Arts137

Check out this great little book. About a three hour read and very supportive and informative
"Beyond the Refrigerator : navigating life after weight-loss surgery". By Linda Ouellette , LPC
ISBN # 978-1-4575-0836-3.

Got it... VERY informative and objective!

So much is in our heads. I'll take "but very happy now"!!!

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

ON MAY 8TH I DO MY LAST REQUIREMENT THEN DR SAID IT WILL TAKE 5 DAYS TO GET MY APPROVAL. LAST VISIT HE TOLD ME TO PROVE THAT IM READY BY TRYING TO LOOSE A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT THAT VISIT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS 334 NOW IM 318 I KNOW THATS NOT ALOT BUT IM TRYING IM MOTIVATED

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

Let's take care of each other...

From what I've read here, your body just told you to 'hold up'. Don't think damage was done...

Webchickadee... THANKS!

Thanks, makes me smile!

Yes I'm fat and doing something about it. You're F***ing stupid. What are you doing about that?

"If you see a difference"... you're so silly... need to be blind not to see a difference...

Webchickadee... THANKS!

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.
I was on a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.
It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.
Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!
So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.
But I didn't break my diet.
Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owing my future.
The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.
Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.
Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:
- Confidence
- Emotional and physical self-control
- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles
- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best
Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.
It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!
Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall of the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.
Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

You have two topics so far and you've asked about eating steak, hot dogs, cheeseburgers and BBQ. Have you had at nutrition consult? Perhaps you need to sit down with him/her and with a support group to hear what your diet is going to be like before you go through surgery. The things you are asking about are not in the best interest of your new stomach, new lifestyle or your weightloss.

Are you serious get surgery first them think about hotdogs and cheeseburgers later lol you're gonna feel horrible and think what have I done to myself after surgery trust you won't be craving hot dogs or burgers or BBQ for a bit

Please, consider your question carefully. I know the addiction is strong (I smoked for over 30 yrs) but you had 85% of your stomach removed so that you could live a long, happy, healthy, and more active life and now you want to start smoking again?
The reason they have you stop smoking is because it interferes with your healing. You won't be totally healed from the operation for another month.
After the 3rd day you no longer have a physical addiction to the nicotine. It is ALL in your head. Love yourself enough to not start smoking again. And yes, it is hard. I haven't smoked since 2005 and I still want one every once in awhile.
Hang in there *HUG*

Kellylynn, I wish you the best on your journey. I agree you need to let your surgeon know about your eating habits. I had a long fight with my insurance company and had some time to deal with my food issues. I went to a therapist weekly to come to terms with my feelings about having surgery, and how my life would change. It worked for me but may not be for everyone. Once I knew my surgery date, I used those 6 weeks to follow a modified post-op diet. I took my stance from my experience with two people who had surgery ( I know a total of 5) and failed because they could not stick to the plan. Maybe that is not you and hopefully you won't become one of the wls failures. I know we have all had issues with food. Whether it is because we have a sweet tooth, snack or eat constantly, or just eat too much food at a sitting. I am fairly new at 10 weeks post-op, but in the time leading up to my surgery and the time after, I have not cheated or have a desire to do so. I want all of us to succeed so much that I get passionate in my responses. This forum is one where you will get honesty, and tough love. You may or may not like or agree with what we say but it is meant to come from a good space. None or most of us know each other personally but we think of each other as part of our extended surgery and want to offer advice.
It is up to you to determine which is most helpful to you.
Good luck on your new lifelong journey to be thin.

Well with the removal of the stomach is the removal of the major producer of a 'hunger hormone', Ghrelin. That might help. BUT you MUST follow the post-op rules to allow the stomach to heal. If food pieces get into the healing stomach, you could have an emergency situation.
You do know that VSG is not magic, you still have to dramatically change how you approach food and exercise. Get your head right and your tummy will follow.
Good Luck, I'll be following you in a month!

Mine were good reminders of stuff you likely "know" but don't do. I enjoyed them and got started on paying attention to nutrition -- and lost weight!