playlikeworldchamps

Some of the best advice I got maybe from his forum or some other place I read up on WLS was that it was important to spend the honeymoon phase building your new habits so that by the time you can fit more food in those habits will be well entrenched and seem very natural. Some of those most difficult choices come early on when no matter if you make a bad choice you still lose weight. It is important to build up the "no pop tarts" habit in the honey moon 6 months or however long so that when you can eat a bit more or when you have reached goal and have more choice that you are in the habit to make the right choice 90% of the time. And not beat yourself up about the 10% because by that time you are in tune with your body and you know what you need to do to fit that "pop tart" or party or wine or other treat into your lifestyle.

I made a deal with myself from the beginning that I can eat anything guilt free long as I track it. Because of this deal I don't indulge all that much knowing that I can have whatever I want.
I also have issue with dumping if I eat sugar/fat foods like ice cream. I am so in the habit of looking at sugar grams that is usually enough to dissuade me from too much indulgence. I have had cinnamon pop tarts 1 or 2 times in the last 15 months. They sure are yummy. I say if you crave it, have it and get it over with. Better that than eat 4 healthily things trying to avoid it and then have it anyway. Just track it. Another trick I have is taking bite or two of the "cheat" food and then making the rest inedible like pouring ketchup on a pop tart. Throwing in garbage not enough I may pull it out. And not every location has a handy garbage disposal. I was having a delicious baguette one day. But the whole thing had like 300 cals. I ate half then poured an leftover cup of tea on the rest before throwing it out at the office. I didn't want to take a chance that I'd dig it out from the garbage under my desk. And really half a baguette is extremely filling enough for sleevie.

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

I am 5'10" and my starting weight was 315 and my current is 199. I am 1 year out on Mar 13.

I have had some feedback like this too. And since my BMI still says I am 20 pounds over "normal" I ignored it. However....I just got my BF% done and I am in the ideal range for my age now. I am 5-10, 193 pounds which seems very large. But I am 25% BF and the range for my age is 19-28%. So the people saying I am fine as I am may be right! I still want to get in the 180s but I won't stress over it or worry about a Normal BMI anymore. So befor picking a final goal weight get a good BF measurement. You may already be at goal. And those people may possibly be seeing what we cannot in the mirror. (Possibly)

I read a lot of medical research. for the study mentioned it's 5.8% of all 134,000 women in the study who had clinical food addiction (ages 45-80s) For under age 64 it was 8.6%. this was over all weights. for BMI over 35 it jumps to 15.8-18.6%. so it certainly seems that obesity and food addiction is related. it would be interesting to see a cohort over BMI of 40 and if food addiction is greater percent of those morbidly obese but that was not presented - perhaps not enough over 40 BMI in study? So the medical establishment is confirming with research what we tend to know anecdotally. While it is true that not all obese have food addiction, it is more common in the obese.
I believe that sugar over consumption is the cause. there are studies in that area as well.
the American journal of clinical nutrition is a great resource. the food addiction study was in the January 2014 edition.

I enjoyed your article. But I think that on some level we all have food addiction.
We depended on it for comfort and support. It was the answer to all our woes. We reveled in it and gave it too much of our devotion. Because it was a false friend. A traitor to us. Unfaithful because it never helped with the real issues that caused us to depend on it..
I believe that some have conditions like genetics or health factors. But the brain was trained to look to food as the answer. Why? Because no one thought to take the time to look inside ourselves and find out why we depended on it so much as if it were another substance that would cause instant relief. But it never did..It was a temporary fix...And that is why most dieters can't do it because they can't figure out what makes them tick this way...
Fix the brain and your thinking and the body will follow.....I truly believe that like any other substance that once we admit to ourselves that we do have an out of control situation surgery is a tool to help us to retrain our brains. learn what is going on to make us this way and gives us the time we need to make changes forever.
The difference between food addiction and other addictions is that we all have to eat...That is the problem..There is no way we can survive without nutrients to fuel us....
I applaud you for having the strength you have to start your journey...I found some good points in there that help me to keep strong by example..Thank you for sharing....
Addiction
Addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. Addictions can include, but are not limited to, drug abuse, exercise addiction, food addiction, sexual addiction, computer addiction, and gambling. Classic hallmarks of addiction include impaired control over substances or behavior, preoccupation with substance or behavior, continued use despite consequences, and denial. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification, coupled with delayed deleterious effects. Physiological dependence occurs when the body has to adjust to the substance by incorporating the substance into its 'normal' functioning. This state creates the conditions of tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is the process by which the body continually adapts to the substance and requires increasingly larger amounts to achieve the original effects. Withdrawal refers to physical and psychological symptoms experienced when reducing or discontinuing a substance that the body has become dependent on. Symptoms of withdrawal generally include but are not limited to anxiety, irritability, intense cravings for the substance, nausea, hallucinations, headaches, cold sweats, and tremors.

Even if you're only a day post-op you know the surgery is not cheating. here's for a response to those who think we simply need diet, exercise and discipline -- and not that we need all that and more post surgery.
Check out I Am Not a Cheater - and feel free to share it with your friends.

I read a lot of medical research. for the study mentioned it's 5.8% of all 134,000 women in the study who had clinical food addiction (ages 45-80s) For under age 64 it was 8.6%. this was over all weights. for BMI over 35 it jumps to 15.8-18.6%. so it certainly seems that obesity and food addiction is related. it would be interesting to see a cohort over BMI of 40 and if food addiction is greater percent of those morbidly obese but that was not presented - perhaps not enough over 40 BMI in study? So the medical establishment is confirming with research what we tend to know anecdotally. While it is true that not all obese have food addiction, it is more common in the obese.
I believe that sugar over consumption is the cause. there are studies in that area as well.
the American journal of clinical nutrition is a great resource. the food addiction study was in the January 2014 edition.

You won't have to give up food forever. The pre op and first couple months are the toughest. Now that I am 14 months out I can eat pretty much anything. The difference is that I usually choose not too. Although I still have weak moments I am able to say no a lot easier now. And if I do fall off the wagon the damage is smaller since I can only fit so much at a time. I used to have issues with mindless binges and just can't do that now. Too much sugar makes me Feel icky now too. I still love food but it does not rule my life anymore.

You won't have to give up food forever. The pre op and first couple months are the toughest. Now that I am 14 months out I can eat pretty much anything. The difference is that I usually choose not too. Although I still have weak moments I am able to say no a lot easier now. And if I do fall off the wagon the damage is smaller since I can only fit so much at a time. I used to have issues with mindless binges and just can't do that now. Too much sugar makes me Feel icky now too. I still love food but it does not rule my life anymore.

Actually I am also 5-10 and my personal goal is 187. I started at 315. I am almost there. I am 193 and 13 months out. It gets real slow at the end but I am getting there at rate if 2-4lbs a month in the last 3 months.
My doctor did not have goal weight for patients. Anything under 30 BMI is good he says because statistically morbidity/mortality risks about same under 30 as it is under 25. It's when over 30 that jumps significantly. I am around 27.7 now so I meet his goal.

Thank you for that. (Check in mail! LOL!) I feel younger. And I am now getting hair colored at salon not out of a box! That's my treat to myself! I'm 48 and I'll be In Better shape at 50 than at 40 or 30! So many young people on here getting sleeve. What a gift to yourselves not to spend 20 years struggling.

I am 14 months out and have lost 120 lbs and still losing very slowly now. I am close to goal. I am moderate carb. In fact I don't count them. I only focus on Protein. Minimum of 60 and work to keep sugar carbs 30 or less. But I have Greek yogurt everyday with fruit so if sugar carb stays under 45 I am real happy. I just looked at MFP and my carbs are usually 100-150 total a day. My diet is sort of zone like 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. Sometimes the fat is over 40%. It just works out that way. I don't plan it. I just avoid starchy carbs. I eat a lot of chilis, so Beans and Tomato carbs, and Greek yogurt so I get those carbs too. I also got up to 1300 cals by 4 months out. It has worked real well for me. I lost very steadily and did not stall till month 10 when I got close to onederland. I think minimizing sugar carbs is the key. When I start eating sugar like holidays weight just goes in wrong direction. So then I get back on low sugar plan and it comes back off.

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

What you are going thru is perfectly normal. I am 11 months out and i would have to say that the first 2 months are hardest. I am pretty much "normal" now except I eat a lot less at a meal. I can gulp cold water! I also felt in the beginning that I would never be able to drink or eat without awful stuffed feeling. Eating meat just plain hurt. It will gradually get better and then you won't even remember er this difficult stage. I used to burp so much after every bite! I was so tired of burping!
Water has high surface tension so gets stacked up in the sleeve. Drink it more room temperature and tension is lower. You may want to switch for now to diet tea or diluted Gatorade or crystal light. She. Water is mixed with other things the surface tension is lower. I had to switch to diluted diet snapple and diluted Gatorade of I would have been dehydrated. As for food, go slowly on adding thicker food. Try things like thicker Soups and chili first.
Don't get discouraged! The benefits truly are amazing! I don't even notice separating eating and drinking anymore. Only if I drink on purpose to be too full to be tempted by bad food.
It will get better one day at a time. I am down 114lbs in the past year and still losing. And I eat pretty normal. Just less. Whenever you get down just visualize yourself in a couple months. It will be here before you know it!

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

all I can say is that two weeks after surgery you will still have a burning/sore feeling on the side. feels like it's inside too. I had that for about 5-6 weeks.
after a few days of double Prilosec you will hopefully have less acid. good you made appt by April 14 you will know if Prilosec is working. in meantime avoid irritating drinks or anything with citric acid in it. avoid laying down after eating or drinking and when in bed keep head elevated a bit. eat very very very slowly. you have very little room so you need to be very careful. even Water take very tiny sips.

I was at 410 when I decided to have surgery and surgery day I was at 378.
I am 5 weeks post op now and I am at 349. Lost 28 lbs my first three weeks post op and one lb in the last two weeks
But doing good and no problems at all

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5

Latest photo. What 120 lbs down looks like for me. Size 24 to 14.
Highest weight 315
Surgery weight 295 on 3/13/13
Current weight 193 on 4/14/14
5'10" tall
Goal is close: 180s BMI around 26.5