The worst part of bariatric surgery - supplements/vitamins

So they tell you over and over that you'll have to take bariatric vitamins/supplements everyday for the rest of your life. Not a big deal. I've always taken vitamins and received B12 shots every month. You need the vitamins because you will eat like 2-3 oz per meal and it is usually animal and soy based proteins. If you don't eat proteins you'll get sick and lose lots of hair.

Before my surgery I ordered some vitamins from a popular and reputable bariatric supplement company. I'm sure that if you google bariatric vitamins that this company would pop up in the first three listings in and below the paid ads. I ordered the cherry flavored. The problem is that they smell like cherry and taste like poop. Seriously, I gag every time I take them.

I highly recommend these

But, I did some more research because I was sure there was something better out there. I found out that almost everybody on the review for my vitamin and many others hated their taste. But, I did find one vitamin that got solid reviews and everyone said they tasted great and they were cheaper than the ones I ordered. They were, of all places, at the Walgreens right down the street. They were nearly half the price and they do taste great. Kind of like a vitamin C orange flavor with no after taste. They are from a company called "Optisource" for $25.00 for 120 tablets. If you've had the lapband you should chew up three to four a day.


Just to back up this story; my wife tried to eat one of the old ones and immediately spit them into the toilet and rinsed her mouth out and brushed her teeth frantically. I had to laugh. Then she ate one of these Optisource chewable tablets and she didn't throw up. Rather, she agreed with me and the other reviewers. These vitamins are as powerful as the others and they taste fine.

The roller coaster of emotions- My father-in-law's deterioration

It has been a difficult two weeks. On Monday the 12th of September, my father-in-law, Jerry, had a massive stroke. We drove from Colorado to Little Rock Arkansas that afternoon and arrived the next morning. It is nearly a 1,000 mile trek and I had to abuse my manic tendencies to drive the distance so my wife would be rested when we got to the hospital.

After five days he wasn't responding, but he seemed stable so we came home so Cheri could go to work on Monday. On Monday morning I called to check in with my mother-in-law and she told me he was having strokes on the other side of his body. I freaked. I thought that this was it so we drove back down to Arkansas because we didn't want her mom to be alone during this crisis. The week wore on and one moment he seemed to know that we were there and then he would not respond at all, but he remained stable so we came home last Saturday. I haven't called in to see how he's doing today. At this point our next trip will be for his funeral.

All of this driving for 14 hours straight and eating truck stop crap along with hospital food and fast food and just plain crappy food coupled with the fact that I had intentionally threw myself into hypo-mania four times plus having recently come off of a bad bipolar episode not only exhausted me, but it also changed the weight loss trend from down to stagnant to up.

Frankly, I didn't have the emotional will power to stay on my diet, plus I really don't feel the lapband yet. I need a few more adjustments so I can actually feel it and so I am truly restricted in food intake. Right now I think I could pretty much eat anything I want so losing weight is pure will power.

While I stopped losing weight, thus solidifying the truth that the lapband is a tool not a solution, I didn't gain all that much and I should be back down to pre-Jerry levels by the end of the week. At this point I will be happy to have lost 70 pounds by the time I go to NYC Thanksgiving week. Today I am at 43 pounds lost and I will be back to 50 pounds lost quickly... unless I have to run to Arkansas soon.

Family emergency

I'm sorry I have been absent, but my father-in-law had a stroke two weeks ago and we drove down to Little Rock Arkansas for a week and he seemed to stabilize so we we returned home just to hear that he was having strokes on the other side. Hence, we packed back up and returned to Arkansas. Miraculously, he is still holding on. I wouldn't call him stable, but I would call him critical.

One advantage to being bipolar is that I can intentionally throw myself into a hypo-manic state and drive for 15 hours at a shot. Little Rock Arkansas is just under 1,000 miles for our house. I believe that translates to around 1,600 kilometers. Anyway, I have now done that three times and after coming off a horrible bipolar episode I think my body is getting tired.

My diet has been horrible as well. When your on the road and stressed out it's very hard to say no to food, however, I am disappointed in my apparent weight gain so I am putting myself onto a liquid diet for about four days or so to get myself back into the groove.

Bipolar low side

Last week I could tell I was being hypo-manic and what goes up must come down. Hypo- manic is a state in which I don't really feel like sleeping and I gain an ever growing sense of euphoria and grandiosity. My mood could be characterized as persistent and irritable. I can also tell when the mania is at full swing because I have little hallucinations. More like a slight of eye. Mostly I get a hair trigger against anyone who gets into my way. This manic state was somewhat mitigated by the fact that I had an out-of -town guest so I was trying to be on my best behavior.   



However, I could feel myself headed to the edge. Once Robert left I didn't have anything to hold me back and I fell into a deep depression. You go way up and then way down. Hence, bipolar disorder. Right no I'm feeling pretty down, but I don't have any reason to be. Robert helped my move my book in the right direction. Thanks Rob. And this morning we will go on our Saturday hike up at Elk Meadows and then a Colorado Rockies game this afternoon AND football is in full swing tomorrow and I have a real strong fantasy football team. See? Everything is great and I feel like crawling into a hole.

Quick report- New Measurements

Photo of me with one of my paintings

I wanted to drop a quick report in before I go to bed. I am very tired because we did the Elk Meadow hike again and I need to be awake for tomorrow's hike. Sleep has been hard to come by so I am happy that I am tired tonight. 


The following posts are taken directly from my bariatric progress log on www.lose250.com. I've only copied the initial measurement entry and today's entry and then a bit on what they mean. 


August 2, 2011- Day before surgery: Measurements from pre-op at Dr. Tillquist's office on July 29, 2011: weight ~ 413 pounds; neck 21"; waist 62"; bicep 21"; thigh 30" BMI = 60.98. Feeling pretty good. More excited than scared. On a pre-surgical liquid diet. I hope I'll be able to sleep tonight. I need to be at the hospital by 5am for a 7:30 surgery. I should be home by mid afternoon. 


September 3, 2011 - One month. New measurements- neck 21"(no change), waist 54"(-8), bicep 21"(nc), thigh 30"(nc), BMI 53.3(-7.68) HS 361.4


If you adjust the initial weight for summer clothing then my first weigh in was actually 410 pounds, so today's weigh in at 361.4 represents a loss of almost 50 pounds. I continue to lose about a pound a day. In addition, the resulting weight loss has moved me from a Body Mass Index of 60.98 to 53.3 which is far more than I could have reasonably hoped for. 


While most of my measurements remained the same, my waist has been reduced by 8 inches IN ONE MONTH! Yes, this amazing weight loss could not have been possible without the surgery, but my commitment to the volume of food and my extremely, almost excessive, exercise routine has sped things up. My loss is not necessarily normal, but it is obviously possible if the patient works their ass off... literally. That's it. I'm too tired to continue. Thanks for visiting. 

Successful weight loss methods

Elk Meadow Evergreen Colorado

This morning I weighed in at 364.8. That is a full 45 pounds lost in the month of August. I feel great. While the lap band surgery has helped thousands reclaim their healthy selves, I believe my results are atypical.

My extreme weight loss is due to a variety of tools that I don't believe most bariatric patients employ. First, let me say that I have not missed a single meal; albeit small meals. I think my meals edge more towards 1/3 cup rather than 1/4 cup of food. I'm probably eating 3-4 oz and I am supposed to be eating 2oz. I should get a portable scale and keep a fold up 1/4 cup in my pocket when we go out and I do challenge myself by going out with my wife and friends as often as possible. It's like a test of my will and so far I have been resoundingly successful. I have also gone out for drinks at which time I have been quite satisfied with pineapple juice. Obviously with my stage four liver disease, drinking is off the board anyway.

August 20, 2011 380 pounds

I have also been taking all of my vitamins and supplements as well as my bipolar meds. I was worried that I would have to adjust or split or crush my meds, but it hasn't been an issue. That is one of reason's that I had the lap band rather than gastric bypass. I was afraid my bipolar meds wouldn't absorb well, but, since my meds still go through the same gastronomic system, that hasn't been a problem at all. Maybe it will be more significant after I get my next band inflation on September 9th.

So why do I think I have been more successful than most? Because I prepared for the surgery since last November when I started going to weight related therapy and hypnotherapy to peel apart the layers of emotional crap that was partially responsible for my weight gain. In therapy, I found out that the sins of my past and the numerous suicides in my family had a greater effect on my psyche than I thought. The hypnosis helped me break my addiction to food. Mentally, I was ready for this opportunity.

Elk Meadow

I also worked on calibrating my bipolar meds so I would be able to manage, with the supervision of my psychiatrist, a steady course with the caveat that they may need to be adjusted as I lose weight. So far so good. I've felt somewhat in control of my symptoms. That doesn't mean that I don't float up and down or have anxiety attacks, but the frequency hasn't changed with the weight loss yet. I thought my body was purging fat stored Seroquel and it may have been, but I have recently stabilized and restored my normal prescribed dosages. It's important to emphasize the need for a healthy mind because, in the past, I ate to sooth emotional pain or reward myself with treats.

In addition, sleep is incredibly important and that is still a challenge for me. I can only sleep with heavy medication support. I recognize the importance of sleep and will continue to work on it. Last week was real bad and I have just regained control over my hypo-mania... I think.

Elk Meadow

Possibly the biggest contributor to my rapid weight loss has been exercise. Much like I was in 2009 as a vegan fighting to lose weight, I have been in the gym five days a week and I have been hiking on very challenging Rocky Mountain paths on the weekends with my thin and fast walking wife. I just try to keep up. It's important to note that exercise alone doesn't really effect weight loss directly, but it does make you feel stronger, lighter, and more healthy which only encourages you to stick to the diet. I love exercise. I love feeling fit. Even at my weight, people are amazed at my success with physical challenges. I am a lot faster with far more endurance than you could imagine.

My workouts always begin with 20 minutes on the treadmill. I don't just walk, I walk so fast that I just have to adjust the speed to send me into a fast jog (a run as far as I am concerned). This is a technique that I picked up from a exercise guru. Walk fast then run as fast as you can to trick your body into thinking you are running from life threatening threats. It's about working on your animal instincts. Your body says run and it automatically goes into a weight loss mode to try to protect you from said threat. Believe me it works.

Elk Meadow

The method I use is to walk fast for two or three minutes and then run like hell for a full minute and then go back to walking fast. When I am ready, I run for a minute again. Overall, I "run" for at least five times during the 20 minute treadmill. Two weeks ago when I returned to the gym after surgery, I could only go about a mile in 20 minutes, but now I am going 1.25 miles in 20 minutes and it gets a little better everyday.

After I am completed with the 20 minute "warm up" in which I become a sweaty mess, I work on the weights to keep my muscle tone. I don't want my weight loss to come from muscle breakdown. Besides, I want to look and feel big and strong. I naturally have huge arms and a wide chest so I look more like a body builder than an out of shape fat man. At least I like to think so. That is part of the reason I want to eventually be 190 to 200 pounds because I used to be more muscular than thin even when I was thin. One time I lost weight for modeling and I felt horrible. 200 is good for me.

Finally, if time permits, I shoot basketball hoops and go through drills for at least an additional 20 minutes or more. My entire workout can last 20 minutes when I don't have time to an hour and a half to two hours when I have the time.

Colorado trail 2009 at 350 pounds

I really didn't think I would lose 45 pounds in my first month, but I did and I fully intend on keeping the pace. If I do, then I should lose another 25 pounds in September and October and November thus making my weight around 275 when I have to start traveling again. There's nothing worse than not fitting into air plane seats on an overseas flight. 275 pounds?? No, that's insane. If I'm anywhere near 300 I will be ecstatic.

Regardless of the insane goals, I will continue to fight because the Obesity Warrior is back baby. The very best part of the lap band opportunity is that I won't ever gain the weight back. That is if I don't screw it up, but I doubt that I will. I need to be slimmer as fast as possible in case my liver and kidneys decide to fail. I become a better candidate for a transplant if I am thinner. I don't know the exact cutoff, but I imagine if I am 250 or so, then my weight should no longer be an issue. Tick tock.

Wonderful weekend of mountain hiking

The easy part

Since my last post on Thursday, I skipped the gym on Friday because I only slept a few hours on Thursday night. On Friday night I decided to take 200 mg of Seroquel as prescribed. I had backed it down by half, but I think that's why I wasn't sleeping. My problem with Seroquel is that it gives me restless wrists and legs, but it didn't on Friday. I woke up this morning at 4am to go to the restroom and I couldn't get back to sleep because my wrist had the restless thing. Maybe I'll be able to take a nap in the afternoon. Sleep is incredibly important for both bipolar disorder and weight loss. Your body does a lot of fat conversion while you sleep.

In addition to sleep, proper nutrition is critical. I have not missed a single meal or any days without vitamins and supplements. And, I have continued to push myself physically. On Saturday, my wife and I went up to Elk Meadow, Colorado again and hiked for 2 miles. I would say that trail is moderate. On Sunday, we got ambitious and went up to Mount Falcon and took the most extreme trail I think I could do even if I was skinny. Mount Falcon is breath taking, but this trail is breathtakingly beautiful. This particular trail starts at the top of the mountain where the parking lot is located and then plunges down a relatively steep and rough trail for about 3/4 of a mile. I think it is a descent of 500 feet or more. What goes down must come up. Hiking up on this trail is difficult. This hike was 3.2 miles and would easily classify as an intermediate to expert difficulty. It was 95 degrees and the sun was brutal when we passed through open spaces, but I drank massive quantities of water before, during, and after. So 5 miles of hiking for the weekend.

This morning I weighed in at 367.6 which is a total weight loss of 42.4 pounds since my surgery on August 3rd. When I said I would lose 43 pounds by the end of the month even I didn't believe I would actually lose that much, but we still have two days and I think I will probably hit the 45 pound mark. 

Weight loss magic

Magic, I tell you. Magic

I used to say that I would pay anything to be thin. Well, I found out exactly how much I would pay to be thin. I used to also pray to God for some kind of miracle that would allow me to lose 10 pounds a month until I was the proper weight. This is the answer. Bariatric surgery can give you back your health and extend your life in ways you could have only dreamed of. Personally, I like the band, but the bypass is really better for those over 55 BMI.

As much as I may have been cautious about bariatric surgery, I am now changing my tune. The fact is that anyone can stick to a diet or life change for a year at most and then, particularly for morbidly obese people, the weight starts to come back and in a year or two your body's primal instinct to protect you from such foolish weight loss kicks in and you end up gaining all the weight back plus 10%. It happens to every morbidly obese person. It's 20 times harder for an obese person to lose weight and keep it off than all these skinny people who need to lose 20 pounds. Big babies.

But, this is magic. I have not skipped a single meal. I typically eat one scrambled egg with salsa for breakfast; I have some tuna salad or a small spring roll for lunch and then 2oz to 3oz of whatever animal protein that I have prepared for the family's dinner. I am the housewife. I do it all and I do it well. I have even gone out to restaurants and I have always found something tasty that can be eaten within the rules of size. The food itself should be healthy, but the real trick is consistency and texture.

I also have been drinking tons of water. Maybe as much as 100 oz of more. I allow myself one glass of decaffeinated tea in the late afternoon. If I feel an urge for chocolate or sweets, I just take one drink of my chocolate flavored "Boost" drink.

Oh yes, I also have found a way to exercise for 30 minutes or more per day. Because I am an overachiever, I have been hitting the gym every afternoon before I pick up my son from high school. So that's five days a week. First I walk/run 1.2 miles in twenty minutes on the treadmill. My goal is to get my heart rate up to 150. After the killer and dreaded treadmill I usually workout with some weights and I carefully hit all areas so I don't lose tonality of my muscles. And then I play basketball or do basketball drills against the walls. I'm usually there for 45 minutes to 90 minutes and I could out sweating like a roasting pig.

I also have been bathing myself in lotion so I hope all this will help avoid some of the sagging skin. The bottom line is that I thought I could lose 43 pounds in the first month. If we went from August 3rd to September 3rd, that would give me eight more days. Well, this morning I weighed 372 pounds (that's down from 413 before the surgery. I am easily going to hit 43 pounds in the first month. Weight loss magic. Considering the difference between the in office scale with clothes on and my in house weigh in's, as of this morning, I have lost 38 pounds! Wholly crap!

 

I love hiking in Rocky Mtn Nat Park

Recently I was asked about bipolar meds and weight. Almost all bipolar meds, particularly mood stabilizers and anti-anxiety meds, cause real weight gain. Some of the worst are Depakote and Seroquel; both of which are prescribed because the doctors weigh the pros and cons and usually decide in favor of weight gain.

My blood test came back with awesome results on basic nutrition, cholesterol, ect... However, my liver functions and my kidney functions have had a spike since two months ago. With that in mind, I am increasing my workouts and sticking to the meal plan like glue. My one indulgence is bubble yum and not the one without sugar. I need the sugar.

I love grape. 25 calories per yum

My weigh in this morning showed a loss of 36 pounds since August 3rd. I have tried everything and finally I have a fighting chance and I am not letting this opportunity fail. I also bathe in lotion and drink copious amounts of water between meals to try to keep my skin as healthy as possible because I find excessive flappy skin yucky (that's a medical term). Thank you for your encouragement.    

The three and four week hunger pains and stagnated weight loss

Open open open

At the beginning of this past week I started feeling hunger pains as bad as I did before the surgery. I was told by the dietitian and my support group that there was an inflated hunger phase at the third and four week. Maybe mine came a little early because I have been hungry since Monday or maybe Tuesday. I fought it, but in retrospect, I was eating too many calories and I was snaking with almonds... a lot of almonds.

My weight loss stagnated. I didn't gain weight, but I stopped losing it as fast. I can now see that 15 pounds per month is going to be more realistic. But, I don't think there will be months where I only lose 10 pounds. I think 15 pounds will be the rule until I reach 200 or so.

Three things revealed themselves this week: First, the hunger weeks exist even for me. Second, as much as I wanted to deny it, the first few days of ridiculous weight loss was mainly water weight. I didn't think it was so much because I have always taken water pills otherwise known as diuretics, but, sure enough, all of the swelling around my ankles, calves, and feet has gone away... completely. So I must have lost some water weight. I would estimate as much as 10 pounds of water weight.

In addition, my increased gym time has built up muscle very quickly and muscle weighs more than fat.

Total photo shop. Maybe? nah

That being said, this morning, after a very strict Friday, I weighed in at 380.00. That makes my total weight loss to date at 30 pounds. Wow right? Well, believe it or not, I was disappointed. Stupid huh? Thirty pounds since my pre-op appointment on July 29th 2011. Of course, my real weight loss didn't begin until my liquid only pre-op day so I have really been losing weight since August 2nd. That's 30 pounds in 18 days.

Wow, that is insane. The best part is that I won't gain it back. That is unless I totally screw up the surgery by expanding my stomach or eating high calorie foods. A friend of mine that stopped losing weight eats fast food and ice cream. What does she expect? She knows and she is trying to fight it, but it all goes back to being fat in the head. I really think my pre-surgery weight inclined therapy and hypnosis has helped me and will continue to help me.

Walking the dogs. Literally

The one thing you need to do with any program to lose weight is to exercise everyday for 30 minutes. My son's wonderful Jeep needed to have the door jam re-welded and he took my BMW to his new job. And, at this point, I do not fit in my oldest son's Sunfire, so I found non-gym exercise.

I walked our dogs. I have to walk them separably. Tatum is getting old and she is super obedient. She stops at each crossing and sits until I tell her to cross and she doesn't pull my arm out of socket. However, our teenage puppy Captain is still crazy. I had to tell him to heal about every twenty steps or so, but I did get him to sit at the crossings... with effort. I walked each dog around the neighborhood path that I know equals one mile. So I walked two miles. I iced up my knee and I might try some more tonight.

Perhaps more realistic goals beyond bariatric surgery

Although I worked out pretty good yesterday, I might have had too many roasted salted almonds which kicked up my water retention. At any rate, my weight stagnated and I'm not ready to accept that quite yet. I know there will be a week real soon where I will only lose maybe 4 pounds, but that's still 16-17 pounds in a month. Today I will go back to liquid boost for breakfast and lunch and a regular 2oz dinner. And only clear water today.

I need more realistic expectations. I can't possibly support losing a pound a day. So by the end of this month, I want to reach 370 pounds, but lets say I only lose enough to be 375 by September 1st. Then I will try to lose 15 pounds in September and in October so that on November 1st, I want to weigh 345. Then lets say I do a blitz and get down to 335 by the time I have to fly to NYC (Nov 22). I have to give a keynote address for an exhibition so that would be awesome. I go to NYC at least once a year and it is normally in November. I'm pretty sure I weighed well over 400 last year. My NYC friends will be amazed.

At that rate I should be around 320 by the end of the year. That's a full 15 pounds more than my previous prediction. It's still a massive amount of weight. I have been "bathing" in special lotion at least three times a day to keep my skin as healthy and as moist as possible to try to shrink it up naturally. I also bought a surgical waist wrap that is supposed to hold everything in place like organs. I am going to use it to support the fat that in hanging below my belt line. Of course, it is like 52 inches so it will be a bit before I can use it.

Goals and expectations with the Realize band

First let me say that this subject is close to my mind because... I only lost two pounds since Friday. I know, it sounds stupid even as it leaves my lips, but I'm competitive; even about weight loss. For instance, if I only lost one pound a day for the rest of the month, I would have still lost an incredible and unrealistic 43 pounds. I don't expect to lose 43 pounds, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to shoot for it.

I couldn't set any weight loss goals before because I didn't really know the power of the adjustable band. Let's say that I do lose 40 pounds this month; then what do I, personally, expect to lose each month? I was thinking around 25 pounds per month for the first 100 pounds which would leave me with 60 pounds to lose and, thus, place me in about mid-November. Is it possible? I'm not sure, but I like to aim high and then raise the bar. Actually, by the time I go to my late father's solo exhibition and film screening in NYC on November 22, I hope to have reached the 300 pound mark. I sounds completely unreasonable and beyond rational expectations, but I'm going to leave it at that.

Even I admire his body

I know that it will take extreme culinary discipline and crazy exercise, but why not? I can do that. Wow, what a Christmas I would have if I were under 300 pounds. It would be awesome and why beyond my initial expectations. If I were able to reach 300 by the end of the year and I kept losing at the rate of 15 pounds per month, I could be around 180ish one year from now. Oh, do I dare dream! I haven't been 180 since I was 26.

In terms of a realistic to silly monthly goal:
By October 2011: 350 pounds
November 2011: 335
December 2011: 320
January 2012: 305
February 2012: 290
March 2012: 275
March 19th 2012 (My 47th birthday): 265 AWESOME!

Can I do it? I say, "Yes, I can!"

AWESOME First Post-Op Appointment LOST 24 Pounds in two weeks!

I've been hitting the gym everyday since Tuesday I think. Trying to fill one hour workout. Today I rode the stationary bike for one mile (still a little chaffed), walked a mile on the indoor track and played basketball. 

I'm eating well. I tried some grilled skinless chicken (1/4 cup) last night. No problems and felt full the whole night. The whole not drinking liquids for 45 minutes during and after dinner is a piece of cake. Today I ate tuna salad (80 calories!) and it was fine. As long as you chew well and only eat 1/4 cup or 2 ounces, this thing works fine.

Today I went into my first post op appointment and it went well. I officially lost 24 pounds since the pre-op appointment on July 29th. I have also healed well enough that Dr. Tillquist went ahead and gave me my first port fill injections. First he numbed the area about the port and then I didn't feel a thing. I can feel that the aperture is narrower, but it feels fine and liquid is flowing well. 

Soft foods and exercise

Gratuitous girl illustration 

Yesterday I went to the gym for one hour. First, I rode the stationary bike for one mile. I could have done far more, but I didn't want my butt to get chaffed. Then, I used the treadmill for twenty minutes alternating my pace from slow walk to gallop. I'm not allowed to lift weights for one more week, so I shot basketball for the remainder of the time. It felt nice to get a good workout in. I renewed my membership so I can go everyday even if it's just for a 30 minute walk around the track.

I experimented with more soft foods yesterday. I drank some Boost protein drink in the morning and then I tried some regular yogurt for lunch because the Greek yogurt was far too bitter. For dinner I had about a quarter cup of split pea soup and the rest of my yogurt from lunch. I actually felt a little guilty because I ate the four spoon full of yogurt at dinner. Silly. I made the family some ham and cheese sandwiches and corn and broccoli salad. It is hard to sit there while they are eating, but I feel that I must do it as a demonstration to myself of true will power. So far it's been surprisingly fine.

I don't have that much hunger pains, but my digestive track can sometimes sound like a slow rolling thunderstorm. I think it's just acid trying to figure out what to do with itself. This morning I weighed 388.4 pounds on my home scale right out of the shower. Even with my home scale benchmark of 400, I have still lost 12 pounds in one week. It's actually far more, but my scale only goes up to 400 so I had to wait until I lost enough weight to register on my scale. Realistically, I would guess that I have lost 18 pounds since my pre-op appointment.