Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 5 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 5 showed me that I’ve fully moved into my new life.  I had my 6-week post-op appointment a few days early (6 weeks officially starts tomorrow), and got a clean bill of health. This past week was a good one – I got in solid workouts, ate “new” foods, and fit into new sizes.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 256.6, which is a loss of 2.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 20.6 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 58.4 pounds from my highest weight. This weight loss is fantastic, because I’m back on track with losing about 3 lbs per week.  I’m in the mid-250s, a place I haven’t been in a couple of years.  And I’ve lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks, which is also pretty amazing.  Lots of milestones are just around the corner, which is so exciting.  I think the difference is in higher protein, lower carbs, and longer workouts.

I mentioned this before, but I really think that now that I’m in Stage 4 and can eat almost any protein I want (steak is going to wait until 6 months+), I think I’m going to see strong successes.  My portions have increased to 3oz of protein per meal (as I can handle), which means that reaching 60-75g of protein/day should be so much easier, without adding a shake supplement.

Eating out with friends/family is going to be so much easier now.  This week is a big one because my birthday is on Tuesday and then we have the 4th of July on Thursday.  Two big holidays, and I’m not at all worried about not losing weight.  I love my sleeve!  The built-in portion control is such a great tool, but even more important is this new lifestyle that I’m leading.  I’m so happy and content with the way I’m eating, the workouts I’m completing, and the way I’m feeling.  Plus, if I want to indulge, I can do it without going overboard.

For example, last night my soon-to-be-6-year-old niece and I had an impromptu sleepover.  My mom had brought over Dryer’s slow-churned ice cream (which is 1/3 the fat of regular ice cream, not to sound like a commercial), and as I was dishing it out for my niece, I decided to have a bit for myself.  Instead of serving myself a heaping helping, I stuck to the 1/2 cup serving, and was completely satisfied.  The funny thing was, my niece ate more than I did!  Actually, with all of the meals we’ve been having together lately, I’ve noticed in awe that I’m eating less than my 6-year-old niece!  That blows my mind.  In the best way  possible. Even more mind blowing is the fact that I didn’t worry that I was having ice cream the day before my weigh-in, as I would have in the past, because I knew that a tiny scoop of ice cream wasn’t going to blow a week of hard work. I love that I can have treats in small portions now and again without blowing everything.  And yes, I realize that this is how most people operate in their daily lives, but pre-pre-surgery, there was no moderation in the way that I ate.  I applied the “all or nothing” philosophy, which was unhealthy. Now it’s as if a switch has been pulled, and I don’t even think about over-indulging.  It has less to do with the sleeve and more to do with all the hard work I’ve put in to get here.

For the upcoming week, since it’s going to be filled with celebration, I’m going to concentrate on keeping my workouts solid and enjoying my new life to the fullest. I’m always a positive person, but this week I’m feeling extra happy!!

Until next Sunday, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful week!

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 4 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 4 brought with it lots of over-thinking. One of the top rules they tell us in my WLS support group meeting is not to compare your progress to anyone else’s, but that seems to be ALL I did this week.  Am I eating too much?  Should I stop eating veggies and fruit and just stick to all protein?  Am I losing enough weight?  Am I taking full advantage of this first 6 month “sweet spot?” As you can see, my mind swirled with questions all week.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 259.4, which is a loss of 1.6 pounds this week, and a loss of 17.6 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 55.6 pounds from my highest weight. This week’s meager loss was the result of beginning weight training.  I was prepared for this, because my body always reacts this way as soon as I begin working with weights.  It’s the reason I stopped strength training while I was losing the pre-op required weight.

My main focus for this week is to continue the weight training, working out, and eating a well-balanced diet.  I have my 6-week post op appointment on Friday (a few days early), and I’m sure I’ll have more to report then.

Even with all the questions I had going on this week, here are a few things I know…

• I haven’t hit an actual stall yet, and for that I’m grateful.
• I’ve been following Kaiser’s pre-op eating plan to a T, which is a well-balanced approach.
• Including weights into my workouts will be good for me for the long run for so many reasons.
• When I’m comparing my weight loss to others’ on the FB groups, I have to keep in mind: that I lost 38 lbs before I ever had surgery, most of these people only lost 15 lbs or less pre-op; I have no idea what their starting weights were; and everyone’s body loses at different rates.

So, after a lot of questioning and kvetching, I’m actually feeling calm now.  I know that I’m a perfectionist, and I always strive to be the best I can be, even as a VSG-er.  LOL.  And I just have to remind myself that I am being MY best.

Until next Sunday, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful week!

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A visit to the doctor

I was anxious for my doctor’s appointment on Friday for a couple of reasons.  First because I hadn’t met her before, and I wanted to see what she was like.  (I had a different doctor a couple of years ago whose cold demeanor wasn’t doing it for me, so I chose Dr. Chau from a list of available doctors.  She looked good “on paper,” but the true test is meeting the person and seeing whether or not your personalities meld.

After waiting almost an hour (ugh!!!) to see her, Dr. Chau finally entered the exam room.  She was terrific!  A very sweet, friendly doctor, which is so nice.  She really listened to what I was telling her about my symptoms. She gave me a neurological test (following her finger with my eyes, tapping on my knees, etc.) and everything came up clear on that.  Thank goodness!

After listening to everything I said, she ordered two tests for me – an ultrasound of my legs (who knew they could ultrasound your legs?) and a blood test that would test for all sorts of things, including diabetes, cholesterol, and potassium levels.

In order to make it to the ultrasound with my crazy schedule, I had to take Monday off, as well, but again, this is what sick days are for.  I’ve only called in sick 2 other days this entire year, and I really want to get to the bottom of this numbness.

I asked the doctor about continuing my training, and she said that it would be alright for me to do the Mermaid 5K with LC this Sunday, but that she wouldn’t recommend the 10-mile walk I was supposed to do on Saturday at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz with TNT.  She said that she’d like to figure out what was causing the numbness before I do any long walks like that, so that I don’t exacerbate the problem.

I left her office feeling like I had more questions than answers, but happy that at least I was taking the necessary steps to figure it all out.

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