2ndSpring

Thank you! That made me laugh. The worst part, on day 9 of this pre-op diet- now all I can think of is fries lol

LOL - If only I had known this information years ago!!!! stop eating french fries - its so simple, why didn't I think of that??? LOL
Good luck on Friday, you'll be rocking that smoking hot bod in no time.

LOL - If only I had known this information years ago!!!! stop eating french fries - its so simple, why didn't I think of that??? LOL
Good luck on Friday, you'll be rocking that smoking hot bod in no time.

LOL - If only I had known this information years ago!!!! stop eating french fries - its so simple, why didn't I think of that??? LOL
Good luck on Friday, you'll be rocking that smoking hot bod in no time.

Excellent post!! You look so happy and are having so much fun. You are so right... it is the little things that make this journey so worthwhile.

I recommend that you wait. At 4 weeks, you may still be very exhausted with low energy. Some people bounce right back, but it is a big surgery and for a lot of people, it takes a while to get your energy back.
Also, you'll still be very reliant on shakes and have to lug them around with you, and you'll also have to find soft foods to eat, which could be problematic in a foreign country.
Have fun on your trip!!

that's great, the more the merrier. see you on the 5th

the fact that you acknowledged your feelings and came here and talked about them instead of turning to food is such a huge accomplishment. Count this as a NSV - non-scale victory!!!

For the first few months, the doctor's office is enough. You'll be losing like crazy and the loss rate will go up and down, so don't make yourself crazy. Down the road, weekly weigh-ins are good information. I weigh myself at the gym and also take a peek mid-week, just so I don't get blindsided. I don't own one because I hate clutter and don't want it lying around on the bathroom floor
I used to have a really bad relationship with the scale and my sense of accomplishment was tied to what it said. I have worked really hard to detach and use it as an information tool. It took a while and a lot of affirmation statements. I remind myself that the scale is measuring today's mix of bone, fat, Water, muscle and organs and can fluctuate with things like the weather, hormones, salt intake, and exercise.
You have to approach the scale with either Zen or scientific curiosity. Like..... "Hmm, that's interesting, I expected the number to have gone down. I wonder why it went up. Have I been on track? Hmmm. Yes, I have been eating right and exercising. Although.... I haven't been tracking, maybe I'm eating more than I realize. OK, this week I will track and see if that makes a difference."

Thanks for posting. Long term success stories like yours are such a morale boost. Your message really means a lot too - about now worrying about the rate of loss - thanks again.

welcome to the wonderful world of WLS
enter at your own risk!!!!!
we "usually" don't bite LOL
read the boards. books & U-tube
good luck bud
kathy

For the first few months, the doctor's office is enough. You'll be losing like crazy and the loss rate will go up and down, so don't make yourself crazy. Down the road, weekly weigh-ins are good information. I weigh myself at the gym and also take a peek mid-week, just so I don't get blindsided. I don't own one because I hate clutter and don't want it lying around on the bathroom floor
I used to have a really bad relationship with the scale and my sense of accomplishment was tied to what it said. I have worked really hard to detach and use it as an information tool. It took a while and a lot of affirmation statements. I remind myself that the scale is measuring today's mix of bone, fat, Water, muscle and organs and can fluctuate with things like the weather, hormones, salt intake, and exercise.
You have to approach the scale with either Zen or scientific curiosity. Like..... "Hmm, that's interesting, I expected the number to have gone down. I wonder why it went up. Have I been on track? Hmmm. Yes, I have been eating right and exercising. Although.... I haven't been tracking, maybe I'm eating more than I realize. OK, this week I will track and see if that makes a difference."

Your taste buds may change dramatically after surgery so be willing to experiment. Many experience problems drinking Protein Shakes. I hated them. But in the beginning I drank them, three 16-ounce Protein shakes a day, in order to meet my protein requirements. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate.
I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with Water and a half a banana. That worked for me. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might try premixed Isopure.

Does the approach of food tracking or journaling and Portion Control have to be thought of as an eternal diet mentality? I don't think so. It is a tool just as WLS is. I am not thinking of any of this as a diet. They are the tools that I use to ensure I am eating healthy and within my personal guidelines I set for myself.
For me a diet means it has an end and these tools I am using now are for life. Maybe down the road i wont have to use them everyday because I will have more confidence in myself, but I am not looking at any of this With a diet mentality.

I seriously doubt this would work for everyone. If I ate anything I wanted whenever I wanted it I would weigh more than I did before I got WLS.
i don't consider choosing healthy foods and portions dieting. It is a lifestyle and is simply how eat now.

This is how I feel. By weighing myself everyday I see the variations and I don't freak out when I am bouncing back and forth between 1-3 pounds. I only record my weight on Monday mornings, but I like weighing once per day just to see the pattern.
I don't stress about the numbers,

For the first few months, the doctor's office is enough. You'll be losing like crazy and the loss rate will go up and down, so don't make yourself crazy. Down the road, weekly weigh-ins are good information. I weigh myself at the gym and also take a peek mid-week, just so I don't get blindsided. I don't own one because I hate clutter and don't want it lying around on the bathroom floor
I used to have a really bad relationship with the scale and my sense of accomplishment was tied to what it said. I have worked really hard to detach and use it as an information tool. It took a while and a lot of affirmation statements. I remind myself that the scale is measuring today's mix of bone, fat, Water, muscle and organs and can fluctuate with things like the weather, hormones, salt intake, and exercise.
You have to approach the scale with either Zen or scientific curiosity. Like..... "Hmm, that's interesting, I expected the number to have gone down. I wonder why it went up. Have I been on track? Hmmm. Yes, I have been eating right and exercising. Although.... I haven't been tracking, maybe I'm eating more than I realize. OK, this week I will track and see if that makes a difference."

This are these feelings that a lot of people hold. I will admit myself until I had surgery or got close to having it, I thought that surgery did more than what it does. The reality is, you still need will power after WLS. You REALLY need to understand nutrition, no matter how you choose to eat post-op, the people that more successful have a firm grasp on nutrition and how it works. You still have to manage head hunger. I have no physical appetite really, but I have head hunger like anyone else. WLS makes it easier to ignore my head hunger but it is still there.
I feel like WW would do more harm than good, for these reasons. If you accidentally slip and let people know you had surgery, they are more than likely going to treat you with disdain. All of your successes will have an asterisk next to it, in their minds.
I will be 2 years post-op tomorrow and I feel like the biggest flaw with WLS and the WLS community is all of it is focused on immediate post-ops. No one cares about people over a year out. The further you get from surgery the less of a community you have. People are either successful and they have just moved on from WLS community or they are not successful and are too embarrassed to come back. If you are looking for long term support, other long term WLS patients, support and information, it basically does not exist.

I'm happy that you reached out and posted openly about what's been going on for you. We've all struggled with the same issues. I don't want to sound like I have it all figured out, because I still have to fight old habits and urges every day, but here is my best advice......... Use these short few months right after surgery to radically change your relationship with food. You can be moderate later on when you are at or near goal. The new habits you make now will be a lifesaver when you are further down the road and your body lets you eat a lot more.
Have a plan for each meal ahead of time - don't get caught in a situation where you have no good choices. It is ok to do whatever you need to do in any situation, like bringing food with you, or turning down food that others have made. LOL, even if it is your favorite aunt and she made it "just for you".
When you get to solids, always focus on Protein first. Stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes while you are losing - they trigger cravings, get digested way too fast and use up too much valuable real estate in your stomach.
Pay attention to the no drinking after eating rule. Not because of rumors that it can stretch out your stomach - that has been debunked. But rather because liquids will wash food out of your stomach and you want to keep that full and satisfied feeling as long as you can.
It is ok to be hungry in between meals. I used to be so afraid of being hungry and was amazed to learn that it goes away if you ignore it for like 10 minutes or so. I tell myself that it is ok and that I will eat again in X hours at my next meal.
Log and track your food and measure out your portions on a food scale. I use my tracker for today only, to see how I am doing towards my daily goals - and then I never look at it again. I get crazy in the head when I try to do long term tracking. Whatever works for you.
Best of luck on your journey!! I am rooting for you.

Thanks for posting. Long term success stories like yours are such a morale boost. Your message really means a lot too - about now worrying about the rate of loss - thanks again.

Thanks for posting. Long term success stories like yours are such a morale boost. Your message really means a lot too - about now worrying about the rate of loss - thanks again.

I totally agree - being active here really helps keep me focused and on track. Its a daily reminder of what I need to do - and DAMN, it is very easy to get derailed it you stop paying attention.

@gwbicster - you are awesome! so many people post questions and then aren't open to the answers. You have an open mind and curiosity about what it takes to succeed. I predict that you are going to be very successful !! and in a few months, you'll be paying it forward to the next wave of people getting surgery.

I'm happy that you reached out and posted openly about what's been going on for you. We've all struggled with the same issues. I don't want to sound like I have it all figured out, because I still have to fight old habits and urges every day, but here is my best advice......... Use these short few months right after surgery to radically change your relationship with food. You can be moderate later on when you are at or near goal. The new habits you make now will be a lifesaver when you are further down the road and your body lets you eat a lot more.
Have a plan for each meal ahead of time - don't get caught in a situation where you have no good choices. It is ok to do whatever you need to do in any situation, like bringing food with you, or turning down food that others have made. LOL, even if it is your favorite aunt and she made it "just for you".
When you get to solids, always focus on Protein first. Stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes while you are losing - they trigger cravings, get digested way too fast and use up too much valuable real estate in your stomach.
Pay attention to the no drinking after eating rule. Not because of rumors that it can stretch out your stomach - that has been debunked. But rather because liquids will wash food out of your stomach and you want to keep that full and satisfied feeling as long as you can.
It is ok to be hungry in between meals. I used to be so afraid of being hungry and was amazed to learn that it goes away if you ignore it for like 10 minutes or so. I tell myself that it is ok and that I will eat again in X hours at my next meal.
Log and track your food and measure out your portions on a food scale. I use my tracker for today only, to see how I am doing towards my daily goals - and then I never look at it again. I get crazy in the head when I try to do long term tracking. Whatever works for you.
Best of luck on your journey!! I am rooting for you.

I'm happy that you reached out and posted openly about what's been going on for you. We've all struggled with the same issues. I don't want to sound like I have it all figured out, because I still have to fight old habits and urges every day, but here is my best advice......... Use these short few months right after surgery to radically change your relationship with food. You can be moderate later on when you are at or near goal. The new habits you make now will be a lifesaver when you are further down the road and your body lets you eat a lot more.
Have a plan for each meal ahead of time - don't get caught in a situation where you have no good choices. It is ok to do whatever you need to do in any situation, like bringing food with you, or turning down food that others have made. LOL, even if it is your favorite aunt and she made it "just for you".
When you get to solids, always focus on Protein first. Stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes while you are losing - they trigger cravings, get digested way too fast and use up too much valuable real estate in your stomach.
Pay attention to the no drinking after eating rule. Not because of rumors that it can stretch out your stomach - that has been debunked. But rather because liquids will wash food out of your stomach and you want to keep that full and satisfied feeling as long as you can.
It is ok to be hungry in between meals. I used to be so afraid of being hungry and was amazed to learn that it goes away if you ignore it for like 10 minutes or so. I tell myself that it is ok and that I will eat again in X hours at my next meal.
Log and track your food and measure out your portions on a food scale. I use my tracker for today only, to see how I am doing towards my daily goals - and then I never look at it again. I get crazy in the head when I try to do long term tracking. Whatever works for you.
Best of luck on your journey!! I am rooting for you.

I totally agree - being active here really helps keep me focused and on track. Its a daily reminder of what I need to do - and DAMN, it is very easy to get derailed it you stop paying attention.

@gwbicster - you are awesome! so many people post questions and then aren't open to the answers. You have an open mind and curiosity about what it takes to succeed. I predict that you are going to be very successful !! and in a few months, you'll be paying it forward to the next wave of people getting surgery.