Shell88

@@ho11ieberry06 THANK YOU!! Congrats on your surgery and weight loss! From what I keep reading and seeing, it definitely is not easy, but more than worth it.

Thanks for the tips! Definitely will keep the alarm trick in mind when I get to my pre-op diet. Anything else you've been drinking that has satisfied besides cup of soup, Protein shake or Jello?

Thank you :-) my ultimate goal for everything is for my daughter's well-being. I want her to learn mommy's strength :-)

First post the other day, and I already felt attacked! Kill them with kindness - just thanked him for his support. Can't deal with my own inner demons, close family and friends who have their opinions and complete strangers as well...

Thanks endzone!!

I've had family and friends tell me it's great I have looked into this for 2 years and am willing to put the work into this band surgery - but then I get the ridiculous questions of why I can't just drop the 200lbs all by myself, or if I am doing it to leave my fiance afterwards once I gain confidence back, or have I heard about all these family friends who totally went against their post-op instructions and either had the sleeve rupture, gained more weight (she is a drinker), or the one who just threw up all the time and had it removed. I am losing confidence in my support system, but all the research and reading and information I keep finding is pushing me in the direction of a healthy lifestyle for myself and for my little girl. She deserves my time, energy and a long life with me. It's just so FRUSTRATING!! Other people's inability to follow direction is not going to be my issue. But I do want to know that I'm not going to be looked down on for "taking the easy way out" or because it seems like I just want to make myself good enough to skip out on my life.

I actually did point out that I am eating more homemade meals and eating multiple times a day now. I also have not seen the nutritionist yet who will be setting up my psych eval. I was advised to cut out carbs pre-surgery, hence the DIET change. Yes, eating once or twice a day for well over a decade will make you gain, rather than lose, weight. It's something doctors, psychologists, and nutritionists have told me over the years. Your metabolism shuts down. It stops breaking food down all together. It feels you aren't giving your body enough, so it will hold on to everything you take in so it doesn't go into starvation mode. I wasn't eating much at every meal like YOU may think. The common consensus is the band surgery. As for my insurance, I am set for quite some time, so that is of no concern. THanks for the support!

Hello fellow future gastric patients/post gastric patients. I don't even know where to start.... Ok, so let me Alcoholics Anonymous this - Hi, I'm Shell, and I'm an unhealthy eater. I don't overeat, I don't snack. I actually only eat 1-2x a day and it's usually something I can grab quick and shove in my mouth between taking care of my 17 month old, work, or doctor appts/errands. I also tend to eat after 10pm. Not good, I know. Or should I say, I used to eat those ways.... I've gotten better since I started this. Let me organize this a little better::::::: Well, let's start here: I began my journey toward surgery on August 29th. Met with my surgeon, got my binder of info, other doctors and tests that need to be done, and diet information. I am an extremely organized person - but boy, am I feeling overwhelmed. I started dieting right away. I have actually lost 5lbs in a week! I noticed I'm going food shopping or running to the store a lot more often than I used to ( once every 2 weeks lol). I pre-cooked a lot of my meals (my freezer is full). I cut out 99% of my starches/carbs (potatoes, rice, Pasta, bread) and fried food - I only had brown rice once mixed with grilled chicken. I am strictly playing with meat, 1% milk products, vegetables and fruit now. I actually have to say, I'm not missing the JUNK. I am looking for better recipes to turn me on to tuna and healthier alternatives. I made chicken, turkey or ground meat patties stuffed with skim cheese and veggies or jalapenos. But there's only so many meatballs and burgers a person can eat with getting sick of the idea. I am also looking into the Protein powders. Anyone know of some decent tasting/inexpensive ones I can pick up at walmart or BJs? Now that I got the details of what I have already done for the pre-surgery, as well as where my diet turned - let me say this has been a journey from bad to worse as it is. I was never a small girl. I grew up in a double Italian household where the family and company and love and EVERYTHING revolves around food. Pasta, meatballs, cake..... It was never healthy lol. I was 150 lbs in 5th grade, 200 by 8th grade. Senior yr of high school I was around 250/260. In college, I never ate, drank, and found myself on antidepressants before I graduated. That's when I did the unimaginable - my weight went over the 300lbs. I always told myself I would NEVER let that happen. But I did. And it didn't stop there. I gained another 30 lbs over the next 2 years, got pregnant, gained 30 lbs over the pregnancy and lost those 30 lbs when I gave birth. I maintained 330 for about 6 months, and then depression hit when life handed me some awful events. My daughter was placed in foster care, I was moved out to a different state away from my home of 25 yrs and my parents and siblings, and was stranded with no job or car. I had to attend doctor appts to get her back, meetings, court dates, and multiple weekly visitations. My schedule went haywire and I went back to eating once a day, usually chicken nuggets or a burger on the run. Now here I am, a few months shy of getting my baby home full time with me after this whole mishap, full time job, apartment in the works with her dad, and 355 lbs as of August 29th. She walks, she talks, and she gets into everything! I can't be the awesome mother that I am if I can't keep up! Plus, I've shown her an immeasurable amount of strength the past year - I need to show her I'm strong enough to regain my confidence and do something important for her - AND myself. I want to be around for decades upon decades with her. So here goes my journey. A journey that a lot of people are claiming to support, but I am not looking or relying on anyone else this time. This is for me, by me. It's my turn to shine, and be healthy. It's time to buckle down, get organized, and get ready for a long life feeling good and looking good. Any tips? Has there been anything that works more for anyone than other things? What foods are your favorite?