In my first 7 days being sleeved, the top 10 things I have learned :
1) In the world of competitive sleeping, I am a Gold Medalist. I can (& do) nap anytime, anywhere.
2) I am hanging up my stethoscope. My new fulltime job is to "sip, sip, sip". Staying hydrated is hard work.
3) The sounds coming from my new stomach are not lady like.
4) I am no longer a bashful burper.
5) Daytime TV sucks.
6) Not every belly twinge is a potential leak. I am a nurse, so I always look at the worst case health scenarios first. Hard habit to break.
7) Isopure gags me, but is tolerable if made into SF jello.
8) Old Navy makes super comfy yoga pants, even if I never assume a "Lotus" pose.
9) Clear liquid diets are doable for a few days. My favorite flavor is blue.
and last, but definitely not least, as a wise forum member once advised me:
It is sad how food dictates my life. Whether I am happy, sad, mad, or angry I always resort to food. People who have real high metabolisms don’t seem to understand why I’m so fat. I eat as much as they do or even less and I gain the weight more than they would.
I haven't had my surgery yet but just trying to leave a little on my plate is getting easier. I have even been doing portion control and leaving a bite or two. It feels good when my stomach signals to my brain that I have had enough to eat and it’s time to put the plate away.
And then I start to wonder what if I can do this w/o the surgery? I’m losing weight by eating less and feeling content with such small amounts. But, then it hits me. I’ve been on this trail before. I have lost weight by portion control alone, and I felt great and had the momentum going like a train, and then one day I derail off the tracks. I’ve had a bad day at work or something to that effect and all of a sudden I want to eat!!! I want the carbs, sweet and salty and the whole nine yards. So I start stuffing my mouth and stomach with satisfying mood food to the point of no return. And when the dust clears I feel so stuffed and miserable, regretting ever taking the first bite. Other times after work or on days I am off, I am bored and have nothing to do, there’s nothing good on TV, I don’t feel like going anywhere, so I sit and eat a bag of chips or cookies and milk. That seemed to have passed some time away. Eating those so-called foods while not being active is what has packed on my pounds over the years.
That pretty much is who I am before I started this journey to the weight-loss surgery. After many months of thinking about it and researching along the way, I have decided that this is what I will do. I have seen a couple of people that I know have success with it and so here I am. I feel it will be a great tool to help me in those times of boredom. I will have to diligently follow a nutrition program that cannot just throw my arms in the air and give up. I look at it as a strong way to keep me on the straight and narrow. As if I’m in jail and can only eat what is given to me.
I am so ready for this surgery on the 25th of September, exactly one month from now. I still have to do my pre-op blood work, chest x-ray, EKG, and my endoscopy. Get my PCP to sign off and hope that the money we are expecting on the day of my pre-op doctor visit will be in the bank as I have to pay them for the program fee. When all that is complete I will be ready for the next chapter of my life.
