Vanishing Velez

Highest Weight: 267 lbs.
Weight At Surgery: 253
Current Weight: 198.0 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 69 lbs.
Weight Loss Since Surgery: 55 lbs.
Goal Weight: 140 lbs.
Pounds to go: 58 lbs.

At the time I am writing this, I am officially 3 months and change post surgery. You can see photos and measurement updates on my Instagram (@vanishingvelez)

Anyways, if you all remember way back to my post about how much I have to lose, you’ll see that I said that my goal was not a number. When all is said and done, that is still a true statement. My goal is to be happier and healthier-and I definitely think that I am succeeding at achieving that goal. However, I did have a more short term weight loss goal-which was under 200 by New Years. I am happy to report that I surpassed that goal this week.

To be honest, I’m actually a little bit frustrated that I didn’t hit it last week. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and needed to not get myself down about it.

But I digress…

The point of this post is really to talk about some of the things I’ve learned so far in this process-so buckle up!

1. You don’t get rid of bad habits just because you’ve had surgery

I am not particularly a snacker-never really have been. But when I’m at events, I am known to graze. At one of the first parties I attended after surgery, there were tortilla chips and guacamole dip out and I found myself grazing again. I mean it wasn’t the end of the world, but it definitely made it more difficult to eat later on.

I also am perpetually dehydrated-I have never drank enough water. Now it’s even harder because I have less room to fit volume, but also I can not drink and eat at the same time, so there are 90 minutes at every meal where I can not consume liquids.

2. If you don’t practice before surgery, you won’t do it after.

Eating slowly is something that I still really struggle with. I have always eaten quickly, and I’m finding that after surgery, if I do not force myself to consciously eat slowly, I am still rushing to eat my food. I know I should have practiced ahead of time to make this and other things a habit, but I didn’t, and now I struggle.

3. Starting exercise is hard if you’ve never really done it before.

I am not one who enjoys exercising alone. I know myself, and I will make excuse after excuse after excuse about why I can’t exercise. But if I have a class or know somebody is waiting for me, I am much more likely to go to the gym. But even then, I’m not a seasoned gymgoer. I know exercise needs to be a part of my new normal, but right now, I definitely struggle. I get very self conscious at the gym, and I wish that I had spent time before my surgery getting into an exercise routine.

4. You will be surprised at how much volume you ate before surgery.

Oh my goodness did it shock me. I still can only eat a very small amount of food-and every time I fill my plate, I am surprised at how small that portion is. It definitely does not look like ‘enough’ food, even though it definitely is. I’m lucky now if I can finish 1 cheeseburger or hot dog (no bun), never mind anything additional

5. Social media can be a good tool, but it can also be detrimental.

I mean, I’m on social media. I have an Instagram specifically for my weight loss, where I follow other bariatric people. I really try to be open and transparent about what I post on there, but know that not everyone is like that. I often find myself seeing posts by people saying that they’ve lost a certain amount of weight in a specific amount of time, and before I know it, I’m comparing myself to them. This is super not healthy because we are different people with different bodies, different surgeons, and different starting points.