Bariatric Eats

Let's talk about food.  Obviously, my eating has changed a lot over the past 15 months.  Right after having surgery you can barely eat, it's a struggle to just consume enough calories and liquids.  At this point I can eat pretty much anything.  Bread, rice and pasta are still difficult for me so I don't eat them very often.  I try to focus on protein, fruits and vegetables. 

One of my favorite snacks is cucumbers topped with feta cheese.  I mix the feta with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Himalayan salt and some seasoning, trust me it's delicious.   

I will make this often when I am working from home and add a piece of organic frozen fish, not the healthiest but an easy source of protein.  I can eat most of this but not all of it.

These are my current stats as of this morning.  I have lost a great deal of weight, my 15 year old son doesn't weigh as much as I have lost.  I don't know how I could have let myself get that big, I'm not even sure I felt that big but I was and I am grateful for this journey.

Me today!

Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy-VSG 15 Months Post Op

It's hard to believe I will be 15 months post Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy on April 28. This year has been amazing and life changing in ways I never really imagined. The mental part has been one of my biggest struggles and probably will continue to be. 

I started this journey at 330 ish. I was 332 pounds on January 1, 2015. I was 328 pounds on January 14, 2015 the day I started my liquid diet and 314 pounds the day I had surgery. So I have lost a total of 146.6 pounds. 

I've gone from a size 28 to on average a 14. 

Today's weight. I was at 183.7 the other day, which is my lowest weight.  

I had one of those nights when you can't sleep, laying in bed wonder what you want your life to look like. I thought about what will bring me more joy into my life and these are the things I decided to focus on...

1.  Focus on my food choices, more protein, fruits and vegetables and less sugar. 

2.  Do the Couch to 5K and sign up for a 5K. 

3.  Work on building and toning my arm and abdominal muscles.  

4.  Blog at least 4 times a week. I need a creative outlet. It keeps me sane. 

Month 5 post VSG, Vertical Sleeve

So on June 28, 2015 I was exactly 5 months post op.  This experience has been something that is so hard to put into words.  Not only is it a physical journey but the emotional journey far exceeds the physical journey in terms of adjustment.  As of this morning I weighted 245, which is a loss of 83.5 pound since the start of my liquid diet, January 18, 2015 and 69 since the day of my surgery, January 28, 2015. 

The games that your mind can play on you is just crazy.  I still feel like I'm the same size.  I still worry if I have to sit in a booth or a plastic chair.  I still order too much food or prepare too much food.  The mind games are for real. 

Recent photo dump, plus there is more on Instagram. 

4 Months Out from VSG

I'm laying here thinking about how far I have come in 4 months. I've lost 72 pounds since I started my liquid diet on January 18, 2015. It's been life changing in so many ways. Yes, I feel better and yes, I look better but I kind of feel like a different person. I don't know why? Is it because I feel more comfortable in my one skin? Is it because I feel stronger? Is it because my eating habits are so different?  I just don't really know how to explain it but I feel so different. 

I'm learning so much about myself. I'm laying in bed now trying understand my thoughts and hoping to share more with you guys tomorrow. 

VSG- 7 Weeks Out

I really need to be a better blogger.  I really don't have any excuse because my life is pretty boring, which is good.  I'm still a bit tired and lazy but it is getting so much better.  This is the first week where I am really beginning to feel like my old self. 

I went to the doctor Friday and they have me losing 39 pounds from their records which is good.  They said I was on track, which was also good to hear.   He cleared me for all exercise and I'm free to eat, well try to eat, anything I want. 

To be honest my eating habits are not very good.  I am still very restricted so it's hard to get 700-900 calories in a day.  I'm also finding it very hard to 60-80 grams of protein in a day.  Here is the problem, food that is high in protein doesn't have very many calories.  Like I could eat a packet of tuna for lunch and be very full for along time and it only has 80 calories.  I usually eat a protein bar every morning, which has 20 g of protein and 240 calories.  However, it takes me about an hour to eat it and it is so filling. 

Eating is my biggest challenge right now.  Here is what I know, if I don't get at least 700-900 calories a day I don't lose weight.  I think my body goes into starvation mode.  However, in order to get that many calories I basically eat anything I want because I can't eat that much.  I have been eating sugar free ice cream or frozen yogurt every night to get my calories up.  I feel better and I am losing weight so it is working for me right now.  I will also eat baked potatoes with butter or cheese or even pasta.  Basically since I can not eat that much, maybe 10-12 bites of food at a time, I try to eat high calorie foods in order to get my caloric intake up for the day. 

My favorite meal so far.  I just wish I could have enjoyed more of it.  Since having surgery I have never really felt satisfied.  I'm not hungry at all, often I have to remind myself to eat but I never really enjoy my food like I used too.  I don't think I will ever have that feeling again were you have a really good meal and just feel satisfied and pleasantly full.   

 

I'm not sure I can really tell a difference but my clothes are getting bigger so that is good.   

            AFTER                             BEFORE

   

 

I can see the weight loss in my face that seems to be about it. 

VSG- What a Day of Food Looks Like

 

 Tomorrow I will be 3 weeks out, I glad it's going by kind of fast. 

 

Eating is still very difficult, it's getting better but it's still hard.  The hard part is you don't even feel hungry but then your stomach begins to hurt and feel very empty so you know you need to eat.  Then you try to eat and after a few bites your full and can't even think about food.  I know I am not getting anywhere near the protein, water or calories I need but I think this is pretty normal at three weeks out. 

 

8:00 am  I either have a protein shake, which taste terrible or yogurt with protein powder in it, also 

               gross.  Also, I try to remember to take a vitamin at this time.

 

10:00-10:30 am  I start feeling sick, like I need to eat something.  So at this point I have either a

                   cheese stick, a scrambled egg or some gluten free pretzels.  However, it's very difficult to

                   a whole cheese stick or a whole egg. 

 

12:30 pm   Rest of the cheese stick, maybe some pretzels or sugar free pudding or Jello.  Sometimes

                  for lunch I will have soup and that usually sits pretty well. also, a Vitamin.

 

2:30 pm  Usually a sugar free fudgsicle or sugar free Popsicle. 

 

6:00 pm  For dinner I have been mostly having soup, I tried pork tenderloin last night and it was fine. 

               I only had like 4 bites and chewed it really well.   I've also had Caprese salad s few time and

               that always sit well in my new tummy.  I can have about a cup of soup if it's a clear soup. 

               If I eat food it's about 4-6 bites of food chewed very, very well.  After dinner I try to

               remember to take another vitamin. 

                  

I'm not getting enough protein yet or enough calories but I will get there.  after surgery I could barely get 300 calories a day.  Now I'm up to about 500 calories a day. 

 

I weighed 302.1 this  morning which is kind of disappointing.  They say it's common to hit a stall which I hope I have gone through and I am moving past. 

 

Also, I was able to walk about two miles yesterday very slowly, it took me about 50 minutes but it felt good to exercise. 

VSG Week 2

 

So, here I am exactly two weeks ago today I was just coming out of surgery thankfully everything thing went very well.  It hasn't been easy but it hasn't been horrible either.  I thought I would make a list of the things I have learned so far which may hopefully help someone else.

Thing I have learned so far.....

• I miss food, this is my number one problem.  I miss the ritual of eating with other people.  Eating dinner with family isn't the same, going out to dinner really stinks right now and cooking isn't fun when you can't eat the food you are making. 
• I have had many moments of regret, I hope this changes over time.
• Learning to eat all over again is so much harder then you can possibly imagine.
• Popsicles are a girl's best friend.
• Drink your water!
• It is very hard to get 60 g of protein in a day when you can't even eat. 
• Protein shakes get old very quickly.
• Eat very, very, very slowly. 
• Chew, chew, chew!
• Don't weigh yourself everyday, it's frustrating.
• Time does heal.
• This is a journey that takes a lot of patience. 

I'm still pretty much eating full liquids, yogurt, pudding, Jello and Popsicles.  I have tried cheese, eggs and tuna and I have done alright with all of these but I have to take very small bites and eat very slow.  No matter what I eat I can't eat very much, maybe 2 ounces.  The key is to find the sweet spot where your stomach is not too empty or too full but the difference is about a spoonful of something. 

oh yeah and as of this morning I am down to 304.2, which means I am down 24.3 pounds since I started my pre-op liquid diet.