Alex Brecher

There’s never a reason to give up…because you can’t. If things aren’t going right, think about what you can do to turn them around now. If you decide to “give up,” you’re just going to find yourself further back when you do try to get back on track. There’s no time like the present!

If you have the munchies, try the five-minute rule. Tell yourself you can have a snack after you do something else for five minutes. If it goes well, you may be able to stretch it into 10 or 20 minutes, or distract yourself entirely!

Do you secretly wish you could dance around like the people in the Zumba class at the gym? Go join them. They’re too busy with their own workouts to worry about what you look like, so why should you be shy?

There’s no question you’ll have doubts, and maybe weight loss surgery isn’t even for you. The best thing you can do for yourself is build a strong support system with a surgeon you trust to give you good information, and loving friends and family who want the best for you.

Next time you grill some chicken or fish, make it a little more interesting by serving it with some springtime flavors. Mix strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and lime juice to make a spring-like salsa. Add diced jalapenos for a little heat.

Thanks for sharing! I was really disappointed that I couldn't make it to the event this year. I most definitely will be joining next year.

blashlee, It’s tough – it really is. And it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel a few weeks after surgery. You’re at one of the hardest points for some people – when surgery is no longer brand-new and when you’ve been unable to eat real food for weeks now, but at the same time, when you still have a lot of weight to lose. Try to see the positive side of things, even though it’s hard. Think about how hard you’ve worked – not everyone is able to go through with surgery and follow the diet properly. Think about what you said about not even wanting junk food. That’s huge! Think about the progress you’re making every day. As for your boyfriend and Easter dinner (and other things he eats that bother you), make sure he understands how you’re feeling. Ask him for a reasonable compromise, like maybe he eats certain junk foods outside the house and away from you. If he doesn’t compromise after you explain it to him, you may just have to accept it and remind yourself that this journey is for you. No matter what he eats, the only thing that affects your body is what you eat. Finally, give yourself permission to “wallow” a little. Wallow a lot. Complain as much as you want. Just stick to the diet! Good luck.

Wish there was a way of preventing members from leaving It's the nature of forums and the internet and life in general. People come and people go. I miss them too.

Vern Vincent! He's an awesome person.

Not looking fat is something that never gets old.

I think we’ve all had this fear! After all, we’ve all been through diets that didn’t work…that’s why we turned to weight loss surgery. It’s perfectly normal to worry about that. Plus, the fact that it’s a surgery makes it so much scarier, at least it does to me. As long as you follow your surgeon’s instructions after surgery, you will lose weight.

I’ve heard of people developing intolerances to meat after weight loss surgery. It’s a challenge because it makes it harder to get in your protein, but you can probably work it in with cottage cheese, tuna, eggs, and vegetarian sources. As for forcing it, I don’t think that’s a good idea…if it’s making you vomit, you probably shouldn’t push it. That’s a good one to ask your surgeon, though!

Eyhornmom, Just from the responses on this thread, you can see you’re not alone, and hopefully that will give you hope that you can get over the worst of your struggles soon. One thing I would like to ask you is about what you said: “I want to be able to go out to eat and enjoy eating with my family. It makes me a little sad that those are all things that I can no longer have, probably ever.” This may not be the case. What do you enjoy about eating with your family? If it is (or was) the feeling of going out and overeating, you’re right – you may never be able to do that again, at least not without feeling sick. But if what you enjoy is the company of your family, you’ll be able to do that soon enough. Maybe it just takes a change of attitude: what do you live for? And it’s tough, because maybe you used to live (or think you lived) for food, and now that you don’t, you need to figure out what you live for. And you can. Maybe instead of eating a chicken pot pie and an order of fries to enjoy the eating occasion, you’ll change so you can get the same pleasure from a chicken breast and some broccoli. In the meantime, it’s perfectly normal to feel depressed and to question your decision. After all, one of your biggest crutches (food) is gone, and to make it worse, you’re eating only pureed foods. Anyone would get depressed on that! Hang in there, and good luck.

One thing I found when following a liquid diet is the more you vary it, the easier it is. I try to have some hot liquids, like chicken and vegetable broth (with or without Protein powder), coffee, and herbal teas, and some cold ones, like chocolate shakes. I also like to change up the flavors to have some sweet and some salty, and try to make it fun by thinking of it as a treat…like when else do you get to have chocolate and Peanut Butter morning, noon, and night if you choose? Or play with sugar-free flavoring syrups and make your own flavors. Good luck!

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If you're going this route, I'd highly recommend attorney Walter Lindstrom Jr.. Here's his contact info: Walter Lindstrom, Jr. Lessons Learned: Celebrating 20 Years As A Bariatric Surgery Patient PRESIDENT & CEO LINDSTROM OBESITY ADVOCACY 601-C East Palomar Street, #480 Chula Vista, CA 91911 WWW.WLSAPPEALS.COM Toll Free: 1-877-99-APPEAL (877-992-7732) Fax: 888-992-1188 Let him know I sent you his way and please do keep us updated on any progress you make!!!

I'm really disappointed that I won't be able to attend the WLSFA event this year. I hope our BP members will make some NOISE!! :D I'm a single dad and due to a last minute change I have my kiddos for the weekend. Couldn't bring them along to the event. Hopefully, I'll see everyone at next years event.

Don’t throw away the rest of today even if you started off on the wrong foot. Just think how much quicker you’ll be able to recover if you get back on track now compared to tomorrow or next week.

You don’t always need to cook separate meals for yourself and for your non-WLS family. For example, make some chicken and vegetables in tomato sauce. That’s a WLS-friendly meal for you, and you can serve it to your family as a topping for pasta.

Putting too much pressure on yourself can make you chicken out of your workout. If you find yourself trying to talk yourself into skipping your workout, make a deal with yourself. Tell yourself you’ll warm up for at least five minutes, and then if you still feel tired, you can quit. Chances are, you’ll keep going for your full workout.

Before committing to weight loss surgery, make sure you’re doing it for yourself. That’s the only way you’ll be able to make it work.

Who was/is your surgeon in Texas? Are you still using the surgeon you started out with or you've transferred to another practice? Really happy to hear that you're OK now!

Don’t underestimate the power of planning ahead. When it comes time for a snack or meal, you’re most likely to grab what’s easiest. That could be cookies or chips if you didn’t plan ahead. If you did, you could be reaching for a higher-protein, more filling, and more satisfying container of strawberries and cottage cheese.

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