I'm 4 months post-surgery and have been sharing my weekly weight loss updates with my friends and family on Facebook. So far, I've lost almost 55 lbs, which thrills me out of my mind. I've never been able to lose this much on ANY weight loss plan before in my life. However, it's not all rainbows, puppies, kittens, unicorns, and glitter. There have been some major changes in my life because of surgery. Some of them are welcomed, some of them are not. For anyone contemplating surgery or just wondering what my life is like post-surgery, I am going to attempt to share the realities of what it's like to have weight loss surgery.
Some of the more positive aspects include the weight loss. It's almost effortless. Almost. There is still work to be done and the first year after surgery is the time to lay your foundation. You don't feel hunger during that first year. I have yet to feel what I would call "hungry." I have "head hunger" from time to time. That's where your brain thinks you need something and convinces your body. However, if I pay close attention to my pouch, I realize that my brain is just being a dick and ignore it.
When the hunger returns, if you haven't laid your foundation of eating HEALTHY foods, you are certain to gain back all of the weight you lost during that first year. You will still have the restrictions that go with having this pouch for a stomach, but you will have to work your butt off to see any loss. You will have also wasted all of your time and money. If you aren't willing to make LIFE changes, then don't bother with surgery. I'm not even joking. This is not a magic solution. Once you lose the weight, it will not magically stay off. You will have to WORK to keep it off. Just the same as any normie (person who hasn't had WLS).
During this honeymoon phase of WLS, at least with gastric bypass, which is what I had, you don't really have to exercise. It's not a requirement. However, by starting to get into the habit now, it will be easier to maintain the habit later. Once you get started on a regular routine, you will find that it eases your stress and makes you happy. You have to find the exercise routine that works for you, though. There are so many ways to be active. Google that stuff and find something for you! Do it on a regular basis. Treat your workout times as serious as an appointment with your boss, your doctor, your lawyer, etc. Make yourself a priority for this.
While you are losing this weight left and right, you will suddenly find your clothes getting too big. The pair of jeans that just fit last week are suddenly baggy. Maybe you think they still look ok until you wear them to work and your co-workers tell you that you need new clothes. If you are wealthy and can keep buying new clothes in smaller sizes, that's awesome. Some of us aren't and have to rely on resale/consignment/thrift stores. They don't always have the size or style you're looking for, so you have to keep looking. If you live in an area like mine, you don't have many choices in this area, which makes it even harder. There's always Facebook For Sale sites, too, but some people want new prices for used clothes...so you have to decide what's best for you. Losing weight rapidly is expensive.
However, there's the thrill of being able to fit into sizes you haven't worn in years. If you've saved some of those smaller sized clothes for "someday" well, your someday is here. Just hope they are still in fashion. Unfortunately for me, I don't think shoulder pads are making a comeback this year. It still thrills me to be able to fit into some of those clothes, though. I wish I had appreciated my size when I was that size, too!
People will start noticing your weight loss and will comment on it. You have to be able to accept their compliments gracefully. It may be hard for you to see what they see because, if you're like me, you'll still see the same person in the mirror and you won't be able to see the changes. I wish I was more of a picture-taker so that I had photographic proof for myself. I swore I was going to document this journey in photos, but I haven't. I just never think of it.
Another thing to consider is the expense of life post-weight loss surgery. There will be a vitamin regimen you will be on for LIFE. Don't skimp on this. Don't try to cheat this. Don't cut corners on this. This affects your health and the effects can be deadly serious of you screw up on your vitamins or just don't take them. If you cannot afford the extra money for vitamins, then you may want to reconsider having WLS. Right now I take a multivitamin 3 times a day, calcium citrate 3 times a day, B12 sublingual once a week, vitamin C 4 times a week, and iron 4 times a week. The B12, iron, and vitamin C last quite a while. It seems like every time I turn around I have to order my calcium and multivitamins. The calcium is about $30-40/month and the multivitamins are less than $20/month. So you could be looking at an extra $50-60/month, possibly more if your others run out.
These are not just over-the-counter vitamins that you can pick up at Walmart. Oh no! The multivitamin I take is specially created for bariatric patients. Some programs allow their patients to take Flintstones, but my program does not. There are also specific things you have to look for in the other vitamins. The nutritionist will work with you on this and help you figure it out before surgery. I'm just trying to warn you that it can be expensive.
Another expense I have for now is protein shakes. After surgery protein grams becomes your life. I track all of my food on MyFitnessPal.com and it's a good habit to get into. After surgery, you need to know that you are meeting your protein goals every single day. Since you can only eat a limited amount of food, you have to supplement with the shakes. I prefer the Premier Protein shakes because they are already made, taste pretty good, and are convenient. I pay about $50 every two weeks to have them shipped to me from Costco.com. There are less expensive protein powders and shakes out there. This is what I prefer and so this is what I use. I drink two a day right now. Eventually, they will be phased out. I'm not sure when, but I do not believe this is a lifetime thing.
Since we're talking about protein shakes, lets talk about food. Eating. What do I eat? How much do I eat? What can I eat? What can I not eat? This, of course, is where my biggest life changes have come. Before surgery, I loved to eat and would eat a LOT. And a lot of what I would eat was unhealthy - fast food, processed foods, junk foods, sugar, soda, etc. I convinced myself that some of this junk was healthy, though. It's amazing how we can rationalize things for ourselves. When I would eat, I would eat quickly and take huge bites. I could scarf down food like nobody's business, y'all!
So what's it like now? DIFFERENT! Completely opposite, you might say. I carefully examine labels for protein and sugar content. I try to eat as healthy (truly healthy - not "Angie's Psycho World" healthy) as possible. What does healthy mean, though? To me, it means as little processed food as possible. I try to have lean meats, veggies, and fruits. Am I perfect? Not by any stretch of the imagination. Do I still want those unhealthy foods? ABSOLUTELY! Have I indulged in some? Yep, yep, I have. Did they taste the same? No, not really. What? Why not?
One of the reasons, I think, that some of those previous favorite foods do not taste as good to me any more is because once you have surgery, you have to take tiny bites and chew, chew, chew, chew, chew. And then chew some more. Before, I would take huge bites, chew a few times and swallow. I didn't really TASTE the food. It stayed in my mouth for less than 10 seconds, so how could I get a true sense of taste? Now, the food will be in my mouth for a lot longer and chewing it so well changes things. The longer you chew a greasy food (hamburger, pizza toppings, etc), the more grease-coated your mouth becomes. And to me, it's just gross and not worth it. I don't like it any more. But that's fine, because I'm working on finding new favorites!
Post-surgery, there are no more carbonated drinks. I gave up Diet Mt Dew (my go to drink/addiction) on July 1, 2014. I haven't had once since. I had the occasional (once a month, if that) Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke until I had my surgery on March 16, 2015. Since surgery, I've not had a soda and I have no plans to ever have one again. Once in a while I miss it, but for the most part I'm happy drinking my water. I have to try to get in at least 64 ounces each day or I run the risk of dehydration. Since I have a strong aversion to ending up back in the hospital, this is a strong motivator for me.
Gone are the days of gulping water down, though. These days, it's small sips only. If I drink too much, too fast, it hurts. I'm thirsty a lot because I can't drink as much as I want to at once. It drives me crazy some days. The very worst day was right after surgery when I was allowed only an ounce of ice chips once an hour. My throat was parched from the intubation anyway, and to not be allowed to drink anything was maddening. I would have done anything for the nurses to give me a drink of water that day.
Straws are a thing of the past, too, at least according to my program. Other programs across the country/around the world have different rules about this. Mine says none, so I won't use them. The reason behind this is that they feel drinking through a straw introduces air into the pouch. I don't know if it has been scientifically proven, but I can live without straws, so it's not a deal-breaker for me.
Another huge change that also goes along with drinking liquids is that you have to stop drinking 15 minutes prior to eating, no drinking while eating, and wait at least 30 minutes after you eat to drink again. This one is really, really hard for me. I have always had something to drink before, during, and after my meals. I'm not 100% compliant with this, but if I do have something to drink during a meal, it is a very, very small sip. Just enough to wet my mouth, really. If we go out to eat, I notice that I barely put a dent in my glass of water, while my dining companions may have 2-3 glasses of soda. I used to do the same. And I would be irritated if the waitress never came to offer refills. Now, I never need a refill!
I've become a very cheap date, but I also waste a lot of food if we go out to eat. I'm cheap because I can order off the kids menu and have a glass of water. Or instead of ordering the entrée, I can get by with a side or two. I choose carefully to make sure my meals are more protein-based than carb-based, but I'm usually able to find something everywhere we go. I waste a lot because I can only eat a few bites and I'm done. I've tried taking things home, but they usually sit in the fridge and then get pitched. I don't like wasting food, but I've come to accept that it's going to be part of my life now if we eat out. Perhaps one day I will have a better sense of the amounts I can/cannot eat and will be able to order accordingly. Until then, it's still trial and error.
Eating is also harder and there are times that I absolutely hate it. For a former food addict, this sounds crazy to say. But if I don't take tiny bites and chew the daylights out of the food that I eat, it can become stuck. And that is very painful. Usually it leads to throwing up, too. I hate throwing up with a passion. If we are having meat for supper, I have a slight feeling of dread. I am fearful that I won't take small enough bites and I won't chew well enough. I'm getting better, but I still have problems. This may be better for other WLS people, though.
Usually for breakfast I have a Greek yogurt. I have to choose the brand carefully due to sugar content. Some of the yogurts out there are really high in sugars! For my morning snack, it's a protein shake, whether I feel like it or not. Lunch is another Greek yogurt and some sort of fruit. I'm working on adding a vegetable in at lunch time, but haven't gotten there yet. I will soon, though. Afternoon snack is another protein shake. Supper is generally some type of meat on the grill and a vegetable. If the guys want to have something that I cannot have or don't want to have, I'll have cottage cheese instead. I eat by the clock rather than feeling hungry. Again, this will eventually change, which is why I skip certain meals that the guys have. They just don't fit into my plan.
I hope I've given you a good look into post-WLS life. Not all of these hold true for all patients. Each person will have a different story. Each person will have different negatives and different positives. The ones I've listed have been MY experience. Your mileage may vary.
Even through all of what I've shared, I would still do it again in a heartbeat. The positives far outweigh (haha) the negatives. I love seeing the number on the scale getting smaller. I love when my clothes get too big. I like looking for new clothes and seeing the smaller numbers on the tag. I'm very close to fitting into "regular" sizes and cannot wait for that day. I love not feeling so self-conscious around new people. I love having a life not dictated by food. I love being able to move more easily and with less pain. I love being more active. I love having more energy. I love the exciting prospects the future may bring. I can't wait to see what's next and I have a few adventures that I'm excited to try that I've been putting off due to my weight.
If you have any questions, I welcome them. I don't mind talking about my journey to anyone. I cannot stress enough, though, that each person's experience is different. This is MY journey. This is what I have experienced so far. Yours, your BFFs, your cousin's, your sister's, your grandma's, etc. may be different. It may have been worse, it may have been better. Each program across the country has different requirements before and after surgery. I can only tell you the requirements I've had to meet for my program. If you're thinking about surgery, research, research, research. Learn all you can. Talk to those who have gone through it, read all you can about it. Educate yourself!
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