Saturday, April 28, 2012

6 months Post Op

Current weight: 215lbs
Weight lost in the last month: 7lbs
Total weight lost: 105lbs
Exercise: I am finally back on the treadmill
 

Well a lot has happened in the last month. Just after my last post I pulled an Arty Johnson (Laugh In comedy show on his tricycle) and laid a motorcycle on my foot breaking it in two places. This has made exercising very difficult but in the last few days I have been able to get back on the treadmill and get things moving again.

I also took a trip to Northern California to visit some friends where I was offered a lead chefs job in a summer resort town. It was 800 miles one way and I rode my motorcycle so the weight loss really seemed to help somehow. I was not fatigued and I seem to have less wind resistance.

The weight loss was quite a shock for my old friends. They had not seen me in a few years and since I was now down to below my weight at my high school graduation, recognizing me was actually a problem. Even my best friend Dave here in Vegas almost past me right by when he was picking me up at the airport when I returned.

Now that I have made the decision to make the move to CA I am trying to see as many of my friends here in Vegas as I can and many of them ask the same questions: Am I happy and how big have the physiological impacts been?

Yes, I am happy with my weight loss. I feel good, my stamina and energy is high and I can’t tell you how good it feels to have gone from a tight size 52 paints to buying size 32 pants off the rack at Wal-Mart. The physiological impacts have been very difficult at times but I anticipated. I knew that taking something away (like eating) would make me angry and feel frustrated at times. I used to LIVE for the food I would cook. I have really had to embrace my love for cooking for other people’s pleasure.

While the nausea issues have subsided a little, I am very limited on serving sizes and if my food contains rice or a filler product it is half again. The other night I enjoyed 3 pieces out of an 8 piece sushi roll and just had to stop eating.

Because my weight loss has slowed down I think I am close to my final weight and if this is it, I am happy. I don’t even think the loose skin is an issue. I will continue to walk and be as active as possible and we will just see where the weight loss stops. If I had to guess I would say my final weight will be just around 200lbs and that will be a total of 120lbs lost. But I also think it will take another 3 to 4 months to reach that point.

As a final note, I have been congratulated on doing such a great job. What I tell them is that I really have not done anything except just a little walking. The Gastric Sleeve is the true hero. It was the ultimate tool that really gave me NO choice in the weight loss. This particular procedure was the best option for me. There is NO maintenance, unlike the Gastric Band and because I still have a functional (although much smaller) stomach the by-pass was not even an option for me.

I want to thank everyone for their support throughout this life changing process. I hope you know who you are and know that I love each and every one of you. You will always be an important part of my life.