8 Weeks Post-Op: Seeking My Blue Jeans from 1998

I know I'm not back to 1998 weight yet, but I'm definitely about to dust off some old jeans in the top of my closet.  This bariatric weight loss has been unlike any other diet or exercise regimen in the past.  Obviously, the rate and pace is unmatched.  But it really seems like I am losing weight in my stomach more so than usual - and that is just great.  I expect it's due to eating much less bread than ever in my life. 

I'm a numbers guy, so I weigh every day, and my Internet enabled scale drops the number right into MyFitnessPal.  I also have been snapping a selfie every day for the purpose of creating a chart like this at some point.  So here it is: 

I'm really pleased with the photos, and how my face has been thinning.  Man, I looked and felt so bloated before this.  I'm about halfway to my goal.  Clearly my rate of loss has slowed, as expected, but I think/hope I will continue to lose into the new year.

As for issues, problems, etc.  I still maintain that I have been a best-case scenario patient.  I've not had any complications, knock on wood.  As noted in my post 2 weeks ago, I stopped my morning coffee as it seemed to be upsetting my stomach.  I've had probably 2 coffees since, during the day, without issue.  I don't miss the morning coffee a lot, so I will probably avoid it for a while.  I have avoided soft drinks, but I wasn't a big soft drinker even before this - maybe 4 cans a week.  Now: none.  As for beer, I've probably had 3 in the last 9 weeks, and those were ingested so slowly, they were warm before I could finish them.  Main issue is the carbonation, which tingles my stomach in not a good way.  If I eat too fast it will feel like I swallowed a rock.  That will usually pass within 1 minute - 15 minutes.  If I eat too much or if I eat something really sugary (like a few bites of cake) I will feel a little nauseous.   

One thing I heard others say about bariatric is that you will be a gas factory, and that is becoming more and more true!  Fortunately, my farts don't stink (usually :-)), but the sheer volume of gaseous material coming from me is spectacular.  It's pretty funny, and usually happens when I'm walking.  Or sitting.  Or standing.  Or laying in bed.  Pretty much anytime.  :-).  It's all good, and feels better after it happens.  Never any pain associated with it.  I'm wondering - Where is it all coming from?  Speaking of TMI, I have had some diarrhea over the past week or so.  Usually mid-morning or mid-day.  Morning poop, when I have one, is usually normal.  I am drinking water throughout the day and keep my water bottle by my side all the time.  That, in and of itself, is a better habit than before.

I can pretty much eat what I want, but I do try to follow the guidance of filling up on protein more so than veggies or starches.  I am still drinking a little water or tea or milk when I eat, though they advise not to drink liquids when eating (+/- 30 minutes of meal time).  I am eating a small bowl of cereal for breakfast 1-2 days a week.  Sometimes 2/3 of a high protein bagel.  I know both are unadvised, but I am doing it in moderation.  I have a 1 egg omelette quite often.  Still eating yoghurt and cottage cheese for snacks.  I will order off the kids' menu sometimes at restaurants.  For lunch and dinner, I eat regular stuff as before, just MUCH LESS of it, and again, focused on protein more than other meal components.

As news of my surgery has been coming more to light with friends and distant friends, I'm learning about more and more people who've had a bariatric procedure.  I hope that my experience will help others decide whether it's right for them.  There's a stigma about it, and I really do believe it is a last resort.  But many people need to consider it, rather than continue to break chairs and fail at dieting over and over, en route to a slow fat death, like I did for many years.

Day 42: No Longer Qualified (in a good way)

Day 42 post-op.  

Max (12/17/19) weight: 305.1
Pre-pre-op (8/28/20) weight: 293.5 
Surgery (9/4/20) weight: 284.3 (-9.2 since pre-op)
Current (10/16/20) weight: 256.9 (-27.4 since surgery, -36.6 since pre-op, -48.2 since max)

I reached a milestone yesterday.  My BMI finally dipped under 35.  This means I no longer would qualify for bariatric surgery under most insurance plans, including my own.

Everything is still going pretty well.  Eating has become more normal, though I am still eating smaller portions and avoiding bread for the most part.  I can really tell the difference in my waist and butt as compared to prior diets when I've reached this level.  I really think the huge reduction in bread has been the cause of this.

One main difference since my last post is that I was noticing some upset stomach pain each morning.  I sensed that it might be related to my coffee, so I skipped a day, and noticed an improvement.  So I've skipped a few days since, as well.  It seems to have helped.  I think the caffeine irritates the stomach according to what I've heard.  I don't know that I miss it but I may try again to confirm the experiment.

Last night I had Taco Bell for the first time in months.  Had 2/3 of a taco and 2/3 of a meximelt (which is a cheesy roll-up, add beef, add pico) and prayed I wouldn't have any issues.  I didn't.  It sounds like a lot, but I took my time, and also had a smoothie for lunch, so I was due for some real food. The smoothie really grossed me out.  It was similar to the type drinks I had during the liquid phase.  Some banana, peanut butter, and vanilla protein powder.  I just didn't enjoy it.  Maybe it brought back memories of the many days when I had something like that for every meal.  Ugh.  I was so over that.

I need to work on eating 5 small meals a day.  I know that I'm still mainly eating at the 3 main meal times, and nothing in between.  I can do this, because I'm just not hungry.  It's really fascinating that I can have a 1-egg omelette for breakfast (with a little cheese and bacon mixed in), and then not really think about lunch until 1pm or later. 

Day 34 Post-op – Hitting My Stride

Day 34 post-op.  

Max (12/17/19) weight: 305.1
Pre-pre-op (8/28/20) weight: 293.5 
Surgery (9/4/20) weight: 284.3 (-9.2 since pre-op)
Current (10/8/20) weight: 261.6 (-22.7 since surgery, -31.9 since pre-op, -43.5 since max)

I have to say, this picture of me from surgery day is a bit overinflated.  I guess I really was pumped full of fluids at that moment.

My progress continues to go well. I feel like I have cleared most of the hurdles on the post-op diet. I instinctively can tell what I can and cannot eat, and what I will feel like as a result.  I'm sure I'm still breaking some rules, but in very small moderation.

After my prior meeting with the dietitian a few weeks ago, as noted in my previous blog post, I did dial back my food quantities, and I believe that has helped. I still do not experience hunger pangs, and I occasionally will enjoy some flavors that I crave.  For example yesterday, Seth and I went to PDQ restaurant, and I ordered one of their chicken sandwiches and added pimento cheese to it. In the past I would have devoured that entire sandwich along with an order of fries. Yesterday I cut the sandwich, and gave myself 1/3, and was completely satisfied with that.  A few nights ago we went to MOD Pizza, and I ordered a barbecue chicken pizza with cauliflower crust. I ate two pieces of that, and felt overfull and a little queasy in the following hour. So the next day I only had one piece as a leftover for lunch. Live and learn. On a positive note, I have to think a cauliflower crust has got to be a major improvement over a flour crust.

One of the bitter sweet benefits of losing weight is the challenge in finding clothes that fit. I have a vast collection of T-shirts which will serve me well for another 50 or 60 pounds of weight loss, I’m sure. However, pants are another challenge. It took me a while, but I did locate some shorts and jeans in the attic that now fit me and should fit me over the next 10 to 20 pounds of loss.  After that, I guess I’ll go shopping.

I have switched to a capsule for my daily vitamin, instead of the nasty chewable vitamin that I started with. Hopefully that will absorb properly and not be an issue. But that chewable vitamin was disgusting. I’m still walking 4 to 5 days a week, and Lori goes with me sometimes.  Speaking of exercise, I really need to get to the gym and start working on some strength training. It’s on my list.

I finished the real estate class a few weeks ago, and I passed the NC licensing exam on Tuesday of this week. So that is a huge relief off of my shoulders. I will somewhat miss having to study and practice all the exam questions I worked on the last few months. But my break will be short-lived, because I will be taking two of the post licensing classes beginning in November.  I love learning new things.

I need to do some catch-up time with Old Play, as I have neglected that for several months. We have a gig this Saturday night, and then another one on October 24 in our neighborhood (outside).  The last gig we had was during my pre-op liquid diet, on the day that I was going into ketosis! That was a memorable evening, that I hope to never relive!

Day 21: Settling in to My New Current Normal

Day 21 post-op.  

Pre-pre-op (8/28/20) weight: 293.5 
Surgery (9/4/20) weight: 284.3 (-9.2)
Current (9/25/20) weight: 268.5 (-15.8, -25 total)

It’s pouring down rain this morning, but I am sitting on the front porch because the temperature feels great, and I feel great too.  Today is the three week mark since my surgery. I still am very pleased with the results and my progress. Since my last post 10 days ago (day 11), when I was initially advanced to the puréed foods phase, I have become more adjusted to my new (current) normal.

After I was allowed to advance to puréed foods, I did push the envelope probably more than I should have. I figured that anything that I could chew in my mouth to the point of puréeing it, would be fair game. Over the course of days 11-18, I did try one piece of margherita pizza, mashed potatoes, a bowl of cereal, coffee, half a bagel, a piece of toast, half of a peanut butter sandwich, a beer, and even a McDonald’s cheeseburger!  And in all of those cases, I can say that I did feel a little bit uncomfortable in my stomach, but I did not throw up and did not have any issues beyond the 30 to 90 minutes following my meal.

On Wednesday this week, I met with the dietitian as a regularly scheduled follow up. As a preparation for that meeting I completed a two page questionnaire about my experience so far after the surgery. I typed all my answers and color-coded them and attached screenshots of my food diary extracted from the MyFitnessPal app, which I use to track my weight and food diary.

I told the dietitian right up front that I was pushing the envelope, and probably was eating things that I should not eat.  She agreed!  She was quite perplexed at the paradox that I seemed to be to her. She said, "You are extremely organized and detailed, yet in some ways, you are not following the diet. At all!" 

She seemed very surprised that I did not have problems with some of the foods that I was eating in this phase.  I told her that I was not intentionally trying to derail my progress, but I figured that as long as I could purée a few foods in my mouth, that it would qualify for the puréed phase, provided that it did not cause me any physical issues such as stomach ache or nausea.  While she admitted there was some validity to that logic, she advised me to avoid those foods until I advanced a little further in my healing.  Of course, there were some things that I was doing right, including getting in all my protein and drinking enough water and avoiding soda. 

She also did observe that in addition to some of the foods I was eating prematurely, I was also eating portions that were too large. For example, I was eating two eggs, when I should have had just one. Or I was eating 4-7 ounces of meat/food when I really should only be having about 2-4, along with snacks of yoghurt or protein drinks in between meals. I had been getting 700-1000 calories per day, and she said it would be more expected to be getting 400-600.  Wow.  I do believe that everyone is different and that maybe my tolerance and healing are perhaps better than average. But I definitely don't want to stretch out my "pouch," which is bariatric lingo for "new smaller stomach."  She referred to this part of my journey as the “honeymoon phase,” because it is now when I will be losing the most weight. She said I need to capitalize on that. I promised that I would make some adjustments, and thanked her for the advice.

In a few days since that meeting, I have reduced my portions even further, and have avoided most if not all of the foods that she warned me about. It’s really hard to imagine that 2-4 ounces of meat/food would actually satisfy me right now, but it really does. For example, yesterday I scrambled one egg and crumbled some very thin crispy bacon on it along with some cheese, and made the world’s smallest omelette. It was delicious and it filled me up, and I had no stomach discomfort at all.  And it was mostly "in policy." :-)

So, speaking of the numbers, I have lost 25 pounds since I began the pre-op liquid diet four weeks ago. I think that’s excellent progress. I can definitely see it in the way I look, as can my family and friends.  I have already removed numerous pairs of size 48 jeans from my armoire, and am wearing some size 44s instead. Additionally I have begun wearing some of my treasured T-shirts that were much too tight for me over the last two years. I still have not made it to a size that will fit the unworn Rush concert T-shirt from 2015, but I expect to be there soon.

I feel great. And I feel satisfied throughout the day regarding my food intake. It really is quite amazing that I am not hungry very much at all, I do have cravings for certain flavors that I love so much. But I hope and believe that in the long run I will be able to enjoy those again, though in much smaller portions than before. 

I’ve been walking about 2.3 miles about five days a week. Lori has been joining me on some of those walks. When I walk alone, I’ve been listening to Travis Everette videos from his real estate class. He is an excellent real estate pre-licensing instructor, and has been instrumental in helping thousands of students pass the licensing exam, I’m sure. As for me, I just completed my course exam on Wednesday night and made a 90.8 on that test. I am glad to be done with that class. That lasted for 10 weeks and was four hours every Tuesday and Thursday night.

So I have submitted my application to take the official real estate licensing exam.  Once that is approved, I will schedule a date and take the exam, after which I will be a licensed real estate broker (if I pass both the national and NC portions).  There are still some other steps before I can legally do anything related to real estate, but those are formalities.  

It’s about time to start my regular day job for today, so I must wrap it up now. Lori and I are going to the beach this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and I suppose my birthday, which is next week. Also we really have both needed some time to get away alone, given all the above-mentioned activities that have been consuming me for most of the last several months. I’m looking forward to visiting one of my favorite restaurants at Wrightsville Beach, The Dockside Restaurant.  I might push the envelope again, but I’ll try not to.

Day 11: Graduated to Phase 2!

Day 11 post-op.  

Pre-pre-op weight: 293.5 
Surgery weight: 284.3 (-9.2)
Current weight: 276.2 (-8.1, -17.3 total)

Had my first post-op appointment today.  Everything is going great so far.  As noted in the prior post, I've been sampling a few things in the phase after the post-op full liquid phase, with no issues.  But now I have permission to move forward to the next phase.

That means I can now consume scrambled eggs, mashed banana, small amounts of mashed up baked potato, pureed (or extremely well chewed) fruits & veggies, cottage cheese, tilapia or other flakey fish, and 93% lean ground chicken/turkey (yech).   All of the above is subject to how well I can tolerate it.   

I can't tell you how happy that makes me.  I was soooo tired of all the liquid / yoghurt / soup / pudding meals for the last 18 days.  Wow.  That was the hardest part of this whole experience.  Anyway, I promptly made myself two scrambled eggs and a cup of milk.  I was only able to hold about half the eggs (aka 1 egg) but boy was it delicious.  Tonight, I'm already eyeing some tilapia that I'm hoping Lori will prepare while I am in real estate class (only 3 more classes to go!).

One of the outcomes of the meeting with the PA today was the discussion of a goal weight.  180 would be under 25 BMI, which is considered "normal" weight.  But I think that would be too much for me.  We settled on 200 as my goal which would be a BMI of 27.1 - "overweight."  LOL.  Oh well.  I'll take it.

She encouraged me to keep exercising, including strength training, in order to maintain muscle mass.  I'm walking about 2 miles a day on most days, so that is good.  Seth and I played pickleball last week and that seemed like a great exercise.  Not very good yet.  I'm starting to do some planks which helps with abs.  Guess I'll work on upper body strength at some point.  So far so good.