One week down!

Wow, can't believe it's been one week and one day since surgery. Thankfully, I'm doing great physically! But in the video I talk a bit about how I'm feeling with the emotional piece of all of this. Very curious. Some stats for you:

• Starting weight day of surgery: 250.4
• Today's weight, 8 days later: 237.1
• 13.3 lbs lost!

I've been really varying what I've been eating, even though I'm only on clear liquids at the moment. Mostly just to try out new stuff. Sounds like I'm really fortunate that I have a good tolerance for liquids and the things I'm eating (I use that term loosely, since I'm really drinking all my food :) I'm consistently getting:

• Around 400 calories
• Over 70g of protein

Want to know the specifics? Check out the link on the left-hand side of my blog...and you can read every sordid food diary detail.

No vitamins yet. I don't start those for another two days - the same time I get to add low fat/soy milk and thicker low-fat soups to my diet. I am taking an acid reducer each morning, as instructed by my doctor. Though it's in this granular form that does NOT dissolve in anything, so I've taken to pouring it on my tongue and taking a swig of water. No doubt this is not the prescribed method, but what are you going to do?

I didn't mention it in the video, but I've already been out with people twice (people that don't know)! I've just been sipping my water while they chow down on fried foods and hamburgers. People seem to buy my whole "oh, I just ate", or "I've decided to cut alcohol from my diet for a few months" for now. I was out tonight and they were eating and, man, it smells good. All this stuff I hear about "I wasn't even hungry!" after sleeve surgery...well, here's the thing. I'm not hungry either. But they didn't do surgery on my brain...and that seems to be the organ doing most of the food and portion control, if you know what I mean. I did fine at the restaurant, but when I got home was finding myself really thinking about food, food, food. In the moment, it bums me out. But beyond the moment, it reminds me of exactly why I knew this surgery was for me. I needed a physical restriction, for a period of time (because it won't last forever...maybe 6-12 months at best), to BREAK THE CYCLE. And this is why I've assembled a team around me, including a therapist and a nutritionist. To help me smack my head back into place so I treat food like the fuel that it is, not as a coping skill for [insert emotion here]. I definitely sympathize with people on the message boards who post things like "I wish I would have known that I wouldn't get enjoyment out of food anymore". At the same time, I'll be glad to lose it. I'm a food addict, so for me to enjoy it is for me to abuse it. I'd rather find my enjoyment in things that don't make me fat...though I haven't figured out what that is yet! Thankfully, there's still time ;)

Enjoy. Gastricsleeve4me