orionburn

Because any diet (IMO) is basically a short term strategy. Obviously WLS is not a short term thing. It’s a life time decision and commitment and the surgery is still a tool. For me my main issue was portion control so the sleeve made sense to me. Can I still graze all day if I choose to? Yes. But that’s what it boils down to – I’m choosing whether I want to eat constantly or not. My doc wants his patients on 3 meals a day with no snacks. He didn't even want me doing 3 meals and a protein shake. In the early months there was simply no way I could eat enough to cover my protein needs over the course of 3 meals. I've kind of gone back the basics this week. Eating smaller portions and more of them throughout the day. The things I'm eating are good options, though, such as chicken salad, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. You can't look at it as being a diet. It truly is a lifestyle change. So what do I mean by that? Well for me that meant giving up lots and lots of old habits. It was a daily stop by the gas station for my giant Diet Mt Dew and some pretzels or granola bar. A few times here and there grabbing fast food because I had errands to do after work and wouldn't be home for hours. Now I only stop by the gas station if I actually need to eat because I'm away from home. Instead of getting junk food now I get some beef jerky and maybe some peanuts. And yes, it's a battle some times to avoid drifting into the other sections and getting something I shouldn't. That's the lifestyle change. I went through all of this for a reason and I don't want to throw all the benefits away. In my early 20s I got up to 395lbs. It scared me to know how close I was to being 400lbs. Started going to the gym and started to lose some weight. Then I lived at the gym for the next year or two and got down to 265lbs. And then some nerve problems kept me away from the gym and the weight came back on. Then I quit smoking and added some more weight. Then I got a desk job. So here I was years later back up to 355lbs and feeling miserable. I felt out of options and that's why I went with surgery and glad I did. It isn't for everyone and God knows there are thousands and thousands of people out there that have lost weight by dieting alone. It's good that you're asking these questions. Honestly it's the ones that think they're going to wake up with a smaller stomach after srugery and all their food issues and addictions magically go away.

You were one of the vets I kind of looked up to when I first joined the board prior to my own surgery. So sorry to hear that you're going through. I was well on my way to becoming an alcholic years ago thanks to a terrible job. Glad to hear that you're finding a support network and getting on the road to recovery. Best wishes to you, Kate! I'm sure that you'll get through all of this just fine.

Most main supermarkets will have it. They only come in pint sized containers. Unless you can find it on sale it's a bit pricey, but it's worth it. Most pints are 320 calories and less for the entire thing. Upside is it actually has protein in it as well and the carbs aren't horrible. https://www.halotop.com/flavors/

I've had the same thing happen. I had XL shirts that I wore when i was around 260 lbs. I had lived at the gym for about a year and a half and went from 395 to 260. I still considered myself to be fat but I was also lifting like mad and had a lot of muscle mass. Here I am 15 years later and still have some of those old shirts. While I do fit into them they wear the same as when I was 265, and I'm 30 lbs lighter right now (235 current). It's frustrating because I know what it means and that I don't have near the muscle mass I used to. It isn't rainbows all the time after surgery. Stalls will happen and get you down. Things like the clothes will bother you from time to time. But I'll say this - when I see Facebook memories come up and see what I looked like 2 years ago...holy crap the differenc is insane. The mental side of WLS can be a real roller coaster. It's good to vent because we all get frustrated from time to time.

We get this every once in a while. A couple flavors I wasn't a fan of, but others I enjoyed. It's a nice alternative. I like ice cream but was never a fanatic about it where I needed it all the time (pre-surgery life at least). This is nice to have from time to time when I do feel like a treat.

What Kim said. It does get easier. When I gave up smoking years ago the first 3 days were pretty miserable. You'll get over that hump and it won't be so bad. It was the same with the liquid diet. Hey...at least you get a bar! I would have cut someone for a packet of saltines after the first week. You got this!

Kudos that people that can truly look at it at as fuel and be okay with it. Like you said in the real world not a lot of us can do that. I can do it while I'm at work. I can eat chicken salad for morning and lunch and not get tired of it. I'm looking at it as fuel at that point. That goes right out the window the second I get home, though. We are wired differently. My wife could be a casual smoker and only have one a day, then go 2 days without one, then have 3-4 if we were out, then none the next day and be fine with that. Me on the other hand....nope. I loved smoking (when I did years ago) and there wasn't much control. There was absolutely no way in hell I could do what she did. That goes for a lot of things in life. I can drink a beer every week or once every two months if I wanted. For somebody that has trouble with alcohol they couldn't do what I do. Yet I can but couldn't do that with smoking. Somebody may go to a casino twice a year for fun. Other's know if they went just once their gambling addiction would come roaring back. Food can have the same power/hold on us as any other addiction. For anyone that scoffs at others for not simply being able to "turn it off" then you don't get what addiction is all about. I do believe that we can all overcome our own addictions but it's easier said than done for many of us.

I agree. There's a difference of finding some healthy options at Chipotle versus trying to justify going to McDonald's. I remember a guy on here one time saying how it was okay that he still eats McD's because he only had a small fry and cheeseburger and wasn't really that unhealthy because he looked at the nutritional value on their website. My snarky came out and quipped that McDonald's is sooooo well known for their high protein french fries.

Two weeks to go until I start my new job. Hoping that since I'll be away from the desk more it'll get me to help being more active. My body is in love being at 235 lbs and doesn't want to move away from that for whatever damned reason. Driving me insane! Spring is on the horizon and ready to put this damned winter behind us to get back outside and do more.

If I want to have a cocktail I typically just go with vodka. Either with diet cranberry juice or mix some in with my Crystal Light. If you go that route keep it light starting out. Like half a shot to a rather large glass of whatever you mix it with. I never cared for bottled mixed drinks or the ciders. They're heartburn in a bottle for me. I'm a craft beer guy so that's what I love most, but it's tough to drink. I have to be strategic in how I handle it. Some can't handle the carbonation at all. If I pace myself I can drink a whole beer in half and hour or so, but it's pretty much one and done.

Nobody should prefer Michelob Ultra. Beer can be difficult to drink but all depends on the person. Hard alcohol is obviously easier to drink if you mix it with something. Yes, it will hit you hard and fast even if you were a seasoned drinker prior to surgery. All that being said if you're only 6 weeks out from surgery as your signature indicates that's reeeeeeeeeally way to early to be considering having a drink. Won't lecture you but it's a slippery slope. If you're willing to go off plan already then you could be setting yourself up for failures. You've been given a chance to have a fresh start. I'd kill to go back to being 21 and having this surgery done way back when. Make the best of it.

If you're eligible to file for FML then do so. Even if they end up saying not to bother with it do the paperwork trail to cover your ass. I get that it's tough for a company to have people off for a long duration but it's not the end of the world for crying out loud.

Off topic (not such a bad thing to be honest) but don't beat yourself up. Some days driving through town is a puther mucker to avoid stopping off for something I shouldn't have. I never thought I'd be able to give up my diet Mt Dew but going on a year now without. It's a challenge and as difficult as giving up smoking. We all have our own battles to deal with in our own way.

1) Track/journal your food again (if you aren't already) 2) Try doing low-carb for a week or two (this has helped me in the past) 3) Change up your exercise routine. Do different movements, different equipment, etc. Lot of people think this is nuts but honestly if you're still working out on a regular basis it sometimes helps to actually take a week off every once in a while, and then dive back into it. Still taking vitamins, getting enough water, and hitting daily protein goals?

You win the internets

Well, the tricky thing is that early on while you're healing your new stomach doesn't quite know how to communicate with your brain very well. This is why weighing out your meals or using a measuring device (such as spoons or cups) is important. For starters measure out your food. I would us a 1/4 measuring cup. They gave all o fus baby spoons to use to eat with so I recommend doing that. It helps prevent taking too big of a bite. Also invest in a kitchen scale. They aren't that much ($10-15 for a good one). Secondly, take your time eating. It may seem crazy to take 30 minutes to eat 1/4 cup of food but pace yourself. Take a baby spoon bit of food, then set things down and wait. Watch the clock or read a book. Something that helps keep a pace. Take a bite, then wait, and repeat. By giving yourself time between bites if you start to feel full it will give your stomach time to let you know to stop. As to how you know you've overdone it? Everybody will be different. You may simply get a full feeling like you would normally. Others may feel sick to their stomach and feel like they're going to throw up. It gets trickier when you move back to solid foods. I've had my share of going from feeling fine, to feeling like I ate to much, to okay I'm going to throw up right now in a matter of minute. Take your time. Chew your food. And measure everything. Don't worry much about increasing portion sizes. If you're getting 2 oz of pureed food down okay leave it at that for a few days then try to slowly increase it. May not seem like a big deal but at that stage 1 oz is a big difference.

So, so, so much of #1. Don't get me wrong - we all have a lot of what-ifs on whether we'll be able to enjoy certain things again. For me it was craft beer. Wasn't a big drinker by any means, but enjoyed a good beer every now and then and doing beer festivals. I think there is a happy medium of accepting that there are things you can enjoy in extreme moderation after surgery, but you have to also come to terms that certain things you may not be able to enjoy again. There are some foods that I've tried that don't like me anymore. I tried them once, didn't enjoy it, and honestly ever since I don't much care. It is hard to see a lot of people post on the board with the "how soon can I..." comments. I think we all go through that to an extent but some obviously are way too concerned to returning to old habits. For me being a year out some things are easy, other's are still hard and will continue to be so.

This space for rent

This thread gave me cancer.

Honestly it's hit home over this past year as to what it must be like being a recovering alcoholic. I've heard that many people don't look at ever beating it completely. It's a constant battle where you have good days/weeks/months/years and others are a struggle. I effing loved to smoke and I never thought I'd be able to quit smoking. Was a really tough first year but got through it. Going on something like 7 years now since I quit and there are times where I'd love to have a smoke. I don't dwell on it for long an it passes, but every now and then those urges come up. Food is going to be a tougher battle for me.

It's a legit concern. Even "healthy" snack options can be a bad thing if it's going on all day long. Head hunger is such a pain in the ass to deal with. I struggle every day when I get home. It was routine for years to eat as soon as I get home from work and even now I fight that battle. If I have to work on something as soon as I get home I'm okay as I'm no thinking about it. If I sit down to rest after a long day all I want to do is eat. I think it's common for all of us to have those days where nothing seems to satisfy no matter what you eat. Those days suck bad and I hate them. Part of it goes back to dwelling on it so much. You look at the clock and think that you shouldn't eat again for another two hours. Then you end up spending the next two hours looking at the clock wondering how long until you can eat again. All you end up doing is thinking about food. Do you have a support network from the clinic that handled your WLS? Mine has a monthly support group. That could be a place to start.

It's easy to slip into some down feelings after surgery. You've been through a lot so don't be too hard on yourself. By my second week at home I was getting to be really mopey and frustrated at being limited on what I could do. Good news is that it does pass. Rest up and try to keep yourself busy with things that you enjoy. It will get better!

What are your main struggles? I know you said eating throughout the day. How long apart are we talking about? An hour? Two hours? When I quit smoking I knew it was going to be rough no matter what. I at least left in my smokes that I knew would be toughest to break at first. That way my goal was to at least make it from morning to lunch without any. From there I got to the point of going from morning to last break, then end of the day, then not until evening, and so forth. I have no idea why but there are days where I'm good with doing 3-4 meals that are somewhat larger, and then other days I'm better off doing 6 small meals. There are times when I could eat a cup of chicken salad no problem other the next day I eat half a cup and feel stuffed. Are you eating healthy options or slipping back into bad stuff and/or slider foods?

If you feel that you have an actual addition problem don't be afraid to reach out for professional help. I've often said that struggles with food can be as bad as any drug addition. There are days where I drive through town and it's hard to not veer off to the gas station for junk food or resist that urge to have "just one bite" from something fast food. It's been as hard at times as it was to quit smoking. I do fine when I'm busy. It's when it's slow at work or I'm sitting around the house and boredom hunger shows its ugly head. At work I used to bring extra stuff with me so that I always had something on hand if I forgot to bring food from home, or had to do something after work and knew I would be late getting home (but would need to eat something). I've cut back on that so I only have what I intend to eat for the day. It's too easy to make an excuse to eat, like "oh if I don't I may not hit my protein for the day" or "I drank too much coffee so I need to eat to settle my stomach." The thing that also sucks is when you know you're struggling then you start thinking about it more. It's like the old joke of telling somebody "don't think about sex." What do you do? Immediately start thinking about sex. For me I'll start looking at the clock and get worried that I have 2 hours yet before lunch but want to eat now. Days when I have struggles I have to stay busy. If I'm sitting in my office dwelling on thoughts of food then I'll go out into the plant to get away, or go outside and walk for a few minutes to clear my head.