My Trek to a Healthier Me: February 2010 Progress Report

So I had a follow-up with my surgeon on 02/10/2010. Only lost 3 more pounds. Oh man! I thought for sure I would've lost more than that given the new workout program (see January post). Maybe I'd just packed on some muscle. That sounds plausible, right? Oh well, whatever the case, my doctor pumped some more saline into my band to further constrict my stomach. That is such a weird feeling. Like you can feel your stomach getting tighter. Almost like this all of a sudden full sensation. It's so odd. So we'll see how I do with that come next month. I'm hoping for another 8 pounds by then. Even so, I'm down right at 30 pounds in just over 3 months so I'm not really complaining. Really I'm not. My doctor also said I'm not getting enough protein. It's really hard to consume 60-70 grams of protein a day when you're not eating that much. so more protein shakes are in my future--those help. Increased protein intake-->more muscle development-->more fat burning-->increased metabolism (or metababolism as Homer Simpson says)-->more weight loss. So I gotta work it out.

And I really gotta figure out the new tightness thing b/c right now my name could be "Pukey Van Hurlenburg" or maybe "Vomitia Barfington". I feel like one of those after school specials about bulimia. Remember the one where the girl was throwing up in jars and bags and hiding them in her room so no one would know? Well, that's been me lately. I threw up grapes and yogurt people! GRAPES AND YOGURT!! That's some nasty -ish. I even threw up water. That happened at work. Fun. On the upside, I've been working with the same people for 10 years, and Mama works in my office, too. So this one lady, Leanora aka Lenny just got a paper towel and wiped off my hands whilst Mama wiped up the floor and I sat there looking dazed and confused going "it's just water. I promise it's only water." How sweet is that? Lenny said no big deal cuz she's 67 and raised 2 boys. She didn't even really stop eating her breakfast. Being the office baby has definite perks. So why all the upchucking? calling "Ralph & Europe" on the big white phone? worshiping the porcelain gods? Well, imagine pouring too much liquid too fast into a funnel that's too small. That's the basic concept. Stuff just gets stuck and then comes back up instead of going down. So I just have to concentrate harder on taking really teeny-tiny bites and chewing everything to the consistency of baby food.

All that being said, I really am making progress. People say they can really tell a difference--and especially the people I don't see everyday. It was really nice to hear my brother/trainer say to me the other day, "Man, it's just falling of of you." So let's go for a little visual timeline:

This one is 10-14-2009 (2 weeks before surgery):