Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~Danny Kaye
I went today for my three month checkup at the surgeons... I never know what expect so I just expect the best. After being early and having to wait 30 minutes, I was weighed, my O2 (oxygen) sats, and my bp (blood pressure were taken). On their scale, I am 219... I started out at 276 when I initially came to visit. My pre-op weight was 274 and my surgery day weight was 269 (after the major colon cleanse that I had to do and liquid diet). Though I know that I have lost a total of 55-57 lbs, they say differently due to the actual surgery weight. In any case, I don't care because I have brought my BMI down over 10 points and my blood pressure is the best it has been in a long time. The goal is to have me at 60% of my weight lost by the end of the year-November or so, which would bring me to 181 pounds. So, you ask, what have you done the last three months to be deemed or termed successful?
1. Drink only 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals. This really makes a difference because you are either forcing food through the pouch or stretching it out. Right now if I do that, I get sick but the nurse informed me today that after a year, I probably won't have that internal mechanism and it will be harder if it isn't made a habit now. I started this, though, before the surgery in order to mentally prepare myself. I also drink at least 60 ounces of water per day. This IS hard but I am making it!
2. I keep my calories 500 and below... This is imperative for a post op bariatric patient for the first year. Which is why most of my foods are so heavy in protein. After a year, I can look at 800 or more calories per day. I use myFitnessPal to track calories and if I am going over, I do some cardio to bring the calories down. So far so good!!! Bill and I are also clean eating to keep the calories down, because the cleaner I eat, the easier it is to track calories. I'll admit that I tried to eat a hamburger (well a 1/4 of one) and I ended up puking it up because my body can't stand it anymore... Thankfully... I eat a lot of wraps with chicken, fish, and turkey with pesto and spinach or Greek yogurt and spinach. Pudding and regular (but fat free/sugar free) yogurts are my favorite items to eat as well-mostly for desserts. Many of you know that I have always been a healthy eater so for me it isn't so bad, but to get my $1 McDouble eating husband to do this is a miracle!!!
3. So how about exercise? Well with a toddler and one that loves the jogging stroller, I do a lot, but I also have a secret weapon Core/Conditioning!!! This is an awesome website and the people who own it are equally awesome. You may see one of them- Allison Holman, comment on my FB posts. I heard about them and went to tryout their free online workouts. I was hooked and I bought a year membership. There are recipes and workouts for everyone. I started with the high impact, but because I am still chunky, I was having a hard time doing them without getting really sore or tired. The interesting part is that the fat I had on my back and hips kept my bones from grinding on the floor and without it, I get bruised really easily with the high impact workouts. They recently added low impact workouts and I LOVE them. Chloe even imitates me when I do them and gets mad if I don't let her on my workout mat. I see a mat of her own in her future and I am also impressed because I do not want her to struggle like I have with my weight. Of course my workouts take longer because I have to keep stopping if she is awake.
4. Sleep... Get plenty of it... That is all I am saying because without it, you are a zombie and cranky... Especially when you are starving too! :)
5. Support... I have not been able to attend regular support group meetings as they meet when I teach, but I made an effort to surround myself with positive people and to connect with others who have had the surgery, weight/weight loss issues on a personal level and on the Internet. I have been blessed to have friends who encourage me, a husband who supports me, and a pastor who embarrassed me on Sunday at church by having everyone clap in agreement that I looked good and healthy (thanks Pastor Matt)... Bill laughed at me because I turned really red, but it's that kind of support that I am so blessed to have!!! My parents were totally against this (well my Mom more than my Dad) but agreed that they would support me in my decision which has made a difference too.
So what about other things? Well here are some more positives...
1. Medical issues... So guess what? My fibro is in remission (except for the mild spasms and insomnia), I don't have urinary stress incontinence anymore, and my blood pressure has remained down and stable. What does this mean? It means that I only take a baby aspirin a day and Flexeril
2. Clothes... that is a totally 'nother story, but I have still held on to some of my clothes that were smaller sized but now I realize how stupid that is too lol! None of them fit anymore... They are all too big so I am learning to think smaller in regards to size. If you knew me from HS and college, I love clothes! I just lost the desire for wearing them (and no I do not mean that I walked around naked) when I gained weight. I am smaller clothing wise than I was when I got divorced. I was the size I am now, my Senior year of college.
There are a ton of other positives but once again, I am so happy to have a second chance at life!!! :)
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