The New Kel

Woo hoo! Happy dance!

Wow, amazing job! You look terrific! What do you do for your arms? They look very toned, something I am striving for. And, what sort do you play?

The Trader Joe's lemon bars sound like a good alternative! I should look for them to keep on hand for those rare occasions. You posted some great ideas on how to stay distracted.

I can really relate. Food (bad food anyway) was the one "friend" that I ran to on any occasion. That companion is gone now, in the form it took before. its good that you are already considering the anxiety, because the emotional aspect is real, and it is much like losing a friend. A dysfunctional friend, but a friend none the less.

I've thought about therapy, just haven't taken the initiative yet. Food doesn't give me the same pleasure anymore either. Which is really a good thing, for this weight loss process. But my mind misses the pleasure. thanks for your post!

Great post, thank you. I think you are right that my emotional tie is closely linked to pleasure. So its time for me to start looking for things that make me feel that good. I love your ideas.

Thanks for sharing @@Malin It's hard to fight the holiday triggers. I think you have great ideas though! I love the idea of channeling my emotions into church, charity and volunteer. maybe I can still bake, but wrap them up and give to charities in town. Love your ideas!

What???? You look smokin' hot!! GREAT job. (insert cat call whistle) )

When you go to Macy's and the sales girl in lingerie doesn't pretend you don't exist. Instead she eagerly greets you and treats you like a real customer.

Wow, great job! I think you could wear at least a size smaller. Flamin' hot, man!

@@simpsongrad My mom too! I associate a lot of emotional eating triggers with my mom. Sharing good times, baking, cooking, shopping. I think that is part of the foundation of my emotional issues with food. I associate food with her comfort. We just need to find emotional replacements, right? I'm working on it. One day at a time! Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

I am approaching 10 weeks post op. I discovered I was an emotional food addict about 8 weeks ago. I have been, and plan on staying true to the plan. There is no way physically I could eat the crap I used to eat even if I wanted to. 9.5 days out of 10 I feel happy and fine and satisfied without thinking of how food used to comfort me. There are a few times that my emotional tie to food still provokes sadness in me, because I no longer partake. The fall and winter season is full of triggers for me. Christmas shopping- I used to love shopping all afternoon then binging on crap. It felt fulfilling. And fun. Football Sundays- making food was at least half the fun. I mentally associate lots of cold weather activities with comfort food. I have been substituting heathy foods in place of the stuff I would love before. I'm just wondering how everyone deals with these triggers and what your triggers are. When I think of how I used to eat, I realize I was mentally comforting myself big time. The new year will bring me new things to make myself happy, and a change of mentality, that is my hope!

Oh yes, I sure did! I think I wrote a post on my 6th day pre-op diet. I was angry at everything!! My poor husband and kids. I was sooo snappy. This is when the realization that I was a mental food addict started to come into focus. I really was in denial until that point. At two weeks post-op I was in full awareness, as every emotion was amplified by my loss of my best and most dysfunctional friend: food. What I can say to you is hang in there. It will get better and your emotions will steady as you learn a new way of thinking about food. For me this was at about 4 weeks post op. I still struggle and get emotional, especially during this season where I used to eat the most for comfort. You're almost to the surgery finish line! Congrats, and keep going. You got this! Look forward to the time when the food will no longer control you and your thoughts. It will happen.

@@LittleBill LOL! Loved your story, the way you told it. You should be a writer!

This guy gets all my leftovers. Which I have a lot of. He's probably gaining the weight I'm losing.

I'm in, thanks!

I agree with this statement. Friends and family with great intentions often don't understand the mental, psychological element that we suffer. It's why we became morbidly obese. WLS gives us a tool that insists that we face these addictions and behaviors. It might be hard for the average person of "average" weight to really understand the metal aspect, and that WLS isn't just a whim, it's often our only option.

Congratulations on your surgery! I hope you are recovering well. 1) The food cravings that you will get at about 1-2 weeks out will go away. It's mostly head hunger, and your body learning to adjust to the new way of eating. Don't fret the hunger. Follow the plan and it will pass. 2) You will stall at some point, sometimes very early on. It passes. Your body is adjusting, so just relax and keep on the plan. 3) Rest! When your'e tired, listen to your body. I napped on and off for three weeks after surgery. This surgery takes a true toll on the body, so give it time and rest.

Congratulations on getting your life back, and making yourself a priority! You have tons of courage and I can tell you are going to be very successful in your journey. Safe travels and best wishes for fast healing!

To the gallbladder question- I had mine removed 5 weeks before my sleeve surgery because I had a stone . Gallbladder surgery is a piece of cake. In and out of hospital same day, like in 4 hours! Then a couple days rest. I considered it a break from work and time to catch up on Netflix, lol! Here are just a few things that your dad might want to consider that are complications of obesity: Heart disease Stroke High BP Arthritis edema Depression reclusive behavior joint problems. Many more. A couple years ago, I had a stroke in my eyeball! yes, you read that right. My BP shot up to 210/100 and I my vision got fuzzy. Went to ER and was put on bed rest and meds for a BP caused Retinal occlusion. I still have some vision loss in my right eye. I was told I was lucky that I didn't have a full blown stroke. I am only 47. My brother had a heart attack at age 45. He is obese as well. I am thankful now that as I am losing weight post surgery the risks for these things are drastically decreasing. Not to be morbid but I do think that the odds for dying in a car accident are higher than life threatening complications from WLS. Something for your dad to consider as well.

Well said! Thank you for being a positive example of those of us who are new and learning. We don't need coddling, we need real life advice. I love hearing from the veterans of success.

@@fatchocobomom Hello and welcome!! I am relatively "new". I had sleeve surgery 9 weeks ago. I can address the pre-op focus portion. I have Neve been diabetic so I can't offer advice there. Congratulations on your first steps towards getting heathy! I agree that starting your pre-op diet during the holidays and birthdays might be difficult. (Seems you and your husband really like the month of March..wink wink ). My advice on staying focused is to visualize the life you want. Can you see yourself diabetic free and in smaller clothes? Can you imaging yourself pain free and active? How about summer clothes, feeling sexy, and healthy for your kids? visualize that life as you go through this busy, festive month. (I started mine just before halloween. I kept seeing everyone partaking in the stuff I loved, the foods of fall, the holidays, etc, but what I had in my mind was how I would look and feel next summer because I am NOT partaking in all of that stuff). During my pre-surgery work ups and diet, I stayed on track because I was determined to get the life I want. It was only possible if I stayed on task. The day of surgery was a celebration in itself, like a second birthday. Your husband sounds supportive, so perhaps he will prepare the yummy foods for your kids birthdays, etc. As for losing 12 lbs before Jan 24, it's doable. I lost 17 lbs on the pre-op liquid Protein diet. If you replace one or two meals a day with Protein shakes and then eat one meal lower in carbs I bet you will see the weight start dropping. Whether you decide to start this month or next, if you want a new life bad enough, you will find yourself jumping through hoops and staying on course. Good luck and keep us posted on your journey!!

@@Anna Nim The complications of staying obese far outweigh any potential complications of surgery. Your dad seems to be coming from a place of fear. Most of the complications he quoted are 1-4 week post-op issues that most of us dealt with in some minor way or another. For example dehydration, can be dangerous but fixable! Gallstones? Surgery fixes that, too. I guess the question for him is, does he want you to be happy? You're 46, capable of your own decisions. Stay strong!

Habits and addiction are life long battles. Surgery is the easy part but the mind's behavior wants to stay the same. I am a food addict, but I work at my "recovery" every day. I have not strayed from my plan and I feel I have a handle on it now. Its those addictions and behaviors that lead people eat that stuff. Why post about it? My guess is that there is guilt and worry and a need for validation. My best advice for them is to seek counseling and therapy. Food addiction is a b*tch but it can be overcome.

I'm 9 weeks, almost 10. I was told not to eat avocado, shrimp, and anything with seeds or that had a shell as in shellfish. Basically staying away from anything that could hurt the newly stitched tummy. Also I am told to stay away from super high fats like nuts, but I gotta admit, I have been snacking on cashews now and then in moderation.