I wrote this blog the day after Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was the first holiday feast that I got to experience since my weight-loss surgery and I’m happy to say that I was able to enjoy the meal without over- indulging.
Thanksgiving morning, I started working on the turkey and all of the trimmings. After the cooking was done, I set the table and sat down with my family to give thanks. My family is thankful for everything that we have, but this year I had even more to be grateful for. I am thankful for Dr. Anthony Gonzalez and the South Miami Hospital Weight-loss Surgery Program. Because of this team’s skill, help and support, I’m a different person this year. I’m healthier than I’ve been in years and am doing things that I couldn’t do for so long because of my weight.
Thanksgiving was a great experience. I ate with my family, enjoyed the meal as much as they did and was thankful for the weight-loss surgery that will enable me to share many more holidays with my loved ones.
This week was my birthday. My gift to myself was to go clothes shopping. I had a blast buying all kinds of beautiful things that really show off my new body. What a thrill it is to be wearing clothes that I was only able to dream about before my weight-loss surgery.
For my birthday, my fiancé took me to a fancy restaurant. My first response was to worry that this would be difficult for me. But it wasn’t! I ordered an appetizer and was quickly full. I was able to just focus on having a wonderful time with my fiancé and enjoying my birthday.
Over the weekend, I attended a party where friends did not recognize me. It’s quite an experience to be sitting with people you know and see them staring at you wondering who you are. At work, people are still looking at me in amazement. All of this attention is hard to deal with, especially when you’re a person not used to getting attention.
I’ve had lots of exciting things happen recently, but none of these things kept me from maintaining my weight-loss goals. I’m very focused on success.
Looking ahead, when holidays and special events come up, I still plan to cook for my family. However, I’ll look forward to sampling the food, not overeating.
Another week has passed and I’m still staying on the right path. The pounds are dropping daily and I continue to exercise and eat right.
I recently visited Dr. Gonzalez’s office where he told me that my progress has been excellent. My laboratory tests were good with the exception of a slight vitamin D deficiency. Because of that, I have to add a vitamin D supplement to my daily routine. I don’t consider this a problem as its part of living a healthy life. I quickly purchased the new vitamin along with a three-month supply of my usual vitamins.
At the visit with Dr. Gonzalez, I expressed my concern about having some hair loss. He assured me that it was a common occurrence after bariatric surgery and is mostly due to the rapid weight loss. He advised me to make sure that I was eating enough protein and also recommended scalp massages. Because of the hair loss, I already cut my hair to shoulder-length and was noticing less hair loss.
Another week has gone by and I’m still losing weight. I’m running out of clothes to wear, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money on new clothes because I know that I’ll continue to need smaller and smaller sizes. What a sweet sound… smaller sizes!!! A phrase that I thought I’d never get to say.
I’m now below 200 pounds and am rapidly entering the 180’s. My goal is 145 pounds, which is my pre-pregnancy weight. I would simply love to be that weight again.
Many amazing things continue to happen to me. I’m getting all sorts of attention about how I look, which I’m actually a little embarrassed about, but love anyway.
I look forward to the holidays and to cooking lots of delicious meals for my family. This year, however, I will refrain from eating everything on my plate and will give thanks for the chance that I have been given to regain my life and to stay healthy for those I love.