This past month has been an incredible adventure. I've been on the road, traveling with my wife for her job, and have explored so much of the United States! Much of our sightseeing has included trying each region's cuisine, and while it makes me incredibly happy to eat delicious food, it has not been great for my weight loss.
When I left the hospital, I had lost nearly 15 pounds after only three days. Since then, I have lost 3 pounds--three pounds in six weeks! I kept justifying this stall in progress on the stress of not having any routine/permanent residence at the moment (valid), the fact that many people plateau when they begin eating soft foods (true), and that I was doing the best I could without the ability to prepare my own foods (questionable). The truth is, I am not doing the best I can right now, I'm enjoying as much food as my pouch allows! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I am only in post-op Week 7, and am already eating normal foods...in smaller amounts, of course, but certainly not the soft-foods-only diet I should be following. See, I thought that since my tummy was so sensitive immediately following surgery, I would automatically reject foods that I shouldn't be eating yet. So far, I have only had a problem once: a bite of soft noodles a few days ago--I know, I know, definitely not bariatric-friendly--sent my pouch over the edge, and around twenty minutes after eating it, I vomited in my scarf as we were cruising down the highway. With this reaction in mind, I erroneously assumed that if I can tolerate what I'm eating, I'm not eating anything I shouldn't be. That is absolutely not true. Our bodies have an incredible ability to adapt, and our stomachs in particular are made up of rugae, tiny folds on the inside lining which stretch and contract with the coming and going of food. Even though my pouch is much smaller, it still has plenty of these stretchy folds, and every time I push my limits, the rugae expand farther to accommodate my meal. At this point post-op, I shouldn't be putting this kind of stress on my pouch, because it completely negates the point of the surgery! Realizing that I'm doing this, and knowing that I won't be settled in my new home for another two months, has been pretty hard on my psyche. I feel like if I had a stable routine, 24/7 access to my kitchen, and significantly less stress, I would be much more successful at following my diet and losing weight. This is just not the hand I was dealt, so I need to buck up and make the best of it. I'm begrudgingly realizing that I actually do have control of what I eat, but that it's going to take a lot more mindfulness and self control to reset my eating habits. I need to start facing this hard truth. Many doctors recommend the reset diet when their patients begin to revert back to weight gain (typically months to years after the surgery). I'm hoping to modify this diet and reduce its duration to a few days, since I've caught my bad habits fairly early on in journey. The most important thing to keep in mind right now is that I am not a failure, that I have simply wandered off course, but can easily right myself. Letting go of the shame from overeating and making bad food choices is extremely hard (because I've grown up with that my whole life!), but is so important to my success. I have to acknowledge my own humanity, and affirm my strength and my goodness within myself in order to remain positive and stay the course. I promise I'll keep working on it.
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Well, I've read that this is bound to happen at some point, but it finally happened to me: I've gained weight! It was initially pretty shocking, since I've been maintaining my progress slowly, but surely, so when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and found "169" (+2 pounds since last week) staring back at me, I was a little dismayed.
I have to keep in mind that I am beginning to eat normal foods again, albeit small amounts at a time, and that although I'm excited to be traveling nonstop for two months, it does come with its fair amount of stress. This, combined with a plethora of new, rich foods, has made conditions ripe for weight gain, so my thrice-weekly, hour-long workouts in the hotel gym are becoming all-important. Before leaving for Jacksonville, I had a few days at my in-laws' home by myself, and made a fantastic gsleeve-compatible recipe. I hope you like it as much as I did! Puree Stage-Friendly Lasagna Bake Ingredients:
Directions:
Note: Because I was only on Day 2 of pureed foods when I made this recipe, I was not able to eat much in one sitting, and had leftovers for the next day. In the spirit of self love, I'd like to talk about a topic we might not normally broach: sex after bariatric surgery. While not an obvious side effect of this procedure, changes to your sex life are likely to happen--and trust me, they are not bad! Let's break down some of the biggest ones.
Your new diet and vitamin and supplement regimen is nourishing your nervous system and adrenal glands. If you're like me, your nutrition team has ensured that you're taking high quality multivitamins, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium/magnesium, and possibly some iron. You can probably guess these benefits are long-reaching (especially since you can no longer synthesize these yourself, and have a difficult time absorbing them from food), but what is specifically happening? Well, your multi is giving you important minerals like zinc, which nourish your skin and support normal immune function. Vitamin D is a powerhouse, helping with calcium absorption (helping bone mineralization), regulating immune function, and supporting healthy hormone levels. Vitamin B12 is an insulator, and nourishes the length of your nerves, resensitizing your nerve endings. Calcium is essential for bone strength and heart health, and magnesium, which balances/counteracts the effects of calcium, is important for muscle relaxation and calming nervous tension. If you have anemia, you were probably recommended iron supplementation, which dramatically increases energy and strength. These effects translate to your body feeling less stressed out and more sensitive to touch and stimulation, with a higher sexual drive and an improved stamina. Bottom line: don't neglect your vitameatavegamins! Your hormonal system is coming back to balance. I briefly touched on this with vitamin D, but even more significantly, excess weight (fat) stimulates excess estrogen production, throwing your entire endocrine system out of whack. Excess estrogen manifests as decreased libido, mood swings, and fatigue, among other undesirables, so you can imagine how rebalancing this hormone could affect sexuality. Your new exercise routine brings increased flexibility and stamina. Since the surgery, I've finally found the courage to step foot onto a treadmill again, after a five-year hiatus. This newfound determination, combined with the reduced stress on my joints, helped me run for three minutes straight during yesterday's workout--a tremendous feat for me! My experience is not unique, as most patients report increases in energy, flexibility, and stamina several weeks after their surgeries. Libido and sexual health benefits greatly from this too, meaning more sexual adventure, more often, and for longer. You are beginning to feel much more confident in your own skin. There is something so beautiful and rare about reveling in your body, and it is truly unfortunate that more people, especially those with more corpulent body types, don't experience this more often or more fully. Still, it's highly likely that as your body begins to morph, you'll be amazed, intrigued, and hopefully, enamored with your evolving frame. As this self love, self appreciation grows, so too does confidence. So, give in to the urge! Try on that risque lingerie, choose that bold hairstyle, and experiment in the bedroom. Get to know yourself in an entirely different way; I promise you'll like what you find. So a ton of things have been happening to my body and my psyche since the surgery, not the least of which is a complete remodeling of my size and shape. At first, this rapid change was disconcerting. Within days of returning home from the hospital, I could no longer fit my bras, my underwear, and my most prized possessions: my collection of gorgeous dresses.
I remember standing in front of a three-way mirror in a dressing room at Target, after clasping closed a bra measuring 36C, around two weeks post-op. I had previously only been able to squeeze my barrel chest into 41D brassieres, so having to continuously leave the fitting room to hunt for smaller size until I landed on this one was shocking enough, but when I looked at my body under the harsh fluorescent lighting--abdomen flattened to soft curves, scars beet red with purple blooms underneath, skinny neck holding up a seemingly alien gaunt face--I began to cry. For thirty-three years, I have known myself as the sweet, funny, charismatic, and witty chubby girl, and although I had never had trouble garnering dates or attracting sexual partners, the Western ideal of beauty I was not. Morphing into something I had secretly envied for so long threw me, and I had to mourn the loss of...what, exactly? I'm not sure, but it was something, and I was sad. Being skinny felt like a betrayal to my former self, the self that fought for so long to make peace with her uniqueness, that held onto her extra pounds like a shield. I felt guilty for not only looking great in a totally average-bodied 36C, but even more for liking it. It took a some time, a few appointments with my therapist, some heartfelt and supportive chats with my wife, and some literal hand-holding in more changing rooms before I could finally find excitement in discovering my body again. While I'm absolutely shocked that this formerly 14P frame is finding 12P pants too baggy, that size M dresses hug my new, smoother curves beautifully, and that even my shoes feel much roomier now, I'm becoming more comfortable with these thoughts, and dare I say it, even excited by them. In my mind, this has so little to do with being thinner, and so much more to do with feeling better. I'll freely admit it: I love my "new" body! I loved myself as a heavier person, and I love myself now: smaller in size, and more vibrant and excited for life than ever. I no longer have to take medications that left me without energy or motivation, or to mentally note all restrooms within walking distance before I eat something, or to avoid physical intimacy with my wife because I feel so physically ill. I'm at the point now where I can begin to enjoy the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of this life-changing healthcare decision, where I can learn to appreciate my slimmer self without reservation. I know this journey will be full of many more moments of doubt and soul searching, but for now, I'm feeling the skinny love. As a post-op patient myself, I have recently revisited the naturopathic surgery protocols I learned in school, and am excited to update them with pearls from my own experience. In general, naturopathic doctors are qualified to perform minor surgery in several states and territories, but higher force interventions like pharmaceuticals and surgery are usually reserved for more advanced stages of disease. Still, there is a very unique place for naturopaths in the care of pre- and post-op patients, as I hope my experience demonstrates.
Naturopathic doctors approach surgery with several goals in mind: to bolster nutrition stores in order to build resilience, to minimize unnecessary inflammation and pain, and to support the natural healing process inherent in all of us. Sometimes these lofty goals are easier said than done, but for straightforward surgical procedures, here's a general outline of naturopathic tips and tricks.
Of course, this list is a just a general outline of naturopathic interventions to consider when planning for surgery. While it is by no means exhaustive, incorporating even a few of these basic concepts can make a big difference in healing times following an operation. As with any changes to your healthcare plan, consult with a licensed healthcare professional and with your surgeon to devise the best course of action for your particular situation. I hope these are helpful, and from one post-op patient to another, happy and speedy healing! References (1) Danielski, et al. "Preoperative vitamin C supplementation improves colorectal anastomotic healing and biochemical parameters in malnourished rats." International Journal of Colorectal Disease. 2016 Nov;31(11):1759-1766. (2) de Andrade Calaca, et al. "Probiotics as a preventive strategy for surgical infection in colorectal cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials." Translational Gastroenterolgy and Hepatology. 2017 Aug 23;2:67. |
AuthorSarah Ouano is a naturopathic doctor and writer. Currently on a #gsleevejourney, she frequently writes about the intersection of naturopathic medicine and metabolic maintenance, throwing in personal anecdotes and tasty, practical recipes along the way. ArchivesCategories |