blessed7

Hilarious thread. And true comments posted here.
But I do think the show title is appropriate. There are so many crazy diets, and we've done them all -- and then rationalized that THIS ONE was the only one that would work for everyone.
And now -- 17 months after being sleeved, hubby and I just got back from a fabulous 2.5 week holiday cruise. I ate dessert twice a day, had wine with dinner every night (and some times at lunch) and didn't miss a single meal.
In short, I ate *everything* I wanted -- just not lots and lots of it. I skipped the Soup courses. Most evenings I had only one appetizer and the main. I didn't eat a lot of bread. And (other than the wine) I didn't drink many of my calories. And I didn't clean my plate.
I ate slowly, ate small bites, and chewed my food well. And I went on some pretty physical excursions (sea kayaking, trekking, long walking tours of cities we visited).
And in 2.5 weeks I gained only 0.2 pounds (measured on the same scales the morning before we left home and the morning after we got back home).
Can you imagine doing that without WLS? I certainly cannot!
One other thing ... after 17 months of tracking my food on My Fitness Pal, I took a break from tracking and was so pleased to see I had actually built some great habits and instincts during all that time.
Did I mention I now wear size 4 / 6 slacks and look 20 years younger than I did two years ago?
For a formerly fat girl, the good life doesn't get much better than this.

I bought the surge and didn't like that it didn't record calories burned for all different activities. I took it back and now have the Gear S and I really like it. I think the trick is to find any activity as close to what you are doing as possible. Maybe that will work for the Surge too. For example, when I do boot camp type classes I put it on hiking and tracks my calories and HR accurately.

I am always cold and I am a year and a half post op. I sleep under an electric blanket, have a heated throw and bundle up constantly- by the way I live in Florida.

McDonald's vanilla Ice Cream (didn't eat the cone)...believe I had dumping syndrome afterwards. This was 2 weeks post op, and the best negative reinforcement I've ever had!

I've performed 1,000+ bariatric weight loss surgeries here in central New Jersey. Because the nature of this surgery necessitates a long-term patient/doctor relationship, I now have a fairly large number of Facebook patient friends as a result!
Last month, I posted a timeline request for my clients (at all stages of post-op weight loss) to share their favorite tips for new patients just beginning their bariatric journeys.
I received a plethora of great ideas that I think may be helpful to many of you as well. (The first one is my obvious favorite!)
Have your own ideas to add? Please feel free to share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below:


Follow doctor's orders
“I was very diligent in following ALL instructions from my doctor− quit smoking, fast pre-surgery, follow the after-surgery schedule of introducing foods, eat high Protein foods first, drink lots of Water, start walking the day after surgery and keep going when you’re home.”
Don't rush back into eating solid foods
“I didn’t rush into eating. Four weeks of liquid and two weeks of a pureed diet worked really well, but it was hard mentally as I just wanted to chew something. Listen to your doctor and the nurses. They know what is best for each individual patient.”
Be honest with yourself
“About four years after gastric sleeve surgery, I was feeling exhausted, fat, grumpy and unattractive. I did some honest self-evaluation and realized I'd forgotten or ignored what I had to do to take care of my tummy, my whole body, and my mind. I started back to the gym, taking my Vitamins, drinking two quarts of water every day, and slowly being aware of my food intake.”
Have the right attitude
“I really believe if you have a relentlessly positive frame of mind and come to terms with the fact that this is for LIFE, you can be successful. And it’s so worth it. I feel joy in feeling full again, which was missing prior to surgery.”
Drink water like there’s no tomorrow
“I drink a minimum of 64 ounces every day, even though I’m at goal weight. Keep in mind—I’m not talking about caffeinated drinks—I mean plain or carbonated water. Orange seltzer is my favorite.”
Change your eating habits. For good. Long term. Permanently.
“If you are willing to change your lifestyle, this surgery will help you become the person you dreamed of being. Bottom line—be committed to completely changing how you eat, taking vitamins and getting physical activity—every day.”
Join a support group
“For me personally, the biggest key to my success is a monthly support group I attend. My wife and I started going even before my operation. Even though I am close to my dream weight, I still attend to share my experiences and learn something new from the nutritionists and doctors who also attend. Not all bariatric doctors provide support group support, but I think it's key to find one. Try your local hospitial if you doctor doesn't offer it.”
Realize that bariatric surgery is only a tool, not a miracle
“#WLS is not a miracle, there is still a lot you have to do and be committed to forever. It's up to you. This is a lifestyle change in every sense of the word. Want to live a longer life? Have this surgery and get healthy and strong. ”

For a multitude of reasons, the weight loss surgery journey—mentally and physically-- is easier for some than others.
The first month or so can be understandably challenging.
I have treated hundreds of weight loss surgery patients here in New Jersey and can assure you of one fact:

It’s probably not going to be smooth sailing from day one—



like real life, there are going to be some obstacles thrown in your path.




I’d like to help you overcome some post-op issues that may come up:
Recover From Your Operation First, Then Focus on Weight Reduction
You’ve prepared for weight loss surgery for a long time and you’re eager to start shedding those pounds--right now. But first, it’s far more important to heal properly after your operation. As a result, you'll very likely lose weight faster and avoid complications which could potentially set you back.
“I’m Not Losing Enough Weight!”
That’s a common concern and one that is certainly justified! Often patients think they will never be able to overcome obesity and metabolic disease since WLS was a last-ditch effort after years of dieting didn’t work.
Keep your nutrition diary updated. Keep moving. Drink all that Water every day. If you didn’t see the scale move this week, you’ll be happier next week. If not, call your bariatric doctor to take a closer look to determine what is causing this temporary setback.
Doubting Your Decision
I view the first few weeks or even months after weight loss surgery as a perfect storm for generating self-doubts about your choice to have the sleeve, gastric bypass or the lap band.
You now realize that subscribing to a lifetime commitment of changing your eating habits and lifestyle is a pretty big deal.
Additionally, you have not eaten solid foods for weeks, which can also be unnerving to some people.
These feelings are completely normal—and temporary.
You’ve undergone a big life change that’s going to take some time to get used to.
Just make a little note to carry with you that says:
1) You are fighting back against obesity-related diseases.
2) You are lengthening your lifespan.
3) You are going to enjoy a significantly improved quality of life.
4) You will look better and feel great every day.
Comparing Your Weight Loss to Others
Everyone fighting obesity is completely unique. While Bob may lose 28 pounds in the first month, Linda may lose only 15. Months down the line, the weight loss figures even out, more often than not.
Think about it. A general round number for great first-year weight loss after bariatric surgery is 100 pounds. That’s an average of 2 pounds a week, or 8 pounds a month.
If you lost 20 pounds in your first month, you’re doing fantastic! To hit 100 pounds in your first year, you won’t even lose a pound every three days.
Don’t worry if the scale doesn’t go down every single day. If you’re eating right, you’ll lose weight.
Better yet, only weigh yourself about once a week.
Take Weight Loss Surgery One Day at a Time
No matter how frustrated you may feel at times, stay positive and focus on following your bariatric team’s instructions to the letter. Continue to eat a liquid diet and then pureed foods. Use this recovery time to plan a day-to-day system to help achieve your long-term success. Learn to measure your food. Schedule specific days/times for food prep, sleep and exercise.
Should you have any pain or discomfort of any kind, call your doctor sooner rather than later. (Yes, it’s often gas, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!)
We want to hear how you’re doing, I assure you.
Weight loss surgery is a lifetime adventure. Your world is changing for the better. When you are temporarily frustrated or disappointed, move forward, look ahead. Because your future is going to be very bright (and healthy!) indeed.
(Photo Credit: Courtesy Witthaya Phonsawat via freedigitalphotos.net)

One should NEVER cheat with a foodlike product. All cheating should be done with REAL food in all it's fatty, sugary, creamy, gooey glory.

So, my take? I would bet that many, if not most, of us fall off the wagon at least once during our process but DUDE!!
Hostess cupcakes? Little Debbies? Pop Tarts? Popcorn balls!?!?!?
If you are going to fall, at least fall with something that is worth it. Cheesecake, homemade fudge brownies, great quality chocolate....

First off, you have a sleeve. You don't have a pouch that can stretch. The stretchy part of your stomach has been removed. Worrying about stretching your stomach is pretty unfounded.
Second, eating a lot of sugar and starches is not a good idea, but once you have done so, you are going to have a difficult time until you get the sugar out of your system. Eating sugar will set you up to crave sugar. The best thing you can do is go cold turkey and not give in to any cravings. They will go away.
Third, your post is so full of negativity. I understand your feelings, but ironically, I just came to BariatricPal to post a link to a very good article about changing negative self-talk. I think you might find it beneficial in this situation. You made a mistake. That is ok. You are not a mistake. How to kick negative self-talk to the curb
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/health/end-negative-self-talk/index.html
Fourth, the advice I would give is to forgive yourself, reflect on your feelings, create a plan for how you will deal with similar situations in the future, and go back to basics.
We are all human and we all make mistakes. It's what we learn from them that will help us move forward.

I did mostly Protein and veggies while losing but never completely gave up fruits and whole grains. Stayed away from the white carbs while I was losing. Once I hit goal I loosened up my restrictions and at this point pretty much know what I can eat without gaining. I eat every 2-3 hours but stop before I get full. If I do pop over my bounce range after an especially carb heavy vacation or holiday I just do a couple days of "preop liquid diet" and/or protein/veggie basics and it comes back off. I guess I do keep track of my fluids in my head and get 64-80+ oz in every day. As for protein, I eat a Quest bar and drink a protein smoothie every day. That's 40-50g protein right there so it's not hard to know I'm exceeding 60g with all the protein rich foods I eat. For example, besides my Quest bar and protein smoothie, today I had turkey Jerky, Greek yogurt with Kashi go lean Cereal, a banana, some peanuts, cheesy chicken corn chowder, quest chips with Avocado and garlic salsa, Brussel sprouts, two Hershey kisses and a mini twix from the Halloween candy jar.

this story just put a huge smile on my face!!! LOVE IT

this story just put a huge smile on my face!!! LOVE IT

That's hysterical, Elode! You must feel like a teenager yourself again! Just don't throw your back out doing the booty dance/twerking thing! LOL

@@OKCPirate He is a good looking boy. I'm not going to show this to my teen girls!

@@OKCPirate lol! These kids better hide the undergarments. Maybe this will give the motivation to wash, dry AND fold their own crap!!

@@Elode - dang if that didn't happen to me today. My son was here, our laundry was mixed up because he doesn't take stuff out of the dryer and when I put on my underwear they felt better, checked the tag to see what brand I wanted to pick up to replace the rapidly uncomfortable lose stuff, and realized "dang it's my stud college student, state champion swimmer's underwear." I'm feeling pretty NSV right now.

So last night I took my teenage daughter (14) to the movies. We were in the process of getting ready and she starts freaking out! She says " MOM!!! What the heck?!" I being in shock was like "What , what happened?!" She says "You're wearing my freaking underwear!!" I immediately flipped the tag over and sure enough they were hers! She bought the same ones as me only two sizes smaller. I, being thoroughly amused started doing the booty shaking victory dance. She however was not near as amused as I was. That's ok though because I got a new NSV AND I inherited a new pair of undies!! For some reason she insisted that I keep them! So when I say "funniest" what I really mean is funniest for me. Ha!! Winning!!!

Thanks guys I really needed this just reminded me why I'm doing it, to be honest pre op diet has been really hard on me mentally and like you said fill that bottom less belly I can eat so much it's crazy and it's so easy to just pick up the phone and dial pizza wich sounds amazing right now, my belly won't stop tossing and turning and I'm just tiered all the time not to mention extremely moody wich for me is don't take anyone's shit lol. It's true what they say old habits die hard sometimes I just go into the fridge and stare at it wich is bad! I'm getting there and this information hasn't given me so much insight I love it thank you!

Not only am I gaining more physical energy, I feel more mentally energized.
Except for about a month post-op when I was in a bit of a fog, I am feeling more optimist, hopeful, and generally energetic.
I credit not only the weight loss but also since my ability to exercise is improving, I have been able to exercise outside a lot this summer.
The combination of sunlight, exercise, and healthy eating are very powerful.

Wow, this thread is serious and I just wanted to say that I'm praying for all of the ladies that feel they have to go through this alone. If your partner doesn't support you now I just wonder will they be there to help you post-surgery when you are not feeling that good and have low energy. If any of you are scared please use the number that was provided and remember there is no shame and we just want you to be physically and emotionally healthy AND then look HOT while you get on with your life in a positive way.

Jazziminna, we have the same surgery date!!!

Jazziminna, we have the same surgery date!!!

Wow, this thread is serious and I just wanted to say that I'm praying for all of the ladies that feel they have to go through this alone. If your partner doesn't support you now I just wonder will they be there to help you post-surgery when you are not feeling that good and have low energy. If any of you are scared please use the number that was provided and remember there is no shame and we just want you to be physically and emotionally healthy AND then look HOT while you get on with your life in a positive way.

I'm scheduled for Sept 7th!!! getting closer, start pre-op diet Monday.

Very cool. My pre-op is all liquids. I can have Protein Shakes and broth. I also hate artificial sweeteners, which has made it hard to find a Protein Shake. I have a feeling 10 days from now I will never want to see another Protein shake in my life. But I am excited about having the surgery done.