xoxococojay

I told you what worked for me, but everyone has different experiences when it comes to therapy. The important thing to realize is that while the surgeon gives you a physical tool, you need psychological tools, too. And they can come from a variety of sources....psychiatrists, counselers, online or in person support groups, addiction recovery programs, self help books, etc. Seek help wherever and whenever you need to.

I have a great counselor who keeps me in check. The support is so helpful. I saw the Dietitian, but after a while basically it was just repeat info. My worry is maintaining...I'm only 2.5wks out. The vets all impress me. They are amazing and I'm learning a lot from them.
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@@Dairymary that's good that you found your therapist to be helpful. Glad to hear that you're doing better.
I still need to schedule my appointment with a therapist
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I was cleared at six weeks as well. My recovery was smooth. It is probably case dependent. Go with what your surgeon says even if it varies a lot from the rest of us. They know what's best for you.

Oh man you guys are so amazing. Each post is putting me at ease. Thank you all! @@Dairymary @@Bufflehead @ @jessee10616 and everyone else to come.
Would you all recommend seeing either the psychologist or the dietician regularly post op or is that not necessary?
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Oh man you guys are so amazing. Each post is putting me at ease. Thank you all! @@Dairymary @@Bufflehead @ @jessee10616 and everyone else to come.
Would you all recommend seeing either the psychologist or the dietician regularly post op or is that not necessary?
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Long term maintenance has definitely been the toughest.
Looking back, Those first couple years were so exciting and easy. It may not have seemed that way at the time, of course. There was the liquid diets, the diarrhea, the Constipation, the fatigue, missing out on eating a lot of good foods, struggling to stay hydrated, the emotional break downs, etc. But these things were all temporary and the perceived sacrifices were rewarded with weight loss, lots of NSVs and a new wardrobe!
But maintenance is forever. Its boring, NSVs are nearly nonexistent and the scale doesn't really move unless it's in the wrong direction. You have to be diligent and stay on plan day after day after day. Like Bufflehead said, the way you eat to lose is very close to how you will have to eat to maintain....for the rest of your life! I have no doubt I Would not be able to do this without the psychological tools I got from my therapist and from the support and advice from those that went before me.
You are doing exactly what you need to be doing....asking lots of questions. The better prepared and informed you are, the better you will be able to deal with all the little negatives along the way. A good attitude and keeping your energy focused on the long term rewards will go a long ways in making everything easier.

@@Bufflehead thank you!!! That's exactly what i wasn't sure about. I know i can do it but i know it's going to be hard. At the end of the day, how we're deciding to lose weight is different from most people so how we stay on track will be different too. It's sounds ok to hear but i'm sure once i actually am in that stage i'll know just how hard it is to maintain my new lifestyle. The no cheat meals will be hard for sure.
I think for me personally i'm going to meet with my dietician a few times after my surgery.
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@ it's great that you don't have those fears anymore and you're proof that it can be done. And the weight can stay off.
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@@Bufflehead thank you!!! That's exactly what i wasn't sure about. I know i can do it but i know it's going to be hard. At the end of the day, how we're deciding to lose weight is different from most people so how we stay on track will be different too. It's sounds ok to hear but i'm sure once i actually am in that stage i'll know just how hard it is to maintain my new lifestyle. The no cheat meals will be hard for sure.
I think for me personally i'm going to meet with my dietician a few times after my surgery.
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Honestly this has been the one question that i've been dying to ask everyone who has had wls.
Everyone is different, so what was the biggest change for you?
Was it realizing that you can no longer eat certain foods? Or is it exercise? Or was it emotional changes like depression?
Or anything else you can think of.
I'm just trying to get myself mentally prepared for all of the many changes about to come.
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I still have time to go before my sleeve surgery. But i realized that i actually like weight lifting, but cardio on the other hand is the death of me.
I know i will be able to start walking and doing cardio soon after surgery. But what about weights? What month post op have most people been able to start weight training?
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@@Bufflehead that's not bad at all. I can handle 6 weeks.
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Honestly this has been the one question that i've been dying to ask everyone who has had wls.
Everyone is different, so what was the biggest change for you?
Was it realizing that you can no longer eat certain foods? Or is it exercise? Or was it emotional changes like depression?
Or anything else you can think of.
I'm just trying to get myself mentally prepared for all of the many changes about to come.
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I have not taken the time to share my story, as a matter of fact I have still not changed my Facebook pictures, or the ones of me at work. food. I believe I had an actual addiction to food, the same as an addict, I didn't see it as an issue... But now I realize that I had a problem.
I eat to live now, instead of living to eat. The surgery helped by taking away the cravings, but I worry that if I reintroduce things like breads, fried foods, and other crap, I will develop the addiction again, just as if an alcoholic was to just have " 1 drink". It is a disease, with horrible side effects including low self confidence, depression, and humiliation.
I have made it my mission to find healthy foods, and replace all of my old favs, with healthy... And what I call, feel good foods. An FG food is one that I can eat comfortably, and they just basically feel good. for me, my list of items that I probably have a little of everyday would include... Chobani Flips. (190-210 cal, 12 gram protein)... These are my go to, if I haven't eaten in a while and am hungry, I can put this down a bit faster, and the size is pretty perfect for a meal. Love them all! Pickles- (0-5 cals) I love the spicy pickles, but I can eat them all. Pickles have become a regular snack in my life. Spears, slices, whatever, they all rock! Soup, soup, and more soup!!! My souls have been a huge part of my success. I make a huge crock of soup and it lasts me weeks. You can freeze some, but always have some in the fridge ready to microwave. I make a few varieties, but the basis is always the same. chicken broth base, cut with Water. Chicken or Cod fish, yep... I said fish! My family hates the smell of my "fish soup" but I loved it! However if you are not a big fish can just go with chicken. Vegetables- carrots, onions, mushrooms, kale, spinach, and even Brussels sprouts... Whatever you like and then I would spice it up with Cayenne and red pepper flakes, I even used Sriracha at times. This soup has been a staple for me since the 3rd month post, and I still make a lot here and there now. It was just great for me to grab a coffee cup, fill it, microwave it, and enjoy it.
I pushed myself to walk, and then I started "1 TED" lol. That means 1 thing every day. If it was parking in the back of the parking lot when at a store, or walking down the street and back when going to pick up the mail, I would just push to do 1 thing, which then would keep except use in the front of my mind.
Get an Apple Watch or Fitbit, make goals and hit them! What I learned is that we are capable of so much! When you are used to walking around with an additional 100 plus, your body has been working out for a long time. Now when the weight is gone, you still have that strong frame. Put it to work! I made some new friends that are athletic, I try and play Pickleball ( the game kicks ass, combo of tennis, volleyball, & ping pong) instead of cardio... I want to transition to a healthy lifestyle, not a 30 minute gym session that I won't be looking forward to.
Think of your weight loss as a super power, but only if you stick to the guidelines. This works for me, and I believe it to be a super power... Let me explain.
Since the weight loss, the world has been easier for me. I can go to an amusement park and get on the rides. I can fly on a plane and not need an extension. I can walk into a crowded bar and not start sweating my ass off! I can buy clothes at a normal store, and with actual brand names on them. I can tie my damn shoes, and without holding my breathe! I can sit in any chair, and not just the ones without sides... I can even sit in the plastic ones.
Woman treat me so differently! I am no longer just the funny guy... Even though I haven't changed! Life has just become much easier, much better, and much healthier, and I never want to go back, so I will continue to treat it as an addiction and will not look to be able to re introduce "everything" back into my eating habits, but instead I will work to find better foods. The nice thing about eating less, is that you can afford to buy smaller portions allowing for better quality foods. Take advantage of that! I always have almonds in the house, and I love veggie chips, especially the jalepeno, but now I grab a handful and walk away... If I want another handful, I will go get it at 30 cals, per handful, but I am going to force myself to get up and walk to the kitchen to get a handful
I feel so lucky to have had this surgery, and if I can help you in anyway let me know! I hope you have found this helpful, I know that writing it has helped me... So thanks!
 


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chicken parm is an awesome way to eat chicken. Just a tiny bit of sauce no fried chicken. ( bare) and a lot of cheese. All protien. My husband does this and he had the bypass. He would never want to eat fried food. He has lost 250lbs since sept 28 2015
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I swear these people that post eating fried chicken are trolls. Who in their right mind would want to eat the same $#!T that got them to the point of needing this surgery in the first place. Don't they realize this surgery isn't the cure to eat whatever the he!! you want.

I make what I call dirty chicken and it's quite moist and good. I take boneless skinless chicken thighs and in a skillet put a bit of olive oil. I put in the chicken and add some low sodium Worcestershire sauce and salt free garlic seasoning and cook on low heat till done through. It is moist and very flavorful.

A good support group doesn't support you when you're screwing up, they call you on it. Most of the people here are trying to reform their behaviors and attitudes about food, they didn't think that getting operated on was going to fix their problem (it's not), because the problem is in their head. The surgery is just a tool to help enforce rules. The fact that you had a normal stomach wasn't what made you obese, and having a smaller stomach won't stop you from gaining weight. The internet and support groups are littered with people who regained the weight, or couldn't lose after surgery. A lot of them STILL not putting the blame where it needs to be - on themselves.
To come on a WLS board and proudly post that you're gonna have some fried chicken, weeks after your surgery, and expect support for that just blows my flippin' mind...and it tells everyone here that you were NOT mentally ready to have this surgery, and are not mentally where you need to be in order to succeed long-term. So we're gonna call you on it, in the hopes that you'll actually do some soul-searching about whether you REALLY want to change, at all. It's not too late, but the fact is...right now, your attitude is not going to be conducive to success. "You're so judgmental. I just wanted some fried chicken, what's so wrong with that?" What's wrong with that is, if your mind was right, you'd be just as taken aback as all of us are that you even thought to eat that crap right now, so soon after surgery and so long before you've reached your goals.

Omg that's so awesome!!! I hope you know how much your post just helped me. @@ShelterDog64 i have one friend who is now looking into it because i'm about to have my surgery soon. And i have one much larger friend who probably will distance herself from me after i lose the weight. But i guess that's just life. At the end of the day i have to do this for myself.
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Omg that's so awesome!!! I hope you know how much your post just helped me. @@ShelterDog64 i have one friend who is now looking into it because i'm about to have my surgery soon. And i have one much larger friend who probably will distance herself from me after i lose the weight. But i guess that's just life. At the end of the day i have to do this for myself.
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How did your friends and family react to your decision to have your surgery?
I've told a few of my friends and they are supportive but they just can't relate to me, especially my other overweight friends.
Did you experience this too? How did you deal with it?
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Thanks. So far i'm leaning towards the sleeve because it is less invasive.
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That's such a great way to look at it. It's your life, your body and your choice.
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@@blizair09 omg that's soooo amazing!!! I'm so glad to hear that your whole family is reaching their goals and that everyone around you supports your journey. Congrats!!! That was definitely really inspiring.
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