BeanitoDiego

Please excuse me, for I must shout this from the rooftops...

I DID THREE COMPLETE CHIN-UPS AT THE GYM YESTERDAY!

I have never done any chin-ups in my entire life. EVER.

I wish that I had done some measurements with a tape for my arms, legs, waist, hip, and chest before I started this journey. It would have been a cool metric to keep up with.

In one week, I go for my 3 month post-op followup. That's when I will start my forever way of eating.

It was hard the other day at work... Someone was having an event where they had ordered a LOT of pizzas. Holy smokes, those things smelled so good! I've been able to resist most temptations. I will confess that last week I had two very small pinches of sourdough bread, 20 M&Ms over the course of a few days, and 1 small piece of Dove dark chocolate on a different day. I didn't feel any horrible effects from eating those things, and I hope that I am not setting myself up for failure. My true Achilles Heel is salty-crunchy things, like all varieties of corn chips, crackers, popcorn, puffs, etc. These are the "slider" foods that I have been warned about, and I am working on ways to shift my focus to other activities while I'm still in a good space mentally. Speaking of activity pivots, I am heading to my gym right now to lift some weights before too much more of this day passes.

Six months pots-op as of yesterday. I celebrated with a HIIT class where I was challenged to do a wall-assisted handstand. I truly thought there's no way in hell that I can get up there. Well... I proved myself wrong. The instructor said, "Just try getting one foot up there." I tried and it was so easy, that the other foot went up, and the next thing that I knew, I was standing on my hands with my legs up in the air, leaning against the wall.

Last weekend I challenged myself to a 10-mile hike, and I was SURE that my legs would be non-functional that night and the next day. But that didn't happen at all.  But I did learn that I need a new hiking boot or shoe. I've got a goal of walking the Portuguese coastal route of the El Camino later this year, and I good shoes will be essential.

I've hit another weight loss stall, but that's to be expected. I am so close to my goal already that if it does take 6 more months to get that last stone off, that's okay with me. And I am building muscle, so that stone may never move. S'alright friends, s'alright.

Had my 6 month post-op checkup with the surgeon 2 weeks ago. The nurse was directing me to stand on the usual scale, but I asked if I could get on the machine that can measure your fat/muscle percentage, water weight, bone weight, and some other things in addition to weight. You hold on to a couple of paddles and it sends a small electrical signal from one side to the other. She said sure, and I got on and got measured.

Well, when the nutritionist came into the room, he had this massive smile on his face, I mean huge, smiling with his eyes, looking at me fiercely. He had these two print outs in his hand, and puts them down on the table. He starts pointing out how much of my body is muscle, how much is water, how much is bone, etc. He then gets to the section that shows my body fat percentage, and shows me that I am at 22%, which is 1% more than goal! He starts giving me high fives, I start crying, he gives me a hug and a pat on the back, and tells me that I have reached all of my goals at 6 months out.

Wow! I left that appointment elated, floating, so proud of myself for finally getting fit and embracing the life I've always been meant to lead. I'm now at the point where I've got to consume more calories and transition to maintenance mode.

Amazing. I'm so, SO happy 🤩

I changed my profile image to a molecule of protein. Why? Because I am certain that it saved my life.

I cried today, and had regrets about getting the surgery.

I went for a short outdoor walk after the sun went down this evening. The blaring heat was giving my neighborhood a break, so I thought, why not?

I walked one direction for a quarter of a mile, and then turned around to come home. There was a slight downward slope at the beginning of the walk, which meant that there was a slight upward slope back. Well, I started sweating before I knew it. Not a whole lot, but enough to have some beads roll south. At that moment, all ll I could think about was all of those precious fluids that I have worked so hard to consume today were going right out of me! I thought, how in the hell am I going to be able to replace all of those before I go to bed tonight?? I was sweating, thirsty, and still had a bit of a stroll ahead of me. I had not thought to bring water with me on such a short walk.

Get home, sip, sob for a bit, sip, shower, sip. Then I remember that I had premixed a protein-enhanced electrolyte drink earlier in the day, and it was sitting cold in the refrigerator. That seemed to take care of me, along with sipping some more water. I had to stay up late to get it down, but I did it, and was able to come back to a better emotional baseline.

I'm only one week out, still fresh and healing, so I'm definitely giving myself some grace tonight.

Wow! I am finally not obese any more! I am simply overweight; first time in my life 🤩

Today was my 1 month followup, 5 weeks post surgery. My dietician gave me a gold star review for my post op diet, and I graduated to Stage 4 of my program. Stage 5 should be approved in November, and that is the forever way of eating.

I had to go to a post op nutrition class as part of my appointment today. There was a young lady in there that had been eating WAY off diet, and she was not doing well... She had been eating fast food, but peeling the buns off, eating vegetables that were not well-cooked, and eating all kinds of foods that were not part of the detailed instruction that everyone in this program receives. We had SO many caveats from Day One to not try to jump ahead on the schedule for the foods that we eat. I was baffled that someone would decide to eat off program, especially so soon after surgery. She became tired of the liquids & soft foods, so she chose to eat ahead.

The result of her skipping ahead was that she had experienced a lot of vomiting & foamies, a lot of pain, and was unable to drink any fluids. She started feeling flushed and faint in class and had to be sent to the hospital to get some IV fluids.

The discipline that one needs for bariatric surgery cannot be overstated. We have to dig deep mentally and physically to get through surgery itself, learn new things, manage medications, and really lean into that crucial change of mindset and behavior. I hope that this young lady is able to get herself together to make the most of her surgery.

I weighed 199 pounds (90 kg) this morning! I felt accomplished and happy, and celebrated by going to the gym to lift some weights. Hoping everyone else out there is making progress, whether you are pre- or post-op 😊

Today is 7 weeks and two days post-op for me. I've been through two stalls already, but I am sticking to the program. I want long-term success from all of the sacrifice and pain. You all know I mean!

9 weeks post-op. I tried deli sliced turkey today, and it was dee-li-shus! I've been nervous about trying real meat too soon, and I'm glad that I waited.

I've not experienced foamies, vomiting, dumping or any other upper GI issues. A little pain if I drink too much water too fast. And constipation, but I figured out it was because I was eating too much dairy. Keeping it to one serving of dairy a day seems to be the key for my body.

Getting ready to go walk the dog, and then come home to go to bed. Y'all take care!

9 weeks post-op. I tried deli sliced turkey today, and it was dee-li-shus! I've been nervous about trying real meat too soon, and I'm glad that I waited. I've read a lot of stories about people vomiting after eating meat after surgery.

As far as that goes, I've actually not experienced foamies, vomiting, dumping or any other upper GI issues. A little pain if I drink too much water too fast. And constipation, but I figured out that was because I was eating too much dairy. Keeping it to one serving of dairy a day seems to be the key for my body.

Getting ready to go walk the dog, and then come home to go to bed. Y'all take care out there!

I just returned my first post-op vacay. I was gone for a week to two different areas. The first place was a wilderness area on the Atlantic ocean, and then I visited an historic city for a few days.

On my most active day, I was able to hike 11 miles, and I accomplished my first solo backpacking trip. All of the other days, including the city, were 6-8 miles of walking.

One issue that came up for me was my mobile phone. I have become reliant on it for tracking macros, calories, and water intake. However, in the wilderness area, I did not have access to mobile data nor wifi, and the app that I use for tracking will not work if it is offline. I am sure that I met my water goals, but I doubt that I was able to reach my protein goals.

My second issue that came up with the mobile phone was, well, I broke it while in the city! So, in the span of 8 days, I was only able to track my intake for 1. It remains frustrating, as I haven't replaced my phone yet.

I will need to get some kind of paper logbook/backup option for travelling in the future. I am going to search the forums and start a post to find out what others use as an alternative to electronic journalling. 

Wow, I weighed 185 pounds this morning, or 83.9 kilograms.

That means I've lost 91 pounds, or 41 kilograms.

A third of my body weight.

I knew I was over 100 pounds overweight, but I didn't know what that really meant. I definitely have a good idea of what that means, now!

My goal is 150, so that means 35 more pounds. I'm three months out from surgery and I expect that the rate of loss will slow. And that is perfectly okay. My health journey is far from being over!

Mu three month post-op checkup was yesterday. My team is amazing! I feel so supported by them and very thankful that I made that phone call for an appointment last year. The changes that I have been through in just a year are quite profound. More confidence, ease of body movement, better mental health. And oh, the joy of getting rid of size 24 clothing and not shopping in the plus size sections anymore!

I was reading about people who stick around the forums after reaching their weight loss goals. Some of them are here for 5 or 10 years or more. I aspire to be one of those that stays around to share my story. I'm not some guru, and I'm not any more special than anyone else, and I certainly don't have the magic keys to success. The reason I want to stick around is because of the people that have shared their own journeys. You have all helped me immensely, even though we are all on different plans and start at different places. And I don't believe we ever really get to an ending on these journeys. Yeah, we may reach a goal related to weight, size, BMI, BP, A1C, cholesterol, etc., but we have to stay vigilant. I believe interacting on these forums long term can help guard that vigilance and reinforce what we learn along the way.

I'd made this incredible, thoughtful post this morning about people who stay on the forums for a long time, and why I aspire to do the same. Then, it was apparently not submitted. I love this site, this resource, this community, and even like some of the products from the store. But the software is buggy sometimes, like the dupe posts.

I ordered the Barbecue Protein Crisps here from BariatricPal, and find them quite tasty. The Ranch flavour, not so much. They are very filing and have a satisfying crunch.

I continue to shrink, and am amazed at the changes all over my body. Visually, it is striking to me. In the mirror, I look thin to my eyes, but I don't feel thin, although I can see more bones and veins and tendons and floppy skin. Cardio-wise, It takes a lot more effort to get my heart rate up and I'm now monitoring which heart zone I can get into and for how long. My resting heart rate is the lowest it's ever been.

If I think about it, and I left myself feel it for a time, I weep (like, boohoo cry) with joy. I am so grateful to myself, and proud of myself for having the courage to have taken the leap to better health.

Constantly amazing myself. This is probably a normal experience for all of us on a WL journey.

This morning I was at 174 pounds (78.9 kilos). I can perceive that my brain hasn't really caught up to this yet, as I still feel obese, even though I am close to being considered a normal weight, not even overweight. The smaller clothes, the higher fitness level, the great blood work results, the energy- these all tell me a totally different story!

I have NEVER EVER been, never, not once in my life, nada, zip, zilch, zero times, been "thin." I think this explains some of the disconnect between the reality of my body and the stuckness of my brain. I do have confidence that my mind will catch up soon ❤️

Not really having the experience of true hunger yet, but I can perceive the peristalsis of my digestive tract. And I am getting very good at spotting head hunger, and simply noticing it, like a Buddhist.

Just returned from a 2-week trip, and was amazed to be able to hike/walk/jog whenever and wherever I wanted to! I LOVE being able to move my body around so freely 😎

Today, I am a 5 months and a few days post-op, and I am very grateful for being able to drink water more normally. I used to be able to swallow about 16oz. of water in 10 seconds. Now, I can drink about 8oz. of water in about 60 seconds. The change is that I am just more mindful about drinking more often.

Another change with my water intake is that being able to separate eating from drinking has become normal for me. I do wear a fitness tracker and use it multiple times per day as a 30-minute post-meal timer. I have had to sip some water to get meds down with my food, but otherwise I've not had any issues.

I experimented with eating some meat post-op, but I am moving back towards more vegetarian fare. Eggs, cheese, yoghurt, and other dairy choices are still on my menu, though. I've become a fan of morning proffee, too! A scoop of whey-based protein powder in my black coffee feels like a wholesome start to the day. I so look forward to this new ritual, drinking my two proffees and playing word games ☕

Since I have been realising some amazing fitness gains, I've noticed that the veins all over my body are popping up, even when I'm at rest. I can see my ribs in the mirror when I raise my arms. My thighs don't touch anymore. All of this, and more, I am experiencing for the first time in my life. First. Time.

A final observation. Since I am now considered to be of a normal weight, and not obese, I have noticed that strangers are more kind to me. People make eye contact, hold doors, listen, make small talk, etc. As someone who lived in a large body for almost 50 years, and who is still the same person that I always was on the inside, I feel like I have infiltrated the "other side." As a result, I am going out of my way to extend even more kindness and no judgements to everyone that I meet who lives in a larger body.

Stay the path, my friends.

Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.

For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.

For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.

Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.

Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.

It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!

Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!

Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣

Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.

Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.

A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.

https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises

I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.

Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.

I've hit a stall 9 months out. I'm not worried, though. My fitness levels continue to improve and I have nearly accomplished my pre-surgery goal of learning to scuba dive! One dive left to complete to get my PADI card 🐠

I was able to go for a 10K/6mile hike in the mountains two days ago just for the fun of it. In the before days, I might have attempted this, but it would have taken me 7 or 8 hours to complete and I would have been exhausted and in pain for the next two days. Taking my time with breaks for snacks and water, I was finished with my wee jaunt in only 4 hours 😎 and really got to enjoy photographing some insects, fungi, and turtles.

10 days out from surgery and found this online community for support. I'm on day 3 of the pre-op diet, and have been having dreams about food.