A Milestone, some NSVs and my Seven Week Summary

Oct 10, 2012

Today marks seven weeks for me since my surgery. I have had a great week so far with a couple NSVs and a weight loss milestone. I think it will only be a few more days until I get to halfway and actually take a few photos of myself - for myself - so I can start internalizing the fact that this is what I look like now. So, I'll give the boring details in a moment, but first, I'd like to memorialize my NSVs, for me and for anyone who reads this post.

The first one began on Sunday and was cemented today. I had spent some time thinning out my armoire and closet and bagged two big garbage bags full of clothes that were too big and needed to go to Goodwill. Issue at hand was that I didn't have any jeans that fit. Since I work in jeans five days a week, this is a problem, so I ran to Costco because I saw they had regular ol' Levis on sale a few days earlier. I only bought two pairs since I can't imagine them fitting for too long - they were 10" smaller than the last pair of jeans I bought around this time last year. Even better - they are too big already! I increased my exercise about 10 days ago and had three big days this week and the pants that I bought on Sunday are already literally falling off today. I only took the tags off one pair, so the other is going back, but my mind is blown. I lost 2" in 4 days and I'm going back to get my first pair of jeans in the 30's in about 15 years because I have lost 12" around my waist since my VSG just seven weeks ago.

My second NSV was on Monday. I visited my PCP. I've been seeing the same doctor since 2003. I really like him a lot. He listens, he stays current with his practice, remembers little things from past conversations, takes his time with me and responds quickly when I need something. I had a 1015 appointment and I was sitting in the waiting room. He comes out to the waiting room - twice - and then finally goes in and asks the nurse if she'd heard from me and she says, "Doc, he's sitting right there!" He didn't even recognize me! I just saw him a month ago to discuss my medications and the complications from my surgeries and he looked me straight in the face and didn't even recognize me! I laughed out loud. It was awesome. I jumped on the scale, blasted off another twenty-something pounds since my last appointment and got relieved from all but the last of my meds. I spent almost an hour detailing everything I have been doing, eating, exercising and just really talking about the surgery and my results. Before I left he asked if I'd be open to talking with some of his other patients - and he's not even a bariatric guy. Wow! I felt great.

So my milestone was 50lbs in 49 days. Prior to my surgery, I didn't really know what the time frames were and what to expect, only that everyone progessed a little differently. I set my sights on 50lbs in 50 days and 100lbs in six months. I have been making some nice moves and then slowing down for a few days and then dropping a few pounds, and so on... The last two weeks have been tough for me, though. I lost 2.4lbs at the beginning of last week and have been looking at the same weight for almost 10 days, plus or minus a couple ounces. I've been exercising, eating great and working long hours. I have really been keeping busy and putting a little extra effort into myself. Well, today, I woke up, did what I needed to and then took the dog for a walk. I made breakfast and lunches for my daughter, wife and myself, ate my breakfast and then showered before I got on the scale. It was almost an afterthought. I got on and was thrilled. I was 2.4lbs less than yesterday. I was so thrilled I got off and weighed myself two more times to be sure I wasn't just standing on the wrong corner or something - nope - definitely skipped 50 and 51 and went right to 52lbs gone! My halfway to goal mark is 56lbs and then I'm shaving my face and buying a few new clothes. Wow, awesome.  

So, my summary is something like this: in 49 days I have lost 52lbs, 12 inches from my waist, gone from 40 to 32.8 BMI and my blood pressure is down to 115/75. I only have to take my Actigall twice a day and my Prevacid once. I am finally cleared to lift things again, so I have been working really hard again and doing all of the things I love as well. I feel like I've picked up the pace almost back to normal. I don't smoke anymore, I don't snore, I exercise every day, I don't need blood pressure medicine and, ya know what? I really don't even crave the things I loved enough to make myself so fat in the first place.

After a rough start, I'm getting it done. I'm really, really happy. I'll see you guys in four pounds with a couple pictures of "Halfway-to-the-new-Jay!"

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