BeanitoDiego

Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
 

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.

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!

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!

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!
 

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!
 

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!
 

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 🤩

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.

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 🤩

A snapshot of the past 30 days' weight loss. February 7 was the first day of my pre-op diet and surgery was Feb 21. I didn't weigh myself from the 21st thru 24th but you can see the bounce on the 25th due to continued retention of fluids from the hospital. I lost 5.6 lbs last week, but so far only 1.2 lbs this week.
While the weight has been coming off slowly, I did have feedback from my massage therapist on Monday that my inflammation seems much improved. She immediately noticed the difference in my calves, which were always very tight and hard, to the point she would often comment on it as being unusual. This time she was able to get right into the muscle without a struggle, and it was a similar story in my arms, neck and back. Whether it's from the surgery itself or from the complete lack of grains, sugar, and processed foods in my diet for a month, something is working.
 

I'm checked into the hotel near the hospital and just had my last protein shake of the day. My mom has kindly gone down to the restaurant alone so as not to make me die from watching her eat dinner. Checking in at the hospital tomorrow at 10:50am. So ready!

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.

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.

Six days post-op. I believe the collagen supplements are helping me heal. I am starting to crave eating real food again.

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.

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!

A small win for today. I put on a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly right before I had surgery and as I was walking around they just started slipping off of me, I can't believe it.  I have not lost THAT much weight since my surgery. I changed into another pair of jeans, that right before my surgery I could get on, but they were kind of tight (I am not the kind of person who will wear anything even a tiny bit restricting) and they fit great.!!

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!
 

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!

Tomorrow will be 7 weeks since surgery. Yesterday i found that I was able to finally drink more than a sip at a time. I am SO grateful! I have always loved drinking water and it has been my primary beverage for most of my life; losing the ability to drink a lot of it was my first post-surgical regret. Being able to drink more than a tiny sip at a time makes me feel so much more normal.
I'm eating around 500-700 calories a day, and have hit my second stall. I have begun to only weigh myself once a week. I've made to the gym twice since surgery, but I've been walking my pup and walking at work up to 3 miles a day on average.
I've also been using resistance bands and stretching. I'm not quite ready for twisty yoga stuff yet. Or jogging. I did do a 10+ mile bicycle ride last weekend with a friend to a coffee shop where I had a cold decaf coffee with half and half. That was another activity that made me feel kinda normal.
I'm still drinking one protein drink a day, trying to hit my goal of at least 60 grams a day. Today I got 72 in thanks to a cold G Zero with 10 grams.
My abdomen is still a bit sore in general. The way I understand it, the inside is not fully healed until 3 months after surgery. That means sometime around November 1st. This is when I will go on the forever way of eating according to my provider's plan. I look forward to that day.
Oh! And I should mention that I learned about a chain restaurant that is in about 30 or so states. It is called Clean Eatz, and they have a menu that is friendly to we bariatric patients. My support group last night talked about getting pizza and flatbreads from there. I checked it out and it looks like it's both eat-in and takeaway. This is the first place I'm going when I feel ready to eat out again

I did a lot of yard work today and my muscles were sore, so I thought maybe I should try the protein powder I ordered the other day. I've ordered several flavors, but the one I tried was chicken soup. It is safe to say it will not be my favorite flavor. But I did manage to make it without lumps with the aid of my little travel blender!

Today marks 4 weeks from my surgery date. My incisions are largely healed, and the surgical glue/scabs have fallen off. There is clearly more healing happening inside, where I can't see. My surgeon calls this 'surgical stuff'. The spot just under my left ribs is particularly tender. Is it my stomach? My hiatal hernia repair? It doesn't pain me too much.
My weight loss slowed down a bit the last 2 weeks, with the addition of purees. I've enjoyed things I never thought I would ever eat, such a dish I'm fondly calling 'tuna pudding'. Buffalo chicken dip with canned chicken is amazing. Surprisingly, ricotta bake was meh. Yogurt is still a staple. I've started experimenting with decaf tea. I would LOVE a cup of coffee, but no word yet on when I can have it. Soft foods are just around the corner, and all I can think of is tender, flaky white fish. And some soft asparagus. 
I haven't had a ton of energy. I have to sit a lot and my walks are short and slow. I'm hopeful that when I can eat a little more I'll feel more athletically inclined. Next week, I'll try the commute to my office two days a week, which involves a lot of walking, stairs, and carrying my laptop. We'll see how that goes.
I had an overnight trip this past week, and packed a small cooler with my pureed foods. It was hard to be around others eating delicious things while I slowly spooned down curry chicken salad puree. Fun fact, not drinking while you eat curry chicken salad puree is a fun game. Play with your friends. I resorted to serving it with a bit of greek yogurt on the side to cool my mouth down. Driving multiple hours without caffeine or road snacks is also a new thing. 
I've tried on some old shorts and work pants, to see if they fit yet. Some do, and some very nearly do, which is exciting. At least I won't need to source smaller clothes for a while. I'd saved all my favorite things down to about a size 14. Hopefully they are all still in style.

24 days post op. The sipping never stops.
I can usually get ~80 grams of protein and around 500 calories in, and ~64 ounces of water. I do get some additional water from sugar free popsicles- I can eat 3 of those in a day.
Have been tolerating all of the new foods okay; eggs, ricotta cheese, powdered peanut butter, cottage cheese, refried beans, soft tofu. I have not have any canned chicken or tuna yet. Trying those at this point makes me a bit nervous. I would like to avoid throwing up for as long as possible.
Pain is better, but is still a constant companion. My left abdomen hurts and I have been treating it with acetaminophen and ice packs. The ice packs seem to have helped a whole lot!
Still learning about surgery and how my life must change in order to make this work. I find that I have cravings for certain things like tacos and salty/crunchy things. The lack of chewing solid foods is mentally tough. And waiting for 30 minutes after I eat to drink any water means every small meal takes an hour or more.
I'm thirsty right now. I can drink some water in about 10 minutes, and I can't wait.

Six days post-op. I believe the collagen supplements are helping me heal. I am starting to crave eating real food again.