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Week 7-New Foods!

Texnoble

Texnoble

Member
Hello friends! I'm on phase 3 of the post-op plan from my doctor. I'm invited to try some salad and vegetables and more texture in my protein. Chew, chew, chew is my new mantra!
I was dying for a crisp cool salad! I got one, loved it! Ate a tiny bit of it with chicken and I was full. I know that protein always comes first. Salad just fills the stomach with little nutrition. 6 weeks out and I think I'm adjusting well to having a restricted intake. I feel like I'm part of a secret sisterhood...secret society? The nurse practitioner at my docs office told me she got a sleeve a couple years ago. She looked fantastic! My dental hygienist had it done. We're everywhere!
Before I retired last year, a group of 7 employees from different departments had a brown bag lunch in the conference room each week. They seemed secretive about it. My co-worker attended. I should have noticed that they were all losing weight! Originally, I felt jealous thinking they were on a special company project. They were all post surgery folks!
 
I just finished my first 8 weeks and of course I'm disappointed with my 3.8 lb weekly weight loss average. I haven't introduced any exercise, so I know I could be doing better. I'm still having bouts with constipation. I thought that would resolve with the addition of raw vegetables. Overall, I feel fine. I don't feel hungry unless it has been a really long time since the last meal. I am still quite happy with the decision. My favorite comfort food in the whole world is fried chicken. I didn't crave it, but I thought I'd try a couple bites. First a couple small bites with the crispy coating (with skin.) Then a couple bites of just the meat. Yuck! With all the good foods and bland foods I've had up to that point, the chicken went down greasy and tasteless. I was guilty and relieved at the same time. Guilty since it's not on the diet, and relieved since it held no appeal. The few bites I ate sat heavy in my stomach. That's the thing about the surgery, I feel much more in tune with my digestive system and my choices. I am mindful of every choice I make. I hope this self-awareness stays with me!
 
Tex, you are a doll. I wish you were losing more weight also. I know that people say that sometimes it's a slow weight loss after surgery, but I have never experienced that nor have I ever seen anyone else experience it in my face to face support groups. still, you have lost an enormous amount of weight already. I hope you're proud of that because you know how hard it is to do.

After my tirade against walking for exercise, I remembered something I used to do. When I went to run chores or errands, I walked there if I could. I also took the bus and got a few blocks of walking in getting to and from the bus stop. But the most productive thing I did, that's a lot of other types of wonderful, was when I went to the shopping center or mall, I parked my car as far away from the store as possible. Then I walked all the way to the building and I walked all the way back. And if it was possible, I carried my groceries and move my arms up and down with the weight by bending my elbow, just from the store until I got to the car. The side benefit of this was I stop being so stressed out and angry about the fact that I could never find a parking space in front of the store like other people seem to find all the time. I know another thing that always helps me is deep deep vacuuming of my carpet. I have a really good vacuum cleaner and it has a vibrating head and super suction. So I would take that and run it up to the edge and then slowly pull it back, feeling all the weight of the vacuum cleaner while sucking up much deeper dirt because I'm going slower. This is very similar to how I mow lawns. If someone else in your family does that, you might volunteer for the opportunity. I always lost weight when I was mowing people's Lawns which I used to do for a living. I don't envision you sitting on your butt. You are too much of a go getter. But if there are tasks that are available in your house that are difficult, perhaps you should consider putting in for that job, giving somebody else break.

Got some pretty got some pretty flowers for Mother's day:

1844
 
Texnoble said:
I just finished my first 8 weeks and of course I'm disappointed with my 3.8 lb weekly weight loss average. I haven't introduced any exercise, so I know I could be doing better. I'm still having bouts with constipation. I thought that would resolve with the addition of raw vegetables. Overall, I feel fine. I don't feel hungry unless it has been a really long time since the last meal. I am still quite happy with the decision. My favorite comfort food in the whole world is fried chicken. I didn't crave it, but I thought I'd try a couple bites. First a couple small bites with the crispy coating (with skin.) Then a couple bites of just the meat. Yuck! With all the good foods and bland foods I've had up to that point, the chicken went down greasy and tasteless. I was guilty and relieved at the same time. Guilty since it's not on the diet, and relieved since it held no appeal. The few bites I ate sat heavy in my stomach. That's the thing about the surgery, I feel much more in tune with my digestive system and my choices. I am mindful of every choice I make. I hope this self-awareness stays with me!
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Texnoble - You're doing great!!! I think most people who take our path have high-expectations for fast weight loss and unfortunately, it's just not in it the cards for all of us because of many factors age/metabolism/hormones/genetics/starting weight or whatever else. The way I'm trying to look at it is that I'm loosing more in a typical week than I would have on a typical "diet" without surgery. And without the surgery I would be hungry every moment on that "diet". :)

That's great to hear that your taste has changed. My favorite food is pizza and I'm crossing my fingers (and toes) that I won't like it as much once I'm able to try it again. :)

Kudos for all your hard work!!!
 
Tomorrow is my 6 week and I have lost 22 pounds. I think you are doing great. My surgeon said 15-20 pounds a month and 1st month is slower due to surgery, IV fluids and swelling. I had to have 2 steroid shots for an allergic reaction, I didn’t lose anything for a week and I was very pissy about it! The scale is finally moving again.
 
dianeseattle said:
Oh yeah, steroids are a weight gaining substance.
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One mistake I made was that upon hearing that my oral birth control pill wouldn't be effective after surgery, I went to the gynecologist and got the Depo shot. I should have done my research, I found out later that this is famous for causing weight gain and hunger. Can't wait until that poison is out of my body (lasts 3 months). It's amazing how many meds cause weight gain. In the past I would think, "What difference does it make"? but now, weight gain is definitely a side effect that I'm going to take seriously.
 
And Brenda make sure you demand that the doctor tell you before you leave the session or agree to a treatment that you want to know what side effects are known right now. Doctors get these pills handed to them over a really expensive lunch and which they get when taken out by pharmaceutical sales people. They are just spreading their seed out there and making all kinds of claims but when the doctor starts to give them to his patient it isn't always exactly the way the pharmaceutical guy said. I actually sometimes go months before taking a medication that my doctor wants me to take because I want to do research on it. Sometimes it takes that long. I was on Prednisone for a year even though I had a psychotic reaction during that time. I'm so sorry for your troubles and known insult to injury of weight gain. Just keep doing what you're doing now and let us support you. Welcome to our little group!
 
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