It's been almost 1 month since my Stomaphyx procedure but today I'm certain that it was the perfect choice for me. Until now I wasn't sure if it was a success or not. Today I'm convinced it was right for me. I'm more than a little envious of those who had this procedure and lost 20 pounds the first month. I did not. I've lost 9 pounds so far. In fact I lost 7 pounds the first week (probably due to surgery and liquid diets) and I lost 2 pounds the second week. Since that day, I've lost absolutely nothing. I can't even claim that I'm gaining muscle because my clothes don't fit me any differently. I'm in exactly the same size jeans (16). Since the day after the procedure, I've walked for at least one hour on the treadmill and I've been eating between 1000 and 1100 calories a day. (I'm trying very hard to build that up to 1200 - 1400 a day but I refuse to eat when I'm not hungry for fear of getting back into bad habits.) I've taken all my vitamins and ensured that I get a minimum of 100 grams of protein daily. Right now, I'm a poster child for a healthy diet!
So, why am I happy when the results to date aren't anywhere near what I wished for (or what it was like the first month after WLS)?!? The answer is simple. 3 years ago I noticed that I was starting to gain back some weight. (I was up 10 pounds from my lowest post-WLS weight.) I immediately started dieting and exercising. And, let's face it, most of us here are EXPERT dieters and know exactly what to do to lose weight. The diet was a success for about 7 pounds in just a couple of weeks. Then my weight loss stalled. After about 2 weeks of staying the same weight, I'd got frustrated and gave up watching my calories and cut back on the extra exercise. Within a few months I'd gained back the 7 pounds and 3 more. Then I'd try again. With pretty much the same results. It's VERY HARD TO FAITHFULLY diet day after day and not be rewarded on the scale. Besides I was cranky from hunger and it just seemed easier to give up. So, after 20 pounds more gained, I decided to try Stomaphyx (which was an expensive out-of-pocket cost for me).
I have a great little program for my PDA that tracks calories and exercise and will tell you the rate of weight loss expected based on my daily activities. The rate I'm going says that I will lose 2 pounds a week. And I believe it. But it will take a bit of time for my body to "catch up" from the initial 9 pounds lost before I start losing again. I've always understood this principle even if it's ANNOYING! So, based on this, I shouldn't even expect another pound lost until next week (or later...and knowing me, then I will drop 4 or 5 for no apparent reason). In the end, it all works out.
Here's where the Stomaphyx comes in to play. I'm just at the point that ordinarily I would quit. But honestly, I'm not especially hungry and I'm satisfied with the 150 - 200 calories meals I eat throughout the day. (I've been adding some solid food now and I feel FULL again....which hasn't happened in a very long time.) For the first time in 3 years, I don't feel like quitting. I don't want to eat more so it's easy for me to keep at the plan that I know will eventually produce the results I want (and probably, on average at the 2 pounds a week that I'm striving for). I still have 48 pounds to lose....but I'm convinced now that I've seen Stomaphyx work for me....I will be able to reach my goal, with a lot of effort...but not really any suffering or major hunger.
Wahoo. I'm TOTALLY delighted with this procedure.
I hope most everyone else is having good results...but, as we all know with each procedure, "your mileage may vary".
Lorri
