Words Of Encouragement Needed Please

Hi - first of all, stop playing the blame game. It's OK to fall off track. We all do. Once you have the surgery it will be so much easier to make these changes. I only had to do the 2 week protein shake diet before surgery, but had 3 months to indulge, and boy did I ever!! I gained 5 pounds once I got my surgery date set in about a month.

But, surgery date was April 17 and I am down almost 50 pounds. You will great!!! You are making a great choice!!!

Thanks Randi, and congrats on your weight loss, keep up the good work.

I have my surgery scheduled for Aug 20 -- and my mind is going through a strange emotional cycle. I almost feel like I am in mourning for my old way of eating. As I savored a heavily frosted cinnamon roll today I didn't feel guilty -- it almost felt like a "good bye kiss" Sweet sadness. I seem to have unusual cravings - like a last wish kind of cravng. I know where you are coming from Randi!!! Kudos to both of us for doing something for ourselves though. Blessings.

I don't even have a date either and stopped dieting hahahaha! The surgeon told me to wipe that idea from my brain....boy why did he do that? Not that I am completing wiling out, but I am not as diligent. I feel like I want to just eat all the things I haven't been eating because I have been dieting over the last year, with no results. I feel like it is my only change :-). You are not alone.

Be careful because you will still be able to eat many "bad" sugary foods after you are sleeved like the frosted cinnamon rolls, cookies, ice cream, cakes, chips, etc. They are considered slider foods and your sleeve will love them. During this time practice mindful eating and think about why you love and are addicted these bad often sugary foods and make a sincere promise to stop the bad habits starting today. Good luck to you.

Oh YES. I've gained at EVERY single NUT appt. I have one left so I'm hoping to either stay the same or maye even lose! My brain totally has this beat. It KNOWS that I won't be able to eat my faves and tells me to eat it all the time I'm trying to fight that now. I'm hoping to have surgery mid-september. Don't be so hard on yourself. I think it's normal. I had a lot of validation from the NUT and PA that I see. Hang in there.....pretty soon you will win this battle

I liked the analogy of kissing food goodbye. Once my surgery date was set I had a week before my liquid diet started and I ate all kinds of things to say goodbye. It was strange having my "last supper" and it was of a bean burger and crowns. Not sure why. I really wanted to go out to dinner and have a steak but no one around to go with and no money so go figure. I'm thinking you're normal.

Thanks guys, at least now I know I am not going crazy, Jennrus I said steak was going to be my last dinner before my liquid diet start also*lol* great minds think alike.

That's totally normal. The minute I got my approval and surgery date, I ate whatever I wanted. And the day before my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, I had grilled Steak! However, once 6-18-12 hit, I started my 2 weeks of liquids and lost 20 lbs. Had surgery on 7-2-12 and have lost 22 more lbs. You will completely be ready when you have that date set. Good luck to you!!!

Don't get discouraged. Everyone has a moment of weakness and it is completely normal. The weekend after I got my surgery date (and 3 wks before the actual surgery) I went to 5 Guys and PIGGED OUT! And you know, the next day, I got back on track. It was not end of the world. What helped my was journaling and starting to read labels. So I would look at my journal and say wow, you have eaten to many sweets you need to put the cookie back. You will be surprised how much a difference it makes when you write down what you eat. Also, try looking up the nutritional info on what you are eating and you will start to make different choices. Don't be so hard on yourself. You will be fine.

I talked to my Dr offc today and schedualed my surgery date. Then I jumped in my car and drove to IHOP.....talking to my mom on my hands free, I mentioned how I've been having quite a few "Last Meals". "I think I'm mourning food," I say as I walk in the front door.

And So Are You......

I stopped it by recognizing what I was doing....I asked myself if this is what I wanted my life to be about. I looked at myself in the mirrors on the wall.....and I turned around and got back in my car.

In single Woman terms...Its like breaking up with a man whos really good...but really bad for you...You can't change him....and you can't change food and what it does to you...find something/someone else to focus on!! Thumbs WAY UP!!

I am going to say something that is opposite.

If you are going to go into this surgery go into it 100%

Why wait until 85% of your stomach is out to work on you? Aren't you worth more than that. Spending your time pre-surgery gaining weight is not the right way to go into such a very restrictive surgery. All surgeries carry risks, why not do your best before surgery to limit the risks by taking care of yourself.

Start charting your food on something like myfitnesspal.com Start trying to lower your carb intake now. I put myself on 800-1000 calories a day (I usually stayed around 800 calories and on my "fore-special days" where I went out to eat at Red Lobster or a Japanese Steakhouse - I went higher. I made sure I kept my carbs 45-75 ...unless it was a fore-special day, which I only did once a month or maybe twice a month.

I lost 10 pounds a month during my pre-approval phase. I got to have my favorite foods once in a while, but I also learned to break the bad patterns that you will need to break eventually, if you don't break it pre-surgery, well who says you are going to be able to break if after surgery?

Learn to not drink with your meal and wait 1/2 hour after you eat to drink your water. Chart your 64 ounces of water a day, chart your exercise. Learn how to do this now.

Limit your caffeine until you can go off it completely (imagine weaning from caffeine and carbonation during pre-op shake....) people that do it before pre-op shake are more successful.

If you are going to have Last Suppers, or Last meals before pre-op shake don't do it the day before do it days before because carb overload, will make pre-op shakes so much worse.

Nobody said you have to starve yourself, but why gain weight? Wouldn't it be nicer to have less to lose after surgery?

It sure was for me. Even if you lose 10 pounds or 5 pounds pre-surgery isn't that something to be proud of? Aren't you worth putting 100% effort into this?

The food issues you have pre-surgery, the comfort food, or the love for food don't disappear after they take 85% of your stomach. You are still going to have stress, you are still going to have anxiety, you are still going to need comfort. I guarantee you, if you work on these issues before surgery and put effort into this, you will be more successful after surgery, because the surgery doesn't cure what caused you to become overweight to begin with.

This is not meant to put anyone down, this is not meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but this costs a whole lot of money and this surgery is NOT a walk in the park. It takes hard work and dedication and it will not solve your problems if you don't work hard for it.

Best of luck to you all.

I did the same thing. It was like I would never be able to eat again. I stopped three weeks out. At three weeks I began replacing one of my meals with a protein shake, then two weeks out replaced two, then the third week all liquid diet per doctors instructions. I met the 15 lbrequired me to loose, but just by the skin of my teeth. I did the one & two shakes a day to prepare myself for the all liquid week the doctor didn't require it. It did make things much easier. I stopped the food frenzie because I was afraid he wouldn't do my surgery if my liver was enlarged because of all the fat that I had consumed.

I am going to say something that is opposite.If you are going to go into this surgery go into it 100%Why wait until 85% of your stomach is out to work on you? Aren't you worth more than that. Spending your time pre-surgery gaining weight is not the right way to go into such a very restrictive surgery. All surgeries carry risks, why not do your best before surgery to limit the risks by taking care of yourself.Start charting your food on something like myfitnesspal.com Start trying to lower your carb intake now. I put myself on 800-1000 calories a day (I usually stayed around 800 calories and on my "fore-special days" where I went out to eat at Red Lobster or a Japanese Steakhouse - I went higher. I made sure I kept my carbs 45-75 ...unless it was a fore-special day, which I only did once a month or maybe twice a month.I lost 10 pounds a month during my pre-approval phase. I got to have my favorite foods once in a while, but I also learned to break the bad patterns that you will need to break eventually, if you don't break it pre-surgery, well who says you are going to be able to break if after surgery? Learn to not drink with your meal and wait 1/2 hour after you eat to drink your water. Chart your 64 ounces of water a day, chart your exercise. Learn how to do this now.Limit your caffeine until you can go off it completely (imagine weaning from caffeine and carbonation during pre-op shake....) people that do it before pre-op shake are more successful. If you are going to have Last Suppers, or Last meals before pre-op shake don't do it the day before do it days before because carb overload, will make pre-op shakes so much worse.Nobody said you have to starve yourself, but why gain weight? Wouldn't it be nicer to have less to lose after surgery? It sure was for me. Even if you lose 10 pounds or 5 pounds pre-surgery isn't that something to be proud of? Aren't you worth putting 100% effort into this?The food issues you have pre-surgery, the comfort food, or the love for food don't disappear after they take 85% of your stomach. You are still going to have stress, you are still going to have anxiety, you are still going to need comfort. I guarantee you, if you work on these issues before surgery and put effort into this, you will be more successful after surgery, because the surgery doesn't cure what caused you to become overweight to begin with.This is not meant to put anyone down, this is not meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but this costs a whole lot of money and this surgery is NOT a walk in the park. It takes hard work and dedication and it will not solve your problems if you don't work hard for it.Best of luck to you all.

Thank you so much for this comment. I know that everyone else who read it thanks you for it also. This is exactly what I needed to hear.

All the input really means alot to me guys. It is so good to have a support system like this on my side,