Week 4 - Life as a Post-Op Bariastric Patient.

Week 4 was pretty much a normal week for me. The only difference between this week, and one of maybe 6 months ago, it that my food intake is substantially less than what it used to be. And of course, I'm currently quite obsessed with food right now.


My breakfasts were usually a drinkable yogurt or a protein shake. Lunches and dinners were often a third of a filet of broiled salmon or a few chicken nuggets with the girls. I would also have a half cup of cottage cheese, applesauce, yogurts, V8 juice, or cheese and deli slices since one should not live on meat alone.

At work one day, I was left without anything solid to eat … My fault entirely; I didn’t pack a lunch or think about how long my day was going to be. I had choices, but none that were stellar. Do I find a smoothie shop and load up on sugar? Maybe make it “better” by adding a protein boost? (OK, good-for-you sugar with much-needed protein, but a carb overload just the same.) Hit Starbucks and get a chocolate soy blended something or another? Do I find a Mexican fast food restaurant and get a chicken enchilada? Sounds good, but I don’t have much time and the healthier options usually don’t have a drive-thru. I ended up with my old flame… Jack in the Box, and tried something new. A breakfast pita (i.e. protein!), with eggs, cheese, and bacon. I happily dug into the pita with a fork and knife… I just ate the insides and tossed the pita. Oh yummy, it was de-lish!

I went to Red Lobster erly this week with a friend from out of town. I have a weakness for those cheese biscuits… oh drool! Most LapBand patients have a problem with soft breads, and a cheese biscuit is the KING of soft bread. Of course, I am all about testing my limits, so in addition to the 6 grilled shrimp that was my lunch, I also chowed down – very slowly – on that cheese biscuit. And I did it! Kept it down. Enjoyed it.

But the next day, I went out to lunch with Joe Grande, my new partner in crime, er, I mean, a patient ambassador from oBand Center! Joe is an amazing success story. He lost over 120 pounds about 3 years ago, and still works out religiously. He’s down to 13% body fat or some ridiculous number like that. The man is SOLID muscle. Lunch was very late in the day and we went to at the Pink Taco in West LA. Again, my Mexican food kryptonite. I had a nice pounded flat chicken breast with pinto beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro…. Yum! I only ate a third of it and boxed up the rest. Where I went wrong was having a few too many chips with salsa. Like, a lot.  Even though we ate at 4pm, at 8:30 I was still so full!  Like really full.  I had an hour long drive ahead of me, and it had been well over a half hour since I ate, so I drank some water.  I was really thirsty from the salt.  I had a lot of water, and ended up having those evil chips float up into my throat! Bad move. It’s disconcerting driving at 85 mph feeling like you are on the verge of losing it but knowing that if you just keep breathing, it will go back down. Eventually.

My commercial spots have started to air on the radio. A friend from my twins club told me she was listening and when she heard “two sets of twins” instantly thought TAMI! Then she listened to the rest of the spot and confirmed of course it was me!  Not sure anyone else I know has heard it … with BOTH ears, that is. Because honestly, when the commercials come on the radio, does your mind blank out? Do you pick up the phone? Do you hit another button on the radio dial or pop in a CD? Well, right NOW, I’m listening intently because the little narcissistic part of me is really enjoying it!
So, four weeks after my surgery:  I can definitely eat more than I know I should but certain much much less than what I would if I could! The good news is that I am usually not hungry at all.  I really do feel full a lot.  I still need to wrap my brain around the fact that I don't need to eat just because my eyeballs spied a donut in the break room.  My eating habits are much much healthier and I want to make the right choice 97% of the time.  I'll admit to 3% naughtiness... like the one half cup of ice cream I ate just because I actualy like it, or the small pat of butter I put on my fish when I cook it.  The food has to actualy taste good, otherwise I'm not eating it.  Period.

My doctor’s appt is tomorrow. We’ll see what will happen.  Dr. Naim may give me an adjustment to tighten me up or let it be. Since I didn’t lose any weight this week, he’ll probably tighten it up. But since I still feel great in my clothes and have moved back into some old “skinny clothes”, it is most likely that I’ve been building some lean muscle at the gym which weighs much more than some of the fluffy fat I may have lost. So perhaps this week is good after all. :-)