Random Thoughts

I have a friend who says she is starving. She had the Lap Band surgery done. I asked her to stop and analyze something. When she thinks she is hungry is it her stomach that is talking or her head? We are so used to eating and looking at our food as a friend. We are familiar with food and are very comfortable with food. I know my head tells me sometimes I am hungry, but when I stop and listen to my body I find I really am not hungry. I am usually bored. The psyche is very strong. Our emotions and food have been tied together for a long time and the emotions and mental areas will put up a tough fight. Listen to your body. I told her not to be shy about using IWLS (Innovative Weight Loss Solutions) staff (Ronda Jennifer, Pam and Tera). They are more than happy to talk with us. They are there for us!

She was also concerned about not getting any nutrition, but just clear liquids the 1st week following surgery. I thought the same thing. I thought protein is so important, why am I not taking in any. I e-mailed my friend who went through the surgery in April. He said he didn’t get protein either. I think we figured out it is because the new pouch is very raw and needs the week to heal. It is not processing anything the 1st week; therefore just the clear liquids. It is like a sprained wrist. You may be able to feel it there and know it hurts, but you don’t use it 100% because it needs time to heal. Therefore, you ease into using it a little at a time; same concept with the pouch. You have to give it time to heal and ease into the full usage of it. It is tough. I remember! I was never hungry, but I sure was tired of tasting clear liquids.

I don’t know if it is the type of surgery or what, but I rarely have any type of hunger signs. Means she is “starving” I wonder if it is because her “old” stomach is still used as before, just less food at a time, so it gives hunger signals. Whereas my “old” stomach will never see food again and it has resigned to such and isn’t cranky. My pouch rarely signals hunger, but does signal fullness. I don’t have all the answers I know.

Yes it does get better. I went through 2-3 rounds of “frustration”. One was with the clear liquids and wanting something, anything more. Means I had the week of being in excruciating pain from the overuse of the muscles with the sporometer, I didn’t feel well enough to really care for a few days. I just drank. Then as I neared the end of the liquid phase and waiting to go into the puree stage I got frustrated again. Now my frustration is with the need to drink the protein. I want to be able to eat my protein and get off the protein drinks. Part of that is because I have not found one I am more than tolerable with. I think I can eat the right stuff to get my proteins in w/out the drink. I will see how that goes next Thursday when I should advance to phase 3 “soft foods”. I am going to celebrate my birthday with a friend on Thursday by going to Panera’s in Manhattan and having the chicken & noodle soup. So much for the soft menu, huh? Oh well, on Friday I have a friend that is going to go to Spangles and get a hamburger for me for my birthday. I just have to hang in there and realize each goal can only be gained with baby steps. But once you get to the goal the reward will be worth it! I also realize I will have to rely on protein drinks at times and maybe daily for the rest of my life. I just want to try to get the protein in my food!

I know I made the right decision. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t do it sooner. I just have to remember I didn’t gain the weight in just a matter of a little time and it won’t take just a little time to loose it and feel better. It will feel better each day with a frustrating day here and there. I never doubted having the surgery, but I sure felt frustrated at times. I look at the positive progress I make. Even something as small as passing up that certain something I want because I know I don’t need it to live. It may be something I want to eat or that 1-2 more bites that I know my body is telling me I don’t need. For me it might be the extra scoop of whatever. It is the small triumphs I have to acknowledge and pat myself on the back for. Right now I try to pat myself on the back for having the surgery. It takes a LOT of courage to do it.

I am still doing well. I find out things every day. Today I figured if I am going to eat deli meat it better be cut thicker than paper thin. I didn’t chew it as much as I should have-or I should say I didn’t chew it as well as I thought I had. So I thought back to the support meeting and what they serve. The meat is thicker. I think I understand why now. I have been trying to ease into the soft foods this week. I have done well with chewing things well. I just think the lunch meat was too thin. I lost another 2 pounds this week so I am up to 44 lost since June 21st and 29 of those since surgery July 21st. I packed up my “big girl pants” and am wearing some pants I haven’t fit into for over 3 years. I am still between sizes in my shirts though. They aren’t as roomy as I would like them. Like I said in my last blog- why is the belly the last place to go…? Once I get back to the YMCA full time I hope the belly will reduce. We’ll see!

Well, until the next inspiration hits, I pray this has given you some insights to the daily process that takes place in a weight loss surgery patient. It is a day by day, step by step, inch by inch, pound by pound journey. You can’t walk it any faster and sometimes it feels like the escalator is at a stand still, but the scenery does eventually change and the days get better and the body gets stronger. The mental and emotional urges get easier to analyze and direct. Positive thinking and assessment makes the journey much more bearable at the tough moments. I’ll just keep trucking. I hope you do the same in your life’s journey.


When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.
God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.