4Anna

I love all of the positive posts in support of you and what you're going through! I also suffered emotional abuse for years with people waving food or telling me what I should/shouldn't have. It started when I was a child so I didn't know that I didn't have to listen or give them any power But now, I absolutely stand up for myself and (try to) kindly tell people that I'm trying to improve my health & co-morbidities. If they don't listen or keep being negative, I stop the conversation.
I also think you're doing great! And I hope you give yourself credit for having the surgery & making all of the strides you have made. I understand not having money/access to a nutritionist. So if you want to watch some great YouTube videos from Dr. Weiner, who is a bariatric surgeon in Detroit, below is the link. He has some Great info on everything - nutrition, the timeline, and a great, healthy mindset/philosophy.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner/videos
I am only 11 days post-op & I am also having challenges of food cravings, being bored with what I am having, etc. So I will try to get in with my counselor asap. I have appointments set for every Friday in January. Since you don't have insurance, there should be a local, possibly community counseling for you that is on a sliding scale. Hopefully you can find that because therapy can be a great additional tool.
All the best to you!!

Congrats I also hit 199 this morning!

I'm down to 199 pounds!!!! I began this journey on October 10 and as of a few days ago, I'm down 56 pounds! I don't get rid of my old clothes so I'm actually wearing clothes I wore in college! I have been donating my bigger sizes now to an animal rescue group that has a resale shop and the proceeds benefit homeless animals. I'm not keeping the bigger sizes anymore BECAUSE I'M NEVER GOING BACK THERE!!!

LOL!
Seriously, you do have to figure this out. Because if you continue eating no Protein you're going to have worse problems than feeling bitchy.
Like losing a LOT of hair (and more than other WLS patients). And losing muscle mass, despite how much you're working out. Or having your weight loss completely stall because your body goes into starvation mode.
So welcome to WLS post-op and doing what's good for you -- not just what you feel like doing. I know it might be hard to eat and drink now (and oddly so for those of us who've always liked to eat pre-op). But when you agreed to this surgery you sort of agreed to do what went along with it. And that includes eating what you need to eat to be healthy WHILE you're losing weight.
Very best wishes to you.

1. Indigestion is normal considering your sleeve is very new. Drinking was hard for me as well at first especially Water and Protein. But I was able to get my Water in by eating crushed ice. The crushed ice I found to be very satisfying.
2. The amount you can eat will slowly begin to increase over time but don't rush it. Just take advantage of the beginning stages while you can.
3. You will enjoy dining out again. I really enjoy being able to order off the kids menu save money and still have food for later.
4. Yes you will be able to drink sodas again. I drink at least one a day. It took about 11 months for me to drink one without mixing it with water.
5. Well I do not think you can stretch your sleeve some say you can but I disagree. I believe you stomach just fully heals and go to the size it's suppose to be.
6. You will get as normal as any sleever. It will be your norm and you will enjoy it.
7. Your drinking will be normally again just give it time, don't worry.
8. Life after a year is great. I personally still have to lose 18lbs but I am very satisfied with the journey and look forward to the future with my sleeve.
9. Yes getting full is both mental and physical. There are those times when I want to eat more of something because it taste so good but I know I will have it for later.
10. It becomes natural after a while you begin to love and appreciate your stomach.
11. You can eat hamburger, pizza, hot dogs and so on and enjoy them just no more pigging out.
Don't worry we all had these questions in the beginning and it's natural to question the changes your body is going through. Love your sleeve it will change your life drastically.

I also have issues with this and was very concerned because I used to have to have an iced skinny latte every day in order to go and we can't have caffeine. My surgeon said that I can take any stool softener or helper - such as Miralax, Senakot, Colace, etc. But I have tried those before and they didn't work. One of the guys in my monthly hospital group support session said that the narcotics can cause Constipation. So I took as little as I could and haven't taken then for a week now (I'm 13 days post-op). What I have found to work is milk with Protein in the morning - or applesauce. I also think there is something to the "apple a day" saying! And of course Water & walking like any doc will tell you. I have tried the Smooth Move tea. I didn't really notice anything but like a good cup of tea anytime. Good luck!

I love all of the positive posts in support of you and what you're going through! I also suffered emotional abuse for years with people waving food or telling me what I should/shouldn't have. It started when I was a child so I didn't know that I didn't have to listen or give them any power But now, I absolutely stand up for myself and (try to) kindly tell people that I'm trying to improve my health & co-morbidities. If they don't listen or keep being negative, I stop the conversation.
I also think you're doing great! And I hope you give yourself credit for having the surgery & making all of the strides you have made. I understand not having money/access to a nutritionist. So if you want to watch some great YouTube videos from Dr. Weiner, who is a bariatric surgeon in Detroit, below is the link. He has some Great info on everything - nutrition, the timeline, and a great, healthy mindset/philosophy.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner/videos
I am only 11 days post-op & I am also having challenges of food cravings, being bored with what I am having, etc. So I will try to get in with my counselor asap. I have appointments set for every Friday in January. Since you don't have insurance, there should be a local, possibly community counseling for you that is on a sliding scale. Hopefully you can find that because therapy can be a great additional tool.
All the best to you!!

I also have issues with this and was very concerned because I used to have to have an iced skinny latte every day in order to go and we can't have caffeine. My surgeon said that I can take any stool softener or helper - such as Miralax, Senakot, Colace, etc. But I have tried those before and they didn't work. One of the guys in my monthly hospital group support session said that the narcotics can cause Constipation. So I took as little as I could and haven't taken then for a week now (I'm 13 days post-op). What I have found to work is milk with Protein in the morning - or applesauce. I also think there is something to the "apple a day" saying! And of course Water & walking like any doc will tell you. I have tried the Smooth Move tea. I didn't really notice anything but like a good cup of tea anytime. Good luck!

So lets pull this apart and see if we can help. At one month out, how much are you eating at a time? Are you only able to tolerate about a half cup or so of food in a sitting? When you eat, do you hit a point when it becomes uncomfortable to eat more? I think most people here will tell you that at 4 weeks post op, we can't handle much food at one time, if you aren't feeling any restriction, you should talk to your surgeon.
You say you can't get in enough water. Why not? Is it you cannot? If you cannot, you should talk to your surgeon. Water, enough water is vital, if you don't get enough water you can suffer from either dehydration or serious Constipation and either or both can put you back into the hospital.
You say you only get in 30- 35g protien. Once again, is it cannot? Talk to surgeon? I doubt its cannot because you also say you've indulged in chips and cake, if you can eat junk food, you can choose to eat Protein instead. The sleeve will help you with portion size, but you are responsible for the quality of the calories that you take in.
As far as being in a house with a lot of food, who's buying it? Who brings it in? Just be sure you're not the enabler, if you were to stop buying the junk food, would there be a lot in the house? If its others and they don't support you, what can you do to succeed in this journey? You have obviously decided to make a change in your life, and you deserve support from your family. Will they support you? If not, where can you get support?
Anyway, that's my two bits, maybe take a moment in this journey to think about why you went thru this and what your expectations are. Good luck!

Well, there is nothing you can do about the past-- it's over. So plan your attack. Here's some ideas:
1) Plan your meals the day before
2) Have a long talk with your family members- they are sabotaging you.
3) Make an appointment with dietitian and insist that the cook/food shopper attend
Good luck-- don't let them ruin your journey to weight loss and good health!

I remember first and foremost that I am human, that it is in my power to control what goes into my mouth, and that if it happens to be a cookie then so be it. I refuse to beat myself up over food anymore.
But...I also keep in mind that 1 cookie isn't going to kill me but 10 Cookies will certainly derail my goals and will cause some serious stomach pain & can turn into a bad habit again
I plan everything I eat so since we are in the holiday season I've allowed for a few "treats" here and there. If I find I don't want it after I've gotten in all my necessary nutrition, then great! If I still want it, I do this: breath in the aroma of the treat, take it in (sight) then take small bites and savor every flavor. I find that pretty much satisfies me. I limit the treat to one small cookie or a 1/4 cup of dessert or a max of 2 oz of the item. This is about 1-2 times weekly.
CBT takes some time to rewire your brain so I acknowledge that I am still fragile & human above all else.
I also refuse to be "that person" who poo-poos someone for eating something that lacks nutrition. To me nothings worse than that.

Reading this thread has really hit home. I've been over weight since the age of 5. I was a chubby kid always and started dieting at the age of 8 as per my pediatrician and nutritionist, so you can imagine how hard that might of been for an 8 year old. My mom tried her best but of course i would sneek food any chance i had. After a while my mom stopped the diet and again no restrictions. I was taught that food was reward especially unhealthy fast food. Any time i did something well that was my reward. As a teenager i developed poor eating habits never eating breakfast and buying only junk as lunch at school (but school really only sold junk) as i became independent in my late teens early twenties these habits just got worse I've gone years without eating breakfast or if i picked up something it was soda and doughnut (Gross). With the crazy life of college and working i would sometimes not eat till 3pm but i was on the go from 6am!! Than when i would eat i would want to eat a horse! I than was living alone and making money so i indulged in food as i didn't want to cook for 1 or even do groceries at that my fridge pnly contained leftover containers and soda. Again would mostly eat once a day but really unhealthy stuff or to much of normal food and take out and fast food was my life. In my mid twenties I weighed 220lbs i was still a self confident woman and didn't really mind my weight and i loved being able to eat what i wanted when i wanted because it made me feel independent and again it was my reward for all my hard work. I broke my ankle tibia and fibia and was sedentary for 4 months baring little to no weight on my ankle so i spent 4months on the couch eating and wacthing tv. Let me just tell you i gained 40lbs + in those 4months. From than on i tried all kinds of diets spent all kinds of money and I've yo yo'd ever since. last year at the age of 29 i was diagnosed with diabetes insulin dependent, i than started my journey for WLS i wasn't even 30 and was starting to have all kinds of health complications which I knew were greatly because of my weight ( i also had PCOS, insomnia, and sleep apnea) so i began this journey and today i am 24 days post op. Things are going better each day but i am still fearful, fearful of food. I'm scared i won't make healthy choices I'm scared i can't reward myself anymore, I'm scared i wont be able to eat what i love or as much as i would qant to eat. It takes a lot for me to express these fears because I have just now after surgery become more aware of them. Prior to surgery i was motivated excited ready for this new life style and to get healthy, and i still want all those things but i don't know if it's the season that we are in and all the food related festivities or juat knowing that finally i actually have a restriction in my life is making come to terms with all this. I'm on a waiting list for a new psychiatrist because my old one only wanted to give me pills and would only talk about himself so i need someone who can listen and help me not just push pills and walk me out of the office. I am hopeful that my relationship with food will change but i am also fearful. I had RNY 12 / 01 / 14 SW 295 weight day 24 264 down 31lbs
I feel great about the weight loss but im still in the liquid/puree stage i fear the real food stage which still a month and a half away. Thanks for reading my confession.

I had the same thing happen today! I received a Christmas present in the mail from a friend in another state and she included Ghirardelli chocolates. I sucked on one that was caramel filled and was sick for 30 minutes! I promptly gave the chocolates to my neighbors who are hosting Christmas tomorrow I think it was a good thing. Now we know what happens and it is NOT worth feeling sick by eating chocolate. I can eat chocolate sugar-free and/or bariatric puddings, so that's what I'll stick to. I did text my friend, thanked her for the gifts, and did let her know I had to give the chocolate away because it made me sick. My friends have always brought food/chocolate, so it will be up to me to keep educating them, giving it away, and taking care of myself. I'm glad you're feeling better!!

I had my 2 month post-op with my surgeon on Friday 12-19-14; I had very good results and I am incredibly happy with the way things are going for me! I am going to keep up this hard work even though I have stalled!!
Dr. Olsen, my surgeron, was very surprised and please with the way things are progressing. And so was the RD! She said I was a "poster child"! LOL
I had labs drawn with my PCP, everything is normal. whoohoo!!! I am offically no longer a Type I/Type II diabetic and only have a history now; I haven't had insulin since my last day in hospital! (I was diagnosed with Type I while in HS and once I gain some weight after HS it because a mixture of both, how I don't know. I am not the doctor! LOL) My menses are now completely normal; where as they weren't before and never were.
I have lost 64 pounds and 50 since consult visit/surgery day and total of 42% weight loss!!!!!!!!!!!! The biggest accomplishment is doing this surgery and sticking with the strict diet and lifestyle changes. It has been the biggest mental challenge of all. I find my perception of food in general has changed. I, for one, no longer enjoy food as much as I used too. I just look at it a fuel to keep my body alive. My family and friends are so supportive of my change (they weren't at first with the exception of my husband) but now they still that yes I am serious about this and my health.
My mom and dad are so proud. I think my three sisters are a little envious. I have always been the biggest one of the four of us so I had to make up in personality since I didn't have the looks. Now my self-confidence is flourishing and I am absolutely the happiest I have ever been. WHO KNEW?!!!!!! Why didn't I do this sooner!?
The best news of the office visit was my surgeon said if I meet my weight loss goal and including the one he set for me and keep it maintained for at least 3 months after I meet goal weight, he will release and give his ok for my husband and I to try for babies!!!!! I finally have my goals at reach and I am pushing through so I can accomplish and achieve them!!!!
Without this site, my friends, my family, and most importantly my faith in God and Jesus I wouldn't have been able to get as far as I have. I am truly thankful for this site more than anything. It has opened my eyes to everything, to the issues, good and bad, etc. I have learned so much for each and every one of you. SO A HUGE HUGE THANK YOU MY BARIATRIC PALS!
Happy and Merry Christmas to y'all!!! God Bless!

Thank you to all for the ideas. There are great posts and info!
I myself went through a 2-month intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Sep-Oct at an eating disorder clinic this year, and it was thankfully 100% covered by insurance. It was intense but so beneficial because we had 3 hrs a day, 3 days a week of 6 different types of therapy including DBT - Dialectical Behavior Training - which proved one of the most helpful. Just like the person who suggested CBT therapy, it's great to learn the skills of how to make better choices rather than just talk about it. However, sometimes people with issues that stem back years do need to get to the bottom of things before we can move forward. It really depends on each person's history, experiences, and sense of self-worth/self-esteem.
I do feel more prepared with knowing how to make better choices - but it's also key to recognize triggers when they are happening and know how to avoid them & eating. There is a great app - "Before I Eat" - which is helpful. It has different sessions to help with what you're feeling, support, a tracking tool, notes, a progress journal, motivational quotes, etc.
I head into surgery on 12/15 and am starting to freak, so I will be using any and all support systems/tools that I need. That includes continuing counseling, probably taking an all-inclusive DBT program as well as the group support sessions with my hospital. I loved reading about the people who started losing weight, felt better, developed new habits & hobbies, and could stop obsessing about food & weight. I hope everyone who has issues, including me, can experience that.
All the Best to you on your journey!!

Thank you to all for the ideas. There are great posts and info!
I myself went through a 2-month intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Sep-Oct at an eating disorder clinic this year, and it was thankfully 100% covered by insurance. It was intense but so beneficial because we had 3 hrs a day, 3 days a week of 6 different types of therapy including DBT - Dialectical Behavior Training - which proved one of the most helpful. Just like the person who suggested CBT therapy, it's great to learn the skills of how to make better choices rather than just talk about it. However, sometimes people with issues that stem back years do need to get to the bottom of things before we can move forward. It really depends on each person's history, experiences, and sense of self-worth/self-esteem.
I do feel more prepared with knowing how to make better choices - but it's also key to recognize triggers when they are happening and know how to avoid them & eating. There is a great app - "Before I Eat" - which is helpful. It has different sessions to help with what you're feeling, support, a tracking tool, notes, a progress journal, motivational quotes, etc.
I head into surgery on 12/15 and am starting to freak, so I will be using any and all support systems/tools that I need. That includes continuing counseling, probably taking an all-inclusive DBT program as well as the group support sessions with my hospital. I loved reading about the people who started losing weight, felt better, developed new habits & hobbies, and could stop obsessing about food & weight. I hope everyone who has issues, including me, can experience that.
All the Best to you on your journey!!

I forgot about that...i quit taking acid reducers a few weeks ago! I'll start taking them in the evening instead of morning like I was! Thanks u bunches!

Hey Matt!
I'm a 26 year old singer/visual artist from Nashville, TN. I have spent my entire life being overweight (except for a small period in high school when I was anorexic). I have never had a healthy relationship with food. In high school, I lost 70 lbs and was absolutely terrified of food. Now, it is my best friend. I wake up in the morning thinking about it. When I'm bored, I get on yelp and find local restaurants to try out. Food has been my comforter for so long...it doesn't care what I look like or how much I weigh and it is always there. But it has destroyed my life - I love to travel, but can no longer fit in an airline seat. My body aches every night when I go to bed. I used to run five miles a day and now I get out of breath climbing a flight of stairs. I would love to have children with my husband sometime soon, but my weight does not allow for that. Obesity has stolen so much from me....so I'm not waiting any longer.
My surgery is this Thursday and I am so nervous. There is no going back. I am so excited but also, a part of me is sad. Because I AM addicted to food, and the way I view food is going to change forever. And that's scary to me. But spending the rest of my years like this is even more scary.
I totally understand where you are coming from. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to do this. That my mind is going to ruin everything. That I won't be able to lose the weight, even after surgery. So many fears! But this is necessary for survival, and happiness. For both of us, it seems! Be brave! And I will, too ????
Best wishes and good luck!
-Kati

Matt I can relate 100%. I am just sitting here thinking about all the ways food was the dominant force driving my life. Like a big bus heading toward me ready to run me over...I can either cower and close my eyes or lean into it. I am choosing to lean into it. No more excuses...no more I will start a diet tomorrow...no more last meals at McD's. I am ready for a change. Missing family and friends because I don't want them to see me has to be the worst. I can't do that anymore. I have an 11 year old daughter I need to be around for. Two high school sons to make miserable until they move out. I am prob 20 years older than you (judging by the picture)...don't waste the next 20 years doing what I did. Change.

You're definitely not alone. I read a post a while ago by someone else here that made me understand things a bit better. The poster said she would never be able to stop her destructive habits with food on her own. She said the sleeve provided her with a stop sign that she never had before, and with the inability to abuse food, many of the struggles you speak of were no longer possible. Forced change. A stop sign and pause to give you time to continue your OA meetings and counseling. If you take advantage of your stop sign, embrace change and continue therapy, I think you'll do fine.

I wouldn't call myself a food addict, but saying I have an effed up relationship with food is an understatement. I have been fat forever and was diagnosed by a therapist as having BED (binge eating disorder) earlier this year. I've never gone to OA, but I go to therapy for an hour and a half each week to work on the core issues that led me to morbid obesity. Is not food; it's me. After all, food never attacked and devoured me, it was the other way around.
I really appreciate your honest post and I get where you are coming from. Food allowed me to feel in control or out of control. To feel decadent or gluttonous. Food never told me I was fat and it was always available. Both friend and enemy. .. or so I thought.
I've learned that my perception is skewed and that I spent an awful long time trying to make discomfort comfortable. I cringe at the thought that I've been destroying myself forkful by forkful for the better part of my life. Getting down to some of the effed up messages that I believe about myself(my worth, self-image, shame, guilt) was where I began in therapy. I spent a couple of months pre-op working at digging in to those patterns so that I can recognize them for what they are and exchange them for new, productive ones.
I'm about 3.5 weeks post-op. The hunger I experience is only in my mind now. It's scary sometimes to think about the forever aspect of this surgery, but the one day at a time concept fits well for me. I, too, wondered how I could ever change my ways. It's still surreal that I'm actually doing it! It feels great to be participating in the process of building myself up as opposed to the converse.
Congratulations on your willingness to try something new; that is what recovery is all about ,doing things differently, finding new solutions to our problems. I'm certain you can do this.

Best of luck during your pre-op! I found that the pre-op diet totally reset my system and now I really crave very simple foods. I can eat any amount of spiciness without problem, but I tend to gravitate toward simpler foods.
Just remember that if your head starts telling you that you're starving, you're not starving. All of us had enough weight on us pre-op to not starve for quite some time.
It was also awesome to lose 25lbs during my 2-week pre-op and 2-week post-op.
Just remember that the pre-op is just a blip on the radar of your life and will be over soon enough and then you'll be on the other side.

Thank you everyone!!! I can do this! I can do this!!! I wonder if they give you tranquilizers when you get to the hospital. Im scared ill get too much anxiety.

One of my pre-op questions for my surgeon referred to what steps does he take towards post-op pain relief. Specifically, I was concerned about all of this sharp shoulder gas I was hearing about. In case you have not discovered yet, the surgeon pumps your abdomen up with CO2 in order to create extra working space and to facilitate the movement of his instruments. He promised that he would extract as much of the gas as possible. Guess what? I had zero pain from shoulder gas.
I had three tiny incisions held together with steri-strips (not stitches or staples) and one other a little bit bigger (and just below my navel) where the excess stomach was retracted. That one also was small enough for a steri-strip. The only pain that cramped my style was from the underlying muscle near the largest incision. I was on a morphine pump the first day and the hydrocodone the second day. I came home around noon on the third day and only used the hydrocodone at bedtime for two days.
If you can, prop yorself up in bed for a few nights to make getting up and down easier without pulling on your abdominal muscles. I have a lift recliner because of some previous back surgery and thought I might need to sleep in that for a few nights, but did not need to use it.
Just go easy on yourself and don't be lifting laundry baskets or kettlebells. My biggest incision was tender for about a month, but given that I had just had surgery, that was to be expected. Actually the hardest part of my surgical experience was to just move over to the surgical table. My recovery has been uncomplicated as far as pain and discomfort. The biggest challenge overall has been manipulating a delicate dietary balance to meet all of my requirements.
You can do this. In no time you will be able to encourage those who follow behind you. Beyond the professional expertise of your team, you will find great support here on the forum. I hope that your surgery is uncomplicated and that you will enjoy the new you that is about to emerge.