5 days post-op...questions

Ok for many this is going to seem like a broken record, but here goes ..

Some of us (me include) believe scales should be used only for fish or piano. So don’t use them – especially in the first two months.

Remember there are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminated); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (looking down and seeing your ... errr… toes) ; “common" activity becoming easier (walking, climbing steps), just feeling good about yourself; sleeping better (reduced snoring); the mirror; better medical exam results (lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure, reduced or no more meds); etc.

Many may compare their lost to someone else’s, and get discouraged.

The amount of weight lost is affected by many factors. Everyone loses weight at different rates. It has to do with age, gender, one’s weight, exercise, etc.. A 10 pound lost to one person could be as affected as a 40 pound lost to another. Think of it this way: If a 400-pound person loses 40 pounds; a 300-pound person loses 30 pounds, a 200-pound person loses 20 pounds, and a 100-pound person loses 10 pounds – the 400-pound person didn’t necessarily loose more weight then the others. All three lost 10% of their body weight. 

And sometimes it is not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. Remember, if you are toning up muscle – your weight loss may seem to have slowed (or stopped), when in fact you are replacing fat with muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat. Someone weighing 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighing 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying only 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

The views expressed are based on my own experiences - and should NOT BE FOLLOWED IN LIEU OF DOCTOR’S ADVICE/INSTRUCTIONS. Only your Doctor knows your condition, and make sure you talk to them before making any changes to your diet.

With that said:

I noticed you mentioned “calories". In the beginning don’t be too concerned/worry about “calories, fats, sugars, carbs, etc". Make sure you are getting your 60 to 80 grams of protein. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO WEIGHT LOSS. In the future you can worry about all those other things, but for now - WORRY ABOUT THE PROTEIN. Now don’t get me wrong - I don’t want you to eat a bag of chips, or whole cake or drink tons of ice cream shakes in order to get protein in. You need to use some common sense :) !!

Last year when I first had the operation I noticed if I ate 4 ounces of protein I didn’t feel full - however if I ate 6 ounces I did. I spoke to my Doctor about it. FOR ME he said that those “numbers" are somewhat guidelines. He went on to explain there are some folks who feel full on 2 ounces of protein while some need 6 or 8. He also explained that the calories intake should not be too much of a concern in the beginning. The way he explained it to me was: Prior the operation I may have been taken 3,000+ calories per day. After the operation, with the amount of food I was taking in - I may have been taking in 1700 calories. While that’s 500 calories more than the recommended daily allotment - it was actually 1300 calories less then what I normally took in. So not only was I losing weight, but was also feel full. We need to worry about calories when out weight slows downs/stops or starts going up. ADVICE WARNING: TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE INCREASING YOUR INTAKE.

When I first had the operation I had the same concerns as you. A close friend, who is a Certified Fitness Trainer, gave me a valuable lesson concerning loosing weight. He gave me some information I found interesting, and thought I’d pass it along. The first thing he said is “You have to EAT in order to loose weight". I know, it sounds strange. He further explained, this does not mean to OVEREAT, but eat sensible portions. That means eat until you feel full (not stuffed).

He explained the body is a marvelous machine, and it will protect it self. If one doesn’t eat enough, the body’s metabolism will slow down - in order to keep it self functioning. If a person intake is less then what it expels, the body will start to “store" food. If a person stay on this type of eating regiment over a prolonged period, the body starts to “eat it self" - which is extremely unhealthy and could be fatal.

According to my friend, the first thing the body will first start to “eat away" at is all the stored sugars in the body. After that has been depleted, the body then attacks all the (both good and bad) carbohydrates and fats. Finally the body starts to “digest" the proteins in the body. The proteins are mostly stored in muscle. One of the most important muscles our body has is the HEART. That’s why many anorexia patients die of heart problems - basically the body ate it away. 

He said don’t worry if you’re loosing right away. He said as long as we follow the guidelines our Doctors/Nutritionist has set for us, we will loose weight. The body sometimes takes a while before it “resets" itself.

ADVICE WARNING: TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE INCREASING YOUR INTAKE.

Now, I am sorry to sound like a pest – You mentioned “I only did one week liquid instead of two and I ate a small dinner on Easter" – no did you do this on your own, or with your Doctor’s instructions/approval? My advice, if the Doctor didn’t tell you to do this – DON’T MOVE ON QUICKER THEN SUGGESTED. (A) Studies have shown the body reacts a certain way at a certain time after an operation. That’s why the Doctors gives you these guidelines (B) You don’t want to start falling back into bad habits so early. Remember, not following the rules got us where we are. .. Now, if the Doctor DID tell you to do this – then FINE. I just don’t want you to “jump the gun".