So I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I'll try to fill you in now. The first month after surgery was hell for me. My incision wasn't healing properly and hurt me all the time, I had no energy, I was severely dehydrated, and I felt sick all the time. I was also having a hard time figuring out where my stopping point was when I ate. One bit too many and everything would come back up and I would feel sick for the rest of the day/night. I was also experiencing a lot of nausea and vomiting.
However, I'm happy to say that for the past week or 2, I've been feeling loads better! My incision has healed up and is no longer bothering me; I've increased my antacids which have helped with the nausea and vomiting, and I've figured out that if I eat slower and listen to my stomach, I know exactly how much I can eat and not get sick.
Right now getting in protein and exercise are my biggest challenges. I'm supposed to be getting in 60-80 grams of protein a day, but in reality I'm getting in about 20. This is partly because protein doesn't go down as easily as other foods, and partly because eating only protein is boring. I like adding a little veggies or pasta/rice to my meals! However, I am trying and about 80-85% of my diet is protein based. I'm eating about 5 times a day, and usually around 2oz. of food at each sitting. I would guess I'm eating around 800 calories per day. Soups, Atkins protein bars, and cheese have become my staples. I also eat a lot of chicken breast.
As for sweets and bread, I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but they have lost most of their appeal for me. Very rarely I'll really get a craving for something sweet, and I'll have a bite or 2 of chocolate or cake or whatever and I'll be satisfied. I never thought I would see this day! My birthday was 2 days ago and my husband bought 3 miniature cakes for us to share. He ate one for himself, and the other 2 are still in the fridge. I had about 5 bites and I was stuffed. I haven't felt the desire to eat the leftovers either.
Exercise is something I'm trying to increase. I went to the gym for the first time earlier this week, and I'm planning on going again tomorrow. I figure if I ease into it it will be better than trying to be all gung-ho and then giving up. Sometimes my husband and I walk to work, which takes about an hour. Anyway, I'm just trying to increase my activity level where I can.
Another challenge is hunger. Now that I'm more active and finally back at work, I'm getting hungry every 2-3 hours. This is fine because my surgeon wants me to eat 5 times a day, but it's a little scary to me. I guess I've always equated being hungry with going on an eating binge, but thanks to my sleeve, a few bites is all it takes for me to feel stuffed!
Anyway, you want to hear about the weight loss right? I've lost 30lbs (14kgs) in 6 weeks. I would say I'm losing about 2-3lbs (1-1.5kgs) a week. If I increase my exercise and protein levels I'm pretty sure I can lose more, which is a huge incentive. So I'm going to give it a shot.
Anyway, I'm attaching 2 pictures which were taken this week on my birthday. Both of them are me with my coworkers. I don't think you can see a difference, but maybe by the next 30lbs you'll be able to...
