5 Months Post-Op - Down 68 Pounds and New NSVs
by
, 01-18-2015 at 08:55 AM (4894 Views)
After 5 months post-op, this morning I weighed 167.4 pounds. I'm down from 235.6 (which I weighed 2-1/2 months prior to surgery). I've lost 68.2 pounds total (which includes losses from my own pre-op diet and the doc's pre-op diet) and 48.6 pounds since surgery on August 18, 2014.
Weight loss this month slowed to 7 pounds from monthly losses that have averaged 10.5 pounds. Toward the end of Month Four my bariatric P.A. urged me to start raising my daily cals from 800 toward 1,000, to nudge my metabolic rate higher. I complied with her instructions, but I'll admit I got a little rattled by my first week-long stalls. However, because I do have only 17 pounds to go and because I sure don't want to eat 800 calories a day forever, what the hey!
New NSVs during Month Five post-op --
* I'm looking quite different, as in better-different, younger-different. (Unfortunately, I have lost my ass for the first time in my life.)
* I'm now wearing 12s and even the odd 10.
* Although I'm now losing hair, it's not too bad (fingers crossed it doesn't get severe).
* Finally, I'm hitting 10,000 daily Fitbit steps. That's an enormous accomplishment, given my 69 y.o. arthritic knees. And that's without taking any ibuprofen or Aleve. I would never have predicted I'd have so little arthritis pain without taking NSAIDs. That's a huge NSV!
My goals for the coming Month Six post-op --
* I'll hit mostly "10,000 steps" days.
* I'll get more comfortable with eating 1,000 cals/day and keep my nutritional values high.
* I'll become a size 10 and buy some "new" clothes at thrift/consignment shops. Wearing size 10s will be another big NSV.
* I'm aiming for the 150s by end of Month Six. 159 pounds is less than I've weighed in 35 years! (If I don't reach 159 in Month 6, I'll do so in Month 7.)
* I'll give away more too-big clothes and clear out my closet for smaller sizes.
* I'll see a lot of long-time friends and clients and navigate the "How much weight have you lost!? What are you doing?!" conversations. (Since I'm on the down-low re WLS, I'm nervous about this.)
To those considering WLS ...
My own journey thus far has been pretty typical of VSG patients: Successful surgery, no complications, easy and gradual recovery, hitting daily protein and water targets, moving/exercising more as I felt stronger.
I also believe that WLS patients are courageous people who, despite our challenges with obesity, have faith in our innate potential to live healthier, happier lives. Many of us also had WLS to enhance the lives of our families. I'm proud of us all.