Bobby46

I am a single mother of a healthy weight, active, 13 year old boy. He has a sweet tooth and hollow legs! He is constantly hungry. I really don't preach to him about what he eats. Since he was a little guy I have taught him 1 healthy snack and then 1 not so healthy snack if he wants one later. If I see him with a snack cake I always ask if he has had something healthy yet....and he usually shows me his apple core. I raised him on chicken, salmon, roasted vegetables and whole grain Pasta or brown rice, no pop. There are always granola bars, snack cakes and chips....but he knows what he is allowed and I really don't think he thinks too much about it.
He knows I had surgery to control my weight. We talked about the whys and the hows. The whole 9 yards. He knows he can ask me all about it whenever he chooses. But, he doesn't dwell on what I eat and I don't hound him about what he's eating.
I think kids hear you when you speak even when you are convinced they didn't hear a word. I also think they follow you when they see you doing something....whatever it may be. They just see the things going on around them as completely normal. So if you just go about your day as healthy as possible they see that as how its suppose to be. Just like they know they have to brush their teeth and wash their faces everyday....its just normal.

I think people believe its the "wrong" way because we are choosing to physically alter our bodies "just to lose weight". I heard it from a few people, not many. Mostly heard the "easy way out" stuff.....so "easy" and "wrong" probably do go hand in hand. But from what was said to me...they had a very hard time understanding why I was choosing to permanently cut out a portion of a vital organ. Its just "wrong" and "crazy".
No amount of justification on my part changed their minds. I still have a stomach, I still eat.....but with the way I am built mentally and physically I couldn't control this without a drastic choice. Now I can.....Thank God! I explained that I HAD to take advantage of this opportunity to gain control so I can live a healthier life. This is the right choice for me. Every other avenue failed me. Still got the "I just don't understand why you don't just eat less and exercise more, its about choice." They don't understand.....so its "wrong"

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

Throw in a big hand full of spinach first and cook it down before you scramble your egg. Great way to get in a couple servings of veggies because they cook way down. I also use the laughing cow cheese with it. 5 mths out and its still my favorite Breakfast most mornings! It was heaven on a plate when I was first allowed to eat food!
Sometimes I also put a spoonful of salsa on it too. YUM!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing.
Good Luck to you!

I am almost 7 mths post op and I have found that winter is really sucky when it comes to this surgery! You are stuck inside and want nothing more than to sip coffee on the couch with a blanket and a book! I have found that November thru February are still just as hard to get thru as they were pre-surgery.....still have to get thru all the holidays and family birthdays.....it seems every other week junk food is still in the house!
But....you can get back on track. No doubt! You have all the info you need and you know exactly what to eat ....you did it before. Get out your old notes and pamphlets from pre-surgery.....my program required me to take nutrition classes and I have a couple notebooks to refer to. Make an appointment with a nutritionist with bariatric experience??
I am pretty sure you aren't eating as much as you did before surgery so the restriction is still there. No more slider foods. Try the basics again.....protein first, then veggies.....no carbs, few fruits and lots of Water. Give it a week and see if it makes a difference. You will probably feel the control again and be headed in the right direction!
Good Luck! You got this!!

Youre right....nope nope nope. I used to be approached by those people who wore buttons that said "lose weight now, ask me how" It always upset and angered me.
This day and age it would be very difficult to find anyone with a weight issue who doesn't know about all the books, tv shows, dvd's, diet programs, diet pills and weight loss surgeries. Diet and nutrition are on tv almost as much as pizza and cheeseburger commercials. It took me a decade to decide to do the surgery. 10 yrs my friends. Everyone has to get to the point where they are ready to lose weight before it can happen.....with any of the choices listed above. Do I wish I did it 10 yrs ago.....OH MY GOD, YES YES YES! But...it would have really upset me if someone came up to me and started talking to me about it out of the blue. I just wasn't ready then.
I was an overweight teen. My parents did what they knew how to in the early 80's.....signed me up for jazzercise and gave me dexatrim. They were never home...always working. Meals were quick and unhealthy. My brother and sister were thin and ate the same meals. I stopped at the 7 Eleven and got candy and slurppies after school everyday and grabbed chips and candy to hide under my bed. Sometimes parents just cant help. They just don't know how or theyre trying but the child is just sneaking around and eating junk. Obesity is not always easy to fix. There are a lot of emotional things that need to be conquered as well as providing healthy food choices and exercise.
I have a niece who is very over weight. Shes 16. She is way heavier than I was at that age. Have you ever talked to a teenager? They can be horrible little beings! lol Especially if you are suggesting anything or voicing your opinion! Mean, hormonal, emotional monsters! My niece knows that I had surgery and she sees me all the time. We have never talked about it. She knows she can ask and I will talk to her. She has watched me take the weight off and put it back on. She knows she can come to me about anything and I will keep it secret. But...like me....she gets very upset if someone tries to discuss weight loss with her. She has PCOS and it makes it harder. So she is struggling. She will do something about it when she is ready.
But.....I know what you mean. I would love to grab my niece and force a change. But that's just impossible.

Youre right....nope nope nope. I used to be approached by those people who wore buttons that said "lose weight now, ask me how" It always upset and angered me.
This day and age it would be very difficult to find anyone with a weight issue who doesn't know about all the books, tv shows, dvd's, diet programs, diet pills and weight loss surgeries. Diet and nutrition are on tv almost as much as pizza and cheeseburger commercials. It took me a decade to decide to do the surgery. 10 yrs my friends. Everyone has to get to the point where they are ready to lose weight before it can happen.....with any of the choices listed above. Do I wish I did it 10 yrs ago.....OH MY GOD, YES YES YES! But...it would have really upset me if someone came up to me and started talking to me about it out of the blue. I just wasn't ready then.
I was an overweight teen. My parents did what they knew how to in the early 80's.....signed me up for jazzercise and gave me dexatrim. They were never home...always working. Meals were quick and unhealthy. My brother and sister were thin and ate the same meals. I stopped at the 7 Eleven and got candy and slurppies after school everyday and grabbed chips and candy to hide under my bed. Sometimes parents just cant help. They just don't know how or theyre trying but the child is just sneaking around and eating junk. Obesity is not always easy to fix. There are a lot of emotional things that need to be conquered as well as providing healthy food choices and exercise.
I have a niece who is very over weight. Shes 16. She is way heavier than I was at that age. Have you ever talked to a teenager? They can be horrible little beings! lol Especially if you are suggesting anything or voicing your opinion! Mean, hormonal, emotional monsters! My niece knows that I had surgery and she sees me all the time. We have never talked about it. She knows she can ask and I will talk to her. She has watched me take the weight off and put it back on. She knows she can come to me about anything and I will keep it secret. But...like me....she gets very upset if someone tries to discuss weight loss with her. She has PCOS and it makes it harder. So she is struggling. She will do something about it when she is ready.
But.....I know what you mean. I would love to grab my niece and force a change. But that's just impossible.

Youre right....nope nope nope. I used to be approached by those people who wore buttons that said "lose weight now, ask me how" It always upset and angered me.
This day and age it would be very difficult to find anyone with a weight issue who doesn't know about all the books, tv shows, dvd's, diet programs, diet pills and weight loss surgeries. Diet and nutrition are on tv almost as much as pizza and cheeseburger commercials. It took me a decade to decide to do the surgery. 10 yrs my friends. Everyone has to get to the point where they are ready to lose weight before it can happen.....with any of the choices listed above. Do I wish I did it 10 yrs ago.....OH MY GOD, YES YES YES! But...it would have really upset me if someone came up to me and started talking to me about it out of the blue. I just wasn't ready then.
I was an overweight teen. My parents did what they knew how to in the early 80's.....signed me up for jazzercise and gave me dexatrim. They were never home...always working. Meals were quick and unhealthy. My brother and sister were thin and ate the same meals. I stopped at the 7 Eleven and got candy and slurppies after school everyday and grabbed chips and candy to hide under my bed. Sometimes parents just cant help. They just don't know how or theyre trying but the child is just sneaking around and eating junk. Obesity is not always easy to fix. There are a lot of emotional things that need to be conquered as well as providing healthy food choices and exercise.
I have a niece who is very over weight. Shes 16. She is way heavier than I was at that age. Have you ever talked to a teenager? They can be horrible little beings! lol Especially if you are suggesting anything or voicing your opinion! Mean, hormonal, emotional monsters! My niece knows that I had surgery and she sees me all the time. We have never talked about it. She knows she can ask and I will talk to her. She has watched me take the weight off and put it back on. She knows she can come to me about anything and I will keep it secret. But...like me....she gets very upset if someone tries to discuss weight loss with her. She has PCOS and it makes it harder. So she is struggling. She will do something about it when she is ready.
But.....I know what you mean. I would love to grab my niece and force a change. But that's just impossible.

Nope. Nope. Nope.
I can't imagine the blow to one's self esteem that would be if a perfect stranger handed you such literature. (You being general/plural.) It's not as if these young women don't KNOW they are fat. It's not as if they don't KNOW they are making bad choices. It's not as if they know ME or know my intentions.
Nope. For me that's a big nope.

I am not "scolding" anyone I am just simply saying sometimes people forget where they came from and they have to remember how it would have made them feel if someone would have done that to them or how it would make you feel if you had an overweight teenager/young adult and someone approached them in the mall about WLS and your child came home in tears over it. My husband is severly overweight and will be having his surgery in a month or two and I have a teenage daughter who is overweight as well. My point was that if a random stranger approached my teenage daughter and started to talk to her about WLS the Momma bear in me would come out and tell you to beat feet. WLS is a topic that I would bring up with my daughter not something a random stranger should bring up. No one needs to take it upon themselves to approach a stranger about WLS. It is as bad as a person who no longer drinks and feels it is there obligation to tell you why alcohol is so bad or someone who has found religion again and feels the need to tell you why there god is better, It is a topic that should not be brought up to random strangers if people want to discuss it with family and friends that is one thing but to approach a total stranger is not acceptable in my opinion. Some people may feel diffent about it that is why we all have a different opinion I was just simply expressing mine as other were expressing theres. So if you felt you were being "scolded" that was not my intention as you were not the only one who had posted on this topic. I have recieved in the mail before from a "person with good intentions" ads for weight loss pills, exercise videos etc. mailed directly to me from a random person just trying to help me out was what the note enclosed in the envelope said. Do I know who sent them no but it was someone close enough to me to know my full name and address so I am very touchy about being approached by people with "good intentions" about weight loss help. All those ads and letter did was upset me. When I was ready to make a change I did the research and found out what steps I had to take to qualify for weight loss surgery.

When I was at my heaviest ....and was there for many years....no one asked me how much I weigh, what size I wear, how much I plan to lose or what I am eating.
But now, some family (not close), acquaintance's and flat out strangers....and their friends.....! feel the need to discuss my body, my weight and my eating habits! I just don't get it! I would never, have never, in my life, asked these questions!
Why do people feel they have free reign over my body, my appearance? Why is this ok to them? It really pisses me off! It is NOT ok to assume that everyone on a "diet" has an obligation to the world to answer any and all questions about said diet when ever asked!!
I do my best to be polite and talk around the subject. But it never ceases to amaze me that people feel they have a right to ask these things and expect an answer in the first place!
I will share my experience openly with people on this forum. I will share it with a couple of my close friends and family. Everyone knows that I will talk but I don't want to be flat out asked.....its just rude! To me it is no ones business unless I CHOOSE to share it and make it their business. So why do so many people that I barely know....or haven't talked to in months....or the stinking clerk at the grocery store, think its ok to ask?

Hi. I can only tell you what my surgeon advised. You will probably get a lot of different answers to your questions.
He said no carbonation because it causes gas and a full feeling. After surgery you will only be able to eat about 1/4 c. of food once you start eating again. If you have been sipping carbonated beverages then you wont have enough room for food. You need the food not the carbonated drinks....even zero calorie. Its a room thing.
Caffeine is a person to person preference. I was given the ok about 3 weeks....maybe 4....cant quite remember. I was putting the single serving instant coffee in my Protein shakes at that point....yummy! by the way! He said some people have acid issues which stimulates feelings of hunger or causes heartburn or reflux. He advised to give it a try, if it doesn't bother me, have at it, if it does, stop it.
My doctor never said no to sugar free Jello or popcicles....he actually encouraged it because of their Water content. But I remember reading some posts a while back where some doctors felt they kept you from drinking Water because they fill you up.....yes, in the beginning a tiny little container of Jello will be a mountain of food to you, you will only be able to eat 1/2 of it, crazy as that sounds. They believed that when you eat you should be eating Protein, jello and popcicles just don't have protein.
Personal advise....kick the carbonated drink habit. You will be so glad you did. You will need all the room in your stomach for good food. Drink coffee if you just have to have it and you can tolerate it....but wait a few weeks after surgery to make sure youre healed. Eat the jello and popcicles if you cant drink another drop of water and you are dying to feel like you are eating something. It may help keep you hydrated if you cant tolerate all the water. In the beginning it will be hard to keep sipping the water and you will just want something else. They wont hurt you.
PS.....I think they want you to stop certain habits pre-op so you aren't fighting those battles too when the surgery is done.

Hi. I can only tell you what my surgeon advised. You will probably get a lot of different answers to your questions.
He said no carbonation because it causes gas and a full feeling. After surgery you will only be able to eat about 1/4 c. of food once you start eating again. If you have been sipping carbonated beverages then you wont have enough room for food. You need the food not the carbonated drinks....even zero calorie. Its a room thing.
Caffeine is a person to person preference. I was given the ok about 3 weeks....maybe 4....cant quite remember. I was putting the single serving instant coffee in my Protein shakes at that point....yummy! by the way! He said some people have acid issues which stimulates feelings of hunger or causes heartburn or reflux. He advised to give it a try, if it doesn't bother me, have at it, if it does, stop it.
My doctor never said no to sugar free Jello or popcicles....he actually encouraged it because of their Water content. But I remember reading some posts a while back where some doctors felt they kept you from drinking Water because they fill you up.....yes, in the beginning a tiny little container of Jello will be a mountain of food to you, you will only be able to eat 1/2 of it, crazy as that sounds. They believed that when you eat you should be eating Protein, jello and popcicles just don't have protein.
Personal advise....kick the carbonated drink habit. You will be so glad you did. You will need all the room in your stomach for good food. Drink coffee if you just have to have it and you can tolerate it....but wait a few weeks after surgery to make sure youre healed. Eat the jello and popcicles if you cant drink another drop of water and you are dying to feel like you are eating something. It may help keep you hydrated if you cant tolerate all the water. In the beginning it will be hard to keep sipping the water and you will just want something else. They wont hurt you.
PS.....I think they want you to stop certain habits pre-op so you aren't fighting those battles too when the surgery is done.

nursemate2.
I agree that not following a healthy diet is what got me here. I will make healthy choices in order to finally lose the weight and feel wonderful for the rest of my life and hopefully avoid horrible health issues. Massive amounts of unhealthy food was the way lived before. Never again.
But....for me...it is so hard and so unrealistic to live my life without ever having the foods I enjoy ever again. I have deprived my self of food since I was 9 years old and it did nothing but make me fat and frustrated. For me, if I am told "never again" when it comes to anything in life, it makes me want it all that much more.
I will eat a cheeseburger (without the bun because it gets stuck a little not because they said no) I will have a small piece of cake at a birthday party and I will drink a cup of coffee with Creamer every morning.
What I will guarantee I will do for the rest of my life is eat healthy and make wise choices 99% of the time. I will enjoy the unhealthy choices every now and again. That's a promise.
Life is short.

Ditto BeagleLover

Not "depressed" per se, but definitely not myself... snappish, forgetful, ditzy, crying at the drop of a hat, (typically happy tears), not at all normal for me for the first few months. It passed. They say that hormones and toxins stored up in fat cells makes for a wild ride the first few months or while we are rapidly losing fat tissue. If you're really depressed though, see someone for help! This roller coaster is hard enough to deal with and you may need a little help, (chemical or talk) to get through it.

Hello. I cant say anything about the Dr.'s you mentioned, I had surgery in Ohio.
My surgeon had me on liquids for the first 4 weeks. He felt it was better safe than sorry since it takes 4 to 6 weeks to fully heal.
Soft foods will taste like heaven to you when you get there so even if you are on soft foods on vacation you will be fine with it. I ate a lot of cottage cheese, greek yogurt, creamed Soups, tuna salad, pureed chili was my favorite and of course Protein shakes, but I thickened them with greek yogurt and fruit.< /span>
At 4 weeks I was still really tired, no energy at all. But no pain at all since the day I got home. You may not have the energy to be very active on your vacation. Just a heads up. But you could also be just fine. Keep in mind that everyone has a different experience.
hair loss....I was told your body stores Protein. I understood that if you hit the high levels of protein for a while before surgery you actually store it and it helps get you through surgery. Protein is important for healing. They aren't completely sure if its protein issues or anesthesia issues that cause Hair loss in patients. I would recommend B12 and Biotin before surgery and use a sulfer free Shampoo and conditioner. It cant hurt. I did it for about 3 months before surgery and still do today. I lost a little hair about 5 mths out. I can notice....but its my head. My hair dresser noticed only because she was aware of how thick it was before surgery. She assures me that no one can see a difference unless they were looking for it. But no one else can tell....and I only ask friends who will be brutally honest!
Loose skin....I'm 47 and short....its gonna be an issue for me. But I will deal with it when I have too. So far its not really bad and I'm down 74lbs.
My opinion.....I would vacation first and then schedule surgery. ONLY because everyone has different experience. You could have it super easy....or you could have it super rough. You just never know.