Rick Bedard
7 Year Update
May 09, 2013
Yesterday marked my 7th year since surgery. As I was always told, the surgery is just a tool to use, it's not a cure and have found that to be very true. I still get full very quickly but tend to push myself too much until I don't feel well. It's most obvious when eating out due to portion sizes you get. I still give away much of my food but it's still too much. I should take advantage of that tool but rarely do. I also eat too much junk food and at the wrong times. That hardest part is I am now designed to eat small meals and get hungry within hours but I'm alone because everyone else eats the normal large meals three times a day. If I would eat small meals 6 times a day (about every 2 or 3 hours) I know it would help a lot and stop that over full feeling I usually get when I eat. I also need to get out of the habit of eating late at night while watching movies or stuff on my iPad trying to get tired and sleep.
I started at 423 lbs and the lowest I got down to was 192 and then hovered around 195 or so but as I've said that was a bit too much for me. I felt fine but I think my best weight is about 210. I have slowly but steadily increased weight back up to over 300 lbs and have stayed pretty much between 300 to 310 for at least a year now, maybe two. It's depressing that I've gained about 1/2 of the weight back. I don't see the gain in my face still though or my arms or lower legs, it's almost exclusively in my gut and rear. The eating habits have had a lot to do with that but I believe the biggest factor is lack of exercise. When I lost the weight I was working out on my bowflex regularly, walking regularly and generally active. When I stopped doing all that is when the weight started coming back on. That is the key to keeping the weight off. I know I need to start exercising again but I fell back into old habits being so busy at work an all. I keep saying I'm going to start exercising again but never do. I hope that changes because it's the only real way I'll be able to get my weight back down.
Update
Feb 21, 2009
It's been a long time since I've updated here. I exceeded my goal of getting down to 210 and reached 195 but everyone was telling me I looked too thin. Looking back I agree and think my best weight is around 210. I was at 195 in May 2008 and have been steadily but slowly gaining since. I eat too much junk food and force myself to eat and need to get back into better eating and exercise habits. I can really tell a big difference over the past few months as I have gotten back up in the 230's and have been hovering around 236 for the past couple of months. I still think I look a little too thin in my face and know all my weight gain has been in my stomach and butt because I can barely fit into my 36 inch jeans that started to feel too loose last year. I decided I'm going get back on a protein shake diet and get back into an exercise routine to get my weight loss started again. My goal again is 210. I suspect my WLS will make it pretty easy because I still get full very quickly so it should be a lot easier than my protein diet just prior to WLS. I'll try to post my progress here as I work toward my goal again.
Update as of March 25, 2007
Mar 25, 2007
| March 25, 2007 | I have really, really gotten away from keeping this profile up. It's been almost 3 and 1/2 months since I updated the profile. The main reason though is my profile would not convert to the new profile format and the old format got corrupted so I gave up until I had time to fix it. I finally found some time today. I lot has happened since my surgery 10 months ago in May. I have lost 180 pounds since this all began and have gone through a divorce I would not have expected would happen last May. I had been unhappy for a long time but would not have expected that to happen so quickly. I wonder why so many people who have WLS end up divorced? Anyway, everything else seems to be just fine. I have definitely slowed in the weight loss but I think a lot of it is because I have not been eating right and not getting my exercise in like I should be. I really need to work on that! So many people keep telling me I should not lose any more weight but I still have about 28 pounds left to reach goal of 205 pounds. I personally thought I would like to lose even more, maybe down to 195 or so but I'm not sure if I will make it or not at this rate. Maybe so if I get back on track though. |
Here is the complete OH journal through Dec 10, 2006
Mar 25, 2007
| April 24, 2006 | I have a date scheduled on May 8th for my LAP RNY surgery. I started the 2 week liquid diet my doctor wants all his patients to be on before the surgery. He wants me to lose 20 lbs mainly to avoid having my liver causing problems during surgery. I weighed in at 408 lbs so I am already losing some weight. I was called last week and told I would need to go on a liquid diet so I started it two days ago on Saturday. |
| April 26, 2006 | I find this hard to believe but I am down to 398 lbs this morning. Of course, I weight myself without clothes after showering and I know I weigh more fully clothed. I also find I weight less in the mornings - I can weight up to 6 or 7 lbs more by the evening. Must be fluid gain or something. I also started working out on a BowFlex a few weeks ago and I'm sure that helps too. It was nice to see it not exceed 400 for the first time in a long time! |
| April 29, 2006 | Well, I'm still anxious with surgery scheduled just 9 days away. I'm still researching all I can about DS versus RNY. I also wrote up a list of questions I plan to talk to Dr. J about in my pre-op appt with him. I plan to call Dr Naaman Monday to ask about DS. According to his profile here though he has only performed DS 7 times so far - not very comforting. He also lists only open DS and I prefer lap for sure. I tried the Water Sensations recommended on the messageboard. My local Target only stocks the grape, mixed berry, kiwi-strawberry and lemon flavors so I can't try the orange or peach flavors. The kiwi-strawberry did not sound appealing to me so I did not buy that. I really like the Crystal Lite lemonaide so I expected I'd prefer the lemon flavored Water Sensations so I bought two boxes of it. I tried one and hated it though! I couldn't bear the taste so will never buy that one again. The grape was OK but not great but the mixed berry was a bit better but I don't like any of them as much as the Crystal Lite lemonaide so I'm going to stick with that. I liked the fact that Water Sensations was liquid and did not require stirring but I personally don't like the taste as much. |
| May 4, 2006 | Well, I completed my pre-op at the hospital Tuesday (5/2) and the pre-op with my doctor today. I officially lost over 20 lbs in less than two weeks on the full liquid diet my doctor requires. I'm very nervious of course and am mainly worried about the pain since I have such a low tolerance to it. The pre-op nurse at the hospital went on about how much pain i will feel and how I will initially regret doing this to myself. I hope she's 100% wrong. I'll find out Monday as that is my surgery date - May 8th. I didn't think about this before but my birthday is May 12th, just 4 days after my surgery. I wonder how I'll feel by then? |
| May 7, 2006 | Here is a BEFORE picture of me a few weeks before surgery on April 19, 2006 at 408 pounds at a convention in Las Vegas: |
| May 10, 2006 | I'm officially on the losing side now! I had my surgery on May 8th as scheduled. Everything went well - no complications. My doctor told me that my losing the weight before surgery really made a difference. I just returned home from the hospital. The nurses were calling me superman because I was walking a lot more than most of their patients could. They told me the more I walked the quicker I'd heal but now I've got a new problem - I've developed blisters on the bottom of my feet with all the walking in slippers and now it hurts to just stand. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. I need to exercise my legs somehow. I have a bike but am afraid of the damage I could cause if I ever fell. I have one other concern. I know that lack of protein can cause me to lose my hair and I want to avoid that. If I am only allowed to drink 2 oz of protein shake at a time how can I possibly get in enough each day? The day following surgery my surgeon had me on a clear liquid diet but started my on a full liquid diet today already - just two days after the procedure. Here is a pic of my Lap RNY scars just two days after surgery: |
| May 11, 2006 | Last night was a hard night due to gas pains that lasted for about 12 hours. I was finally able to release some around 3am and had a better night after that. I was really worried that maybe my intestines were wrapped or something. :-( I was also worried about getting dehydrated because I have been urinating so much since my return home and can't seem to get very much water back in. I lost 8 lbs in just one day but it must have been the loss of all those extra fluids they put in me via IV in the hospital. I looked like I lost weight when I was discharged but still weighed the same 393 lbs as when I was admitted. The doctor's did say I had slight ankle edema but it was probably due to the IV fluids. |
| May 12, 2006 | Well, today is my birthday - I turn 44 today. Not a fun way to spend your birthday being on a liquid diet and still in pain from surgery. I had my first BM since the morning I left for the hospital. That was a major relief confirming I do not have any blockage problems. The gas pains are not nearly as bad now and I took about 600mg of liquid Motrin last night which helped a lot too. I'd prefer to stay off of any pain medication but will use that when the pain gets a little too intense. It should get easier from here on out though. It is pretty much tradition for my family, my parents and sister's family to go out to eat for all of our birthdays but my RNY prevented that for me this time. I've lost almost 35 lbs already though so that's a much better celebration for me anyway. :-) My parents came to visit me after work so that was nice. My son went out to eat with them and possibly with my sister's family too, I wasn't told. My son didn't want to tell me where he was going in fear he would hurt my feelings knowing I couldn't go. Obviously I have no appetite to go eat anyway though - that's a nice feeling for a change. I was surprised I didn't hear from my sister or brother-in-law to at least wish me a happy birthday though. I didn't expect to hear from their kids though because they don't even care about their own parent's or sibling's birthdays enough to participate. If they do join the family it's only because it's a free meal and once they are done eating they want to leave - it's definitely not for the family experience. I am glad to say my nephew Gary is different than his brother and sister though. He has more genuine family needs and love where his sister and brother pretty much have none. I don't think any of them even like each other. What a sad shame. I did hear from my sister once on my birthday though but it wasn't a call to wish me a Happy Birthday although she did say "Oh, Happy Birthday" as she was hanging up. She was only calling trying to find someone to give her daughter a ride to work. Oh well, overall, I spent my birthday working remotely from home but it was a relaxing day. It wasn't the best of Birthdays but I'd gladly have them the rest of my life if I had if it meant losing weight. :-) |
| May 13, 2006 | I'm not in as much pain nor do I have the severe gas pains much anymore so I must be recovering. :-) I am feeling a bit nauseous today though. I thought maybe it was because I needed to eat but I have already drank a couple 3oz cups of EAS protein shake and a cup of chicken broth. I bought Swanson's broth and am not overly impressed with it. I tried some Lipton's noodle soup but strained out the noodles last night and that was much better so I had another bowl this morning. I'm trying to drink more water too but that's still hard to do. I'm still feeling a bit sick so I decided to but 1/2 a banana in a blender and just tried taking some of that mush but I don't think I'm ready for it yet. I felt light-headed within a minute. Maybe the sugar in it is too much. Oh, I tried eating some stage 1 baby food last night for some variety and it was totally gross! I tried the bananas and could not handle that. That's what gave me the idea about putting a real banana in a blender. My discharge instructions said any soft solid food I can blend to mush like that would count as a liquid but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. It's only 5 days out from the surgery so hopefully that will improve. Also, I called my surgeon's office the other day to schedule my 2-week follow up he wants me to go to. They scheduled me for May 18th but I wonder if that's too soon. That's only 10 days after my surgery. |
| May 15, 2006 | My main scar on my left side is hurting more than usual today. I went to the movies yesterday with my parents and daughter and I think I pulled something getting in and out of the car. It's not major pain but I'm more tender than I have been - I expected it to fade day by day. I am still having a very hard time getting in enough liquids and especially protein. I know I need the protein to avoid a plateau and prevent muscle and hair loss but I am having a hard time tolerating these protein powders. I've been trying Unjury chocolate powder in milk but it definitely does NOT taste like chocolate milk! I just tried the Strawberry Sorbet instead hoping it would be better but unfortunately it's worse. I don't know if I am going to be able to finish this glass I just made. :-( I read a post about someone getting something called "ON" protein from GNC made from egg whites. I think I'll give that a try - maybe I'll find something I can at least tolerate until I am allowed to have real eggs and soft foods. My first follow-up with the doctor is Thursday so hopefully he may feel I can start then. These liquid and chewable medications are a major ordeal for me too. I try using a dropper to avoid the taste of the liquids as much as possible but I still gag on them. I don't like the grit the chewable tablets leave in my teeth either. I'm a sad case when it comes to taking medications. At least I'll have a better perspective when counseling patients as a pharmacist now! :-) I plan to ask my doctor if I can start taking capsules and converting tablets to capsules too. I hope he says OK! |
| May 17, 2006 | I'm still having trouble getting in enough protein and water but other than that everything is going pretty well. I'm not in too much pain anymore. Actually, I'm not in any pain while sitting down, only some when I get up and when I initially start to walk. The wounds are looking good - no infections. I have my first follow-up with my doctor tomorrow afternoon. I am going to ask if I can start taking the capsule medication without pooring the contents into liquid. It's causing me not to be very compliant. I found three multi-vitamins that are in capsule form so if he OK's capsules that will be a lot easier too. I can't tolerate the Centrum liquid anymore, it makes me gag. I hate every chewable tablet I've tried too. I can't stand having gritty chewed tablets in my teeth. :-( |
| May 19, 2006 | Things are really going well. No pain whatsoever, riding my motorcycle again, more energy! I went to see my surgeon for the first follow-up visit yesterday. He said everything is going fine. He wants me to stay on the full liquid diet for at least two weeks so he said I can't start the soft food phase until next Wednesday. That was a bummer because I am so ready to get off of full liquids. :-( I want to avoid complications so I'll do what he says but it won't be easy staying on liquids for 6 more days. It's nice getting on the scale every other day and finding out I've lost 3 or 4 pounds though. I assume that will slow down once I start on soft foods. He said I could start working out again then too! Yay! :-) |
| May 26, 2006 | I stalled at 370 lbs for a full week. I know I was not getting in enough protein but now that I can eat soft foods it's easier. I used to drink Ozarka water all the time before surgery but didn't like the taste afterwards so it was harder to get in. I was also told I had to take small sips so it was hard getting in enough volume. I've discovered that I like the taste of Dasani water now. I wasn't aware there was much difference in taste but there definitely is. Maybe it's because I can taste and smell better now. Anyway, two days ago I started drinking as much water as I can and it looks like I'm finally starting to lose some weight again. I sure hope so. The funny thing is I have been drinking a LOT of water but I'm not using the bathroom much to account for all the extra water. I have a feeling I was dehydrated and an finally replacing it. I suspect I dropped to 368 lbs due to dehydration and went back to 370 lbs and stayed there because I was not getting in enough water. |
| May 31, 2006 | I started walking every night for the past 2 nights. I walk 1.5 miles fairly briskly. I'm also getting in most of the water I need and stilll trying to get all the protein I can get in. I think it's all working as I'm starting to lose weight again. I was stuck at 370 lbs for almost a week and a half. |
| June 04, 2006 | Some days I'm not getting in my walking and still have a hard time eating enough to get in my protein but I'm still losing. Lost 10 pounds this week! :-) |
| June 10, 2006 | Atill not getting in the exercise I should be but will continue to try. I'm still losing but maybe I'd lose more if I got in more exercise. I am leaving town in 2 days and will be out of town through mid-July. That means I can't work out on the Bowflex so I'll have to focus on walking. |
| July 24, 2006 | Well, I'm finally back in town and wasn't keeping track of my weight but was surprised to find I had lost more weight. I was dealing with personal issues with my grandmother up in Connecticut so I wasn't focusing on getting in my exercise and water and protein so I didn't think I was losing much at all. I've lost another 25 lbs since June 10th so apparently I have been losing anyway. I know I was having a hard time figuring out what I could eat while eating out. I never realized just how much restaurants fry everything and serve such unhealthy food. No wonder the US has such a obesity problem. I find I can't tolerate most of the food I try to eat when eating out and I can eat very little of the foods I can tolerate anyway still. I can still eat soups, fruits, beans, etc but get full fast. It's really hard getting in enough protein as I don't really like the taste of the protein shakes much. I force them down but it's not easy. I've found what I like best so far is to mix Champion Nutrition's chocolate and Banana flavored powder 1:1. Either alone is too strong tasting but mixed together it's not too bad. Now that I'm back I plan to work out on the Bowflex again. I started but it's hard to get back into the routine but that will get easier. I also joined Bally's Gym but haven't used it yet. Maybe I'll do that some mornings on the way to work. I still prefer the Bowflex though but Bally's may help while out of town. I just reached a new level with my BMI. I started out being Super Obese with a BMI of over 50 and have been Extremely Obese since then but as of now I have reached the catagory of just being Obese with a BMI of 39.9 now. Still a long way to go though. |
| July 29, 2006 | I've been taking some vacation time this week because I have to use it or lose it where I work. That means I have no excuse why I haven't been working out or at least walking like I should but I haven't been. :-( I really need to get back into my Bowflex routine. I know once I get going it's easy to stay with it but I just don't have the motivation to do it for some reason. Still not getting enough protein or water in either and I know that's even more critical. I feel like I'm losing muscle mass rather than fat and that's definitely not what I want. |
| August 17, 2006 | I'm getting better about getting in enough water and some more protein but still need to work on the protein especially. Still having a hard time getting motivated to work out or exercise regularly. I've had the time but always seem to have other things to do - there really is no excuse other than putting it off when I should just do it. The good news is I'm still losing weight anyway. As of today I'm down to 315. That makes it just 3 more pounds to the century mark! I keep wondering how far I could be if I'd follow the rules though. On the other hand, how fast should I really lose? Is it safe to lose almost 100 lbs in 3.5 months? Will a slower loss help with excess loose skin? |
| August 19, 2006 | Down 99 pounds now, just one pound away from the Century Club!!! WooHoo!!! I am having a real hard time not drinking anything during meals and have not been very compliant with that. I have been drinking some but not nearly like I used to. Before surgery I would sometimes easily drink 3 or 4 large sodas. Usually I get water now when eating out as they think you are strange if you don't get anything. Usually it will just sit there but sometimes I will drink some due to thirst but rarely over 1/3 of the glass. I keep reading so many conflicting opinions about it I don't know what to do. They all say you shouldn't drink during the meal though but I still am drinking some. I try to focus more before eating though but still have a few sips during a meal sometimes - normally water of course. Here are my thoughts on this topic: I've never heard concrete evidence as to why we have to not have any fluids 30 minutes before and after eating. Afterwards I heard it can flush through and empty the stomach making you feel hungry again, and I guess that makes sense but 30 minutes before doesn't make sense to me either. It's confusing when you read so many conflicting suggestions. In fact, I've read articles about water loading where they tell you to drink as much as you can 15 minutes before you eat because it will swell the small intestine making stomach emptying slower and keep you full longer. This same article said you need to wait 90 minutes after eating before drinking more fluids. Here are a few excerpts from the article: EAT SOLIDS Stay full by slowing the emptying of the pouch. (Eat solids. No liquids 15 minutes before and none until 1 ½ hours after the meal). A scientific test showed that a meal of egg/toast/milk had almost all emptied out of the pouch after 45 minutes. Without milk, just egg and toast, more than ½ of the meal still remained in the pouch after 1 ½ hours. FLUID LOADING Fluid loading is drinking water/liquids as quickly as possible to fill the pouch which provides the feeling of fullness for about 15 to 25 minutes. The patient needs to gulp about 80% of his/her maximum amount of liquid in 15 to 30 SECONDS. Then just take swallows until fullness is reached. The patient will quickly learn his/her maximum tolerance, which is usually between 8-12 oz. Fluid loading works because the roux limb of the intestine swells up, contracting and backing up any future food to come into the pouch. The pouch is very sensitive to this and the feeling of fullness will last much longer than the reality of how long the pouch was actually full. Fluid load before each meal to prevent thirst after the meal as well as to create that feeling of fullness whenever suddenly hungry before meal time. POST PRANDIAL THIRST It is important that the patient be filled with water before his/her next meal as the meal will come with salt and will cause thirst afterwards. Being too thirsty, just like being too hungry will make a patient nauseous. While the pouch is still real small, it won’t make sense to the patient to do this because salt intake will be low, but it is a good habit to get into because it will make all the difference once the pouch begins to regrow. As you can see, this goes against the "no liquids 30 min before and 30 min after" rules I was told by my surgeon but it does make sense to me. I wish I knew what to do too. |
| August 27, 2006 | I FINALLY MADE THE CENTURY CLUB!!! WOOHOO!! I was down to 313lbs a week ago Friday just 1 lb short of the 100 lb mark and expected to reach it last weekend but the weight loss stalled and I actually gained a pound or two some days. I was back up to 315 lbs one morning this past week. I've been exercising more regularly and increasing my water and protein intake but I could not lose anymore. I finally started losing again (I hope for a regular stint again) and was 312 lbs this morning officially losing 100 lbs! I plan on staying on track this week and hope to get below 300 lbs soon. |
| September 3, 2006 | I've finally passed the century mark up my weight loss has been extremely slow these past couple of weeks. It appears many of us on the May 2006 board have hit a plateau these past few weeks so maybe it's normal.. I hope! I have been doing better with water for sure, better with getting in more protein but probably still not enough and I have been better at exercising. I've been working out on the Bowflex and even took advantage of my Bally's membership to get in some walking and a little cardio exercise too on the machines. It's so hot and humid here in Houston I hate walking out on the heat. I usually wait until after 10pm - sometimes like 2am before walking around the neighborhood when it's not so hot out there. It's nice doing it in the gym though since I can do it during the day. I think I'll bring swim shorts too and take advantage of the hot tub and sauna too afterwards. I was at 313 lbs two weeks ago Friday and expected to lose one more pound over the weekend to reach the 100 lb lost mark but it didn't happen for another week or so. I actually gained some weight before hitting it. :-( As of yesterday morning I am down to 310 lbs so I've finally passed it but I hope the plateau ends soon. My next step-goal is to get under 300 lbs. I've been talking to quite a few friends here at OH and decided to set my goal at the 210 lbs my surgeon has set for me. I set it to 195 lbs just to say I hit onederland but at 6'4" maybe that's not realistic. Some have said I may be too thin at 195 lbs so I'll set it at 210 lbs and feel even better if I pass that. They say you usually naturally level off when you reach your ideal body weight so it's more realistic to set the goal my surgeon set for me. Besides, that makes me only need to lose 100 lbs more and more than 1/2 way there now!! It's not the reason I did it though. |
| September 8, 2006 | I just received an email from OH that they added my Century Card to my profile - WooHoo! It would be so cool if I can get the second one in four months like I did with this one. I'm not sure where I stand at the moment but the last time I checked a few days ago I was down to 308 lbs. It's going to be a milestone once I get back down into the 200's! |
| September 14, 2006 | I feel like I stalled again but I think it's because I've been weighing myself every morning. I was used to seeing it go down a pound or two each time but some mornings it's back up a pound. I know I shouldn't weigh that often but it's too easy with the scale right there. I've been doing much better with workouts but am not getting in enough walking like I need to. I need make it a habit of going to the gym before going to work. I am also better about getting in water but am not sure if I get enough protein or not. I'm not really keeping track but do think about focusing on protein as much as possible. |
| September 14, 2006 | I just got back from a 17-day cruise and have had no idea if I had lost any weight or might have even gained some with the food they serve on cruises. I tried to get in as much exercise as possible, walking 4 miles each day. I was glad to see I had lost 13 lbs during the cruise - that was a nice surprise to come home to! Now I need to keep up the exercise and work on getting in my protein and water still. |
| December 10, 2006 | I have really gotten away from keeping this profile up. I've been on another cruise since the last post - a 7-day one over Thanksgiving but at least I still lost 2 lbs that week. A lot of people are telling me I should not lose anymore weight because I'm starting to look too skinny but that does not make sense based on BMI ranges - they are just not used to seeing me not being so extremely overweight. I am at 262 pounds right now with a BMI of 31.8 - still in the middle of the obese range. I won't even reach the upper limits of just being overweight until I lose another 16 pounds and reach 246 pounds. I still have 57 pounds to lose until I reach 205 pounds which is the upper limit of being in a normal range at a BMI of 24.9. Why can't people see that I have so much more weight to lose? I wouldn't even reach the lower limit of normal weight which is a BMI of 18.5 and that's 152 pounds for me - that means I can lose 110 pounds more and still be in normal range although I agree I would be too skinny then. I was once at 172 pounds and do agree I looked too skinny. That's why I think I'll be where I need to be in the 190's or so. I won't know for sure until I get there though. |
About Me
League City, TX
Location
37.3
BMI
Surgery
05/08/2006
Surgery Date
Apr 22, 2006
Member Since
