Creekimp13

52 minutes ago, kritterk said:

what is your mind doing?? when you realize you can't anymore - are you ok with that? are you angry? are you still craving the food? are you sad? are you relieved? are you satisfied? what is your brain telling you and your heart feeling in those moments as you adapt to not eating foods you used to crave, or if you can eat them how does it feel to limit those portions?

These are terrific questions! I think everyone's answer will differ, so I don't want to speak for everyone's experience but I can tell a couple of my own experiences.

I used to absolutely love Egg McMuffins. 300 calories, 17 grams of Protein, 12 grams of fat....they're really not even that bad for you. I used to joke that they were my personal perfect comfort food....I loved the taste, felt accomplished that I had a favorite that wasn't that bad....and just generally was happy about them.

I remember starting solids again after surgery and taking a little bite of one....expecting that wonderful feeling. It was like (pardon me) sex with no orgasm. Zero pleasure. It didn't taste gross or anything, but it wasn't wonderful anymore. All of my EggMcMagic was GONE. I wasn't angry, I wasn't relieved. I was sad. It was a weird loss. The better part of my brain was happy and proud I no longer had such an intensely happy feeling about them....because I know that's disordered eating and I wanted to get away from that. But the nostalgic part of me that was still busy coping....felt the loss deeply.

Most days, I was happy and relieved that food seemed to be losing control in my life. It felt good to say no, to throw things away after a few bites. It felt good when I had that crazy moment and bought something terrible like a box of little donuts....took one bite and had the strength to say....What the hell am I doing? And throw them all away.

I'm proud I can do that now. That I can have a screw up, get something really awful, and have one or two bites and throw the package away. We're not perfect. We'll have moments. But the ability to pull up sooner and right the course sooner...has been a welcome and wonderful change. And as the years have gone by, I'm getting even better at this. I buy a lot less stuff to throw away now. LOL.

Some people have a lot of emotional upheaval after surgery. Marriages can get worse, relationships can change. Be very aware of and use caution with cross-over addictions. Watch alcohol, gambling, flirting, over-spending, substances. Anything that gives you a pop of pleasure and distraction....keep a close eye on. Lots of data to show those things can bite you in the butt.

The struggle is real, but so are the rewards. It is WONDERFUL to be able to walk five miles a day and get things done. It is wonderful to find cute clothes that fit, and like how you look in pictures. It is wonderful to inspire folks you love to make healthier choices. Lots of stuff is so nice. I remember the first time I could shave my legs and breathe at the same time. LOL! I remember the first time I tried on a swimsuit and went...holy ****! this looks great on me! The little victories are so lovely.

About acid reflux... I have had almost no problem with it, with one notable exception. If I eat and lie down, I can end up with very nasty acid. If I wait an hour after eating before laying down...zero problems. I just need to be careful not to snack right before bed, which is a bad idea anyway, so the reminder isn't even that bad.

I get a little bit of heart burn laying down maybe once every month or two now. I take a swig of Pepto and it's gone in a few minutes.

Wishing you the best.

Lots of people here, among other places. LOL:)

Have recently taken a comprehensive nutrition class. I am 5.5 years out of sleeve and have maintained my loss. I wish I had taken a decent nutrition class in my teens or 20's. Not a *weight loss* nutrition class...but a general nutrition class where you learn to read labels, learn about dietary effects on disease processes, aging, inflamation. I had no idea how ignorant I was about the different kinds of fat, the effects of sodium and refined sugar, appropriate portions, recommended Fiber and its effect on propogating good gut microorganisms, malnutrition in fat people, ect. I learned a tremendous amount in class about so many blind spots and feel so much more informed to make better dietary choices. I highly recommend a good general nutrition course for folks starting out in this process.

I'm five years out. Slipped on ice, chomped my teeth and fractured the root of a tooth previously root canaled....needed an implant. Implant process was long because I needed a bone graft on the outside to strengthen the socket. It was perfectly successful, though, and it has been my only major dental issue. I think I had one other filling, too. Neither of these dental repairs, in my opinion, had anything to do with the surgery....just bad luck and age. All my teeth are in great shape now. I get them cleaned twice a year and that's it. No special concerns.

GOOD: All of the other great apes eat their sugar with lots of Fiber. They rarely eat meat, they eat lots of plant fats, and eat tons of fruit, figs, and unrefined carbs. They don't keep livestock, milk cows, or eat cheese. Over 90% of their diets are plants, fruits, palm nuts.

BAD: Eat your children's Vitamin for dessert. Fruit is pure sugar and should be avoided. You should only eat Protein and non starchy veggies!

Also...

GOOD: Nearly everyone with morbid obesity suffers from food addiction. They deal with the constant stress and background noise of food, hunger and craving..... in a ways that people of typical weights don't. Obesity has a tremendous psychological component that must be understood for longterm success.

BAD: Trade one form of obsessive disordered eating for another if you want to be successful.

Never once did baby food. Not horribly against it or anything, just never had the need. Chewed everything well and was able to eat a most things. Chew Chew Chew.

You need to talk to her doctor about her diet. People in end stage kidney disease are often on restricted Protein diets because their kidneys can't handle extra protein. It's important to know specifically what kind of Proteins will be easiest on her with her poor kidney function and how much protein is too much for her. Please talk to her medical providers about a good nutrition plan for her specific concerns.

Some good stuff being brought up about "big boned" being another denial. Being honest is important.

That said...there ARE different frame sizes, different statures, different body styles.

My bestie and I are both 5'6". She has size 6 feet, I have size 10. She looks great at 150 #, I look great at 170#. She has teenie little paws and can wear itsy bitsy rings. I have large hands that completely cover hers with an extra inch.

Boob size can turn a size medium girl into an XL shirt wearer. Boobs are a wildcard, too.

I definitely support not lying to yourself that "you're just big boned"....but also want to to balance this. There's a different body style inherent to being a fit Dutch girl, a fit Asian girl, a fit African American girl. Individual differences, too. We are not all the same....which is why Arnold Schwarzenegger had an obese BMI when he won Mr. Universe.

Bodies vary.

5 years out. My guts STILL sound like an octopus orgy in a washing machine under a waterfall during a taping of the farting preacher.

It's not painful. I do NOT have excessive or nasty gas or belching issues...(thank Christ) But my guts are still incredibly loud.

Every so often some stranger sitting next to me gives me this alarmed look like they're expecting an alien to burst from my body.

Five years out. I wish I'd known how significant food addiction is...in the puzzle of obesity. All the diets and exercises in the world don't treat food addiction, and in fact, can exacerbate it. Charting longterm food choice behaviors, triggers, circumstances linked to bad choices....is something I wish I'd done sooner. I might not have needed surgery. Not saying I have any regrets (I don't). Not saying the surgery isn't an amazing life saving tool (it is).

5 years out from sleeve. Breakfast:) Avocado toast on focaccia with pickled onions, feta and red pepper flakes. Some salad topper pecans, pepitos and cranberries, tomatoes and cukes...and a mini glass of powerhouse super juice. Yum!

I started drinking with meals about two months after surgery. People will be all authoritarian about it...and they mean well. But if you press your doctor (not the staff...your DOCTOR) about the difference between "eating" Soup or protien drink, and having something to drink with dinner...the doc will admit it's nonsense. They just don't want you to push the food through constantly and continue to eat before you digest enough and feel full....this can make you gain weight and give you digestive upset. Also, reflux can be worse with more fluids if you lie down too soon after eating. I have a drink with every meal. I dont worry about it and I dont have issues.

I'm also recovering from rotator cuff problems on both sides. This is interesting!

ANY addiction can be a transfer addiction after a bariatric surgery messes with your food addiction. About a year after surgery, I noticed I liked to go gambling more. (not an insane amount, but instead of going maybe once every three months or so and taking $50, I was going maybe twice a month and taking $100. One month, I went once a week) I'm thrifty, so I noticed the casino losses in my budget right away and said....oh, hells no, this has to stop. So, I quit gambling entirely. Dodged the bullet on that one, thank goodness.

But....of course.... that void looked for another way to rear its head.

I started buying way too much **** on Ebay and Amazon. Late night purchases. Ugh. When I identified that issue....I quit, and promptly started hitting thrift stores and buying too much crap. Just kept swapping out one source of instant gratification for another....kinda like food.

Addiction is a real thing. And finding healthy ways to deal with that need for instant gratification (and the hidden **** that drives it) will always be something I deal with.

Very often when I hear people talk about regain... they will beligerantly insist that they don't have problems with food addiction or disordered eating. And I always think....oye. This ain't gonna end well for you.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, imo. And I know that sounds cheesy...but it's true. You need to get your head around your blind spots and confront them. Understand the behavior so you can change the behavior.

I'm 4.5 years out, maintaining my weight loss (very proud of this)....but more aware than ever before how food addiction has impacted my life and my habits. Also, more aware of what drives my addictive behaviors.

Still workin on it, man it's hard! Parts get easier, parts get harder. Just gotta keep fighting the good fight:)

Mushrooms! You've gotta blend the crap out of them, or chop them super tiny...but mushrooms are so good. Lots of protien, lots of fiber, low calories.

I liked mashed potatoes after surgery. They were on my surgeon's list...I know some programs forbid them...but they were wonderful with olive oil butter and my dietician was cool with them. Sweet potatoes, too.

Nut butters without the sugar.

Coco wheats and oatmeal were also ok on my surgeon's list. I love coco wheats because they have tons of Iron.

Soups with Beans, potatoes and mushrooms were big favorites for me.

I had a great experience. Super easy surgery. Walked over a mile in the halls in the evening. I think I had surgery at 8am? Woke up the next day at 7am, showered, washed my hair, put on clothes and was itching to go home. Very little pain. Zero nausea.

The hardest part for me...was that first week after...when essentially your entire life revolves around drinking little cups of Fluid several times an hour...and writing everything down. Pain in the butt and felt like a full time job. Worth it, though!

Best wishes. You got this!

Also, what are your stats? starting weight, low weight, current weight...that kinda thing

Totally ok if you don't want to answer this question, Mandy, but I'm curious....when you lost weight in the months after surgery, did your clinic recommend you eat very low calories or did they encourage you to eat more normally sooner?

Nice work!

Definitely follow up. For all the reasons mentioned. Also..stay off it. You might be making things worse by pushing exercise. Talk to your doctor and take this seriously.

I drink diet soda. One can a day. No big issues. I admitted it at my last yearly visit and my doctor said...you're maintaining well and your labs are great...without actually saying it was ok. I kinda cornered my doc on the fallacy of carbonation "stretching your stomach" and he admitted it didn't, but said that they try to strongly discourage people from taking up carbonated beverages again because so many of the people who suffer a lot of regain go back to full calorie soda and beer with diet soda being a bit of a "gateway drug".

Also, diet soda isn't particularly healthy or helpful. It's a habit with little benefit that carries the potential for problems for those who will eventually return to full calorie beverages. So...I get it.

Still....damned if I don't enjoy that one can of diet soda a day. My current favorite. Diet Mango Pepsi. Yep, I'm guilty.

Lynn, they don't keep them with the shrimp and seafood. At the stores around me they keep them in the freezer with more promotional items, seasonal stuff. Typically it's a freezer on the floor you look down into where they have stuff like fancy pizza, fancy ice cream treats, meal kits....not necessarily by the frozen foods. I think these are officially a seasonal thing, but I've seen them there for at least two years, and this year they've been available since April at least (at my stores).

I, too, had tremendous hunger soon after surgery. A lot of people think you're crazy when you say you're starving this early out, but I've been there and I feel your pain. DO reach out to your surgeon. If you lay down and have hunger pains you might also be having acid reflux and they can help you with that. DO drink your protien shakes. They might not seem like they're filling your up, but they're giving you the nutrition you most need. DONT skip ahead with your eating schedule. Tell your surgeon's office what you're going through. They might allow you to try one particular thing from the next eating level that is safer than risking you making a bad decision. Talk to them. My team was awesome and helped a lot when I was going through this. Best wishes.

It's always best to follow the advice of your doctor to the letter. For the first year, I tried very hard to follow the drinking with meals rule. I still took the occasional little sip, but tried hard to limit it. These days, if I'm honest, I drink with most meals. I don't drink the volume I used to. If I drink 2-4 ounces with a meal, this is a lot for me now. I used to drink a couple of glasses (of Water, soda, coffee, tea) at meals. Limiting fluids at meals becomes a habit. I have also heard that pushing the food through without it being mixed with enzymes properly or doing the initial digestive breakdown that nomally happens in the stomach can result in bloating, diarrhea, general digestive upset symptoms...which makes sense. Yes, limit fluids at mealtimes as much as possible. No, you're not gonna die or do terrible damage if you take a sip here and there. If you did....you'd never eat Soup again.

See if your bariatric group has a therapist they recommend who works on food addiction issues with folks who have had weight loss surgery. Get someone on the job who is better aligned and more knowledgable about your needs.