Headed on another business trip to Germany this week — the above photo is from my last business trip to German with a US colleague of mine. This time, after my surgery, I am dealing with having gained 10 lbs., so I will have to be even more careful about what I eat. The plan is the lose a pound a week after this trip, so I am looking at 2 1/2 months before I am back to my pre-surgery weight.

So why have I gained weight, good question, as I started exercising right after my surgery. I believe that some of the medications that I was provided during and after the surgery might have upset my body’s physiology, and contributed to my weight gain. Also, I tend to eat more when I am sore or in pain, and I believe that also contributed to my weight gain, along with a somewhat reduced amount of exercise each week.

The reason why I weigh myself each day, and track my weight each Saturday, is to be aware of these trends as they develop so that I can take immediate action to remedy the situation. From my experience, this will be a lifelong situation, and I will have to vigilantly monitor my weight, but it beats the alternative of again allowing myself to be overweight and out of shape. As my shoulder gets better, my expectation is that my exercise level will be increasing, and I will feel less of a need to comfort my pain and soreness with food. If nothing else, it is another challenge to be overcome.