Five Months Post-Op Check In

Five month check-in you guys! If you’re new here, that’s five months since I had Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery. This has been my least compliant month so far and it’s really showing in my weight and inches lost. The culprit? Bread and a few cupcakes you guys! So I’m getting my act back together in June. I’ve been on track with hydration and my supplements, just not the best with food and still no exercise. I’ve been waiting for the pool to heat up, but I’m just going to have to suck it up and get in. Brrrrr!

I can also report that people walking in front of my cubicle at work have busted me several times looking down the front of my shirt. I’m looking for fallen hair that is tickling me, but I must look like I’m just checking myself out. I have a hairy chest is what I’m saying. All the time. Seriously, though, the hair loss is pretty bad. I have some pretty decent balding patches (that my friends say they can’t see, but I definitely can). I know it’s supposed to be the worst around month six, so I hope I’ve only got one really bad month left. No more hairy chest!

Even though I don’t love the number on the scale, I’m not taking for granted the non-scale victories (NSVs). And I thought of a couple I haven’t shared with you yet. I can easily fit in all the bathroom stalls at my office. Weird, right? But there are four stalls in my work bathroom and two of them are configured in such a way that, before the surgery, I had to shimmy around the toilet to get far enough past the door for it to close. It wasn’t fun pressing up against the toilet to use the toilet. Now, though, I can just walk in to any of the stalls and close the doors. Woot!

The other NSV I wanted to share is that I can now drive without having to be all the way back so that my stomach and thighs didn’t rub against the steering wheel. Before the surgery, I had to have the seat as far back as possible to be comfortable (thank goodness I have long legs). Now, I can be the same distance as William and I’m not touching the wheel with anything except my hands.

It’s the little things that keep you from being completely disappointed when the scale isn’t doing what you want.

Here are my stats:

• Before VSG, I was 300 pounds and my measurements totaled 361.75 inches.
• My 1-month post-op numbers were: 266 pounds and 330 inches.
• My 2-month post-op numbers are: 250 pounds and  316.5 inches.
• My 3-month post-op numbers are: 237 pounds and 304 inches.
• My 4-month post-op numbers are: 230 pounds and 297.5 inches.
• My 5-month post-op numbers are: 228 pounds and 296 inches.
• So, I’m down 72 pounds and 65.75 inches!

This is what a typical day looks like for me nutrition wise:

• 1 Premier Protein drink (typically my breakfast),
• 4 small meals,
• 72 oz. of liquid (this includes the protein drink),
• B-12, calcium, multivitamin, and biotin,
• 60-80 grams of protein