It's been exactly 3 weeks today since my VSG surgery. There is a lot to get used to with this new stomach of mine. Some things I have adapted to very easily, and some things I have had to learn the hard way.
First the easy things. I cannot eat more than maybe 1/2 cup of food at one time. This has actually been a really easy adjustment, because my stomach makes it VERY clear when it has had enough. That makes it easy for me to just stop eating. The feeling doesn't creep up on me...it's like one bite I am fine, the next bite I am so full that I feel very uncomfortable. It has also been easy for me to take the big chewable bariatric vitamins. I know some people can't stand them because they are chalky, but it doesn't bother me so much. I take them one at a time while I am drinking a protein shake in the morning and that helps with the chalkiness. I have not had any problems with my healing and so far (knock on wood) I have not had any acid reflux.
One thing that I am struggling with is drinking liquids too fast. When I am at work and I reach for my water, I have to concentrate on taking small swallows of the water. Often because my mind is on work, old habits take over and I am three giant gulps of water in before I realize that no more water is going down my throat. It feels like an overflowing cup...like it's just going to pour right back out of my mouth! I have always been the person who downs half a water bottle at once and I really need to break that habit!! I also had a bad experience with tomato soup. I was in a hurry so instead of sitting down and eating the soup with a spoon like a always do, I put the soup in a coffee cup and was drinking it as I was working. I drank it way too fast and that is the closest I have come to vomiting! My mouth was over salivating and I stood at the sink for a good 10 minutes just sure that at any moment I was going to vomit. Somehow, I didn't...but I learned that lesson the hard way! I will from now on take the 30 minutes to have my meals just like the doctor told me to!!!
I am just now ready to start working out again. I think that this will help me in many ways. First, it will help me to build muscle mass so that I can tone up while I lose weight. I also think it will help me to sleep better. Lastly, I hope it helps me maintain more regular bathroom habits. Constipation is not fun and I don't want to have to rely on laxatives to get things moving along forever! I thought that maybe when I added some more food back into my diet that this problem would start to go away, but so far it has not! I used to rely on coffee to help with this and since I am not drinking coffee right now, I have got to find other ways to get things moving along!
I am sticking to my "weigh on Mondays" vow, so right now I don't know where I stand with weight loss. As of last monday, I am right on the verge of seeing my weight start with a "1". I am hopeful that I will see that miracle when I step on the scale in three more days! As of last Monday I am down 23 pounds and I am hoping to lose 3-4 more before I hit my one month surgiversary. My first goal was to have my weight start with a "1"...my next goal is to lose 40 pounds before my vacation to
So Cal at the end of April. I am feeling good about both of those goals!
For any of you following my journey, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to check in with me. This is an exciting time in my life...one that is all me. This is my time to go for what I want and I hope that you all find your time to shine as well. The sleeve is a great tool...but ultimately, it all depends on me. And I find that I like being my own cheerleader!!! Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment