Wednesday May 4th, 2011 - Ten Commandments of Weight Loss Surgery

Quick update. (I swear I did this yesterday) Anyway, yesterday I had my psych evaluation with my psychiatrist and today I had my pulmonary testing. It's basically blow in the tube kind of thing. Piece of cake. Tomorrow I have the liver biopsy and I am nervous about them cutting my jugular vein.


Here are the commandments:

Ten Commandments of Weight Loss Surgery

1. THOU SHALL NOT DRINK with thy meals. This means never!  This is cheating...cheating yourself.  It washes the food out of your pouch and allows you to eat more.  This will slow and eventually stop your weight loss. PLUS you will not be getting all the benefits of the wise choices you have filled your little pouchy with.
2. THOU SHALL EAT SLOWLY, very slowly. This is not a rule for the first few months post op.  This rule is for the rest of your life. If you eat too quickly, you will surely stretch your pouch. Eat too quickly and you will learn the hard way...the nausea is stifling.  And CHEW CHEW CHEW!! And when you think you are done, CHEW SOME MORE.  Or your food will keep coming back to visit you.
3. THOU SHALL TAKE THY VITAMINS. This surgery is a great tool for weight loss. But, as with all benefits, there are costs...and malnutrition is one of the potential prices of this surgery. Take a multivitamin supplement every day for the rest of your life and it is one you may never have to pay.   You will also need to have your blood checked periodically for B-12 levels.
4. THOU SHALL EAT ADEQUATE PROTEIN. 
5. THOU SHALL EXERCISE. Just do SOMETHING.  Even if it means starting off simply...take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.  Park at the furthest spot in the parking lot.  Carry your shopping basket instead of pushing the cart (on small shopping days of course...LOL). 
6. THOU SHALL DRINK at least 64 ounces of water, everyday. It seems that some people have problems doing this. Use a water bottle and carry it with you everywhere.  Sip all day long.  Or refill a gallon jug and drain it every day.  Do it in 2 pitchers.  Do it with 2-32oz sport water bottles. Please note however, that if you are drinking coffee or tea with caffeine, you will have to compensate for the diuretic effects of the caffeine.  Caffeine robs your body of water, therefore, you will not only be unable to count the coffee or tea, but you will have to drink an extra cups of fluid for every cup of regular coffee or caffeinated tea that you drink to compensate for the diuretic effects of the caffeine.
7. THOU SHALL EAT WELL BALANCED MEALS. A  doctor said it best: Protein first and foremost, then green/yellow vegetables,  then fruit, then starches. 
8. THOU SHALL NOT EAT SUGAR, in ANY form....no candy!!! Treat yourself with some fresh fruit!!  
9. THOU SHALL NOT modify these commandments to suit thy needs.  It will not work.  You will only defeat yourself physically. 
10. THOU SHALL LOVE THYSELF and be happy with the body God gave you. God did not intend for all of us to be supermodels, and this surgery will NOT make you one. Happiness comes from within. Be happy with who and what you are. Or you will defeat yourself mentally.   Then the battle will be lost before it is ever even begun.