I am now off the Diovan blood pressure medication, off the metformin diabetes medication, and sleeping without the CPAP (and showing no signs of sleep apnea or excessive snoring). I have lost about 20 pounds since the surgery three weeks ago. The goal is 30 pounds in the first month.
On Sunday I reached the 300 pound mark on my home scale which showed I weighed 341 pounds when I was at my heaviest. This picture of me during a firefighter training session sh
ows what the guy looked like in August.I am exercising more every day. Some days it is just a short walk but other days I walk a lot more. We take the dogs to Harmon Field and walk them (and me) there. That is usually a stroll of from one to two miles. On Tuesday and Thursday nights we join others from the fire department for physical training at a local gym. So far I am cleared only for light exercise so I use the treadmill and the recumbent elliptical trainer.
My diet is still very bland. I eat six meals a day, each one two to three ounces of cottage cheese, yogurt, cream soup or pudding. All fat-free and sugar-free, of course. This is supplemented by drinking about 80 grams of protein a day and a total of at least 62 ounces of water. But on Tuesday I get to step it up a notch, going to pureed foods. Stuff the consistency of baby food.
I am staying full and feel better every day. My back no longer aches with every step, my knees feel better and I think I am sleeping better, too. Best of all is the reduction in medication!
So far -- All is Great.
