sue4491

I didn't have weight loss surgery because I have known many folks who regained the weight if they didn't diet and exercise after surgery. But dieting and exercising works to lose and/or keep off weight without surgery. So I chose the latter!

I heard the comment and thought it interesting - seems the BL show is basically against having surgery although some of the contestants in former seasons had HAD weight loss surgery (and regained all the weight and more). I really wonder what the recidivism (regain) rate is for the contestants who were on the BL. I suspect the BL show will receive some angry letters about the remark!

I have discovered some interesting things about hunger. Real hunger is (ironically and perhaps strangely) not felt in the stomach. It is rather a feeling of light headedness or a headache. Typically when we are "hungry" in the stomach, we may be actually craving something else - be bored, want a hug, be lonely or anxious or a myriad of other reasons. (Now how do I know this - my grandma told me.. hehe). So there are many strategies to deal with hunger in the stomach which likely isn't real hunger. Here are a couple ways I deal with it.
1. Say you will eat something but not now - in 20 minutes. So during that time, do something which is fun and interesting (like log on here! ). If you are still hungry in 20 minutes, eat something which takes a long time to eat and is "calorie friendly" (like a banana). Chew it to liquid and eat small bites. By the time you are done, you won't be hungry.
2. You probably want to follow some sort of "healthy food plan" because healthy foods fill us up and keep us healthy. Chances are your surgeon offers some kind of plan including dairy, veggies (cook them to soft), fruit etc. If not, you can find this on the web for example at the NIH site
3. Sometimes being low in Protein will make you hungry sooner.
4. hungry in a couple of hours? No problem - our ancestors did eat small amounts every couple of hours. You can stay on track if you make good food choices.
5. doing a daily work-out cuts down the hunger also just because it fulfills us, relaxes us, takes up time between meals and burns calories. But it also builds muscle which is a good thing.
6. I just learned this one - do the apple test. Picture an apple and your favorite treat. Which looks more tempting to you? If both look good, you may be hungry so eat the apple. But if only your favorite treat looks good, it's probably not real hunger.
You made a lifetime commitment - don't be in a hurry. You have embraced a new lifestyle - enjoy it and embrace it. And the weight loss will follow.
I realized I had never felt real hunger before I got on my program. And it's so different from what I thought - that lightheadedness and not a nice feeling. Especially when you get it while out on your bicycle. I carry those diabetic sugar pills when I get that and that holds me until I get home and can eat something. (One pill which is 10 calories is enough to make the lightheadedness go away)
The bottom line is pretty much the same for everyone - most of the work is done by the patient, regardless of the procedure.