Peace, Love, and Protein Shakes: Vanessa's Bariatric Blog

I have been in a weight plateau for several months, and it is really soul crushing and frustrating. My scale and I are not on the best of terms right now. I haven't been consistent with my exercise. I am trying to walk more, but it isn't enough. My exercise bike hasn't been touched in over a month. I really need to shake things up with my diet and exercise routine. I drink at least one protein shake a day. However, I would like more variety in my diet, so I eat solid foods on occasion, especially at social functions. I find myself snacking more than I would like as well. Yet each “variation” in my diet is only increasing my weight gain and furthering my plateau, so I am also working on being more mindful of what I eat. I used to keep food journals to keep myself accountable in the past, though, and found it hard to stick with.  It seems as if I'm stuck in an endless cycle. I want to control my diet and exercise, yet I am also a human being, and therefore, a...

I found this out a few days ago at my checkup on Thursday, April 19th 2018, and I'm still processing it. My primary care doctor, after looking at my most recent Upper GI exam (I've had this done several times since surgery), burst into the room and just started drawing on the exam room table with his pen, wildly marking out things to me. I stood there, frozen and bewildered, and then I started to come to when I heard the words: "You have a stricture." A stricture is basically a blockage in the stomach that prevents food from being digested. For two years , I knew that something was wrong. Yet nothing was showing up in the exams. Until now. (Image caption: On the left of my doctor's drawing is a "typical" stomach. On the right, mine, swollen and distended, but with food being blocked from digesting because I have a stricture. ) However, since I don't have insurance, there's not much I can do about the blockage right now. I need ...

It seems that my brain may also need to go on a diet. I was thinking about this earlier this morning. It’s hard when I look at myself in the mirror sometimes because I still see my obese self, even though my brain and body know that I’m not. I certainly don’t even eat like an obese person either. My “fat” brain thinks I’m ugly and unworthy of affection. My “fat” brain doesn’t want attention. My “fat’ brain just sucks and needs to just go away already. My lighter brain, however, is starting to see some positive physical attributes in me, such as strong calves. My lighter brain wouldn’t mind being noticed sometimes. I need to lose my “fat” brain to make room for my lighter, more optimistic brain. Wow. I didn’t know that my brain needed to go on a diet as well! This recovery process is crazy! I thought that I’d mainly have to deal with physical challenges, but the mental challenges are proving even more difficult. I have more mood swings than I already have had in the past. I...

I have been working out regularly—never thought I’d say that last year! —since June 15 th , 2017. That’s a little over 2 weeks. It has been challenging, but worth it. I love being consistent in the healthy habit of exercise. Yeah, I said that I love exercise. Weird. So, in a way, I’m glad that the blood clot was a wake-up call to get active. What I’m not happy about, however, is that despite my best efforts, I am at a plateau. I haven’t lost any more weight. I know that a year or so after weight loss surgery, the rapid weight loss, or “honeymoon” period ends and weight loss is harder to maintain, but dang, it’s soul crushing. Also, I just read an article from The Cleveland Clinic that says that weight gain after exercise is common due to water shifting in the body and muscle gain, plus the recovery process. Well, duh. I’m sure I’ve read this in some fitness magazine in the past, but I forgot. It doesn’t make things any easier to deal with, but at least I have an explanation. ...

Hello. My name is Vanessa, and I’m…. NOT a food addict??? I used to think that I was. In fact, right up until about thirty minutes ago, when I started browsing videos online about food addiction. I’d been reading a bariatric support blog, this one being Bariatric Girl ( http://www.bariatricgirl.com/ ), and I found this blog post about cross addictions after weight loss (such as alcohol, shopping, sex, exercise, etc.), and this video was mentioned: http://www.oprah.com/own-addicted-to-food/Exposed-Withdrawal-Pains This video is short, but very moving and poignant. I could relate to both Tinisha’s and Tennie’s emotional experiences, now that I am a year post gastric bypass. Yet I still needed to know more. So I went onto YouTube and simply typed in, “Addicted to Food”, and I found this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BbWaB3RiTI This is from The Institute for the Psychology of Eating, which, surprisingly, having majored in Psychology, didn’t even know existe...