Emotions running wild...and 25 lbs gone

Before I left the hospital, the head bariatric nurse came in to check on me.  She gave me lots of useful information about the first few weeks of life with a smaller stomach.  One thing she mentioned, that I didn't pay much attention to, was that my emotions may be all over the place for a while after the surgery.  I hadn't read this anywhere while researching about the gastric sleeve...so I really didn't expect it would be an issue.

I've been having "moments" for the past week, but hadn't actually broken down and cried yet.  Well...yesterday the floodgates opened.  I started crying in the car, on the way to play mini-golf with my hubby and son.  What the heck?!  After my little crying spell I did feel much better....but today I feel really blue.  I honestly feel like I have the "baby blues" all over again.  I hadn't expected this at all, and I'm wondering...how many people actually go through this and don't say anything about it? 

On a positive note - I've lost 25 lbs since I started this journey.  YAY!

  

                                                                                  

Nausea - you are not my friend

Wow!  This week Nausea hit me, and it hit hard!  It came out of nowhere - suddenly I felt terrible and couldn't drink anything.  I went to bed, hoping it would help me if I got some rest.  Needless to say, I'm now on some anti-nausea meds...every 4 hours like clockwork.  I don't want to go back to feeling like that.
Only being allowed clear liquids and low-fat milk makes it hard enough to stay hydrated and get enough nutrients in...add nausea and not being able to get the milk in and it makes for a very weak girl. 

On the plus side, I'm now down to 272 on my home scale - that's 18 lbs down.  Woo hoo!  I go for my 2 week follow up Wednesday, and I'm going to see what the scale at the doctor's office shows. 

4 days post op....it'll all be worth it in the end, right!?

Wow - I seriously underestimated this surgery and what the recovery would be like! 
The pain and soreness from the incision area is one thing, the terrible feeling in my chest after I drink anything.  It feels like I'm having a heart attack!  Ouch!
I have been told I need to drink at least 32 oz of milk and 32 oz of clear liquids each day.  Well, I have been having a hard time getting just the milk in!

Me, in the pre-op area, waiting to be taken into surgery.  The "Happy Juice" has taken affect at this point...so I'm all Smiles! :)

 

My 1st meal after surgery.  1 oz cups of jello, broth and juice....yummy, I know!

And it begins...

 

...the weight loss, that is!
I started the "official" pre-op diet on Tuesday, weighing in at 292lbs. (Even typing that number is terrifying - but I'm using this blog to document my journey & I have to be truthful, so there you go.)

This morning I decided to weigh in...just to see if this whole "low carb" thing works.  Well, it does!
I'm down 3lbs, to 289.  Wow!

I am so excited, I needed to see that on the scale this morning.  Low carbs is hard and that 3lb weight loss gave me the encouragement I needed to face the next few days.

I'm so proud of myself for not cheating, and for sticking to this. 

Low-Carbs....Day 1....No turning back now!

So, today is day 1 of the low carb pre-op diet I've been prescribed.

I found a really great, no-carb protein shake that I decided to use instead of all of that meat and cheese.  So, for breakfast, lunch and snacks - the shakes are my go-to option.

I'm glad I did a trial-run with the low carb diet...I learned that I hate lunch meat rolled up with a slice of cheese...yuck! 

I love this new shake, though - it's really yummy, especially if I blend it in my new Ninja blender with lots of crushed ice and cold water.

 

I'm not great at those "selfies" that people take in the mirror...but here is my "day 1" pic.

No Carb pre-op diet?!?

So, who out there has gone through the whole "pre-op" diet for WLS?  I've read lots of blogs/FB posts, etc. about pre-op diets being liquids only. 
Well, my doc has prescribed a no/low carb diet prior to surgery.
Has anyone else been given this pre-op diet?

Well, I'm working through a "test run" of low carbs and it is HARD!  Carbs are in everything.  Last week I tried eating meats, cheeses and green veggies - way hard and I am not that huge a fan of meat or cheese when I can't have bread or pasta with it.  So, this week I'm trying a no carb protein shake instead - so far I'm not doing so great.  It's not really filling me up.
I have decided that tomorrow I will do a shake every couple of hours - instead of just breakfast and lunch.  We'll see how it goes!

In other news, I've ordered and received a bathing suit that I've decided will be my "goal" swimsuit!  I have a really nice swimsuit that I got last year from Torrid - it's a great, retro-style suit.  It's a size 24.  :(  I went only and found that they still have that suit, so I ordered it in the smallest size Torrid sells...a 12.  So, it's literally HALF the size of my current suit.

I will take a "before" pic in my current suit - and can't wait to be able to take the "after" in the size 12!
Check out the side-by-side below.

Before & After

I was "window shopping" on Torrid.com last night and had an idea...I want to do Before & After pics in my black swimsuit that I bought last year (in a size 3x...blah!).  So, I checked and Torrid still has that suit!  It's on sale, so I ordered it in the smallest size they have (which is a 0 -aka 12 in big girl sizes). 

I have decided that the size 12 swimsuit will be my goal swimsuit.  I don't ever remember being a size 12, so even imagining being able to put it on is just crazy to me. 

I can't wait to post those Before & After pics...but I'm not putting the Before online until I have reached my goal and can post the After at the same time. :)

I'm busy preparing for the surgery.  The pre-op diet that my doc as prescribed is essentially the induction phase of the Atkins diet.  That's 20 carbs a day...meats, cheese, eggs and green veggies.  My hubby and I have decided to start it early, so we'll be used to it and so we'll have time to make mistakes while we learn what we can and can't eat.
We started this past Monday, so today is day 5.  It's been a rough week - but we are learning and I am confident that next week will be better.

Only 33 days until my surgery!