Hilary's 7 Month Update


For the first time since my surgery, I have noticed my weight loss has stalled. I am at a plateau. I knew one was out there. Personally and selfishly, I wish it would have come once I have lost the final 8 pounds I have to reach my 100 pound loss mark. However, I am fine with it because 159 pounds is better than 252.

With this plateau, I am facing the fact that I have to faithfully add exercise to my life and begin to monitor what I eat. Unlike any “diet” that I have done before where I felt I needed to see results before I could be happy, watching what I eat this time will be a joy.

My hair loss has slowed down dramatically but I am still loosing a bit. I only throw up when I eat to fast. My last episode of dumping came from eating an entire Krispy Kreme donut in about 15 minutes. (Clearly, I was not thinking things through when I did this.)

I love the way my body feels. I remember what life as an overweight person was like and I will never forget that. I am able to hold my head up and look people in the eye. Every morning I marvel at the beautiful work that Dr. Lee did on my pann surgery. Yes, I have a scar that runs hip to hip but I recently purchased a bikini and made sure I bought a style that would cover it up. However, I’d take that hip to hip scar any day especially since the pann surgery left me without my stretch marks.

Below is a picture of me holding up a pair of shorts that I wore the day before my surgery. I was so shocked when I realized that was the size I used to wear.

Before I close this update, I thought I would share a typical day’s eating for me. I don’t have measurements as to how many ounces of food I eat, I just know when I am full and when I should not eat anymore.

Breakfast: 1 package instant oatmeal – Raisin & Spice. When I first wake up I begin to drink water right away as I find I have dry mouth when I wake up.

Mid-Morning Snack: 1 container of yogurt or pretzels. When I busy at work, I find that my mind is busy so I don’t think about food. As a result, the mid morning snack sometimes doesn’t happen.

Lunch: I try to bring leftovers from dinner the night before. However, if I eat out I like to go to Carl’s Jr. I order a chicken salad and baked potato. I also go to Taco Bell. As I have said before my biggest issues with lunch are when my co-workers keep tabs on what I am eating.

Mid-Afternoon Snack: As I still very much have my sweet tooth, I enjoy a few cookies for a snack. Sometimes I have yogurt or will eat some leftover lunch items.

Pre-Dinner: When I get home from work I am very hungry. Sometimes I eat my dinner right away, however, I have been trying to work on eating fruit or vegetables.

Dinner: This is probably my most enjoyable meal each day. I try to be original and creative. I enjoy pasta with turkey meat sauce, chicken breast with mashed potato, and recently I have learned to appreciate pizzas made on english muffins.

While I think I am always eating, when I sit back and think about it I really don’t. I find that I don’t think about food as much as I used to. I do find myself these days looking at my reflection and I find myself smiling. I am enjoying life. I make plans for the weekends now. When I was fat I would hide out from the world.

In closing I’d like to say I have realized that the decision to have this surgery is a journey of discovery for each one of us individually. You have to decide for yourself if this is right for you. No one can make that decision for you. It is your life and you are in control of it. As I echo my mother, if hair loss, scars, pain, how others will treat you, what you can or can’t eat, or insurance issues are your first concerns, then this surgery is probably not your best bet at this time. Research on this surgery cannot be done 100% on the internet. You must get out there. Attend a support group meeting. Meet people face to face and see their lives. The faceless form of communication that the internet offers is not enough for determining if the Fobi Pouch surgery is right for you.

Hilary's 9-Month Update

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