Strangefruit

It *will* get better... I am 16 mos out and JUST starting to feel like myself again. I regretted my surgery and people would say, "Oh, but you look so good! How could you regret it!?" But I did... I missed my old friend - food. You will learn new coping mechanisms... new ways to eat... I thought I would never be able to get by without rice - I *loved* rice... I can no longer eat it. That may not be the case for you... Many sleevers tolerate rice.. I cannot. I can eat noodles, however, but not a lot. I cannot eat chicken breast at all. It is too dense...I use boneless, skinless thighs for recipes that call for breast...
I am finally able to "eyeball" food and know what is an appropriate amount for me.. I can drink a LITTLE while I eat, but generally, I take tiny sips and it is not uncommon for me to leave a dinner table with a full glass of tea...but then I take it with me and nurse it all night. I still have occasional accidents - for me that is eating ONE BITE too much - and feeling uncomfortably full until I throw up... It happened to me a lot the first few months, but now I know that something as small as one more shrimp can be too much.
I am battling a cross addiction (I understand it is not unusual for people with food addictions to latch onto new things) of shopping. I spend WAY too much time on etsy, ebay and Amazon.com... For a while, I had a good excuse because I needed new clothes, but now I have to give myself limits or I will go overboard. I once had 4 packages arrive in the mail on a single day and I had no idea what was in any of them! :-)
Sorry, I got off topic... but I wanted you to know that you are not alone..it is not unusual to regret the surgery... I did for the first 8 mos... I didn't regret HAVING it, but if I had the decision to do over again, I would not have had it. Now - 16 mos out, I can finally say that perhaps I *would* do it again. It's been a wild ride and it's not over!

Here is another thought to consider. People think that seratonin is in the brain but. The vast majority of it is in the stomach. You have more seratonin and dopamine in your stomach than in any other part of the body. Since the stomach has been cut away I wonder how that affects our neurotransmitter

Yes, the trials are so much greater in maintenance. And as a slow loser anyway, it can seem like an insurmountable challenge when I need to lose a "mere" five pounds. I have said it over and over again but it will never sink in to a newbie until they're there themselves. The real struggle is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. Maintenance requires so much more diligence than loss.
I forget this myself at times but the very most important thing a person can do is WEIGH.
Do not avoid the scale. Weigh every single day in maintenance, or every few days at the least. If you avoid the scale, it's easy to "forget" your weight or dismiss poor eating habits until your pants get tight. And with those stretchy jeans for women nowadays, that can mean you've packed on ten pounds before you realize it!
Tracking calories and planning meals comes secondary. It's that scale (or your measurements, or how your clothes fit, or whatever you use to measure yourself at goal) that tips you off to a problem immediately. I'm not saying expect to see the same number every day. But find that happy range and stay within it, and make adjustments when overdo it and step over the line. This way you catch issues immediately and don't have a ten, fifteen or twenty pound regain to tackle.
~Cheri

This is a good thread to keep going....I am 2.5 years out and reality is just hitting me now. Losing the weight and getting to goal was easy compared to now. I have gained 6 lbs and cannot seem to get it off. I seemed to think I was invincible because I ate small portions....well, I guess they aren't small enough!
Need to get back to the gym and make better decsions.
But my one piece of advice....I got me a FitBit and I love it! Any FitBit users out there? I would like to Friend you on my FitBit site....I find it very inspirational to see how I am doing compared to others. Right now I only have two people and they are kicking my butt! (Granted they are young kids....). So if you have a Fitbit, let me know!
Thanks for starting this!

If there is a secret to my success it would be changing my thinking about goals. I kicked out any remnants of half-way goals such as.."I'm losing weight so I'll look good for the reunion" , "I'm getting in shape so I'll look good", etc.
My goals became permanent life directives.
Health and power for living became the primary goals.
The implementation:
For the rest of my life: eat smart...train like an athlete.
Simple but set in stone.
Eat smart always, always in training.
No more yo-yo. The sleeve gave me a powerful tool. I'm using it.
A mind made up creates a body made right.

Surgery went well. Still In A Lot Of pain. But I'm able to walk around every so often. Don't have much of an appetite. But I'm taking it one day at a time. It's only been 24hrs. Thank you guys for all the prayer and best wishes.

What is your weightloss as a % of the weight you want to lose. I think sometimes we can see posts that say "lost 100lb in 6 months" and we nowhere near that number we feel disappointed with ourselves. But if the original poster has 300lb to lose they will have lost 33% of what they want to lose. Your smaller number expressed as a % may be in the same ball park.
Whatever, do not feel disappointed in what you have lost, every lb down is a lb nearer to your goal.

I was full of regret after my surgery (sept 23rd)... I thought "what the hell have I done? did I try everything first to lose weight?"
I mourned food and still do to an extent. My boyfriend and I spent the night at a hotel out of town for our 6 year anniversary this weekend. for lunch, we went to our favorite sushi restaurant. I had probably 5 - 6 pieces and was really full but completely satisfied that I was finished. I packed up a to go box and looked forward to munching on it later. I wasnt sad that I couldnt eat my normal 30 bucks worth of sushi because I am used to it and its no big deal anymore. For dinner, we went to our favorite Indian place. I had a tiny bit of some saag paneer and was really full but again, happy and satisfied. again, packed it up go to and knew how great it would taste for lunch the next day.
you just have to look at things in a different perspective. I cried myself to sleep many a night wanting a piece of pizza like a normal person. I can have that now.. I just choose to get thin crust and eat half a piece now and the other half later. maybe get a chicken wing or two when everyone else is scarfing on carbs.
there are alternatives to pigging out and they are wonderful.
one of my favorite things to do is make huge pitchers of different teas and lemonades and sip on them all day as a treat. I love toasted vanilla coconut yogurt... I still love food just a little less of it.
I am only down 43lbs since surgery but I can see my waist now and my jeans are falling off of me. My boyfriend notices and I can finally see some results which is very encouraging.
Winter sucks... I am having the hardest time with this weather. once you can get outside and be a little more active, I think your spirits will lift as well. I know this was wordy but I hope it helped! good luck to you!

I am one of the posters who have said in the past that I have regrets...Not all of the time, but yes - I have. I *did* do my research...I had psychological counseling... my entire preparation time was over a year. I KNEW what I was getting in to.
I have had a love/hate relationship with food for over 40 years. So yes - it IS hard to adjust to a different style of eating. I WANTED to lose weight...I STILL want to lose weight. I am down almost 70lbs in six months. I am healthier... I exercise EVERY day. But. This is still the hardest thing I have ever done. And I can't say for sure that if I had to do it over again, I would. The last 6 months have been the hardest 6 mos of the last 30 years of my life... So, it hasn't all been rainbows and unicorns.
People who think that weight loss surgery is an "easy way out" or a short cut? I want to punch them smack in the mouth. It was VERY hard. For me. Some folks seem to have the surgery and bounce right back and go to work the next day, run a 5k, etc, etc... ~shrug~ Flame away, but that is how *I* feel.

PdxMan - I guess what is hard for me is that even when I eat the RIGHT types of food... and eat a lot less...it is still not ... easy? comfortable? Not sure... I guess I could take exercising every day, logging calories (professional dieter - used to that) but I expected that I would eat LESS and eat healthier... what I did NOT expect was difficulty eating PERIOD. Eating skinless chicken or turkey, eating Protein, I don't even miss carbs as much as I thought I would... but I still feel physical discomfort eating. So. Perhaps that is just me. I did not expect a lifetime of dreading food...just LESS food and healthier food.

I am one of the posters who have said in the past that I have regrets...Not all of the time, but yes - I have. I *did* do my research...I had psychological counseling... my entire preparation time was over a year. I KNEW what I was getting in to.
I have had a love/hate relationship with food for over 40 years. So yes - it IS hard to adjust to a different style of eating. I WANTED to lose weight...I STILL want to lose weight. I am down almost 70lbs in six months. I am healthier... I exercise EVERY day. But. This is still the hardest thing I have ever done. And I can't say for sure that if I had to do it over again, I would. The last 6 months have been the hardest 6 mos of the last 30 years of my life... So, it hasn't all been rainbows and unicorns.
People who think that weight loss surgery is an "easy way out" or a short cut? I want to punch them smack in the mouth. It was VERY hard. For me. Some folks seem to have the surgery and bounce right back and go to work the next day, run a 5k, etc, etc... ~shrug~ Flame away, but that is how *I* feel.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

I've went back boxing after about a month. I have a before and after check it out

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

ok, I didn't know they were "skinny" jeans - I bought them on ebay, NYDJ, which are usually pretty pricey in a size 16, thinking I own a pair of the same brand and could wear them. The jeans arrived last night in what I thought was a pretty small mailing envelope...I opened them, shook them out and my heart sank. They looked like jeans for a small child! ( For no good reason, I decided to try them on anyway. They fit. Snugger than I prefer, but THEY FIT. OMG. I want to lose another 8-10lbs before I wear them in public, but I can't believe I got these "tiny" jeans over my ass! I'm going to leave them out of my closet so whenever I get tempted to NOT exercise or eat something inappropriate, to remind me that I want to wear those jeans this summer.

I am one of the posters who have said in the past that I have regrets...Not all of the time, but yes - I have. I *did* do my research...I had psychological counseling... my entire preparation time was over a year. I KNEW what I was getting in to.
I have had a love/hate relationship with food for over 40 years. So yes - it IS hard to adjust to a different style of eating. I WANTED to lose weight...I STILL want to lose weight. I am down almost 70lbs in six months. I am healthier... I exercise EVERY day. But. This is still the hardest thing I have ever done. And I can't say for sure that if I had to do it over again, I would. The last 6 months have been the hardest 6 mos of the last 30 years of my life... So, it hasn't all been rainbows and unicorns.
People who think that weight loss surgery is an "easy way out" or a short cut? I want to punch them smack in the mouth. It was VERY hard. For me. Some folks seem to have the surgery and bounce right back and go to work the next day, run a 5k, etc, etc... ~shrug~ Flame away, but that is how *I* feel.

I spray Pam in a ramekin dish...add some Jimmy Dean sausage crumbles, egg whites, and provolone cheese... microwave for 1 min. Easy, delicious and filling breakfast.

I spray Pam in a ramekin dish...add some Jimmy Dean sausage crumbles, egg whites, and provolone cheese... microwave for 1 min. Easy, delicious and filling breakfast.

I wanted to write this for me but more for someone considering this surgery. Finally after being sleeved on 10/9 I hit the 100 lb loss goal. For me only 65 more to go. It's feels good to finally have success. For those of you who haven't read my backstory I've had the full buffet of gastric surgeries (gastric bypass and reversal, gastric band that i only lost 40 lbs and gained 70 even after revisions). I really hope I can push through and meet my goal weight.
This by no means has been an easy free ride. I've lost 3/4 of my hair, my hands look like 90 yr old and don't get me started on bathroom functions. But I wouldn't change anything. I don't miss anything really and I indulge occasionally in wine or chocolate. Im just as flawed as I was before I know I need to work on getting more Protein in and still have trouble meeting those damn Water goals (as sooner as I drink after food I feel hungrier again sooner). In the beginning when I couldn't eat much I replaced my stress eating with shopping and maxed out a few paid off credit cards.
It just goes to show you that this is more mind control and yes willpower than just portions. After a fab 40th bday party for myself last month and buying a dress from Saks regular store (14) I cried tears of joy. I was able to buy from normal store. It made up for all the other things that happen. I'm 5'10 and have always been a big girl. That nite if I couldn't look like a stick thin super model I would be the fiercest drag queen there ever was. I piled on the hair extensions and false eyelashes and 6 inch heels. I took a ton of pictures that nite ( something that I usually shy away from) and posted them freely with my family and friends online without scrutinizing them took much.
I've laid off on the online shopping and am drinking my Water a bit more, and I've started with the Protein shakes again . This battle will never end. If you made mistakes its important to fall back reassess and regroup. But in the end I am 1000 times happier with myself and am so proud of myself that I took the risk and did this.
That went on longer than my original 100 lbs lost post :-)

PdxMan - I guess what is hard for me is that even when I eat the RIGHT types of food... and eat a lot less...it is still not ... easy? comfortable? Not sure... I guess I could take exercising every day, logging calories (professional dieter - used to that) but I expected that I would eat LESS and eat healthier... what I did NOT expect was difficulty eating PERIOD. Eating skinless chicken or turkey, eating Protein, I don't even miss carbs as much as I thought I would... but I still feel physical discomfort eating. So. Perhaps that is just me. I did not expect a lifetime of dreading food...just LESS food and healthier food.

I am one of the posters who have said in the past that I have regrets...Not all of the time, but yes - I have. I *did* do my research...I had psychological counseling... my entire preparation time was over a year. I KNEW what I was getting in to.
I have had a love/hate relationship with food for over 40 years. So yes - it IS hard to adjust to a different style of eating. I WANTED to lose weight...I STILL want to lose weight. I am down almost 70lbs in six months. I am healthier... I exercise EVERY day. But. This is still the hardest thing I have ever done. And I can't say for sure that if I had to do it over again, I would. The last 6 months have been the hardest 6 mos of the last 30 years of my life... So, it hasn't all been rainbows and unicorns.
People who think that weight loss surgery is an "easy way out" or a short cut? I want to punch them smack in the mouth. It was VERY hard. For me. Some folks seem to have the surgery and bounce right back and go to work the next day, run a 5k, etc, etc... ~shrug~ Flame away, but that is how *I* feel.