9 Months Post Op – Weight Loss Surgery Update
I’ve been putting off this post for a few days for reasons I’m not quite sure about, but it’s time to get it done and give you all my 9 months post op weight loss surgery update! A lot has happened in the past three months since I wrote on the blog and a lot is still happening (part of the reason for the slight delay). But I have a few new photos for you and a few repeats if you follow me on Facebook. I’m still not in front of the camera much, but that’s not really because I’m afraid of it. I just don’t remember most of the time to get in the pic!
{my nephew got married on 7/9/16}
Howard and I were so excited to dress up in “new” clothes for the wedding in July for my nephew. My dress was given to me by a friend so it was just new to me, but Howard needed all new clothes (having lost 195 lbs in the past year). The last time we took a family photo was December 2015 before my surgery. Here’s that photo:
In that photo, Howard was 3 months post op and I’m not sure how much he had lost, but I was pre-op and about 350 lbs. A lot of people loved this family photo of us because we hadn’t had one, like, ever, but that wedding photo above…many people loved that one as well!
Life is so much different now that I’m 9 months post op. I still have to eat every two hours, but it’s not that big of a deal anymore. I went through a time where I felt like my life was going to be about food forever, even more than it was before surgery. I thought food was going to rule my life forever. But about a month ago, I realized that I have to eat to live and I no longer live to eat. It was a realization that came to me as I was mindlessly eating a protein snack. Food is fuel for me now and if I don’t eat every two to three hours (in small amounts, of course) I get weak and tired. I get cranky and hungry, of course. But the realization I’m having is that I don’t crave the junk (much) anymore. I mean, occasionally I think about ice cream and warm chocolate chip cookies, but I am more likely to enjoy some cantaloupe or a yummy flavored 100 calorie Greek yogurt (currently loving key lime!). I also have settled in my head that if I do eat something like a cookie or ice cream, I’m going to feel sick so I just remember that and it helps me stay away from the “treats” that I used to crave every day.
Exercise is a major part of my life now as well. I get up every morning at 5:30am on weekdays and head to the gym. I’m currently working out by walking 30 minutes on the treadmill. I start at one minute on 2.5 mph, one minute on 3 mph, and then every minute, I increase by 0.2 mph until I reach 4 mph (almost a run for me!). Once I reach 4 mph, I drop back down to 3 mph and increase again. In my 30 minute walk, I can go almost 2 miles and I peak at 4 mph about four times. Also during that 30 minutes, I’m walking in intervals of 2.0 to 3.5 incline and trying not to fall off the back of the dang treadmill when I do!
After the treadmill, I do two sets of 15 squats using a bar to help me from falling (baby steps, y’all!) and then I either do three leg machines or three arm machines, depending on the day. I’m not really doing heavy weights on the machines because I keep getting mixed messages about weight training so I’m just doing enough to be a challenge, but not enough to really build any major muscle. Once I lose a little more weight, I’ll really put more effort into the weight training, but I’m just trying to find a balance right now.
Speaking of weight loss, I guess I should tell you that I’ve lost 81 lbs since my surgery date! I was really looking forward to that milestone more than the 75 lb milestone. My next goal is to reach 250 lbs on the scale (currently at 261.8) and then I have a goal to reach a 100 lbs loss before my 1 year surgiversary (December 30).
But even more exciting than the scale victories are the NSV (non-scale victories). For instance, I recently discovered that I can cross my legs again! This is a big deal for me because I’m extremely uncomfortable sitting flat in a chair, always have been) so sitting cross-legged or with my foot under me is a great thing.
I also have noticed that sitting in smaller chairs is more comfortable and Howard and I don’t have to put a seat between us anymore since we’ve both lost so much. I’ve also been stretching out in bed a little better because there’s so much extra room in our King bed. Howard had knee replacement surgery last month and I didn’t have to worry about bumping into him at night and hurting him.
I think I’ve mentioned in past posts that I’ve had trouble with my vitamins and other pills that I take on a daily basis. I was taking a multi-vitamin that my surgeon’s office recommended and needed to swallow that vitamin three times per day. Well, I had just stopped taking them because I couldn’t handle the taste and the nausea after taking them. My hair started to fall out quite a bit so I immediately got a new bariatric chewable vitamin from Amazon. I’ve noticed my hair is falling out a little less, but I still have to take that vitamin four times per day so since I’m not perfect, it’s still coming out a little. But, no worries, I had REALLY thick hair so I could stand to lose some.
Overall, I’m feeling really good. I still have a long way to go with about 100 lbs that I still want to lose, but I’m a work in progress. I have a little more energy (on the days that I eat good and take my vitamins) and I’m feeling a little more positive about my weight loss (now that it has sped up a little). I have my days where I’m feeling down and feel like I should be further along, but overall, I know that I’m doing what I can to the best of my ability and I just have to remember that I didn’t gain it overnight so I won’t lose it overnight.
Where are you on your journey? Any advice for me? What else do you want to know about my experiences?
That picture from the wedding – you look so amazing and so happy! (I have to tell you, though, that I hate when people tell me how happy I look, as if I don’t suffer depression any longer since I’ve lost weight – but I know nobody means harm by it and neither do I!) More than 75 lbs in just over 9 months is pretty dang impressive!!!!! I’m confident that you’ll reach your 100 lb goal by your surgiversary!
For exercise, I occasionally go to water aerobics, although recently I’ve been more reclusive and have been riding my bike. I watch a show while I’m riding, so it winds up being 45-50 minutes and 10-12 miles. But, just opening up your post today motivated me to grab hubby, get up, and walk the dogs (it’s been a very long time!). I have a ton of physical problems – some related to the obesity, some not – so I don’t run. However, I would LOVE to do the Princess 5K in Disney World. Wanna join me?? I’m talking a few years down the road so we both have time to work up to it 🙂
As far as my vitamins, I was instructed to take B100 Complex and Flintstones chewables (but not the gummies) as well as Viactiv-D (calcium – chewable and chocolate or caramel, so yummy!). I take B2 for another reason and started with Biotin for the hair loss. I was taking a much smaller amount (I forget what it was) but now I take 10,000 mg in the morning. It’s a tiny pill. I’ll be having my 3-month labs in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll see if anything changes.
I’m so glad to read an update! I was so eager to hear how YOU’RE doing and feeling! I’m excited about things going well. I did have to laugh about crossing your legs because I can finally do it, too… I do it all the time now. Like you said, it’s so much more comfortable. Hubby laughs at me. Oh well! Thanks so much for the update! I can’t wait for the next 🙂 🙂 🙂
You are doing awesome! One day you will be able to tolerate sugar and have an occasional treat. I waited over 2 years before I tried ice cream and it was a tiny amount but oh was it good LOL! 4 years later I’m able to tolerate chocolate, cookies, candy and other things but again in tiny moderations. Keep exercising and before long you’ll be doing your first 5k! I did a lot of running the first 2 years after my surgery but then my life got complicated and I quit. Thinking about starting up again…
Let me tell you about Vitamins. I stopped taking those nasty bariatric vitamins before my first year was even up. After meeting and talking to other bariatric friends I was introduced to chewable vitamins. I take vitafusion gummies! They are delicious and they provide you with all your nutrients. For the hair issue I take Biotin 5000mcg. I also take Sublingual B-12 3000mcg for extra energy. Every lab test I have had has turned up good results. With that being said I hope I was able to help. Keep up the GREAT work! You look AWESOME
You’re doing awesome – keep it up! I love reading these posts!!