Four months in and feeling fine

Jun 10, 2013

It’s been a while since I updated. Didn’t mean to let it go this long but things have felt so normal for the last few months that it never really occurred to me to write in the ol’ OH blog. But today was my four-month follow-up, which seems like a big deal because it’s the first time since the surgery my nurse practitioner and I have gone over the results of lab work (blood and 24-hour urine).

Overall, things are looking good for Horrible Monster. As of today I’m down to about 164 pounds, and my nurse practitioner says that’s good. (I weighed 206 the morning of surgery, on February 27.) I’m feeling well and energetic except when it comes to getting up in the morning. I’d been blaming my AM lassitude on bad unemployment habits but it looks like it probably has more to do with my exciting new vitamin deficiency.

I am deficient in vitamin A! Egad! My iron and B12 are low-normal so she told me to take relatively small amounts of OTC supplements for that. For the A, though, I’m taking a METRIC BUTT-TON of OTC supplement. It makes me a little nervous to take so much of anything but I guess it’ll be worth it if the weird fatigue dissipates. Some other things I didn’t even realize were symptoms: weird rough patches on my skin and increasingly terrible night vision. I’d figured I was just sort of a wreck, a pathetic collection of physical flaws, but it just might be the vitamin A deficiency. Interesting.

Otherwise, like I said, things are good. Once I’m up and moving around each day I’m feeling pretty great. Frustrated to be out of work (still!) but tackling some projects that have needed attention since forever. Eating is feeling normal; I’ve been eating solid foods, including meat, since the last week of April. I’ve only made one super stupid mistake (ate some delicious cinnamon bears) and regretted it IMMENSELY. Felt very sick for hours and hours afterwards. (This was only a couple days into solids and I just sort of snapped after a party and wanted some goddamn candy—NEVER AGAIN.)

I’m usually eating somewhere in the neighborhood of 800-900 calories. When I asked my nurse practitioner if I should aim for a particular number of calories she said 600-800 but not to go overboard worrying about it. I’ll probably try to walk myself back a bit, from 900 to 800. After all, I’m still in the “honeymoon” phase when weight loss is pretty easy. Better not get complacent. She also said I should limit my carbohydrates to 45 grams a day. I looked at my data for the last month in MyFitnessPal and think that 45/day won’t be difficult. I’ve certainly had days where I’ve gone over that but I’ve had plenty that were below—way more that were below, in fact.

I’m taking two protein shakes a day (Jay Robb in four ounces of plain unsweetened almond milk) and then the rest of my intake is food, actual food. GLORIOUS FOOD. I swear I appreciate food more now that I can’t just inhale a week’s supply in one gorging episode. Which isn’t to say I haven’t overeaten a few times; old habits die hard. But it’s different. And I’m wising up and serving myself smaller portions so the temptation to “just finish it so it won’t go to waste; it’s too little to justify putting it back in the refrigerator” won’t be as strong.

But yeah, everything is kind of great right now. My clothes don’t fit, except for a few I’d held onto since before I got fat in the first place—and some that I’ve stolen from my mom or received from a friend’s closet-purging mom. What I desperately need is: belts, bras (BRAS!), camisoles. And, well, everything. But those three are sort of urgent. Fortunately, between my mom and my friend’s mom (and stealing back some items I’d passed on to my sister when I got too big for them) I should be able to put together a not-too-ridiculous interview outfit. If anyone ever calls me for an interview. (Sob.)

What else? My  husband and sister and I took a series of four swing dancing lessons. So much fun. I wish we could afford to continue. When I get a job, we will. I’m insecure and anxious about dancing so I think the lessons were probably good for my soul as well as my body. Plus my husband is a natural dancer and looked really good on the dance floor, so that was a bonus. A sexy bonus.

Here’s to jobs and dance classes and delicious grass-fed beef hotdogs from the yuppie grocery store. Om nom nom.

0 Comments