The Transformation Journals

I will re stress here that once you have decided to have the procedure, that is the time to change your diet.  You will need to get used to concentrating on protien and avoiding alot of carbs and fat.  Your body has enough of that stored and you will be burning it so protect the muscle you have as much as you can.  You will lose muscle, there is no doubt of that, just do as much as you can to limit it.

My pre op diet started two weeks out as instructed by my surgeon.  It consisted of a full liquid diet.  Any liquid, ice cream, jello, cream soups, cream cereals, protien/meal replacement shakes etc.  Get the picture?  Nothing that has anything that has to be chewed.  You can have some regular soups in week one but try to limit it.  The meat and vegitables are so soft that they do not cause a problem.  One week out CLEAR LIQUIDS ONLY.  Broth, jello, water, etc.  This where I had trouble getting the protien as I was unaware of some of the products out there.

You might think the purpose of the diet is to clean out the intestines and colon.  Not so.  It is to de fat and shrink the liver.  It makes it more firm and helps get it out of the way during the procedure.  This is a good thing.  I did learn that this practice is not done by all surgeons, or was not at the time I underwent my procedure.  Ask about it if it is not mentioned in your consultation with the surgeon.

I’ll talk about the post operative diet in another part.  Be well.

Posted some new stats.  Something is obviously wrong with the shoulder stats, as in I messed up on the first measurement.  I doubt I have put on two inches in 26 days.  Especially with everything else going down or staying the same.  So I will just use today’s as a starting point as I double checked it.  One stat that is not there is the circumference of my head.  Started at 24 1/4 and is now 23 or 23 1/2 (insert fat head jokes here).

I know what your are going to say.  Changing a goal after setting it just a couple weeks ago.  Perhaps.  Not changing it now, just re examining it.   When I was thinking about a number, the weight I wanted to obtain, I thought of what half my weight was before.  Being able to say I lost 50 percent body weight, impressive.  And the jokes, "I’m half the man I used to be".  *L*  However, goals are supposed to be realistic, and is this one so?  Muscle is more dense than fat so as I add muscle my weight will go up, in theory.  My pants are still getting looser, to the point that I think I am down another size.  I need to take another set of measurements for an update.  Factor in that once I have the excess skin removed (more on that in the bariatric section later) I will lose (and I am making an educated guess here) 20-30 pounds.  I have been floating between 215 and 220 for a couple weeks now.  As I said, not changing it just some ponderings.

The first thing that happened was I talked to my primary care physician about some of the health issues I was having.  Sleep apnea, depression, blood pressure creeping up, some irregular heart beats, arthritis in the knees, and some abnormal blood tests indicating the possible onset of diabetes.  I decided it was time for a major change.  They agreed.  I had always been able to lose weight but it was always hard work.  Like most, the weight always came back plus some.  Time for something more permanent.  So I get a referral to a surgeon and we decide to go with the lap band procedure.  Less invasive and less complicated is always a good thing.  But wait, insurance does not cover the lap band so we change to the full gastric bypass procedure, which is covered.  (The name of the procedure is Roux-en-Y).  It costs more so the insurance covers it, go figure. 

As part of getting approved for the procedure there are a couple of hoops you have to jump through.  I think they are good ones as it helps you understand what it is you are undertaking.  I had to go see a dietician and a psychiatrist.  The dietician explains to you about the diet limitations post operatively and the timeline for advancing your intake.  What, when and how much etc.  The psychiatrist, it may be a psychologist, makes sure you are of the right mind set to under go the ordeal.  So after you are cleared by all the specialists, this may include an internal medicine or cardiology specialist for pre existing conditions, you make the final decision to go forward.  

If you do not have health insurance or if it is not covered be prepared for a substantial hospital bill.  The cost in my case was about $38,000.00.  I had an out of pocket expense of $2,500.00 to $3,000.00.  I was fortunate enough for mine to be covered. 

Some things to consider that I never thought of until after the fact.  Plan your procedure for the fall.  You will have a hard time staying hydrated because you just can’t get enough fluid in.  This would be even more difficult in the heat of summer.  Start working out long before the surgery.  You will lose muscle mass afterward due to the protein deficit you will be in.  Again, you just cannot get that much in.  Know ahead of time that your workouts will have to come to a halt immediately after the procedure.  You do not have the intake to expend that kind of energy.  Your metabolism is still running on what you used to eat and not adjusted to what you are able to ingest now.  You can add aerobic and light toning exercises in a couple of months if approved by your health care team.  Listen to them.  Do too much; you will make yourself sick or worse.  Eat too much; you will throw it up.  Most importantly; LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  It will tell you what you are doing wrong.  You will make mistakes.  That’s okay, just learn from them. 

Next time I’ll discuss the pre operative and post operative diet.

Ordered some trial kits from BSN.  The Syntha-6 and Lean Dessert Protien powders.  I wanted to see which one(s) of the flavors were worth ordering in bulk, if any.  They also threw in at no charge a bottle of Endorush, a box of Atro-Phex, and a bottle of Axis-HT.  I’ll have to check on using those and let you know if I do and how they work out.

I decided not to use the Axis-HT or the Arto-Phex.  I "donated" them to a guy from work who make good use of them.  I have not tried the Endorush, but I think I will.

Well, there are the mug shots.  The one is from Oct 2005.  Two years before the surgery but is how it was in Sept 2006 when I had the procedure.  The second is from summer or early fall 2007. 

Back from the gym a little while ago and I am a bit disappointed in my deadlift.  I shouldn’t be as I was actually able to do a full lift off the floor instead of having to use the Smith machine as a starting point.  So in that regard I have made some progress, just not happy with the weight.  However, an improvement is an improvement and the weight will come up too.  I didn’t see a place to set a goal for the deadlift so I will do it here.  200 pounds by Dec 31 2007.

I have a lot of work to do before the end of the year.  I do not know if my goals are realistic or not.  Time will tell.

Any information I post in the bariatric section of my blog is based solely on my experience.  The information I was given by those involved in my case was for me and my circumstances.  My goal in putting this information out here is so others who may be considering one of the bariatric procedures will have some idea of things to consider before, during, and after having it. There are things I had not realized that I could have done differently in the beginning that might have helped right after going through the procedure.

 This is in no way intended to be medical advice.  If you are considering having a bariatric procedure you must seek the services of your primary health care provider and follow their instructions, advice, and referrals.

I notice from the counter that a few folks are stopping by.  Thank you for those who have. Thank you in advance for those who will in the future.

See the review of Syntrax Nectar Lemon Tea flavor under Supplements - Products Review