blizair09

The thing to remember is that the surgery (whichever one you choose) is merely a supporting player in this journey. In order to be successful long term and maintain a healthy weight, you have to change your relationship with food and make it positive and healthy. I won't repeat everything that has been written. It is obvious that if you make poor choices regarding food and drink, you will either not lose, not get to your goal, or regain immediately. I started at 400 pounds. I now weigh 173 pounds at 6'0" and have been maintaining for months. That means that I need around 2100 calories per day if I am sedentary. I need about 2400 calories a day if I exercise. I eat between 1900-2000 calories a day (and that is eating every 2 hours all day long -- I couldn't eat more if I tried and I had to work up to that). More importantly, I keep my carbs at 20-25 grams per day, my protein at about 150 grams per day and (obviously) stay away from bread, rice, pasta, and sugar. I WILL NOT deviate from those macros -- not for one day, not for one meal, just no. My way of eating is what keeps everything in check. My stomach is not going to "stretch" (my doctor told me that is a myth anyway), and I will stay at this size. I treat food as fuel, and that has been necessary for me to create the lifestyle I need to be healthy and happy.

I lost over 100 pounds three other times in my life. My problem was never losing weight; it was getting to a more "comfortable" weight (220-250 pounds), getting happier, going back to my terrible habits, and gaining it all back plus more. That manic/depressive cycle (plus getting to 400 pounds which had never happened before) is what led me to VSG. Even after losing 100 pounds during the six month pre-op diet program, I knew I had to do this. For me, permanently altering my body was incentive enough to permanently change my relationship with food. I won't go back after I put my body through all of that trauma. That state of mind is worth having the surgery to me. Think about it. It isn't a decision to be taken lightly. But my advice is, don't look for excuses. That's easy to do pre-op.

@_Kate_ My friend, thank you for having the courage to post your story. I can't imagine how difficult this experience has been for you, but it appears that you have handled it with both the seriousness and grace that the situation required. I wish you all the best going forward. Please reach out if you need an ear. Blair

I shopped at DXL when I was heavy, and because I spent so much, I got free coupons pretty often. Long before goal (I'd say I probably weighed about 225ish at the time), I went in with a $25 coupon. Now, I knew that there were no clothes there to fit me anymore, but I was going to get socks with it (even though socks came up to my knees lol). The ladies that had taken care of me for years were actually standoffish bordering on rude. I expected them to be happy for me, but they certainly weren't...

I have followed a keto way of eating throughout my journey. I hit my goal of 180 pounds (at 6'0") at 1 year and 4 days post-op (October 2, 2017) and have maintained at 173 pounds for several months now. I still eat keto, keep my carbs below 20-25 per day, and my calories per 2000 per day. I don't eat any differently now than I did when i finished the food stages at 8 weeks post-op (and I am 17 months post-op tomorrow). I changed my relationship with food before I even had the surgery. That has always been the key to my success. My recommendation is to determine what macros will allow you to lose weight and then stick to them every day. Also, determine how much exercise you need to do, and then do it. That's the way to lose weight and then maintain the loss. For me, food has become fuel and the eating process quite scientific. I'm not saying you have to do that, but it was necessary for me to meet my goal and maintain this 225 pound loss.

I'm really sorry that she had that reaction. I have to say that I not experienced that one time, and I am completely open about my entire journey and have been all along. I've lost 225 pounds, so I completely understand your transformation. I have found that people are usually so blown away at the transformation itself that the surgery is just a supporting piece of the conversation (as it should be as it is merely a supporting player of the journey). I move along quickly to talk about having changed my relationship with food and how I eat. Anyone that knows me knows that my discipline is iron clad, so they wouldn't dare say a thing about the surgery. Hopefully this was a one-off. Keep being fabulous and congratulations on your accomplishment!!

That is one of the key benefits to a low carb way of eating. A note on the 2 hours though (for newbies reading): There is nothing wrong with eating every 2 hours or so. I have been eating that way since my surgery (and I am 17 months post-op tomorrow). It's about what is eaten and the total macros for the day. I make it a rule never to eat until I am "full." I eat certain amounts (usually 3 oz of meat and 1.5 oz of green beans or something green and similar) and that's it. Then I eat again 2 hours later or so. This approach has been wildly successful for me.

True dat. I spent the first 40 years of my life being hot all the time. Now, I am always freezing!!

@Dylpowers 1. Two weeks is realistic. I took six weeks off after my VSG, but I have short-term disability that paid at 100% and six weeks was the amount of time they would let me take without further medical documentation. I'd recommend that you take as much time as your personal, professional, and financial situations will allow. Physically, you'll be better at two weeks, but your protein and water consumption is a full time job early on. Also, fatigue will be a big issue. (It was for me for a solid eight weeks.) 2. Once you get through the food stages (on my plan, about 2 months), you can more or less eat what you want within reason. You'll have to experiment with foods to see what you can and can't tolerate. One word of advice -- don't focus on what you can eat; focus on what you should eat. Changing your relationship with food is the key to long-term success, not the surgery itself. Most people that never get to goal and/or immediately start re-gaining is because they never changed their relationship with food. 3. I have never vomited once. That being said, I have (even in the early days) only eaten specified amounts. I never aspire to be "full." Most vomiting (unless you have some special medical issue) comes from eating too much or eating too fast. 4. I abstained from alcohol for 9 months (the entirety of my six month pre-op diet program and the first three months post-op). I have never had an issue with it. (Keep in mind, though, that I am very, very particular about what I eat, so I account for the calories when I do imbibe.) Good luck! I hope this helps.

Great work. Congratulations!

Dear BP Posters, Can we please let this tacky thread fade away? Sincerely, Everyone

This is the best quote from the "Low-fat or Low-carb?" article: "On both sides, we heard from people who had lost the most weight that we had helped them change their relationship to food, and that now they were more thoughtful about how they ate." In all of my time participating in BP, that's what I keep saying. There are those on here who don't buy into low carb or keto diets. I get that. But I do take some offense when it is called a fad diet. I have been eating this way for 2 years (since six months pre-op), and it is a key to my success. I have eaten this way with the support of my entire medical team (PCP and bariatric), and my labs continue to be perfect -- absolutely perfect. I am below goal, and have been maintaining for months with ease. That being said, this way of eating isn't for everyone, just like treating food as strictly fuel isn't for everyone. The later was necessary for me, and the former is sustainable for me; that is the key. For me, however one chooses to proceed with this journey, the key to success is making the relationship with food positive and healthy. In so many posts on BP, that continues to be the issue. People treat the surgery (whichever one they choose) as if it's the primary answer when it is merely a supporting player.

I have eaten every 1.5-2 hours (now closer to 2 hours) apart all along this journey. So that has me eating 7-8 times a day. I just have specific macros that I stick to, and I only eat certain things (basically meat, eggs, cheese, and green vegetables). Eating in this kind of cycle has been both productive and sustainable. There is no issue with frequent eating if you set it up the right way.

I didn't have a pre-op liquid diet. I lost 99 pounds during my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program, so my surgeon told me that I did not need the pre-op liquid diet. He does require it for most people.

I travel extensively for work and pleasure, so I deal with this a lot. I just order what I want (within the parameters of how I eat, of course), and eat what I can. I take a to-go box when it is practical, and if it isn't, I just leave it. I don't worry about the money. I would have spent it anyway.

I was on medical leave for work for six weeks post-op. I took a "get under the covers" nap every single afternoon of those six weeks. And when I did return to work, I still fought fatigue for another 2-3 weeks. It just takes time...

Outside of the fact that my stomach has limited capacity, I don't feel any different than I felt pre-op.

The mental battle is far worse than the physical battle, in my opinion. That's why you'll be better off to get started on that as soon as you can. It's hard to deal with the physical recovery and be brand new to that mental battle at the same time...

You have to make it a priority. If you want to be successful, you have to break the habit. You have to change your relationship with food. You have to get more active. If you don't do these things, you won't be successful long term. Bottom line. I've seen it over and over again on BP and in real life (including with my entire family). If you don't feel like you can do this on your own, I'd suggest finding a therapist who has experience working with bariatric patients. What's more important, your health or random food?

I spent the entirety of my six month insurance required pre-op diet program following a keto way of eating. I lost 100 pounds during that time, but, more importantly, I redefined my relationship with food which is the only way weight loss will be successful and sustainable long term, surgery or not. I have always been so thankful for spending that time, because post-op, your body is desperately trying to heal. I can't imagine how much harder it would have been to deal with the physical pain and challenges that existed after surgery while having to redefine my relationship with food at the same time. My advice is to try to start at least thinking about eating the way you should eat post-op. You'll thank yourself later.

There is absolutely no way I could have done that.

I was off work for six weeks. (I have short-term disability that pays at 100% and the policy gave that much time off for VGS.) I was very devoted to my journey during my six month pre-op diet program, so my entire team (including my boss, who is a dear friend) knew about the surgery long before I had it. Most of them talked to my family the day of the surgery, and they were supportive during my medical leave and after I came back to work. In fact, I told anyone and everyone about my journey, including the surgery. It helped to educate people about the realities of the situation and has helped to hold me accountable!

Why did they tell you to stay within 5 pounds of your current weight? Do you barely qualify in terms of BMI or something? That seems contrary to the point of the six month pre-op diet program idea.

My recommendation is to call your doctor's office and ask. No one on BP will have the answer you are looking for. Any advice you get will be a guess at best.

I did a monthlong tour of SE Asia (Singapore; KL, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam) at 3 months post-op. I had no issues. I just kept to my keto way of eating and there was meat and green vegetables anywhere that I went. For the plane rides (and the long flight was 15+ hours from ATL-ISN), I took almonds, ParmCrisps, and some turkey Jerky. I was in business class, so the food was more or less accommodating (especially considering the limited quantities I could consume at that point). I also took ziploc bags so that I could hang on to some of the meat to eat a little bit later. (I had the flight attendant put some ice in another baggie for me to keep it coolish. They looked at me like I was insane, but they did it....) I also took an entire tub of Protein Powder in ziploc bags in my checked bag (with a little bit in smaller ziploc bags in my carryon). All in all, it was pretty easy. I had to be very mindful of eating. But we always have to be mindful of eating. Have a great time wherever your travels may take you!