dashofsunshine

For me, the cravings are reduced. But I hear a lot of people talk about how they continue.
Cravings come from different sources. Some are more physiological and some are more psychological, but all I think are some combo of the two.
I think the surgery, because of the metabolic changes that happen, does provide an opportunity to change one's relationship with food. For example, if I'm offered a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie I'm going to have a mental reaction to that - it's a food I've always loved and enjoyed and I have positive emotional associations to it. So my first thought will be yes! I really want that now! In the past if I didn't take that cookie I'd likely obsess about it and end up baking a batch of Cookies and eating a ton or just scarfing down some store bought Cookies, so in some ways it often seemed best to just eat the cookie and satisfy the need.
But now - if I was to say no to the cookie I'm able to move on. It doesn't take a hold of me like it used to. So, yes, that first moment of saying no is still a little hard, but overall it's SO much easier than it used to be. And I feel like it's worth it to push myself to say no and realize that I can actually do that now. It reinforces that I now have more control over my eating than I used to. And I guess I think the more we exercise that control the stronger that muscle becomes.
I've seen that line a bunch of times, that the surgery is on our stomach, not our brains, but in a lot of ways it IS on our brains because of the metabolic changes, and changes in the hunger-stimulating hormones. Those changes really can change our relationship with food, but perhaps we need to work on changing our habits as well to help maximize the impact.

Not really. In the beginning, yes. Once you are healed, you can eat pretty much whatever you want. All the sleeve does is force you to eat smaller portions. Head hunger, cravings, longings ... I still have them. I was in the store the other day staring at a box of Halloween Cadbury eggs and having a debate with myself if I could still eat the whole box. I finally snapped out of it and walked away. Surgery does not alleviate us of personal accountability. You still have to tell yourself "no" all the time. You still have to make sometimes-difficult decisions about what you allow yourself to consume. Nothing, I've found, about this journey comes easily. Hunger, however, improves greatly with surgery. I always made the worst decisions when I allowed myself to become hungry .. so that has empowered me greatly. I'm sure you've heard the phrase: this is surgery on your stomach, not your head.

I want to eat to live instead of living to eat. I don't want to let it control me anymore. I want to be able to hike the Grand Canyon and have children one day and be with my husband for many many years instead of dying from a heart attack at age 40. I have always struggled with my weight - we dieted as a family all through my childhood from age 7. I want my life to be more than the unhappiness and depression I feel when I look in the mirror. I want to be able to love my husband with my whole heart, which of course, requires me to love myself first. I'm 26 years old and I can't walk up a flight of stairs without being winded. So I'm having surgery in hopes that I can wake up every day and look around at the world with wonder as opposed to waking up every day and simply existing. Good luck to you guys ????

Good OP.
You asked: "Why are you doing/did you do this? What moments were really memorable in your decision making process?"
Frankly, I was desperate. In my late 60s, I had suffered some health and stress setbacks the previous year and a half and gained considerable weight. I simply could not fathom any form of satisfactory retirement (next year) and had no idea how I could manage to lose as much weight as I had to lose (nearly 100 pounds). I also knew that even if I lost the weight I'd never maintain the weight loss -- since I NEVER HAVE BEFORE.
I remember telling someone I was just so f**k**g disappointed in myself.
In the end, I really had no other options. I'd tried all the others (at least 40 diets throughout my life, lots of weight lost and regained). I kept thinking of the famous Einstein definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
I'm not insane. And I'm not stupid. And I don't have time to mess around anymore. So I did this.

I want to see respect in the eyes of others.... More importantly I want to respect myself.... And once again love myself.

Climb a flight of stairs and not have to hide being winded at the top.
Paint my toenails/tie my shoes.
Try on clothes/shoes without breaking into a sweat 10 minutes in.
Go to a mall and buy clothes from a store with no plus size section.
Hike the Grand Canyon.
Go out to a fancy restaurant and actually feel like I deserve to be there just as much as the skinny people.
Fit into an airplane seat again. Comfortably.
That's the beginning of my list!! ????

Surgery is a permanent tool. It is definitely not a fix all. You may be able to lose the weight doing an all Protein diet, but once you start eating carbs again, it could pack back on. Who knows? Surgery reduces the size of your portions forever, unless you force yourself to stretch your stomach back out by eating too much. Yes, surgery will require immense discipline, and so does dieting. Surgery is for those individuals who have tried time and time again and cannot get lasting success. I would talk to your doctor and family and see what they have to say about your thoughts! Good luck!! ????

I am pre-op as well, but every single person I have spoken to has stressed the group therapy meetings and meeting with the hospital psychiatrist afterwards. They have all said it makes a HUGE difference because this journey, for most of us, is going to be a lot mental as well as physical. Good luck!!!

Climb a flight of stairs and not have to hide being winded at the top.
Paint my toenails/tie my shoes.
Try on clothes/shoes without breaking into a sweat 10 minutes in.
Go to a mall and buy clothes from a store with no plus size section.
Hike the Grand Canyon.
Go out to a fancy restaurant and actually feel like I deserve to be there just as much as the skinny people.
Fit into an airplane seat again. Comfortably.
That's the beginning of my list!! ????

Last year my husband and I went to disney world/Harry potter world and there is a ride inside the castle at Harry Potter world that has a serious weight limit. But they don't tell you about the weight limit - they let you wait in line like everyone else and when you get to the front of the line, they pull the fat people aside and try to force them into a seat- in front of EVERYONE - and if you can't fit, they make you leave. I got outside and cried and cried - I was thin in high school and had never experienced not being able to fit on a ride. It was mortifying. Also, recently I went to a fall festival and sat on a bench (it was connected to the table) and the entire table almost flipped because it couldn't support my weight. I ended up on the ground with many looks of pity aimed my way. "That poor fat girl" I could just hear them saying. That's it for me. I'm done. No more! I can't wait for my surgery!

Nice to see Disney has such compassion for people who do not fit their mold of perfection. Not.
Somebody ought to get on their case. If that isn't discrimination, nothing is. Kudos to you for putting up with such insulting treatment with grace and style. You will take those qualities into your next "incarnation" into the world of the sleek and slim. You will be slender AND have compassion and grace. I have learned quite a bit being a fat woman. I will use my experiences in being overweight to be more understanding of others. I will use being fat as a life lesson.

Oh, dashofsunshine . . . I have a lump in my throat reading your passage. I feel for you! I just had my surgery on September 26. There are great things in store for you! You're going to be a new person and be SOOOOO happy!!!

Last year my husband and I went to disney world/Harry potter world and there is a ride inside the castle at Harry Potter world that has a serious weight limit. But they don't tell you about the weight limit - they let you wait in line like everyone else and when you get to the front of the line, they pull the fat people aside and try to force them into a seat- in front of EVERYONE - and if you can't fit, they make you leave. I got outside and cried and cried - I was thin in high school and had never experienced not being able to fit on a ride. It was mortifying. Also, recently I went to a fall festival and sat on a bench (it was connected to the table) and the entire table almost flipped because it couldn't support my weight. I ended up on the ground with many looks of pity aimed my way. "That poor fat girl" I could just hear them saying. That's it for me. I'm done. No more! I can't wait for my surgery!

I am pre-op (scheduled for Nov 20th) and this post brought tears to my eyes because I know exactly what you're talking about with the sweating and the tiredness and the trying to work out only to be exhausted...I want to walk up a flight of stairs and not have to hide my heavy breathing from others. I cannot wait to live a better life for myself and my family. You are such an inspiration!! Thank you so much for sharing ????

I start my pre-op diet 14 days before surgery, so October 30th will be my last day of food. I haven't gotten my Protein Shakes yet but will probably do that this weekend ???? when we say "started our pre-op" that means we've gone to a pre-op appointment and the diet we're talking about is the all Fluid diet which should have been prescribed by your surgeon!

I pay $3600/year for my health insurance. Thanks to Obamacare that is a lot more than I used to pay, much less coverage and a higher deductible than before insurance became so "affordable". And unfortunately the state I live in opted out of WLS under the ACA, so despite my insane premium, I was on my own for this surgery. I took all the money I had been saving for two years for a down payment on a new truck, put about $1000 on a credit card, and headed to Mexico. 10 months later I happily drive my 15 year old truck to work everyday. Money WELL spent!

I am paying out of pocket in the states. It is costing a FORTUNE and I am using all of my savings (my parents are helping out as well). I tried to get approved by my insurance and they said it wasn't happening. I had the option to switch to a different plan in hopes that maybe they would cover it on a more expensive insurance plan, but they required me to have been morbidly obese for at least 5 years before surgery (it has only been 3 for me being MORBIDLY obese...I've been overweight most of my life) and I decided that I would rather pay out of pocket than wait two more years and gain another 100 lbs and get diabetes. The worst part is that I turn 26 in 4 days and will be dropped from my secondary insurance which was my dad's. He works for the Post Office and has the federal employee program, and the entire surgery on his plan would have cost $350. Because of the law, however, I'll be dropped on my birthday. Horribly disappointing. But I'm coughing up the money because, what better to spend it on than a long, healthy, happy life?

I am paying out of pocket in the states. It is costing a FORTUNE and I am using all of my savings (my parents are helping out as well). I tried to get approved by my insurance and they said it wasn't happening. I had the option to switch to a different plan in hopes that maybe they would cover it on a more expensive insurance plan, but they required me to have been morbidly obese for at least 5 years before surgery (it has only been 3 for me being MORBIDLY obese...I've been overweight most of my life) and I decided that I would rather pay out of pocket than wait two more years and gain another 100 lbs and get diabetes. The worst part is that I turn 26 in 4 days and will be dropped from my secondary insurance which was my dad's. He works for the Post Office and has the federal employee program, and the entire surgery on his plan would have cost $350. Because of the law, however, I'll be dropped on my birthday. Horribly disappointing. But I'm coughing up the money because, what better to spend it on than a long, healthy, happy life?

Hey y'all! I'm new I'm pre-op (surgery scheduled for Nov 20th) and I'm 5 foot 8 inches tall. In high school I managed to lose 70 lbs by starving myself and exercising two hours every day (I don't recommend this to anyone), and the attached photo is what I used to look like (dressed for a cotillion ball). I would love to get back to this size, it is my ultimate goal. I was a 6-8 US street size, and I felt beautiful. Good luck to everyone!!!