No Exception to the Rule

Being over six months post op and 115 pounds down, I have realized many things.....But, this one is the biggest ones....

I am so exception to the rule and need encouragement sometimes!

What do I mean by this?

They say: "There will be hairloss."
I say: "Maybe not me....probably not me."
The Truth: THERE WILL BE HAIRLOSS! I started losing just a little at a time and even now that I have cut my hair off, the hairloss has not stopped! It still comes out a ton...enough that I need to clean out my hairbrush every other day. I am no exception, and boy does hairloss suck! I mean really, wow it is scary to have your hair come out in chunks with every time you brush it or run your fingers through it.

They say: "At six months you will begin to have an appetite and be able to eat more."
I say: "uhhh I cant even think about food or eating more than one bite" (post surgery)
The Truth: YES, you can eat more and yes food starts to taste good again! Of course, before surgery I could eat an entire box of Ricearoni or Scalloped potatoes and chicken strips, immediately post op, I could only eat 3 bites of food, now have upgraded to being able to eat about 3/4 cup of denser protein rich food.

I know that 3/4 cup of food really is not that much, but it is scary to know that I can tolerate more food. I have to be extremely careful as to what I am putting in my body! Since I can eat more, I really need to follow the rules of eating protein first, then veggies, then the carbs. Initially I cut out carbs completely, until the dietitian told me I need to eat more carbs for my brain health. It has been a challenge to not overdo the carbs though.

They say: "It is completely normal to have a stall/plateau, but you will start to lose again,"
I say: "There is no way I will plateau! I go to the gym and eat healthy."
The Truth: You will have a stall or a plateau. Yeah, I still work out at the gym and still eat healthy, but the reality of it is that I have been losing 20 pounds per month for the last 6 months. It has to slow down eventually....and it is beginning to.

Honestly, it scared the heck out of me and was a bit discouraging! To go a whole week and only lose 2 pounds was scary, but I had to think about why this could be the case. Well, I am able to eat more food, so I need to be more careful. I was not at the gym as often as I wanted to be. Plus, the thinner I get, it is harder to lose weight.

So how did I fix that? I signed up for another day a week of personal training. I need that extra push and accountability. I threw out my SF icecream I had to make smoothies with. Though the SF icecream was low in calories and fat, it still had empty calories. So bye bye icecream. Truthfully, I am not sad to see it go. I know that I need to do this for me!

How do I remedy the fact that I love food? I am still working on that part because I do love food. I am a bored eater and a group eater. If people are eating/snacking....I will eat/snack. It is time to continue to break that habit.

The best advice I can give anyone who has had Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, or is just trying to lose weight....Be inward focused! Why do you eat the food you eat? What emotions trigger eating? Food for so many people is a comfort. For me, food was the only constant in my life. It was something that I knew would always be there for me when my life was not always going right. I have to break that habit and know that food is something that has been given to me to fuel my body.

I know that I must realize that Gastric Bypass or any modified eating was never meant to be a quick fix. It is NOT a sprint to the finish line, but a lifelong marathon.

And this is one marathon that I know I will WIN!!!

Do not lose hope, you can do it! I can do it!

Sure, I am no exception to the rule but I am doing something about losing weight.

Will you continue to join me in this journey of health?


What are you doing to stay healthy?

Please share and encourage one another!

Because I need the encouragement too! :)