with me when I leave the house.
3. Learning what my "full" feeling is, without going past it.
4. Feeding my family and not eating what they are eating.

I have been cooking like a fiend, partially to get foods out of the house that tempt me and partially to keep the family happy. I had not cooked at all during my six month diet, except for little meals when I felt that I had to get something on the table. I just let my kids and husband fend for themselves.

Now that I am not as hungry or craving, I can cook again, but still, there are times when I see trigger foods and want them, but it is all head hunger and I am able to walk away from it.

I do not have an exercise routine yet, although I walked outside yesterday. It is cold and icy and I am afraid of falling. I am hoping to be able to get back into the pool soon, but as soon as I reactivate my pool membership, the end of my membership starts looming. I have about thirty days before I have to pay to renew it. I may do it as a single membership, which is $150 as opposed to $250 for the family.

2 week post op VSG check up

2 week post op video with weigh in: http://youtu.be/FwMrasGnzPE

Stupid Scale.

I had to hide my scale. I am 13 days post op and of course I am waiting for the BIG WEIGHT LOSS like it's Christmas and I am six years old.

I know that this takes time. I know that my body is changing in ways that are not reflected on a scale and I know that my period is less than a week away (if it decides to visit this month).

So, I am hanging in there, doing all the good things:

• Drinking my fluids
• Following my doctor's instructions
• Getting some gentle walking in 
• Resting

Still, it's hard to cope with the whole scale thing. 

I am going to try to refocus on my upcoming transition to the stage II diet (currently on all liquids) and think about other things than my number.

It's hard seeing others who have had the same surgery take much bigger jumps down the scale, but I know:

• I started with a relatively low BMI and that causes weight loss to be slower
• I can not compare myself with others. 
• I need to trust the process

So, that's it. I can't expect to see a pound a day loss on the scale and I need to get my head around that and keep going. Otherwise, I will crash and burn.

A new goal reached

Today I weighed in. I weigh 249 now. My first goal was to wear under 270. My second goal was to weigh less than my husband and my third goal was to weigh under 250.

So today I officially have met all three goals. My next goal will be 230 pounds.

As for my post surgery,  at 8 days post op, I'm coming along very well. I have only a minimal tugging feeling from my sutures, not really any pain at all. I can get up and down with no problem and today I took a half a mile walk outside with our puppy.

I've noticed that I'm able to walk better since I've lost some weight. The last time I had taken a walk was before it really started to get winter is here and I was still walking kind of duck footed. Now my feet are straight when I walk.

I'm getting in all of my water every day plus about another 10 to 20 ounces. I feel really good. Now if you had to ask me if I wanted to go back and relive the last week, well I'm not sure. But I can tell you this I have zero regrets for having done the surgery. And I'm assuming as time goes by things are just going to get better and better.

Day 8 after surgery. Feeling much better

Post op today 8 feeling really good: http://youtu.be/kqG6Q5LkVcM

A new low! Weigh in before surgery.

Hi all,

I know you are out there, I see the hits, but seldom have any comments. Hopefully this post will generate some.

Today is TWO DAYS until my VSG surgery and I am really excited. I am so ready! I have run the gamut of emotions, but today I am just pumped.

My pool closed down for renovations, but I got a pass from a LA Fitness pool to swim until Monday and will get a pass from the Y for Tuesday, I plan to swim right up to my date, but here is what I am really excited about:

I have hit my second goal! I now weigh less than my husband. This morning I weighed in at 256. I have not been in the 250's since 2007! I started this journey at 298 pounds and went to the first weigh in and weighed 278. In the past six months on the required diet, I have lost 22 pounds.

I have learned:

How to slow down my eating.
How to chew more and eat without drinking.
Which vitamins to take to nourish my body after surgery.
To journal my foods and exercise with every meal/workout.
That overestimating workout and underestimating portions is a recipe for diasaster.

Bring on surgery.

My next goal is 220 pounds. I don't set time limits because my body doesn't work that way.

2 Days!

Well,  it finally happened. I got excited about my upcoming surgery. I did some of my cognitive behavioral therapy - CBT and realized that although I have been saying that I was afraid of death and dying but I was really more afraid having to change my eating habits after the surgery.

I'm a very determined person. I know there's going to be a lot of stuff to go through mentally, emotionally and physically but I'm ready.

We had a really tough time here a week ago somebody, two kids brought guns into my kids' school.

It made my husband tonight reexamine what we're doing with the kids, the memories we are making. We could have lost them.

Not only are we really loving on them more,  but we are finally going to take the trip to Disney World that we've been taking about fire ten years. I booked the trip and flights on Thursday.

I'm so excited about starting my new life,  a life free of the obesity chains.