tummy tuck & more wt loss

August 24, 1999

De,

I had my TT before I was ready. Given my druthers, I'd have waited until I was

stabilized. As it was, my insurance situation was to use it or lose it, so I

had it at 129 lbs, 4 lbs from my goal of 125. I was 13 months post op, 132 lbs

lost. BUT my obesity surgeon did my TT. When he tucks, you ARE tucked. I

didn't lose all that much weight in skin, (fat floats), but he gets you SO tight

that you literally are back to eating an ounce at a time. So, I lost another 25

lbs. I hit my low of 104, went into protein deficiency and gained 6 lbs in 6

hours.

I gained back up to 118 while I was trying to get my protein leveled out again

and once done with the treatment, parked at 112 and have stayed here ever since.

So, I can' just say I lost 25 lbs nor can I say I just lost the 17. There were

moths of jockeying around there while I played with protein and lost, while I

struggled to fix it and when I finally stayed put.

On your " grazing, I think that you're doing EXACTLY what I was told to do. 5-6

mini meals a day. You feel " full " , you get " hungry " , you feel " full " , you get

hungry... That's the idea. I worry about those who keep a box of crackers

going at their desk all day long, never feel full, never feel empty, never feel

at all, just constantly eating, chewing, handing things in to the mouth. I

don't think we're good candidates for that kind of eating. The surgery can't

get around a gentle waterfall of calories that never stops. And we can never

reach any kind of point of normalcy if we never experience the ebb and flow of

true appetite.

I'm not perfect, mind you. I have days that I do a lot of work at the kitchen

table and eat nuts, then pause for a fruit break, then eat nuts and stop to eat

fruit, trying to DRINK protein, which I don't do while I 'm eating. I mean,

even at 5 yrs I can get myself all twisted around! So, if I'm in the kitchen, I

can have protein or I can have a meal. If I eat nuts, then OK, I get nuts, then

I need to get up and put them away. I don't LIKE having to be a policeman over

myself, but I AM dealing with a permanent disease here. I AM morbidly obese.

While I believe it is truly a physical disorder, corrected only by mechanical

means, there is no point in my TRYING to undo it. I have to play by the " rules "

of good sense if I want to win. I hope that doesn't sound harsh. I just see

too many fail and see WHY. The surgery doesn't give you license to do any

foolish thing you've ever imagined!

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Thanks!

vitalady@...

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