Is There Life After Bariatric Surgery (Or.... What About The Food?)

For those of you just “meeting” me for the first time through this blog, I had roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery 4-1/2 months ago. My journey toward bariatric surgery truly began the years and years ago that my weight got out of control, but here’s a little background on what led me to getting the surgery I had in April 2008.

Two years ago on my birthday, September 4, 2006, I woke up in the morning and, as I did on many mornings, stood on the scale. Seriously, what is that number? It’s gotta be wrong. This scale’s all messed up. Well, I have been eating a lot of salt. But geeze, 257? AGAIN? That’s like 10 days in a row now. Can’t blame THAT on salt, can ya, girlfriend? Thus began a couple of weeks of self-recrimination. Here it was my birthday, and I was going to have cake and ice cream and probably get taken out for dinner by my darling hubby, and how could I deprive myself on THIS special day? So I did not deprive myself. I ate what I wanted, and after nearly 2 weeks of being at 257, I awoke the day after my birthday, belly still bloated and hands still swollen from all the JUNK I’d eaten the night before, and broke the 257 mark… but in the wrong direction. I weighed 261!!!

However, a few hours later, after two or three rather unladylike trips to the restroom, I was back down to 257. Whew. Close one. Never was so glad to weigh 257 in my life. But I realized then I had literally hit ROCK BOTTOM. I was on the top side of 250… I was headed to 300 pounds. I am 5 feet 1 inch tall. That’s just a heart attack waiting to happen.

Long story short… did Weight Watchers At Home program, lost 16 pounds in 3 months (not bad, was 241 by Christmas), injured my right knee in January of 2007 and walking became very painful, saw my doctor, told me to lose weight, kept trying, hard to walk, got headache, new primary care doctor offered referral to bariatric surgery, said insurance covers it due to my inability to get around and painful joints and risk of diabetes (everyone in my family has type 2 diabetes or other blood sugar control problems, EXCEPT for me, and I was afraid of getting it), I took the opportunity, went to many classes and appointments for psychiatric clearance, medical clearance, lifestyle changes, lifestyle management, nutrition, took 8 months, got the surgery… and today, 4-1/2 months postoperative, my weight is 99 pounds less than it was. I weigh 158 pounds, my friends. My birthday is about to come ‘round again in early September. I can assure you, I will not be having cake. Maybe a bite or two of a no-sugar-added pie, though.

After one has gastric bypass, one’s tastes for certain foods change. While I have had a handful of former favorites fall from my grace, for the most part I still love all the same foods I loved before my surgery, if not more so! I have a deeper appreciation for the taste of my food much more now. I eat slower and take the time to savor each bite.

I do still love food. I have always, my whole life, had this fabulous love affair with good food. I love cooking, presenting, shopping for it, making a list (checking it twice), the whole experience. I *LOVE* going to different places, different restaurants and trying food from different cultures. Local festivals are the bomb for sampling international cuisine. There's the Greek Festival, then the Japanese/Buddhist festival, and the myriad other goings-on in this town. The food alone is reason enough to live here. I love the Asian markets, the farmers' markets, buy most of my produce out at Denio's, etc. The greater Sacramento area is a literal mecca of food pleasures, both sensible and decadent.

So while I'm working on the reasons I over eat, I have finally come to terms that instead of punishing myself for having this deep-seated love of all things food-ish, I'm embracing it and remembering it's a part of myself. I can love food and all the fluff-and-guff that comes with it, the cultures, the socialization, the delight of trying something completely new and finding out that I like it and oh, yes, it has 16 grams of protein AND is low in fat AND is good for me!

My reasons for over-eating and becoming obese have really nothing whatsoever to do with food. It has to do with a lack of self-esteem. By the way, having gastric bypass does not give you a free pass to weight loss—it is still a lot of hard work to eat right. Getting a new gastric “pouch” Is a gift, but it is a tool and only works right if you know how to use it.

Because of the surgery, I'm looking more at food as fuel in my day-to-day life, but I am not going to punish myself or deny to myself any more that I am a Foodie, through-and-through, and I can be a Foodie and not be stupid and put unhealthy fuel in my body!

Isn't that sad, that here I am a bariatric patient and still love food as sort-of a hobby?? But in a way, learning to eat healthier, read labels, keep track of my nutrients, etc., is helping me be a SMARTER Foodie.

So even though I can only eat a half cup to a cup of food at any given time, I make sure it's packed with nutrition, good taste, and a little kiss of cultural flare and Sacramento style.