Hi everyone... I will be 5 months' post op VSG tomorrow. I'm finally getting into a groove - where my head is sort of ok about the slow weight loss, and the ups and downs of my weight loss...

I've recently had a catheter ablation for heart arrhythmias and for the last 4 weeks I've had a prolapsed disc which has been so painful... It's still a real pain but more intermittent now which gives me some relief for part of the day... the ablation may or may not have worked! I'm still experiencing fast heart rate - over 160bpm for up to about 9 or 10 hour every few days... making me feel breathless and tired and everything becomes a struggle... not great when I've got a painful leg as a result of the disc herniating or slipping or whatever...

Anyway, there's no hope of exercise until I get all of this fixed... I've been watching lots of YouTube VSG'ers during this 'down time'... my favourites so far are:

survive.sleeve.slay's real life VSG

short sleeved T

Grace Gets Gastric

Emily AM

Foodie Turned Sleevie

I'm also logging everything on MFP - obsessively!!... please 'friend' me as I need as much support and help and advice as I can get while going through this extra trauma. I'm alpaca55 on MFP. I just saw a great blog from survive.sleeve.slay's channel on binge eating... it ticks all my boxes and was so enlightening to hear her very honest account of what she has been through. BED is such a secretive and shameful disorder that I don't have the courage to talk about it right now - but I do have it and keep myself on a very tight leash at the moment. I am obsessive about keeping all 'evil' foods out of my house and I'm very lucky that my family have moved out so I just have myself to cook for... I don't think I could manage this if my cupboards were stuffed with the foods you need when the kids are small!! I take my hat off to everyone who has to deal with that!

I weigh every day - I have to in order to keep me accountable... I know I can so easily lie to myself about what I've eaten so the logging is critical to me! If I didn't I know I'd have an extra spoonful of something or a lick and think that is too small to log!!

I see a head witch about twice a month and she said that she's amazed at my focus - particularly because I'm very carb sensitive and hold onto water like a camel because of my heart arrythmias. But, it could all end in the blink of an eye if I go into self-destruct mode!

On the days that I need to have that 'full feeling' to the point of feeling over full, I just choose to have more dense protein or some salad veg like celery, cucumber, radishes or something to satisfy my mouth that needs to chew and my stomach that needs to feel stuffed... thank the lord that i haven't reached for something 'evil'... my head witch is working on that part with me and we are trying to identify the triggers that take me to that 'zone'.

This is a struggle and no one should underestimate the amount of human effort it takes on a daily basis to survive and get through it - step by step...

Happy Sunny Saturday - the weather is lovely in London at the moment...

xxx

Edited March 30, 20197 yr by Alpaca55

I’ve been using the app Lose It since 2014. Since I have so many meals and recipes that I’ve already created over the years it’s hard for me to switch. Logging is an awesome tool. I read a great line recently “If you bite it, write it”.
I’m sorry you’re having these other health issues. And you’re so right ! It really is step by step. Great big {{{hugs}}} from across the pond !

Girlie!!! Hats off to you! I'm so happy for your focus/will/strength/and determination! What a crapton you're going through! I'm praying the ablation works and that your heart rate reduces quickly. 160bpm is NO fun. Makes you feel seriously scary! ((hugs)). So proud of you for doing the hard, hard, headwork and for keeping a clean environment AND for logging everything!!! And weighing every day.

I swear for me, there is comfort in the numbers and the knowing. I am at my best and can "forget about it" only after weighing, planning my meals for the day, and logging foods. That way when gains or stalls happen, I can go back and see if anything is unusual.

I too have BED (self-dx'd). So I keep my known trigger foods out and also keep a clean house. If it's here, there is no way I won't eat those foods preferentially. We all have to know our own selves and own our crap in order to heal and move out of bondage. We are not victims. We have POWER to determine how we live our life and over the choices we make--even when stressed to the max like you are due to your physical probs!!! Bravo lady!!

I hope your back continues to improve. I think if you can get the pain and inflammation down it will soooo help your heart. Please be gentle with yourself!!!

Dear Fluffy ... you are always so wise and generous with your time ... ?

Dear DanaC84... I will check out Lose It... I already use MFP and My Net Diary and Baritastic but happy to add another... they all help to keep me on track and I’m petrified of screwing up! Self Sabotage is just a bite away! ?

On 3/30/2019 at 8:53 AM, DanaC84 said:

I’ve been using the app Lose It since 2014. Since I have so many meals and recipes that I’ve already created over the years it’s hard for me to switch. Logging is an awesome tool. I read a great line recently “If you bite it, write it”. 
I’m sorry you’re having these other health issues. And you’re so right ! It really is step by step. Great big {{{hugs}}} from across the pond !

That is a fantastic quote!

On 03/31/2019 at 09:53, Leighna said:

That is a fantastic quote!

I wish I could take credit for it ?
That one and “Fail to prepare - prepare to fail” are my mottos for this journey .