Post-Op: 6 Weeks

It's been roughly six weeks since my surgery and I'm down 18 pounds. Clearly, I'm not setting any land speed records for weight loss, since that averages out to 3 lbs a week, but I'm happy. I am back to the weight I was when I was going through nutritional counseling with my hardcore nutrtionist. All of my suits fit again (pretty much) and I'm almost back into the skirts that I bought when I started work in October.

I had my first band fill a week ago. If I thought there was some restriction in my diet before the fill, it's nothing like it is now. My surgeon put in 5.5 ccs in the band - the largest fill. All subsequent fills will be 2 ccs or so. I've gone from eating almost everything to feeling almost scared to eat. I look at food and think, "Now how exactly is this going to go down?" When I find something that both tastes good and feels good in my body, I can't help but to thoroughly enjoy it and usually get seconds. Unfortunately, most of those items are junk food, which is the oddest thing. Oreos, doritos, and wheat thins taste the best to me and don't cause any nasuea or constriction after I eat.

Although I have a picture of pasta with this post, I have to be careful about the about of pasta, rice, and bread I eat. I took a pair of prospects out to dinner and had beef terrayki with white rice. I was fine immediately after dinner, but about an hour later, I kept getting fuller and fuller and more sick. I went to bed feeling sick and woke up feeling sick. It was kind of like still being drunk the day after a bender. I couldn't work and couldn't really move. I was sick as a dog from white rice. Sweet Jesus help me - WHITE RICE!

In a similar vein, I most consistently struggle with any food that combines bread and meat. Hamburgers, sandwiches, and fajitas are all fairly rough. For some reason, I keep trying to eat these kinds of food because I'm surrounded by them. They show up in my office or at school. I'm also a slow learner, so there is that.

On the upside, while I have to avoid cheeseburgers for a bit, I do enjoy that I'm rarely hungry. I don't have the constant, "Where's my next meal going to come from? Am I going to be hungry later?" worries. The food cravings are still intense, when I find myself thinking about food or listening to other people talk about food.

My next fill is in early May. Until then, I'll keep you posted on my progress.