Gail G.
surgiversary report reprint
Jan 05, 2008
you know I love you guys but I just couldn't get my act together till now. I do have stuff to comment on however so here it is, based on what some of you said you wanted to hear about.
Noel asked: How do I feel about the world around me know and do I feel safe?
Wow, that's a complicated one! I do mostly feel safe without my food security blanket, lovey but there have been times when I watched myself go: "well, I'm sad, where's the chocolate?" and I have not always been able to conquer those demons post-op....I think that issue is probably a big life's lesson for me......so, to be continued.....and thanks for sharing the journey...xo
Cindy F. asked: How is the restriction and do I automatically have good eating habits now? Wellllll....see above answer and I will add that the sleeve is the best diet partner I have EVER had....I can usually get the full message and respond by pushing my plate away.....but yes I still do eat for emotional reasons and will continue to work on that.....AND you can definitely increase your intake after a year but it is still a VERY reasonable amount....
Nano (and Gael) asked: Do I feel that I am done?
I feel that the SLEEVE is done working its magic....or most of its magic, but that I still have work ahead of me....need and want to lose about 15 pounds...and wear a size 8-10 where now I am a 12.....I have also gained six pounds since my lowest and that is just me not being carb careful.....
Infoseeker asked how I handled stalls, and what happened after the "easy" weight was lost and how I have handled a long term "boring" diet:
In the beginning, I was super enthusiastic about breaking the stalls, and would exercise more, change up my routine, eat more, drink more water, etc. in an effort to break through it (which does work early on BTW). I have settled into acceptance now that I have to work harder to finish the job. The diet is not really boring now as the what and the how much one can eat post op really does radically change over the course of time....you just experiment and see what that takes you and your tummy.....I still tend to (mostly) shun bread, I will eat a half of an open faced sandwich from time to time, and am besotted by rice crackers still (sigh....can't help it....you can have like EIGHT for 120 calories and they go great with cheese sticks!) I rarely have pasta....just doesn't seem to sit well so would rather just not have it in my meals, and I SNACK A LOT! That is just my modus operendi.....I tend to carry rice crackers and mozzerella cheese sticks around with me. I never miss breakfast....which is often a couple of turkey sausage patties or a scrambled egg with cheese....it just has become a part of me...
Our dearest Christmas ornament (the cheekier Gael...:) asked about my libido...lol....hope she sees my answer!
No, Gael, I have not yet had the urge to "take care of business no matter where I am" but am looking forward to having that feeling one of these days.....and probably DH would be thrilled....but alas, it hasn't happened yet.....(((((Gael))))) LOLOL....
Jeni in Hawaii wanted to know my top 5 best strategies to losing and maintaining weight, as well as 5 things I wish I knew at 6 months out, and my top three largest struggles and how I resolved them:
Five WL strategies:
1. Eat 60-70 grams of protein every day...use the protein shakes if you need to in order to get it all in.
2. Drink 64 ounces of water (or suitable water substitute) every day.
3. Exercise early and often and do a variety of activities so it doesn't get boring. (I had an exercise buddy who walked 10,000 steps with me every day when I lived in Miami and that was a HUGE help I think.)
4. Share your experiences here on the OH VSG website....it has been a lifeline and best friend and invaluable resource since the first day I joined.
5. Stay vigilant to the work at hand and carefully watch for old habits trying to slip their way back in.
At six months, I wish I had known:
1. that the magic does and will end at some point.....work it as much as you can early on!!!!!
2. that I need to maintain the level (or increase the level) of exercise in order to keep losing.
3. that I should continue to track my daily food intake on FitDay or one of those freebie webites.
4. that I should NOT slip into eating carbs....they are the devil for sure....lol...
5. that I should have voiced my nagging concerns more often here on OH....so we could all learn from each other!
Three largest struggles:
1. Regular Exercise--incorporating it into my day
2. Steering clear of the evil carbohydrates
3. Telling and choosing not to tell.....****
**** I am still trying to conquer these, Jeni.....and I would love my sleeve sisters to comment and advise......
Sami asked:
How is my hunger level now? Do I think that gherlin is back? What does a typical day of food look like? Am I having labs drawn and are there any issues with them? Do I think the restriction is is enough for me to maintain long term or are the DSers right that one needs malabsorption to lose? Is there anything that I wished I had done earlier in my experience i.e. exercised, limited carbs, joined a support group?
The hunger is back but no where near pre-op levels. The difference now is that if I get busy I can ignore it, or drink something and put it off where in the past it would consume me!
A typical day of food:
16 oz. hot water and 4 oz. Hood Choc. Milk mixed with Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate
(I only drink coffee on Sat. and Sun. now)
2 or three turkey sausage patties
One cheese stick for snack....with five or six rice crackers
Amy's vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
24 oz. water mixed with an EmergenC 1000 mg. vitamin C packet throughout the work day
Six grilled scallops, 3/4-one cup edamame
Starbucks frozen mocha bar (fat free but not sugar free...a not so great vice)
20 oz. Sugar free decaf Swiss Vanilla latte Gen. Food Int'l hot drink
* eating something else chocolate has become a regular addition as well....a mini package of peanut M and Ms....or a Lindor chocolate ball or two.....I would like to stop this however.....
I have had labs drawn twice I think....both were fine....I am still doing calcium chews 3x a day and a multivitamin daily
I am considered a LARGE bougie I guess....think it was a 48....I wouldn't mind if it was smaller but am okay with where I am now and how much I can eat....which doesn't seem excessive but is maintaining my weight loss. I would not want to have malabsorption issues even if it helped me lose weight....I like feeling normal....:)
I think your last question is pretty much answered up above...but feel free to PM with other queries.....I do not miss my old Miami support group too much because I have the wonderful OH folks to turn to....I moved to Jax six months out as you know..... :)
Veronique (very unique) asked when I (or have I) stopped losing weight: Yes I think I have...I noticed a big slow down around April/May....suspiciously soon after I moved to Jax and lost my daily walking partner.....hmmmm....and yes Veronique, I definitely still have "a bit of flesh on my bones".....lol....I don't think I will ever be considered thin....but I am REALLY okay with that.....:)
I know I have said this before and I am sorry that this has been such a lengthy post, but I really do love and appreciate the total support that I have felt from all of you wonderful VSGers since I joined....we are indeed family.....and I hope that I get to give a lot of you real hugs at the reunion in October.....a special shout out and thanks to Nano for her wonderful sustained "VSG everything you wanted to know about VSG but were afraid to ask****" and to Christine for helping us motivate our way to being better VSG successes with her challenges.....I love you all, (((((YOU))))) Cheers!! Gail
Noel asked: How do I feel about the world around me know and do I feel safe?
Wow, that's a complicated one! I do mostly feel safe without my food security blanket, lovey but there have been times when I watched myself go: "well, I'm sad, where's the chocolate?" and I have not always been able to conquer those demons post-op....I think that issue is probably a big life's lesson for me......so, to be continued.....and thanks for sharing the journey...xo
Cindy F. asked: How is the restriction and do I automatically have good eating habits now? Wellllll....see above answer and I will add that the sleeve is the best diet partner I have EVER had....I can usually get the full message and respond by pushing my plate away.....but yes I still do eat for emotional reasons and will continue to work on that.....AND you can definitely increase your intake after a year but it is still a VERY reasonable amount....
Nano (and Gael) asked: Do I feel that I am done?
I feel that the SLEEVE is done working its magic....or most of its magic, but that I still have work ahead of me....need and want to lose about 15 pounds...and wear a size 8-10 where now I am a 12.....I have also gained six pounds since my lowest and that is just me not being carb careful.....
Infoseeker asked how I handled stalls, and what happened after the "easy" weight was lost and how I have handled a long term "boring" diet:
In the beginning, I was super enthusiastic about breaking the stalls, and would exercise more, change up my routine, eat more, drink more water, etc. in an effort to break through it (which does work early on BTW). I have settled into acceptance now that I have to work harder to finish the job. The diet is not really boring now as the what and the how much one can eat post op really does radically change over the course of time....you just experiment and see what that takes you and your tummy.....I still tend to (mostly) shun bread, I will eat a half of an open faced sandwich from time to time, and am besotted by rice crackers still (sigh....can't help it....you can have like EIGHT for 120 calories and they go great with cheese sticks!) I rarely have pasta....just doesn't seem to sit well so would rather just not have it in my meals, and I SNACK A LOT! That is just my modus operendi.....I tend to carry rice crackers and mozzerella cheese sticks around with me. I never miss breakfast....which is often a couple of turkey sausage patties or a scrambled egg with cheese....it just has become a part of me...
Our dearest Christmas ornament (the cheekier Gael...:) asked about my libido...lol....hope she sees my answer!
No, Gael, I have not yet had the urge to "take care of business no matter where I am" but am looking forward to having that feeling one of these days.....and probably DH would be thrilled....but alas, it hasn't happened yet.....(((((Gael))))) LOLOL....
Jeni in Hawaii wanted to know my top 5 best strategies to losing and maintaining weight, as well as 5 things I wish I knew at 6 months out, and my top three largest struggles and how I resolved them:
Five WL strategies:
1. Eat 60-70 grams of protein every day...use the protein shakes if you need to in order to get it all in.
2. Drink 64 ounces of water (or suitable water substitute) every day.
3. Exercise early and often and do a variety of activities so it doesn't get boring. (I had an exercise buddy who walked 10,000 steps with me every day when I lived in Miami and that was a HUGE help I think.)
4. Share your experiences here on the OH VSG website....it has been a lifeline and best friend and invaluable resource since the first day I joined.
5. Stay vigilant to the work at hand and carefully watch for old habits trying to slip their way back in.
At six months, I wish I had known:
1. that the magic does and will end at some point.....work it as much as you can early on!!!!!
2. that I need to maintain the level (or increase the level) of exercise in order to keep losing.
3. that I should continue to track my daily food intake on FitDay or one of those freebie webites.
4. that I should NOT slip into eating carbs....they are the devil for sure....lol...
5. that I should have voiced my nagging concerns more often here on OH....so we could all learn from each other!
Three largest struggles:
1. Regular Exercise--incorporating it into my day
2. Steering clear of the evil carbohydrates
3. Telling and choosing not to tell.....****
**** I am still trying to conquer these, Jeni.....and I would love my sleeve sisters to comment and advise......
Sami asked:
How is my hunger level now? Do I think that gherlin is back? What does a typical day of food look like? Am I having labs drawn and are there any issues with them? Do I think the restriction is is enough for me to maintain long term or are the DSers right that one needs malabsorption to lose? Is there anything that I wished I had done earlier in my experience i.e. exercised, limited carbs, joined a support group?
The hunger is back but no where near pre-op levels. The difference now is that if I get busy I can ignore it, or drink something and put it off where in the past it would consume me!
A typical day of food:
16 oz. hot water and 4 oz. Hood Choc. Milk mixed with Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate
(I only drink coffee on Sat. and Sun. now)
2 or three turkey sausage patties
One cheese stick for snack....with five or six rice crackers
Amy's vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
24 oz. water mixed with an EmergenC 1000 mg. vitamin C packet throughout the work day
Six grilled scallops, 3/4-one cup edamame
Starbucks frozen mocha bar (fat free but not sugar free...a not so great vice)
20 oz. Sugar free decaf Swiss Vanilla latte Gen. Food Int'l hot drink
* eating something else chocolate has become a regular addition as well....a mini package of peanut M and Ms....or a Lindor chocolate ball or two.....I would like to stop this however.....
I have had labs drawn twice I think....both were fine....I am still doing calcium chews 3x a day and a multivitamin daily
I am considered a LARGE bougie I guess....think it was a 48....I wouldn't mind if it was smaller but am okay with where I am now and how much I can eat....which doesn't seem excessive but is maintaining my weight loss. I would not want to have malabsorption issues even if it helped me lose weight....I like feeling normal....:)
I think your last question is pretty much answered up above...but feel free to PM with other queries.....I do not miss my old Miami support group too much because I have the wonderful OH folks to turn to....I moved to Jax six months out as you know..... :)
Veronique (very unique) asked when I (or have I) stopped losing weight: Yes I think I have...I noticed a big slow down around April/May....suspiciously soon after I moved to Jax and lost my daily walking partner.....hmmmm....and yes Veronique, I definitely still have "a bit of flesh on my bones".....lol....I don't think I will ever be considered thin....but I am REALLY okay with that.....:)
I know I have said this before and I am sorry that this has been such a lengthy post, but I really do love and appreciate the total support that I have felt from all of you wonderful VSGers since I joined....we are indeed family.....and I hope that I get to give a lot of you real hugs at the reunion in October.....a special shout out and thanks to Nano for her wonderful sustained "VSG everything you wanted to know about VSG but were afraid to ask****" and to Christine for helping us motivate our way to being better VSG successes with her challenges.....I love you all, (((((YOU))))) Cheers!! Gail
The View from six months out!
May 27, 2007
Today is my six month sleeversary and so I thought I would do my first real review of life since last November. First things first: I just checked my BMI...it is 27.6. I believe it is considered normal (read: healthy) when it drops below 25 and hopefully that will not be much longer. I won't go over the pre-op and surgery stuff as my story is listed on my homepage but I started out weighing 239 with a BMI of 39. My weight now is 167. It has been at least three years since I have been that low and people are always asking me how it feels to get down there. It feels DAMN good actually!!
WHAT I know now for sure: I would NEVER have gotten back down here on my own.....thanks to sleeve and God! My self-confidence has returned and is dramatically better. I was becoming quite reclusive and hesitated about most social occasions...looking for excuses why I couldn't go wherever it was, and justifying my actions to myself with whatever reason came to mind.
I have SO much more energy it isn't even funny. I sleep less and better, and find myself measuring success in the small things. I clean the house without being winded, bend down to visit the cats willingly and often, agree to any physical activity suggested, and get dressed in a snap! (that last is really so wonderful, the closets are almost completely sorted out...I have lots of clothes to give away and sell, and I am wearing what I call my "Ann Taylor" wardrobe that had been hiding in the back of the closet for years. Good thing their clothes are classic! Another wonderful thing....short-sleeved tops....these arms have not seen the light of day in YEARS!!! I want to buy new jeans but am wearing a 12 and kind of hope that I can hold out till I (or if I?) get to an 8 or at least at 10....:) I am lucky that, IMHO, I will not need plastic surgery and I find myself appreciating what I see when I see me! My thighs almost look small in my black capri exercise pants, my wedding ring and watch turn easily around and my shoes are, (yes really) a size smaller, down from 8 to 7.
I am so happy that I was told to take my measurements the night before surgery.....those numbers continue to amaze. I have lost 24 and a half inches from my bust, waist, and hips. Darn, I wish I had kept track of my thighs and arms too! Pre-ops, please do write your measurements down cuz when those plateaus hit (and sadly, they do--all too often), your diminishing inches will be just the NSV that you need to see you through the stall!
and of course, food.....my most powerful all-time acquaintance, well......we continue to reassess our relationship daily. DH and I did an early dinner at Sweet Tomatos last night. I had about 3 oz. of chicken (culled from their chicken noodle soup!--a well-known trick there), followed by about three bites of salad with feta cheese, and the top off a mini blueberry muffin. Sadly, I lost most of my dinner in the parking lot minutes after eating it. Now that was a first....not just the foamies but actually tossed most of my cookies. I am telling you this cuz it was actually a very different experience for me. I really haven't been nauseous much of late. (I think Kris has her own parking lot story as well!) DH and I kind of talked about it afterward....not sure I understand what I did differently....it was just too much food for dinner today....tomorrow I may be able to eat four or five ounces of chili or fish and it won't be a problem---'cuz with WLS....every day is different! Please let that comfort you newly post-op folks....just because something didn't work one day doesn't mean it won't work tomorrow or the day after.....it's all a good education for us right?
Important note: The weight loss has slowed down dramatically! I don't think it is really a stall but more that I have lost 73% of my excess weight and just think that the last 27% (or 27 lbs. in my case) is going to be on me....I think the sleeve magic is just about done. I would like to say that I will redouble efforts to exercise in the next while....I need to rebuild muscle mass and get back to walking!!
Important note: The weight loss has slowed down dramatically! I don't think it is really a stall but more that I have lost 73% of my excess weight and just think that the last 27% (or 27 lbs. in my case) is going to be on me....I think the sleeve magic is just about done. I would like to say that I will redouble efforts to exercise in the next while....I need to rebuild muscle mass and get back to walking!!
Lastly, I have said this before but must say it again. I could not have been this successful without the support, guidance, and nurturing of all of you!! You continue to surprise and amaze me with your level of caring and commitment. It is just so wonderful to know that I have a place to turn to whether I have a question, a solution, or just a comment.....so thank God for you....consider yourselves hugged please.....with much love and thanks....we continue the journey.....together.....:) Gail
