sleevedup

No need to make someone who struggles feel even more ashamed than they already are. Its one think to give advice and another to judge. just because it was so easy for you to follow doesn't mean it is for everyone else. I was eating things I shouldn't on my liquid diet and I don't feel guilty. Your body will tell you what you need to know when you eat something you're not suppose to and you will go through the discomforts and learn what you can and cannot eat. I recommend staying with your diet and not cheat but I bet we are not the only ones who have cheated. Not many people will admit when they have cheated. But reading some of theses responses tick me off cuz it always turns in to omg I can't believe you would risk your life or omg you need counseling. Just cuz you had the sleeve does not make you an expert! Just sayin!

Well, I am almost 9 months out and life is very different than from where you newly sleeved people are living today. I love food. I love the smell, texture, presentation of food and well as the taste. Ethnic food, YUM. Down home southern goodness food - YUM.
Being sleeved does not mean I have given up food. I still love food and subscribe to several food magazines. I still cook. Now I am satisfied with a smaller portion. The smell does not tempt me because I eat more slowly and slow down to enjoy the taste. While others are shoveling in as fast as they can, I am smelling, chewing slowly and savoring. Don't worry, being sleeved does not mean you give up anything, except the large dining out bill. I now share a meal with my DH and we are both happy. Half the cost, same pleasure. Only all you can eat buffets (food was never great there anyway) are a waste.
Things only get better. Congrats on your sleeve, don't fret, life as a VSG is good.

Browse the threads on this forum for a while and you'll see one theme: regardless of the changes, regardless of any complications, almost everyone LOVES their sleeve.
I've been reading on this forum for more than a year and while people get grouchy or down a bit if they stall out for a while (which is a normal part of the process), they always come out on the other side glowing and gushing about how much they love their sleeve.
I'm only eight weeks out, but I can tell you that there are changes you have to learn to live with, but I think they're all GOOD changes.
I cannot sit down and eat an entire king size Snickers followed by half a pint of ice cream followed by a few handfuls of chips when I'm expecting my period. And boy, I used to. Like, every day for the entire week before my cycle.
I cannot sit down in my favorite German restaurant and eat several brotchen, followed by a huge Jagerschnitzel, spaetzle and a huge helping of rotkohl. Oh, and who could forget the hazelnut cake and coffee when that was done?
I cannot eat a dozen chicken wings and half a pizza like I used to, either.
Do I miss being able to eat large quantities? Not in the way you'd think. Overindulging like I used to do in the past made me fat and unhappy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED that overstuffed, rebellious feeling that overinduling gave me.
But these days, I'd just like to be able to fit in a full half cup of eggbeaters. Not because I want to eat more, because with the exception of PMS, the desire to eat is GONE. But mainly because I'd just like to be able to get in my calories and Protein for the day, without feeling like all I do is eat.
Yeah...I'm complaining because I feel like I'm eating all the time.
Your life will change post op. You will not eat the way you used to eat. Yes, you might feel a few parting pangs when you realize it's simply not possible.
But I think your happiness at being in control of your food demons, the ability to control your portions without feeling deprived and the resulting weight loss will FAR outweigh any disappointment you might feel because you can't eat until you're bloated.
I can have one slice of pizza made on a super thin crust and it's completely satisfying. Actually...it's not. It was a bit of a letdown. I took the first bite and actually asked my husband, "You like this pizza?" because all I could taste was processed cheese and grease. I can't belive I used to eat half a pizza. Foods do not taste the same to me, and I far prefer fresh foods over processed ones these days.
You don't have as much weight to lose as some folks, but there are lightweights on this board. I'd check with them before you opt to have surgery, so that you can draw on their experiences as well.
Sorry to ramble on. Good luck to you no matter what you decide.
~Cheri

The honeymoon period. The time period after the surgery, when the weight is coming off without much effort, and you feel like it was the best decision you ever made. The compliments are coming from everyone, you're fine with taking the supplements, the protein shakes, heck, you're even okay with losing some hair – it'll grow back, right?
But what about when you've reached “that” point? The point where the weight loss has slowed. The “head hunger” has started and, well, the “fun” has worn off. Reality sinks in that this “real life.” This is something that you need to keep up with. This is now your...gulp...”everyday” life.


The honeymoon period. The time period after the surgery, when the weight is coming off without much effort, and you feel like it was the best decision you ever made. The compliments are coming from everyone, you're fine with taking the supplements, the protein shakes, heck, you're even okay with losing some hair – it'll grow back, right?
But what about when you've reached “that” point? The point where the weight loss has slowed. The “head hunger” has started and, well, the “fun” has worn off. Reality sinks in that this “real life.” This is something that you need to keep up with. This is now your...gulp...”everyday” life.
Did you expect to have depression creep in? Or maybe creep back in? Most of us thought this surgery would correct our mood issues, thinking that losing the weight would help get rid of that which was bothering us. So what happened? Why are we sad, frustrated, mad? Why aren't we...well...happy?
A lot of this can be attributed to losing our primary coping tool to deal with depression and stress: mindless consumption of food. We may not have realized it at the time, but food was our comfort, our companion, sometimes the only thing that was there for us when nothing/nobody else was. Now, that support is no longer something we can reach for in hard times to get us through. We are physically and emotionally missing/grieving our former “companion.”
Our coping tool.
Sometimes, our best friend.
So what do we do?
First, we have to look at the physical way food was affecting us. Not just related to weight, but in our brain. Food was giving us satisfaction in a way that was “rewarding” receptors in our brain that control the chemical dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that makes us feel good. This is the same chemical that is triggered when someone uses drugs or alcohol. Yep, scary thought, huh?
That's why we often hear about “food addiction.” We are literally “feeding” that addiction when we overeat. That's hard to accept, I know.
Second, we have to look at WHY we may be overeating. What thoughts do we have that lead us to seek food as comfort? Are they thoughts about ourselves? Are we thinking that “I'm so fat” or “I shouldn't even try” or maybe even “Why do I even bother?” Sometimes the addiction is so deep, it's hard to identify the thoughts that made the behavior start.
Then it may be more helpful to think about the feelings. What feelings direct us to start overeating? Is it anger? Boredom? Defeat? Do the words or actions of another make us feel “less than” and lead to lowered self worth, thus leading to the desire to overeat?
The concept of looking at Thoughts-Feelings-Behaviors is at the core of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a standard therapeutic method of behavioral therapists. Finding a therapist that can help us figure out the source of how these 3 things work together to lead us on the path to overeating can go a long way toward correcting the behavior. The key to CBT is retraining those thoughts to become more positive, leading to more positive feelings and behaviors.
Often, we get stuck with “ants” - Automatic Negative Thoughts – and they are hard to undo. With the assistance of a therapist that is trained in CBT, particularly one that is familiar with bariatric surgery, we can retrain our brains to think more positively about ourselves, thus leading to be less dependent on food to nurture feelings of happiness.
What kind of “ANTs” do you want to get rid of? Can you think of a chain of Thoughts-Feelings-Behaviors that you would like to change? What would you rather that chain look like instead?