Jumping Through Hoops to Get a Sleeve - Conroe, TX

Well, I'm a few weeks away from the 6 month post-op mark. I've lost a total of 95 lbs and have gone from a size 24 to a 16/18. I feel great, and have had no complications.

I'm enjoying exploring new recipes but eating healthy is still work at times. Head hunger is a beast that doesn't die easily. I will say, it's easier to redirect myself than before surgery. I'm still keeping my portions small and eating 80-100 grams of protein per day. Getting all of my water in daily is still a struggle. Overall, I have absolutely no regrets.

Tuesday was officially one month since my surgery, so it's time for an update. I feel great! Absolutely no pain, nausea, or reflux. My energy is back and I'll be returning to work soon. (I had to take a longer time off because I'm a therapist and work in inpatient rehab, so the surgeon wanted to play it safe due to the nature of my job).

I'm currently on soft foods and have been having fun exploring new healthy options. Getting fluids and protein in hasn't been difficult (thankfully). I've been eating about 3-4 oz at a time and have been limiting my carb intake.

Exercise has become a regular part of my day and honestly, I've come to enjoy it. I walk with my dog at a local park, usually 2 miles but sometime I do more or less. Sometimes I want to keep going but have to stop because my dog is tired lol, I never thought I'd outrun my dog! I've been alternating between running and walking and have already noticed that my endurance has improved. My goal for now is to run a mile.

I went to dinner with some coworkers last week, which was my first real test. We had to wait over an hour before eating so by the time my food came, I was starving. It was difficult to pace myself but I didn't want to get sick in public, so that was enough motivation to make myself slow down. There were a few awkward moments where someone would offer me a bite of their pasta or a slice of bread, but it wasn't hard to say 'oh I'm full'. I ordered a grilled salmon entree, ate a few bites until I was full, and took the rest home for my next 3 meals. We stayed out for quite a while longer, which caused me to miss my snack and I also got off track with drinking my fluids. By the end of the night I had a terrible headache. Overall, it was a good first time out, but I learned that I still have a lot of adjusting to do.

As of today, I'm down to 257, a total of 46 lbs since I started the process and 23 lbs since my surgery. I went from a size 24 pants to a size 20 WITH ROOM! I fit better into my pants now than when I bought them 5 years ago!

I will say, the cravings and urge to eat don't disappear right away. Sometimes I get so frustrated because I just want to sit down and eat a normal size plate of food, or I want to have a brownie. This is definitely a process and you have to give yourself time to adjust. I keep telling myself, this is my new normal.

Yesterday I had my follow up with the surgeon. I lost 16 lbs since the surgery, bringing my total weight loss down to 39 lbs. I was disappointed that I didn't meet the goal of 20 lbs lost, but hey, when was the last time I lost 16 lbs in 2 weeks?! The surgeon said I'm doing everything right and if I keep it up, I'll be out of this stall and back to losing in no time.

I've been upgraded to purees (yay!) so I'm learning how to manage my time so that I get all my fluids and protein in. So far, protein has been no problem but I have to stay on top of the fluids. I have some trouble with head hunger and the feeling that I 'need' to eat, but I keep reminding myself that I have half the stomach I did 2 weeks ago, and I have to adjust to a new norm.

I've also been exercising daily, which I really enjoy since I'm still off work and get pretty bored with all my extra time now. I usually walk/jog 1 mile but today I was feeling pretty good after finishing that, so I walked another mile. I'm definitely counting that as a victory, because I would never push myself like this before surgery.