Where to start? I cannot believe it has been 18 months already. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was going through the process of getting insurance approval to be sleeved. I swear, that the insurance process seemed to take forever but since I have been sleeved it has absolutely flown by. I have been in maintenance since about 10 months post op. I thought I was in maintenance at 8 months but my body had other ideas and I dropped down some more over the next 2 months.
For those of you who are new or don't know me I have been active on this site since the month I had my surgery. I lurked as a visitor for a bit before that. Just a quick overview of my journey. I started at 207 and I am only 4'11". When I first came out of surgery I was in pain and dry heaving. (I do know I have issues with anesthesia, though.) They gave me some pain meds and I fell asleep. When I woke back up I was fine. A little queasy but overall fine. I walked a lot in the hospital. Went home the next day. I had a rather uneventful recovery. Slept a lot off and on for the next week. Kept sipping and walking. I only used my pain meds and anti nausea meds about 3 or 4 times each. I was fine. Had some fake hunger pangs courtesy of stomach acid. LOL. Got some Pepcid for that. Went back to work exactly a week post op. I have a desk job, though, so it was easy to manage.
Over the next weeks and months I learned a lot about listening to my body and what it tells me. It only takes a few times of making the mistake of eating too fast or too much to make you more in tune. LOL. It is not a good feeling at all. As the infamous ANNIE would say...TOAD FROTH. If you are pre op or early post op and have not experienced it....when you do you will know immediately what that is. My surgeon told me to listen to my body when it came to exercising. Started small. Used the C25K app (free from Zen Labs) to get into running again. Had a few set backs when my hip started hurting. (Odd, I know.) Then started again. Was running for quite a while, did a few 5 K's, and then my knee started to hurt. Took another break. Ran the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in December with an injured knee. Had to stop running again. Started strength training December 14th. Started running again slowly in late January. Now back to doing both running and strength training. My body looks so fit and lean from the working out. I am so glad I started working out.
I have lost 99 lbs on my 4'11" frame. I have very little loose skin. I think it is a combination of genetics, good nutrition, exercise, and vitamins. I definitely had more initially and it has continued to get better and better. I am going to share with you all some of the things I have learned on this journey.
1. Hydration is crucial. I see a lot of people on here who get sick from getting dehydrated. So do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening to you.
2. Vitamins. I know some people on here will poo poo this advice and to each their own but here is my take. I am 18 months out and still do not eat huge quanities. Some times I can get full from just my meat. Unless you are damn talented you are not going to get all the vitamins and minerals that you need. A lot of non sleeved people are missing essential vitamins and minerals and they have normal sized bellies. There is a reason doctors tell people to take a multi vitamin. Those of us who are sleeved have a better chance to be lacking. Especially B12, calcium, thiamine, and iron.
3. Exercise. We went through all of this to get healthy. Yes, being thin will help us be healthier. But we have this brand new lease on life. Exercise is only going to help that. Especially when trying to maintain our healthy new weights. I know some people maintain for a while without exercise. But you do see people come back years later who say they have gained 20, 30, 40, or more pounds. Common theme with them all? They all say they started slipping with their eating and exercise habits. Everyone will do what they want. I am a firm believer in exercise. I also believe it is why my saggy skin is minimal. It steadily continues to improve. I could not imagine what my legs would look like without it.
4. Protein is your best friend. Solid proteins. Not just shakes and soft foods. Solid proteins will fill up that little sleeved belly and keep it full longer than anything else. Obviously the longer we stay full the less likely it is for us to graze or be tempted to eat crap foods.
5. Have a good support network. Reach out when you need help. Don't struggle on your own. We have all had our stumbles but we get up and keep going.
6. Weigh yourself. This is a hot topic item. Some people believing in constant monitoring, while others believe in monthly weigh ins. I can see how during the weight loss process it is helpful to not fixate on the scale. BUT...my PERSONAL belief for maintenance is daily weigh ins. You need to have a plan to keep yourself on track and accountable. I have a 5 lb range. Is it too strict? I don't think so. How easy would it be to let 5 lbs turn to 50? I see it often on here. That will NOT be me. I weigh myself daily. It is normal for weight to fluctuate bit. But I know if I were to ever hit 5 lbs above my current weight of 108 I would spring into action to ensure I get back down. I never want to find myself obese again.
7. Never stop making you a priority. I think a lot of people got overweight by putting themselves on the backburner. And this surgery was us taking back our lives and making ourselves a priority. Being justifiably selfish. Don't stop being selfish. You matter. You cannot take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself.
8. Listen to your body. You cannot be 100% rigid with this process. You can occasionally indulge in something. You cannot do it all the time, though. If your body is craving something...have a piece of lean protein. If you are still really craving it...have the item you are craving. If you already had a piece of protein you are not going to have much room for it but that taste will most likely satisfy the craving.
9. Enjoy your new lease on life. Try something new. Be bold. Be brave. Be amazing. Be unpredictable. You are not going to like everything you try but until you try it...how will you know you don't like it.
10. Get your family into your new lifestyle. Get them eating right and do physical family activities together such as biking, races, hiking, yard games, and so much more. My husband has lost 40 lbs being on this journey with me.
10. Have fun. This journey is not always easy and not always fun. There are lots of fun aspects of it. Like watching yourself shrink, getting smaller clothes, taking less meds, crossing your legs, wearing a skirt without chaffing, getting loads of compliments.....
11. And lastly...never let someone sabotage you. It happens. Friends and families can get weird with the weight loss. They think we are too thin or what not. They encourage us to eat when we are not hungry. Try to push us into eating things we know are not good for us. Pressure us. Don't allow anyone to take away your control. You got this. You are amazing. No one can take this away from you but you. Own it....all your successes and failures. You have all the power.
Thank you all for listening to my ramblings. I just want to say that maintenance has been easier than I had imagined it would be. Hopefully that continues to be the truth.
PS-I bought an Instant Pot and it has totally made making healthy foods super duper easy. It is an electric pressure cooker. There are other brands out there. I cook in it about 4-6 days out of the week. So much easier.
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