Life on the Other Side

Today marks 3 weeks since my VSG surgery. (That's vertical sleeve gastrectomy to those who don't have to deal with this info on a daily basis.) Three weeks. 21 days. On the other side. Wow. I didn't think I would ever make it here.

The first thing people who see me that knew about the surgery asks me is, "How are you?" Well, let me tell you...I am great. Excellent, Awesome. Magnificent. Outstanding. This is how I expected to be in June. This is unbelievable. I feel "good." In fact, I have been waking up earlier than normal. I don't feel like napping very often. (Well, you have to let me have a few - I mean, it IS Christmas break!)

The second thing everyone asks is, "How much have you lost?" Well, that depends on when you count from. On my "official" papers at the doctor's office, I have lost 28 pounds in the time from November 28 through December 23. (That includes the pre-op diet time.) However, I have actually lost 78 pounds already since I began this journey in March 2013. That is almost one of my children.

However, I am a little bummed. Another weight-loss surgery word is "stall." It is used to indicate that your body is currently stuck, and not losing weight. Well, I am a member of multiple weight loss surgery support groups, and I have always been annoyed when people freak out about a stall early on. I mean, did they not realize that they have just lost a large amount of weight in a short time, did they not understand that your body thinks it is starving, and is trying to save itself? What is wrong with these people? Well, guess what....I am that person. I have been at the same weight for about 10 days now, and it is freaking me out! I am barely able to consume 100 calories at a time, and I am not losing weight? What is happening? Is it me? The truth is, no, it is not me. My body is in shock. I am living off of a maximum of 500-600 calories a day now. Science tells me that as long as I continue this, I will lose weight. It is inevitable. There is an equation: Calories needed for your body > calories you take in = weight loss. It is a proven fact. And, 28# in 25 days is not bad.

I am not going to lie, the "all liquid" stage was not fun. Not terrible, but not fun. I am not a "sweets in the morning" type person, and when you are living on protein shakes, sweet is what you get! But I made it. I have had LOTS and LOTS of soup. Tomato Basil is a new favorite of mine, along with loaded potato. In fact, if you have any questions about any the creamy, not chunky soups at any Tupelo restaurant, I can probably help you out. This stage lasted for nearly two weeks, and I have survived it! Not only did I survive it, we even ate out several times, and I had no trouble to speak of.

Stage 2 was next, and in that stage, I was allowed pureed type foods. Runny grits, thin oatmeal, thicker soups, refried beans, applesauce, etc. Let me tell you - mashed potatoes and refried beans have been my staples! And cheese. Cheese was added to this stage, and let me tell you - I have melted it in soups, on beans, and a few times in a bowl without anything else! Also, refried beans opened up another restaurant option for the family... Mexican. We love Mexican. So, we went, and I "fancied up" some refried beans with a tiny bit of salsa and cheese dip, and it was DIVINE! And I was happy. (Also, it should be noted that I am not even able to eat an entire order of refried beans. My capacity is about 1.5-2 ounces now.)

I was supposed to start stage 3 on January 1. However, I have already started doing a little experimenting. The stages blend together at some spots, and I am just doing the best I can. I have experimented some, but typically only once a day, then I go back to a tried and true food. For instance, last night I made chicken salad (and chopped it into a puree with my Pampered Chef Chopper). It was so good! And, as that is the closest thing to dense protein, I was disappointed in what I was able to eat. I had fixed myself a small condiment bowl of it, and wasn't able to eat half. It is great. I get full so quickly, and I really don't crave a lot of things at all. Today, I haven't really experimented, I am just eating tiny bites of chicken salad, since I know it worked well.

Basically, I am doing great. This is an awesome journey, and I am so proud that God chose to make me wait. I truly appreciate it more than I would have if this had been an easy process.

Love to all!

Jolie