VSG Update: Three-Month Follow-Up
Now, on with the update!
At almost two weeks to the day, my energy returned. I had been back to work for a few days and was exhausted and felt beat up, but I felt good. No regrets, no strange pain, no difficulty getting my fluids in. As soon as the energy came back, I found myself up and moving more and basically a bit hyper. It was great!
I then spent the next weeks/months settling into my new routine. Protein shake for breakfast, soup for lunch, soup or protein drink for dinner, and slowly introducing new foods as my plan permitted. The hardest part was (and continues to be) the mind game. I had to stay on the liquids stage for a month, the pureed stage for a month, and the soft stage for a month. Today marks the start of "normal food."
I don't feel like celebrating, though. Mostly because my "normal" pretty much all fit within the soft stage, so not much has changed (well, except that I'm looking forward to having a steak very soon).
As for the healing, I was off of my pain and nausea meds within three days of getting out of the hospital, and my incisions were healed and the glue off of them by two weeks out. I couldn't do yoga for about 6 weeks (everytime I tested my stretches, my incisions hurt), but eventually I could get back into it.
And the weight loss? Well, I've lost 52 pounds since surgery. That averages out to 14 pounds a month. Things have slowed, but I think that's because I've been more active in the past couple of weeks. Huh? Yeah, it doesn't make sense, but let me enlighten you...
When you start exercising, you are creating micro-tears in your previously unused/underused muscles. These tears need to heal. They do so by holding onto water, surrounding the maimed muscle with the wet stuff.
There's also something about glycogen stores - storing 1g of glycogen takes 3g of water, so if you've had a high-carb day, you can put on a pound or two overnight. Next, there's water. You have to drink water to get rid of water. If you begin to dehydrate yourself or load up on sodium, your body will hold onto the water it has as well as it can. Drink more water to keep things moving. Finally, if you're a woman, there's that lovely time of the month. And we all know what that does in regards to fluid retention.
That said, in the last three weeks, I've exercised a LOT more, my carb and sodium intake went up due to adding a couple of new foods in my diet and going on a vacation, and I'm about to start my period. I also haven't been too great with my water intake. The sodium and carbs I've been taking in are still well below daily maximums, but that doesn't matter when I'm only getting about half the water in a day I should be getting.
So I need to keep doing what I'm doing with my diet and exercise but seriously increase my water intake. Then, once I get past this period, I should start losing well again. Fingers crossed.
Last but not least, goals and NSVs. I've hit/had a few.
Goal: Get down past my highest pregnancy weight (295). Done!
Goal: Get down past my 2009 college weight (260). Done!
NSV: See bones I've not seen in a looooong time (knee cap, collarbones).
NSV: Cross my legs again.
NSV: Do something my weight (not health, weight) restricted me from doing prior to surgery - Rode an alpine slide with a 275 lb. max. weight limit.
NSV: Do something hard that I don't think I can do - Finished a 4-mile, 4-hour, "very strenuous" walking tour in Mammoth Cave.
NSV: Wear shorts.
NSV: Went from 3X shirts to XL shirts (and a L hoodie). Went from 26 pants to 18.
NSV: Took a selfie and actually thought, "Damn, I'm so pretty!"
I share these NSVs and goal "hits" on my Instagram pretty regularly. Join me there?
I'm bummed that the scale movement has slowed, but I'm staying positive, sticking to the plan, and using my tool how it should be. It will move again. I have to be patient.
I'm excited and extremely curious for what the next three months have in store!
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