3 weeks post op

Starting weight: 234.5
Current weight: 210.0
Total lost: 24.5

I was going to post last weekend, but the house next door burned to the ground and our house was affected, so I wasn't much up to it (for more detail on that, see Tales from Tawakoni).

I'm still losing at a fairly good rate. I still have PBs from time to time, but I've discovered they're mostly my fault - eating too fast is probably the #1 cause, followed by not chewing well enough. I had one last night trying to eat an egg roll (insides, not the wrapper) and orange chicken. After I thought about it, I took much smaller bites, and chewed chewed chewed and everything was fine.

For the most part, I'm still on mushies, but occasionally, as noted above, I do throw some real food, just trying to find out what I can and cannot eat. In the morning, I'm eating a full package of Instant Oatmeal. I'm drinking full cans of Soup at Hand. I can eat a full package of chicken salad and stonewheat crackers with no trouble at all. I guess I'm eating about 1/2 cup of food at a sitting...every two hours. At that 2nd hour point, I'm simply ravenous and my stomach is growling loudly.

I'm currently scheduled for my first fill on 3/15, although I can't decide if I really need a fill, or if this is normal. I have requested guidance from the wonderful experts on LapbandTalk. If you're considering lapband surgery, that is an incredible resource.

My energy level is finally coming back up, 99% of the pain from the incisions is gone, and what little I have is only annoying, not excruciating. I'm hoping to start walking this week, since the weather is nice, and there's just no excuses anymore NOT to! ;)

I've lost a full size in my pants and am wearing some of the stuff that I had bought last summer. Those clothes were bought as I was gaining weight, so there's no real joy in wearing them yet, but it does feel good to know I'm down nearly 25 lbs! I can see it in my face, and my body is changing rapidly (yeah, I still think I'm in for a tummy tuck when this is over...we'll see). No hair loss yet, in fact, oddly, I'm losing less than I was before the surgery.

HOWEVER....Last night, I was genuinely unhappy, and truly regretting that I had had the surgery done. By taking small bites and chew chew chewing, my dinner was stone cold by the time I got done eating. I ranted and raved around here for a few minutes, and nothing Scott said made me feel better. The weight I've lost already didn't make me feel better. I was just miserable and depressed.

I imagine that was only the first of such tantrums ahead of me. But the bottom line is that I AM almost 25 lbs down, which is almost 1/4th of what I need to lose. I know and acknowledge that the weight loss will eventually slow down to 1-2 lbs a week, but I'm 25% of the way to my goal.

I told Scott the other night that if something happens where they have to operate on me again, like my port flipping, or erosion, or whatever, I'm not having the band placed again. He said I was nuts, having gone through the past year of dieting, counseling, testing, etc., just to undo it. He's probably right, and once I get through the head adjustment of having the band, I'll probably be fine.

I hope.