On Second Thought...

Several things have happened lately that have me reconsidering how I want to go about this weight loss thing.

The trouble I had with the whey isolate really scared me. While I found the Raw Vegan powder that I liked, after experimenting with it, I've learned that in order to make it drinkable, it really does need between 10-12 ounces of soy milk for every 19 grams of protein. If I have surgery, I'll be able to drink about 4 ounces at one meal, which means that for the two weeks prior to surgery and the two weeks after, I will be incredibly protein deficient. That scares me. A LOT. Without protein, the body breaks down muscle, and given that the heart, lungs, and intestines are nothing but, there's a real risk of damage to them if I can't get enough protein in.

The second thing that's happened is that I've lost eleven pounds from the first weigh in after I made the decision for surgery. That loss has come by cutting out soda, and restricting my carbs and total calories. I track what I eat, and I'm very careful about my awareness as I put things into my mouth. There's a part of me that thinks that 11 pounds in two months is a good result and if I can keep doing that, why let doctors remove part of my stomach?

I had my second required doctor's appointment with my family doctor on Monday, and we talked a lot about the surgery and whether or not a change of mind is in order. He tells me that 90% of the time, the surgery is unnecessary. He came very close to telling me it's unnecessary for me at this point. I have no other medical conditions (in weight loss surgery lingo they're called co-morbidities) which make rapid weight loss advisable, and the surgery carries some pretty big complications.

So, with the advice and encouragement of my doctor, this is the plan forward. I will continue meeting with him once a month, with a goal of losing a minimum of 5 pounds each month. He wrote me a prescription for a gym membership and personal training, which I started yesterday. (More on that in my next post) Because it's physician ordered, flexible spending dollars will cover the cost, and if I'm not having the surgery, I'm going to need to get that money back somehow! At my doctor's estimation, it should take me 24 months to lose 120 pounds, and that's the only down-side. It's slow. But, it took me 37 years to put this weight on my body, two doesn't seem like a bad exchange to get it off, as long as it keeps coming. I will still meet with my therapist to make sure I'm addressing the issues which in the past have made me binge, and I will still track everything I eat with a focus on proteins and good carbs.

If this doesn't work, then I still will have done everything to be compliant with my surgeon's office to qualify for the surgery, and it's always an option. I hope that folks don't think I'm chickening out, but, I just think based on what I know that I'd be in for a rough time afterward.  I appreciate continued prayers for my weight loss journey, I know God is in control, and I feel he's leading me down this path.

MR