blashlee

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands.
Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context...
http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

I think it's funny that everyone assumes easy way is a negative. We are so programmed to think that if we don't suffer to lose weight then the weight loss isn't valid. If you ignore weight loss and look at this another way, you quickly see how stupid it is to think easy = bad.
Imagine a desired outcome called outcome A. There are two ways to achieve outcome A: one way is slow, painful, and inefficient. The other is faster and easier and more efficient. Now what dummy would proudly choose to achieve outcome A via the first method?
After surgery you still have to watch what you eat, think about all your choices, address emotional issues and exercise. But the restriction makes it easier and lessens that feeling of sacrifice that comes with dieting when your hunger is out of control. Yes it makes it easier. And easier is smart. I'm glad I made the smart choice.

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands.
Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context...
http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

I somewhat disagree. This is by no means easy! But at the same time, I realized yesterday while getting full enough after two ounces of salmon and 1 cup of salad that I could not have stopped before I was sleeved. Thank goodness for my sleeve! Thank goodness for the restriction! Thank goodness for this opportunity to change my eating habits! Thank goodness for the easy way that I can push away from the table and stop eating! Thank goodness for the disappearance of cravings that haunted me prior to the sleeve. Thank goodness for the physical dumping and need to stay home from work the next day because I ate something I shouldn't and the fear of that haunted me the next time I considered it. For these reasons it is easier. And for so many other reasons like the learning curve and The pain of getting my body going after 30 years of laziness!
I love my sleeve for all the easy and hard reasons.

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands.
Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context...
http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

I have read many Susan Maria Leach articles and belong to her Facebook BariatricEating Support Group I've found that it is pretty much the only site out there that will give you the cold hard facts if you put yourself out there which is great I think! I'd rather be told the truth and given facts rather than have strangers try and comfort me when I've eaten something that's not good for me! You can find many good articles on her website but beware sometimes of the sarcastic sharp tongue if you don't have thick skin!

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands.
Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context...
http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands.
Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context...
http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/
Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice.
It won’t last without change
There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’.
The first hundred pounds is the surgery
Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain.
No one fights for broccoli carbs!
It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar!
Square peg… round hole
Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy Shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and Pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese.
Look It’s Protein Cheesecake!
Don’t add Protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag!
You know people gain back weight, right?
In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result?
Step away from the bagel!
Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit.
Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out
It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering.
If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

I think you feeling as though you haven't changed on the inside might not be altogether true. You may just not be totally aware of it yet.
I'm pre op, so I'm not where you are now, but I have lost significant weight (and then regained it) over the years. So I know of the unsolicited attention you speak of. I also know that as an obese person, there are things I do out of habit that unless I really concentrate, I'm not always conscious of doing at the time.
For instance, I work in an office, on an upper floor that is a cubicle jungle. The nuts and bolts of the cubicles, the hardware, tends to shake and make noise whenever someone walks by heavily, or in my case, is a heavy walker. But I know that the little petite ones can jog by and it's as quiet as a mouse. I can just meander by, and people wonder if we're having an earthquake. I'm serious. It's happened. And I'm also in CA so, as every disaster movie for the last 20 years has shown, we're in danger of falling off into the sea at any moment, when the next big quake hits. So we're always on edge for quakes. ????
Sometimes if I see that there's a big group of people heading towards the elevator ahead of me, I'll lag behind, or maybe duck in the bathroom, because I know if I'm the last one in and it lurches for any reason, they'll be looking at me as the cause.
I live in mortal fear of fire drills because of the long stairway exit. If for some reason I find out ahead of time when one is planned, I'll find a way to be out of the office.
I try and control my breath when I'm walking to the parking garage, or even look out the window beforehand to see if the coast is clear, so I don't sound like I'm having a heart attack to people passing me by, as I tend to get out of breath and gasp loudly.
Your attire changes when you lose a lot of weight. You start going sleeveless. The hems get higher and the cleavage gets lower. You might start wearing high heels and your outfits are certainly more form fitting. You have a kick in your step that wasn't there before. You're glowing. You're happier and more self assured. Those kind of signals are hard to miss. You're advertising a radical change even if you're not aware of it.
These are the unspoken signs those around you are picking up on. It's not completely that they purposely ignored you before when you were fat, and suddenly decide to notice you now that you're thin. Although that definitely does happen. But sometimes it's partly because you were hiding yourself before, camouflaging the real you because it's a natural response to negative reinforcement. The pitying stares, the taunts, and sad to say, in some cases outright cruelty.
So a portion of the attention you're getting now might simply be in response to subtle changes in your own behavior that you might not even be aware you're broadcasting. You're a flower that's been lingering in the shade for far too long. You can't help but reach out for the sun now, and that's definitely going to get noticed. I think it's great! I can't wait to join you!

There also is a lot of discrimination in the workplace regarding people who are overweight/obese. They are seen as less competent. As you lose weight, it make sense that you may see changes in how coworkers treat you. Sad, but true.

Wore size 30/31 American Apparel jean shorts today. Anybody familiar with that brand probably knows how notoriously small they run.

I don't want to sound like a whiner LOL. I am incredibly happy and proud of myself for my weight loss and I thank the heavens above and feel incredibly blessed that I've been given this opportunity to improve (and extend) my quality of life.
BUT.
I don't like all the newfound "attention" that comes with the slimdown. At work, people who wouldn't have been able to identify me by name without seeing me are all of a sudden super interested in speaking to me, asking me about my weight loss, watching me eat and complimenting me. It is nice to be complimented, but I have to say, it's kind of showing me how superficial people can be. Why weren't you interested in talking to me or befriending me when I was heavy? My personality hasn't changed. I'm still goofy, ridiculous, and ever so slightly sarcastic and sassy...
I suppose perhaps because this is all so new to me. I've never lost a substantial amount of weight, and certainly not since I've worked here. I'm pretty close to whatever I weighed in my later years of high school, so most people I associate with now have never seen me at this size. I guess it's new to all of us. Maybe I'll get more comfortable with it as I get further out and have maintained the weight loss for awhile, but for now, all the increased attention and interest in me and my body and my weight loss and my diet are just flatout annoying LOL
I guess it's not a terrible problem to have...?

A few replies to this topic made me wrinkle my brow a little so I'll just quickly touch on them and voice my opinion.
1. Yes, losing the weight is the desired result of any WLS procedure. "What's the problem?" the problem is starvation isn't going to result in healthy long term weight loss and at only 300-600 cals a day, the body will begin to starve. Fat will be stored, not lost.
2. Calories in = calories out is an archaic way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. It seems that easy, right? Well if it were we wouldn't need to put any other nutrition facts on food labels and doctors and nutritionists would need to set guidelines for fat/protein/etc.They'd just say "Eat this many calories a day and burn at least this many a day and you'll lose this much weight." It doesn't work that way. 100 calories worth of skinless chicken breast will do a different thing to my body than 100 calories of full fat ice cream. All calories are not created equal.
3. The first few weeks after surgery I couldn't manage to get down much more than about a half a yogurt and a Protein shake once or twice a day. It was stressful. I was frustrated. I was tired. Walking my dog down the front path of my apartment complex wiped me out. That was temporary. I'm now running 4-6 miles 3x a week, and exercising for 90 minutes or so in the gym lifting relatively heavy weights on days in between. I very rarely break 1000 cals a day in food, but I've worked out 1100 calories in a run. My Fitness Pal diary entires are skewed because I track my food as it's served to me, and 99% of the time, I don't finish ANYTHING. I dont try to increase my calories if I'm not hungry. That's why I had surgery; to stop me from cleaning my plate and the two next to me. If you're not hungry, it will be harder to increase your calories. Mass gainer will defeat the purpose of what you're trying to achieve from surgery.
4. You will eventually begin to tolerate more food. Your eating frequency may increase due to exercise and your capacity for eating at one sitting will increase. A month post op 2 tbs of Beans and an egg would be all I could tolerate at once. Now I can eat a hamburger patty and apple slices for lunch without much trouble (kids' meal size but still LOL). I agree with some of the suggestions above such as adding yogurt, avocado, cottage cheese etc to smoothies/shakes. Use greek yogurt on foods where you would normally use sour cream; it tastes the same but you're getting Protein and less fat. Make your shakes with milk. Try Fairlife; it's filtered milk that has a lot more protein than regular milk. A tad more expensive for a jug but definitely worth it. Add banana slices to your yogurt if you can tolerate banana and if you're allowed fruit. Bananas are naturally a bit fattier than other fruits and have a few more calories, but are still soft for someone who's still pretty new out from surgery.
I know exactly what you're going through; I didn't workout to my own satisfaction for over a month after surgery because I was too tired and low on food intake and my body was still very busy healing. You'll get there, i promise.

Surgery 4/6/15 HW 260.5, weight at hospital check-in 231, weight this morning 178.2
I've been hanging around this weight for a little while but I'm ok with it.

Surgery 4/6/15 HW 260.5, weight at hospital check-in 231, weight this morning 178.2
I've been hanging around this weight for a little while but I'm ok with it.

Surgery 4/6/15 HW 260.5, weight at hospital check-in 231, weight this morning 178.2
I've been hanging around this weight for a little while but I'm ok with it.

Surgery 4/6/15 HW 260.5, weight at hospital check-in 231, weight this morning 178.2
I've been hanging around this weight for a little while but I'm ok with it.

A few replies to this topic made me wrinkle my brow a little so I'll just quickly touch on them and voice my opinion.
1. Yes, losing the weight is the desired result of any WLS procedure. "What's the problem?" the problem is starvation isn't going to result in healthy long term weight loss and at only 300-600 cals a day, the body will begin to starve. Fat will be stored, not lost.
2. Calories in = calories out is an archaic way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. It seems that easy, right? Well if it were we wouldn't need to put any other nutrition facts on food labels and doctors and nutritionists would need to set guidelines for fat/protein/etc.They'd just say "Eat this many calories a day and burn at least this many a day and you'll lose this much weight." It doesn't work that way. 100 calories worth of skinless chicken breast will do a different thing to my body than 100 calories of full fat ice cream. All calories are not created equal.
3. The first few weeks after surgery I couldn't manage to get down much more than about a half a yogurt and a Protein shake once or twice a day. It was stressful. I was frustrated. I was tired. Walking my dog down the front path of my apartment complex wiped me out. That was temporary. I'm now running 4-6 miles 3x a week, and exercising for 90 minutes or so in the gym lifting relatively heavy weights on days in between. I very rarely break 1000 cals a day in food, but I've worked out 1100 calories in a run. My Fitness Pal diary entires are skewed because I track my food as it's served to me, and 99% of the time, I don't finish ANYTHING. I dont try to increase my calories if I'm not hungry. That's why I had surgery; to stop me from cleaning my plate and the two next to me. If you're not hungry, it will be harder to increase your calories. Mass gainer will defeat the purpose of what you're trying to achieve from surgery.
4. You will eventually begin to tolerate more food. Your eating frequency may increase due to exercise and your capacity for eating at one sitting will increase. A month post op 2 tbs of Beans and an egg would be all I could tolerate at once. Now I can eat a hamburger patty and apple slices for lunch without much trouble (kids' meal size but still LOL). I agree with some of the suggestions above such as adding yogurt, avocado, cottage cheese etc to smoothies/shakes. Use greek yogurt on foods where you would normally use sour cream; it tastes the same but you're getting Protein and less fat. Make your shakes with milk. Try Fairlife; it's filtered milk that has a lot more protein than regular milk. A tad more expensive for a jug but definitely worth it. Add banana slices to your yogurt if you can tolerate banana and if you're allowed fruit. Bananas are naturally a bit fattier than other fruits and have a few more calories, but are still soft for someone who's still pretty new out from surgery.
I know exactly what you're going through; I didn't workout to my own satisfaction for over a month after surgery because I was too tired and low on food intake and my body was still very busy healing. You'll get there, i promise.

I signed up for the FroYo5k a couple of weeks before surgery, and today was the day! There were a lot of people there and a ton of strollers, but in the areas where the course opened up, I ran. Not fast, but consistently. I would say I maybe ran just under half the total course. And it felt really good. My feet didn't hurt, my shins didn't burn, I was able to maintain my breathing, and I finished in less than 50 minutes! It's so much easier to move this body without an extra 52 lbs to slow me down and crush my knees. Now I feel a lot more confident about preparing for the Disneyland Half Marathon later this year.

A few replies to this topic made me wrinkle my brow a little so I'll just quickly touch on them and voice my opinion.
1. Yes, losing the weight is the desired result of any WLS procedure. "What's the problem?" the problem is starvation isn't going to result in healthy long term weight loss and at only 300-600 cals a day, the body will begin to starve. Fat will be stored, not lost.
2. Calories in = calories out is an archaic way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. It seems that easy, right? Well if it were we wouldn't need to put any other nutrition facts on food labels and doctors and nutritionists would need to set guidelines for fat/protein/etc.They'd just say "Eat this many calories a day and burn at least this many a day and you'll lose this much weight." It doesn't work that way. 100 calories worth of skinless chicken breast will do a different thing to my body than 100 calories of full fat ice cream. All calories are not created equal.
3. The first few weeks after surgery I couldn't manage to get down much more than about a half a yogurt and a Protein shake once or twice a day. It was stressful. I was frustrated. I was tired. Walking my dog down the front path of my apartment complex wiped me out. That was temporary. I'm now running 4-6 miles 3x a week, and exercising for 90 minutes or so in the gym lifting relatively heavy weights on days in between. I very rarely break 1000 cals a day in food, but I've worked out 1100 calories in a run. My Fitness Pal diary entires are skewed because I track my food as it's served to me, and 99% of the time, I don't finish ANYTHING. I dont try to increase my calories if I'm not hungry. That's why I had surgery; to stop me from cleaning my plate and the two next to me. If you're not hungry, it will be harder to increase your calories. Mass gainer will defeat the purpose of what you're trying to achieve from surgery.
4. You will eventually begin to tolerate more food. Your eating frequency may increase due to exercise and your capacity for eating at one sitting will increase. A month post op 2 tbs of Beans and an egg would be all I could tolerate at once. Now I can eat a hamburger patty and apple slices for lunch without much trouble (kids' meal size but still LOL). I agree with some of the suggestions above such as adding yogurt, avocado, cottage cheese etc to smoothies/shakes. Use greek yogurt on foods where you would normally use sour cream; it tastes the same but you're getting Protein and less fat. Make your shakes with milk. Try Fairlife; it's filtered milk that has a lot more protein than regular milk. A tad more expensive for a jug but definitely worth it. Add banana slices to your yogurt if you can tolerate banana and if you're allowed fruit. Bananas are naturally a bit fattier than other fruits and have a few more calories, but are still soft for someone who's still pretty new out from surgery.
I know exactly what you're going through; I didn't workout to my own satisfaction for over a month after surgery because I was too tired and low on food intake and my body was still very busy healing. You'll get there, i promise.

There are a lot of things at thai restaurants that aren't sweet. But that means you have to watch out for spicy :-\
I usually get chicken satay and ask for the peanut sauce on the side instead of on the chicken. Or a small order of tom yum or tom khar Soup

A few replies to this topic made me wrinkle my brow a little so I'll just quickly touch on them and voice my opinion.
1. Yes, losing the weight is the desired result of any WLS procedure. "What's the problem?" the problem is starvation isn't going to result in healthy long term weight loss and at only 300-600 cals a day, the body will begin to starve. Fat will be stored, not lost.
2. Calories in = calories out is an archaic way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. It seems that easy, right? Well if it were we wouldn't need to put any other nutrition facts on food labels and doctors and nutritionists would need to set guidelines for fat/protein/etc.They'd just say "Eat this many calories a day and burn at least this many a day and you'll lose this much weight." It doesn't work that way. 100 calories worth of skinless chicken breast will do a different thing to my body than 100 calories of full fat ice cream. All calories are not created equal.
3. The first few weeks after surgery I couldn't manage to get down much more than about a half a yogurt and a Protein shake once or twice a day. It was stressful. I was frustrated. I was tired. Walking my dog down the front path of my apartment complex wiped me out. That was temporary. I'm now running 4-6 miles 3x a week, and exercising for 90 minutes or so in the gym lifting relatively heavy weights on days in between. I very rarely break 1000 cals a day in food, but I've worked out 1100 calories in a run. My Fitness Pal diary entires are skewed because I track my food as it's served to me, and 99% of the time, I don't finish ANYTHING. I dont try to increase my calories if I'm not hungry. That's why I had surgery; to stop me from cleaning my plate and the two next to me. If you're not hungry, it will be harder to increase your calories. Mass gainer will defeat the purpose of what you're trying to achieve from surgery.
4. You will eventually begin to tolerate more food. Your eating frequency may increase due to exercise and your capacity for eating at one sitting will increase. A month post op 2 tbs of Beans and an egg would be all I could tolerate at once. Now I can eat a hamburger patty and apple slices for lunch without much trouble (kids' meal size but still LOL). I agree with some of the suggestions above such as adding yogurt, avocado, cottage cheese etc to smoothies/shakes. Use greek yogurt on foods where you would normally use sour cream; it tastes the same but you're getting Protein and less fat. Make your shakes with milk. Try Fairlife; it's filtered milk that has a lot more protein than regular milk. A tad more expensive for a jug but definitely worth it. Add banana slices to your yogurt if you can tolerate banana and if you're allowed fruit. Bananas are naturally a bit fattier than other fruits and have a few more calories, but are still soft for someone who's still pretty new out from surgery.
I know exactly what you're going through; I didn't workout to my own satisfaction for over a month after surgery because I was too tired and low on food intake and my body was still very busy healing. You'll get there, i promise.

A few replies to this topic made me wrinkle my brow a little so I'll just quickly touch on them and voice my opinion.
1. Yes, losing the weight is the desired result of any WLS procedure. "What's the problem?" the problem is starvation isn't going to result in healthy long term weight loss and at only 300-600 cals a day, the body will begin to starve. Fat will be stored, not lost.
2. Calories in = calories out is an archaic way of thinking when it comes to weight loss. It seems that easy, right? Well if it were we wouldn't need to put any other nutrition facts on food labels and doctors and nutritionists would need to set guidelines for fat/protein/etc.They'd just say "Eat this many calories a day and burn at least this many a day and you'll lose this much weight." It doesn't work that way. 100 calories worth of skinless chicken breast will do a different thing to my body than 100 calories of full fat ice cream. All calories are not created equal.
3. The first few weeks after surgery I couldn't manage to get down much more than about a half a yogurt and a Protein shake once or twice a day. It was stressful. I was frustrated. I was tired. Walking my dog down the front path of my apartment complex wiped me out. That was temporary. I'm now running 4-6 miles 3x a week, and exercising for 90 minutes or so in the gym lifting relatively heavy weights on days in between. I very rarely break 1000 cals a day in food, but I've worked out 1100 calories in a run. My Fitness Pal diary entires are skewed because I track my food as it's served to me, and 99% of the time, I don't finish ANYTHING. I dont try to increase my calories if I'm not hungry. That's why I had surgery; to stop me from cleaning my plate and the two next to me. If you're not hungry, it will be harder to increase your calories. Mass gainer will defeat the purpose of what you're trying to achieve from surgery.
4. You will eventually begin to tolerate more food. Your eating frequency may increase due to exercise and your capacity for eating at one sitting will increase. A month post op 2 tbs of Beans and an egg would be all I could tolerate at once. Now I can eat a hamburger patty and apple slices for lunch without much trouble (kids' meal size but still LOL). I agree with some of the suggestions above such as adding yogurt, avocado, cottage cheese etc to smoothies/shakes. Use greek yogurt on foods where you would normally use sour cream; it tastes the same but you're getting Protein and less fat. Make your shakes with milk. Try Fairlife; it's filtered milk that has a lot more protein than regular milk. A tad more expensive for a jug but definitely worth it. Add banana slices to your yogurt if you can tolerate banana and if you're allowed fruit. Bananas are naturally a bit fattier than other fruits and have a few more calories, but are still soft for someone who's still pretty new out from surgery.
I know exactly what you're going through; I didn't workout to my own satisfaction for over a month after surgery because I was too tired and low on food intake and my body was still very busy healing. You'll get there, i promise.

And some days a baby carrot sends me into a food coma. Btw, I'm not looking for solutions; I've already spoken to my doctor about it. The days that I'm hungry coincide with the days I run or have PT sessions. Her solution: eat when i'm hungry, Protein first, stay hydrated. Simple. Same rules as usual.
...But can I get an amen, saints? Anybody else just beastly some days, and a field mouse on others? If this is you, join the fellowship LOL I swear, some days I feel like a lion ready to take down an elephant and devour all 6000 lbs of it in one sitting. Fact is, my body still won't let me get down more than about 1/2-3/4cup of anything depending on what it is. Some foods go down differently and I can take down more, but I haven't cleaned a plate in 4 months. When my honey and I share food, after i've gotten my portion, his still looks untouched LOL
Some days I'm ravenous, and others I have to make myself eat. And the smallest little thing will feel like I've just had Thanksgiving seconds.
I'm still losing weight, though not at lightning speed, which I'm fine with. At only 4 months out, I've got about 30 lbs to go to my personal goal (which may be adjusted later) and prefer to work hard at them so that I have a better shot with my maintenance down the road.

Sweating to death while I dry/straighten my hair.
Having to stuff my body into Shapewear and then have said shapewear clipped to my bra to stop it from rolling.
Needing help with buckling my shoes because they're too tight.
Bra extender.
Needing to basically marinate my body in Icy/Hot or Tiger Balm after a workout because my joints hurt so bad.
Untagging myself in unflattering photos after an event LOL
Dont miss these things.