Dooter

Thanks! LOL Yes, it IS a slippery slope. Here's my advice: If it tastes good, spit it out!! Ok, not quite that bad, but close. Food is no longer a tool of soothing the psyche and de-stressing. It's fuel for the body. I have trouble looking at it that way. I get a craving for something with frosting and LOOK OUT. I'll mow ya down. That's my battle right now. The stinking cravings. If you increase your calories, do it with Proteins, veg, fruit and quality carbs. (brown rice, whole oats, quinoa, etc). Preaching to myself. God help me. As far as foods being left permanently in the past? In theory, yes, all the "bad" food should be left behind, but I tell you, as soon as you tell me I can't have something- that's all I want. SO- I have to learn to have an altered relationship with these foods. Maybe...get to "x" weight and you can have such and such small treat. I don't know. I'm still learning dude. i'm 45 and still learning to live with food. It's not like crack or booze, you can't just walk away. We have to eat. It will be a life long battle and lesson. I pray you have great success.

That's the proper attitude. Never let your guard down.

I am very happy that I got the sleeve done and would do it again in a heartbeat. It is a GREAT tool that I have at my disposal, but I have to use it. I will always have food issues, as will most of us on here, so we have to stay on top of it.

The issues come back. You must be prepared for that. Like I posted earlier, you WILL still have a smaller stomach, so that's a help, but empty carbs and sugar slide down with no problem and weight gain is EASY if you're eating the wrong foods.

There is an initial time period in which you lose the most weight. The sign that it is over is that you stop losing weight with the diet and exercise you've been doing. You start to feel like you're beating your head on the wall to no avail. That is where i became discouraged and turned to old comforts. I also had a very stressful time in my life right then, and I did not exercise the amount of self control i needed to. I continued to exercise, but the cravings were kicking in, and I was GIVing in. Then i started on the tasty alcoholic drinks. Don't drink your calories. The Grehlin figures out a way to start producing again, and the hunger pangs return. HOWEVER- you DO still have a smaller stomach, so like Diva said, you can still work your tool. Stay with protein and veg first. I strayed from that rule. Still struggling. When I get hungry, I get almost manic. I suddenly feel like I have no ability to make rational choices. So I was giving in to sugar cravings, and started that ugly cycle. Trying to break that yet again. I AM thankful to still have a small stomach, or i'd weigh 500 lbs by now. So... there's that...

Still struggling. Had to come back and read my own post for encouragement. LOLOL I'm on day two of a self-imposed liquid diet to shrink up my sleeve as much as possible. I have first-hand knowledge that this works. I'm about to start chewing on the kitchen chairs or something. Yikes. I WILL NOT REGAIN THIS WEIGHT!!!! I'll go down fighting.

Wow. I wrote this forever ago! 2 1/2 years out, and I can eat a lot more than i'm happy about. I can easily eat about 8 oz. of almost anything. Straight protein gets uncomfortable after 6 oz, but anything else.... I can hold too much, so i can't get sloppy.

Good to see ya Ja!!!! Congrats!!

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Be honest with your doc about this. You may need to decide if this is the right time in your life to do this. If you don't stick to the POST op diet it could kill you. This is very serious. Not sticking to the pre op diet and still smoking may disqualify you from surgery anyway. This is serious stuff. You MUST be willing to comply. It's time to change. Please speak to your doc or staff. I say this out of great concern.

OK, Well here's a guideline for you... right now my waist is 42 and my hips measurement right across the hip bones is at 45 and the very widest part of my butt about 6 inches below the hip line is at 52. With those measurements I fit in everything and only on one ride, two of them had to press on the bar to get it to smash down and lock. That was getting a little close for comfort, but it was a way smaller car than all the other. So, if that helps allay your fears any...

Ok, so BIG NSV yesterday. Since before I had surgery 2 years ago, I dreamed of riding rides with my boys and knew it may never happen. We moved to Florida last year, and finally had a chance to visit Legoland yesterday. Not only was I able to keep up with them and their friends, I was leading the pack! AAAND riding roller coasters and other rides with them, and I didn't have to worry about fitting. There was ONE ride with a teeny car and the girl had to really push down on the bar to lock it, but that's ok! I've got a ways to go, but I've come SO far! I'm back on track with a trainer and we're going to get this job D O N E!!! KEEP WORKIN' IT PEOPLE!!!

Oh, I was a big time hider. These are the things I have to start being honest about. We all do. Change is painful.

EXACTLY. Hey we're all in it together and this place is about truth, support and encouragement. I haven't lost anything in a year and a half and I didn't want to come back on here either, but I had a burden for this truth that I was realizing, so by Providence you have come upon it and I'm glad it is helpful. The rest of our lives are going to be a lot of work in regards to food and exercise. We can do it though never give up!

Good job.. You'll do GREAT!! You got this!! Patience.....