italianlady13

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

I never did the shakes, I have to admit. They made me gag alot and they were sickeningly sweet. I got most of my Protein through my diet and it took alot of effort. Some days I could get it all in while others I did not and I did lose a fair bit of hair doing it this way, but vomiting and gaging everyday was not an option for me. I basically ate my five meals a day and at five meals a day if I had 10 grams of Protein then I was lucky....that gave me 50 grams, not quite enough but better than nothing. I ate things like scrambled eggs with cheese, refried Beans with cheese (all fat free cheese at that point) tuna with fat free/low fat mayo on protein bread. I never did the no carb thing because it just made me feel like I was missing out on something then i would binge later on those things feel guilty and start the cycle. That's why I don't believe in cutting anything out, because this is supposed to be about changing your relationship with food and I'm sorry but the foods i like are not going to be the black sheep in my family. If those things make me gain weight and we can't get along I do with them like I do with relatives I love but can't get on with....I take them in small doses! That being said. I eat like a normal person, I watch my intake, I used to write everything down religiously but don't do it anymore as I am almost a year out. I make sure I'm not over eating and I maintain my tummy by doing the 5 day pouch test every few months to get myself back on track, detox and shrink my tummy down. Here are some food ideas for you
refried Beans with cheese, quac, salsa and plain greek yogurt
meat balls with a quarter of a baby bello cheese placed in the center and baked (not friend) in the oven
beef jerkey (chewed chewed chewed)
look up my recipe for turkey meatloaf and stuffed mushrooms (yum yum yum) it's on the recipe forum.
I ate and still eat tons of hummus, lentils, pistachios, almonds (not the naked kind either the roasted tasty ones) and I eat two tons of sunflower seeds....I should be a bird by now. Instead of potato chips and Snacks high in carbs these items give me my snacky go tos instead of taking in tons of carbs...
I also eat tons of popcorn. I know they say no no no but as far as I can see, popcorn is FULL of Fiber, low in calories and if not loaded with butter low in calories as well. It helps me go to the bathroom because as time goes on and with the amount of protein you will take in moving your bowels becomes a challenge. SO I have to force myself to take in enough liquids that's my BIGGEST challenge. For me Water is not something I reach for so I will usually reach for my diet Decaf ice tea mix by liptons which I swear by....that's how I do it. I try to be realistic about this because living this kind of lifestyle is a big big challenge and for all of us who are living this life KUDOS to us, its very very hard:DDDD
BUT WE ARE DOING IT!!!!!

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

I graduated from Valley Forge

I was raised in Parma but I'm over seas now will come to visit soon....

five day pouch test.....I'm not sure how much it can tighten depending on how much it stretched but I do the pouch test every few months to maintain that level of restriction I like.....as I type I'm on day four

I was told it would depend on age as well and I have a loose belly as well as some lose skin on my arms....but i"m not complainin! I love my new body loose tummy and all:)

One more thing: Like Cheri, I weigh every day. While it's not for everyone, I strongly recommend weighing at least weekly to keep on top of things.
Lynda

Diet is an ugly word but yes, you do need to watch what you put in. After a while I learned how to "trick" my tummy and get more in than needed by doing all the things I shouldn't. Yes, I am above my lowest weight and would like to lose 5 to 10 pounds but I am comfortable where I am still below surgeons goal for me.
So, what was suggested to me was having a single day of liquids protien shakes once a week. This allows me to have fun food every once in a while and now worry about weight gain. Luckily my sleeve prevents overeating. Snacking is a killer of any sleeve post op plan.
You know what you need to do. Easy? No, my surgeon did not do brain surgery only stomach surgery. So just continue to do the right thing. Follow the 3 meals a day plan, 60 gm min of Protein, suppliments, 64oz of Water, stay away from sugar, limit my carbs and excercise.
Good luck! I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

I had my surgery done overseas as well, in Dubai and my doctor was excellent as well. I'm so glad I had it done with him and I can say he was no where cheaper than any doctors in US or Canada....I would never ever, having done my do diligence, do the plication surgery as it has a very high failure rate and especially since it was done in Mexico where you have no rights as a patient. However not all of the doctors are bad it just depends on how much research you do and how much you know about the doctor who's doing it. My surgeon told me directly "no band no plication" and he performs both surgeries. I was very impressed when he told me no plication because the plication was more expensive than the sleeve, he could have very easily made more money on me but was honest enough to tell me "GO HOME AND RESEARCH" come back to me in two weeks and tell me what you want to do. Of course I chose to do the sleeve and am so happy he guided me in the correct direction. Dr AbdulSalam Al Taie was awesome and I am indebted to him:D
So sorry your surgery was no successful, when you get the sleeve it will work out much better for you...I'm 100% sure of this.
And just one note on socialized medicine...I live in Canada, however, I'm an american citizen and lived in the US for the majority of my life and have had a taste of both types of health care. I honestly say I have never seen someone in canada go bankcrupt because of medical bills and I thank God every day for the medical care my elderly mother receives....my mom just had a stay in the hospital. While there she recieved daily sponge baths, bedding changes, meals made to order and a very clean room, with nurses catering to her every whim. I have NEVER recieved that kind of care in the USA. Don't knock socialized medicine untl you have recieved it, it's not all bad as the propaganda media presents it.

go to www.5daypouchtest.com I do this every three months to keep myself on track. I just finished two days ago and feel nice and tight again. You can indeed stretch it but never back to it's original size. The good news is you still have your tool...so just make up your mind to use it. I'm sorry to hear you have only lost 40 pounds it must be very discouraging, have you had your hormones and thyroid tested?

I decided when i had the surgery that i would not be doing any drinking ever again. My dad was an alchoholic so why tempt fate? I did start biting my nails since the surgery but have since quit....I have to sit back and really think before I do anything. I also became slightly addicted to chocolate but have kicked that bad habit. I was eating peanut M & M's like they were goin' outta style!

I'm 11 months out and I had regrets only the first two days like OMG what the hell did I do to myself. But now i'm so happy that I did it there is no regret in my mind that would ever have me question this surgery. I know that now when you are not eating regular foods its really really frustrating but eventually you will be eating again and say to yourself "I'm so grateful and thankful that I did this so that I won't die from obesity related problems" and that my friend is a FACT!

Guys...Poutine is CANADIAN!!!! yeah baby yeah:DDDD

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

Is there anyone near Detroit would like to meet and hang out and build a friendship?

this is not forever just keep telling yourself that this is not forever it's just a small part of your life and soon you will enjoy small portions of your wonderful healthy cooking along with your family.....

I never did the shakes, I have to admit. They made me gag alot and they were sickeningly sweet. I got most of my Protein through my diet and it took alot of effort. Some days I could get it all in while others I did not and I did lose a fair bit of hair doing it this way, but vomiting and gaging everyday was not an option for me. I basically ate my five meals a day and at five meals a day if I had 10 grams of Protein then I was lucky....that gave me 50 grams, not quite enough but better than nothing. I ate things like scrambled eggs with cheese, refried Beans with cheese (all fat free cheese at that point) tuna with fat free/low fat mayo on protein bread. I never did the no carb thing because it just made me feel like I was missing out on something then i would binge later on those things feel guilty and start the cycle. That's why I don't believe in cutting anything out, because this is supposed to be about changing your relationship with food and I'm sorry but the foods i like are not going to be the black sheep in my family. If those things make me gain weight and we can't get along I do with them like I do with relatives I love but can't get on with....I take them in small doses! That being said. I eat like a normal person, I watch my intake, I used to write everything down religiously but don't do it anymore as I am almost a year out. I make sure I'm not over eating and I maintain my tummy by doing the 5 day pouch test every few months to get myself back on track, detox and shrink my tummy down. Here are some food ideas for you
refried Beans with cheese, quac, salsa and plain greek yogurt
meat balls with a quarter of a baby bello cheese placed in the center and baked (not friend) in the oven
beef jerkey (chewed chewed chewed)
look up my recipe for turkey meatloaf and stuffed mushrooms (yum yum yum) it's on the recipe forum.
I ate and still eat tons of hummus, lentils, pistachios, almonds (not the naked kind either the roasted tasty ones) and I eat two tons of sunflower seeds....I should be a bird by now. Instead of potato chips and Snacks high in carbs these items give me my snacky go tos instead of taking in tons of carbs...
I also eat tons of popcorn. I know they say no no no but as far as I can see, popcorn is FULL of Fiber, low in calories and if not loaded with butter low in calories as well. It helps me go to the bathroom because as time goes on and with the amount of protein you will take in moving your bowels becomes a challenge. SO I have to force myself to take in enough liquids that's my BIGGEST challenge. For me Water is not something I reach for so I will usually reach for my diet Decaf ice tea mix by liptons which I swear by....that's how I do it. I try to be realistic about this because living this kind of lifestyle is a big big challenge and for all of us who are living this life KUDOS to us, its very very hard:DDDD
BUT WE ARE DOING IT!!!!!

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

good for you....but you are not everyone....and I won't criticise anyone for choices they make to put things they chose into their body, it's THEIR body and no one can judge....put good job on the encouragement *applause*. I don't feel it necessary to beat anyone up for a food choice.....instead let's encourage each other to take it a day at a time....

I don't agree with this comment AT ALL. You can still eat those things but moderately. If those are your treats then those are your TREATS. You can't stay away from food that you love for the rest of your life, it's just not possible and an unrealistic expectation. You can still have Doritos, spicy cheetos etc just not every day and not in large quantity. I would say once a month for a treat is a good expectation. I can't really handle spicy cheetos to be honest and you will be surprised how much your taste buds change after your out for a bit longer. Those foods you used to love you will find you don't love anymore and those foods that you found you didn't like before you might like now....it's very strange. I began craving greek salad with grilled chicken and sliced avocado for like six months after surgery....but never craved my normal go tos and still don't....

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.

I don't agree with this comment AT ALL. You can still eat those things but moderately. If those are your treats then those are your TREATS. You can't stay away from food that you love for the rest of your life, it's just not possible and an unrealistic expectation. You can still have Doritos, spicy cheetos etc just not every day and not in large quantity. I would say once a month for a treat is a good expectation. I can't really handle spicy cheetos to be honest and you will be surprised how much your taste buds change after your out for a bit longer. Those foods you used to love you will find you don't love anymore and those foods that you found you didn't like before you might like now....it's very strange. I began craving greek salad with grilled chicken and sliced avocado for like six months after surgery....but never craved my normal go tos and still don't....

I'm on my way to a master's degree in applied psychology. I would like to use this toward counseling people with food addictions/eating disorders. I'm thinking of this from a psychological aspect. I don't believe that setting yourself up for perfection is psychologically healthy, nor is encouraging anyone else to. In my experience the more you tell someone not to do something they will do it (Bobby, the stove is hot don't touch...what does bobby do? He touches the stove!)
I don't think a cheeto now and again is going to kill you, especially when you take in far nastier "crud" just by breathing in deeply. I didn't tell her to eat the stuff, I reassure her that her life is not going to change unless she wants to make that change. It is all up to us, what we want to do, how we want to manage. The first few months are the toughest, most challenging time both physiologically and psychologically, the worst thing to tell someone is that they can't do this or they can't do that and they should eat this or they shouldn't eat that. The most important aspect of this surgery is to have a healthy attitude toward food. I agree that taking in good things is very important from a healthy perspective; however you also have to allow room for being human, making mistakes, having a treat now and then and not beating the hell out of yourself for doing so. Food is not our enemy; it can be our friend if we allow it to be. So, instead of lecturing people on chemicals and garbage and what not it's better to encourage people with positivity (not empty positivity) but actual positivity to where they are able to be in a positive frame of mind, therefore when they become emotional food is no longer their go to, which is where the problem stems, not eating a few cheetos once a month. However, thanks for your feedback it was enlightening.