6 week check-up

So today (8/10/10) I had my 6 week check-up with my surgeon. Tomorrow will be 7 weeks since my surgery. In the 50 days since I walked into my doctor's office for my pre-surgery check, I've lost 43 pounds. That's actually 5 pounds greater than their goal of 10% of body weight by this time. So I'm a little bit ahead of schedule.

I feel great. I hadn't realized how many little aches and pains I had in the past. I'm cleared for any activities I want to do (up until now I had a 25 pound limit on lifting things). I just need to keep up my exercise and stay focused of diet.

Speaking of diet, Jennifer and I are both now on our "regular diet". This is a little daunting and scary. When we eat something that our new small sized stomachs do not agree with we end up with some uncomfortable results which usually results in vomiting. As of now the only foods we can't eat are anything that is carbonated and anything with alcohol is also a very bad idea.

Now are diets are all about making wise choices. The goal is to focus on protein while eating low-fat and low-sugar foods. I can choose to drink a glass or orange juice but it is probably not a good idea because of how much sugar (even though it is natural) will rush into my system very quickly. In the same way, I can choose to eat a candy bar. It won't hurt me. But it is just full of empty calories that will slow my weight loss.

I want to take advantage of this rapid weight loss. I've still got another 80 pounds to lose to just get to an average result and my goal is to be better than average. That means focusing on lean proteins, and vitamin rich vegetables. Believe it or not most fruits are not great choices because of the high sugar content.

I also need to get used to eating meals and not snacking. If you think about it, most of the foods that are bad for all of us, we consume in the form of "snacks". For the last 7 weeks I have been so disinterested in eating that I ate whenever I felt like it, because I rarely felt like eating. I need to work on eating on a set schedule.

One of the best things that I heard today is that its ok to try other proteins. until now we have been limited to ground beef, turkey, and fish. I'm still not sure if I'm mentally ready to try a very small piece of steak, but there is no reason I shouldn't. Is there some place I can order a 1 oz filet?

Need more water...

I'm three weeks post surgery and I thought it was time for an update. For the first week and a half or so following surgery I was losing weight really fast. 2 to 3 pounds per day. I was also getting periodic cramps in my large muscle groups (legs, back, etc.). I was also experiencing a dry mouth on a regular basis. If this sounds like the symptoms of dehydration, you would be right.

It all came to a head on July 5. We went to the Dunwoody parade in the morning and while sitting on the parade route I drank 32 ounces of water and still felt thirsty. Jen suggested I call my surgeon, which I did. Before my surgery, I had been taking two medications to control my blood pressure. one of them was a diuretic. After my surgery I stayed on those medications and it seems like the diuretic became really effective at getting my body to shed water. My doctor told me to stop taking it and see if that helped things. Not taking that medicine has made a huge difference. I no longer get cramps and am not thirsty all of the time. Also, my blood pressure is still in the normal range 129/73, so I'm already half way towards one of my goals of getting off of all my blood pressure medication.

The only downside to discontinuing the diuretic is that while my body has been replenishing its water resources, I have stopped losing weight. (in fact I gained a couple of pounds). It turns out that the 2 to 3 pounds a day I was losing was a large amount of water. Just over the weekend, I've started losing weight again. The doctor says I should lose about a pound a day for the next few months.

I'm still eating very little food and have very little desire to eat. I'm probably at 500 calories per day and am rarely hungry. Its really weird since I used to be hungry all of the time. I still have to be very careful of what I eat. No rice or pasta (don't need the empty calories), no uncooked vegetables, no fruits with skins, no hard to digest meats - hamburger ok, steak not ok, and everything should be low fat and low sugar. Also, my goal is to drink 64 ounces of water per day.

Last night Jen and I went to Outback Steakhouse with her Dad and Sister (mom is out of town). It was the first time we had been out to eat since my surgery. I had the seared tuna appetizer (it had maybe 2 ounces of tuna) and the seasonal mixed vegetables (I had about a fifth of what they brought me) and was quite full. Its a whole new world of eating.

Surgery Week

I can't believe its been two weeks since I updated this blog. I have been doing great. Now for the details.

Going into surgery, I definitely had my fears. Since I had seen Jen have her surgery first, I knew what to expect, but I feared my experience would be worse. She had set a high standard as a patient and I admit that I'm a pain wimp. I had lots of fears about how I would tolerate the pain and the recovery. Thankfully, everything has been better than expected.

Two weeks before surgery I started a high protein, low-carb diet. The doctor wanted me to build up my protein reserves to help during recovery. It was great to enjoy a thick steak, knowing that it will be a very long time before I do that again. At the same time, anyone who has been on a low-carb diet can tell you how boring it can be. Way too many grilled chicken salads with ranch dressing, hold the croutons.

Monday before my surgery I had a pre-surgical appointment with my doctor. My official pre-surgery weight (clothed) was 380 pounds. I had to sign a bunch of forms indicating that I knew all of the horrible things that could go wrong. They also took some measurements that they will update along the way.

Tuesday before my surgery I was on a clear liquid diet. In the evening I had to do a bowel prep. I had to drink 64 ounces of blue Powerade and a 2 week supply of laxative in a 2 hour period. I do not recommend anyone ever do this on their own.

On Wednesday I weighed myself before going to the hospital - 373 (naked). We got to the hospital at 7 am, and I was prepped for surgery at 9 am. I remember being wheeled into the operating room with two lights above me and that is it until I got to my hospital room a little before 1. I don't remember any of the time I spent in the recovery room at all.

I spent most of Wednesday sleeping, punctuated by short walks, nurses taking my vital signs, and trips to the bathroom. (This was welcome as Jennifer had a hard time urinating after her surgery and that made her very uncomfortable). Jen stayed with me all day and her mother Barbara came for a visit. I slept through most of it.

My pain level was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone on the Bariatric floor was great to me. Late Thursday morning I reached a turning point. I was comfortable in bed and didn't want to go through the difficulty of getting up - Having a nurse unplug my IV and Pulse/Oxygen monitor, and take off my compression boots, but I knew that I needed a walk (to prevent blood clots). I called for the nurse and got up, and planned to do 5 laps around the corridor. As I started walking, I found that I felt better. I eventually made it through 10 laps. From that point on I felt great. I was walking on a regular basis, and taking longer before asking for any pain medicine.

By Friday morning, I had stopped taking narcotics and was just taking Tylenol. Jen took me home about Noon and I settled in. I couldn't believe that I was feeling so good. Jen cautioned me to be careful, not lifting any weight or climbing stairs.

By Saturday I was off all pain medications. I was able to go to church on Sunday. I have been walking the doctor prescribed 30 minutes a day and watching my strength and energy come back. My incisions seem to be healing well and the pounds are falling off. I weighed myself this morning and have lost 19 pounds in the 1 week since my surgery. I don't expect that to continue at that rate, but its a great start

I am so thankful for everyone that has been praying for me. My doctor and the professionals at Northside Hospital were great, but I know that your thoughts and prayers have helped make this a much better experience. I am also incredibly thankful for my wife, Jennifer, who has been super supportive and has set a great example.

Eating and Exercise

You might be thinking "Ben, why don't you just eat less and exercise more?" I thought I would address diet and exercise today.

First, lets talk about Food. I love food. There, i've said it. I love food. I can count on one hand the number of things in my lifetime that I wouldn't eat again if they were offered to me. I am not a picky eater. I don't have any stories about eating an entire gallon of ice cream in one sitting, or a box of Twinkies, or a bag of potato chips. I just enjoy food.

I will admit to having issues with portion control. I grew up in a family with three younger brothers and as our wives will attest, Greenwald men eat incredibly fast. At family dinners, food just disappears off of the table. I have also been a believer in the clean your plate approach to eating. I don't know if my mother ever mentioned starving children in Africa to encourage me to eat, but that is certainly how I have behaved. My brain does not tell my body to stop eating until the plate is clean. One of the things that I am looking forward to with the surgery is that this is simply not possible. I am bound and determined not to experience the negative side effects of over-filling my new small-sized stomach. I see a lot of plates with food left over in my future.

Now, on to exercise. It is my experience that exercise is not the least bit fun when you are obese. Even taking a 30 minute walk produces aches and pains. You can try it out for yourself. If you are a typical 180 pound guy, give your 140 pound wife a piggy-back ride. Also strap 5 one gallon containers of milk to yourself. Now go outside and walk up and down your street for a half hour. Can you do it? This is the weight I experience every time I go out for a walk. Not very enjoyable is it?

I was telling a friend the other day that I've never experienced the "Runner's High". It sounds awesome and i hope some day to be light enough to go running and experience it for myself. But currently, exercise just is not enjoyable.

Have You Always Been Overweight?

The short answer is that I can not ever remember being overweight. I was an average size baby (6 pounds and a few ounces), and as a toddler I had the typical baby fat. By the time I was in elementary school, mom was buying "husky" sized clothes for me. In 7th grade I wrestled in the 180 pound class (165 to 180 pounds) and in 8th grade I wrestled in the Heavyweight class (180 to 205 pounds). Believe it or not, I was always one of the tallest kids in my class through about 7th grade. I looked at my 6' 1" father and figured I would end up about 6' 4" and about 230 pounds. A great size for a football player. Unfortunately, I failed to take into account my 5' 3" mother. By 8th grade I had stopped growing taller while everyone else was just starting their growth spurt.

Even then I was already starting to watch my calories. While other kids seemed to be able to eat whatever they wanted, not me. Of course I made horrible choices. Who knew that the tall glass of orange juice I had every day after school was full of calorie laden fructose.

In high school I was wearing XL clothing, and by the time I was in college, I was having to shop at Big and Tall stores. By the time I graduated I was probably 250 pounds, and by the time I made it through grad school I was pushing 300 pounds. I continued to gain weight through my 20s and was 345 by 2001. I would diet and exercise on occasion without any significant success. The only bright spot was a period in 2001 when I was going to the gym at lunch with guys from work every day. I got down to about 325, but the 9/11 happened and my best gym buddy got recalled to active duty.

By the time I met Jen in 2004, I was back up to the 340s and have gradually trended upward from there. We dieted together in 2008-2009 and got down from 375 to about 360, but couldn't get any farther. Today I am 378 according to the scale in our bathroom.

An Introduction

I have no idea how you made it to my blog, but welcome. You may be family, or one of my oldest and dearest friends. You may be a casual acquaintance, or you may have stumbled upon my blog while surfing the net. You may have read my wife Jen's blog about her gastric bypass experience at Jen's Gastric Bypass Journey. No matter how you made it here. I hope you will like what you read and return on a regular basis.

As I write this, I am about a week before my surgery on June 23. I literally have spent a lifetime getting to this point. The surgery will hopefully mark in a change in the direction I have been heading. I'll try and be as honest and forthcoming as I can be. If you have any questions or well wishes, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to make a comment, or email me directly at b.l.greenwald at gmail.com