Officially Not Fatty Matty

First…. I 100% support YOUR decision to tell people about your surgery or not. I am in no way saying you should or should not….
I recently went on a trip and on this trip I had to show my old ID a few times. When I applied to TSA PreCheck I got a triple take when they looked at my passport photo vs the new me… so I explained… then on the trip I just decided to preemptively say “yeah I’ve lost a lot of weight since then” when they looked at my ID. Twice I had the person (quietly) ask “mind if I ask how? It’s none of my business I’m just wondering.” Both times I told them the truth, both times they said they’ve been thinking about it. Both times they smiled when I told them how stupidly amazing I feel and how I wish I had done this sooner. Both times we held up the line entirely too long while they and I both opened up about our weight issues and weight wishes. They were great moments and they wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t open up to them.
My wife does not want me to share my story with her side of the family and I’ve respected her wishes in that regard. I don’t personally care if they know but she has her reasons and that’s good enough for me. I totally understand that someone you know and will see repeatedly is an entirely different story….
But a stranger I’ll never see again? Someone who is like I was and clearly is looking for help? I’ll never lie to them. They deserve to know that traditional diets are damn hard if not impossible for most of us. I feel like it would make them feel worse about their own diet failures and their self esteem if I lied about how I did what I did. I’ll share my story with anyone going forward with joy, because I’m so happy about it and I want them to feel this way too. I gave both of those people info on this forum and my username. If you’re here reading this now, welcome. I’m glad you made the effort. Please don’t feel the need to introduce yourself just yet. Read, absorb, self reflect. But welcome nonetheless. I’m happy that you’re here.

First…. I 100% support YOUR decision to tell people about your surgery or not. I am in no way saying you should or should not….
I recently went on a trip and on this trip I had to show my old ID a few times. When I applied to TSA PreCheck I got a triple take when they looked at my passport photo vs the new me… so I explained… then on the trip I just decided to preemptively say “yeah I’ve lost a lot of weight since then” when they looked at my ID. Twice I had the person (quietly) ask “mind if I ask how? It’s none of my business I’m just wondering.” Both times I told them the truth, both times they said they’ve been thinking about it. Both times they smiled when I told them how stupidly amazing I feel and how I wish I had done this sooner. Both times we held up the line entirely too long while they and I both opened up about our weight issues and weight wishes. They were great moments and they wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t open up to them.
My wife does not want me to share my story with her side of the family and I’ve respected her wishes in that regard. I don’t personally care if they know but she has her reasons and that’s good enough for me. I totally understand that someone you know and will see repeatedly is an entirely different story….
But a stranger I’ll never see again? Someone who is like I was and clearly is looking for help? I’ll never lie to them. They deserve to know that traditional diets are damn hard if not impossible for most of us. I feel like it would make them feel worse about their own diet failures and their self esteem if I lied about how I did what I did. I’ll share my story with anyone going forward with joy, because I’m so happy about it and I want them to feel this way too. I gave both of those people info on this forum and my username. If you’re here reading this now, welcome. I’m glad you made the effort. Please don’t feel the need to introduce yourself just yet. Read, absorb, self reflect. But welcome nonetheless. I’m happy that you’re here.

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

Yah that’s garbage (the doctor’s behavior not your note, the note is well deserved). I’d have him put all that in writing and forward that to your governing medical board for review. At the very least if he has a pattern of this kind of behavior your report will help others who have reported similar.

Yah that’s garbage (the doctor’s behavior not your note, the note is well deserved). I’d have him put all that in writing and forward that to your governing medical board for review. At the very least if he has a pattern of this kind of behavior your report will help others who have reported similar.

First…. I 100% support YOUR decision to tell people about your surgery or not. I am in no way saying you should or should not….
I recently went on a trip and on this trip I had to show my old ID a few times. When I applied to TSA PreCheck I got a triple take when they looked at my passport photo vs the new me… so I explained… then on the trip I just decided to preemptively say “yeah I’ve lost a lot of weight since then” when they looked at my ID. Twice I had the person (quietly) ask “mind if I ask how? It’s none of my business I’m just wondering.” Both times I told them the truth, both times they said they’ve been thinking about it. Both times they smiled when I told them how stupidly amazing I feel and how I wish I had done this sooner. Both times we held up the line entirely too long while they and I both opened up about our weight issues and weight wishes. They were great moments and they wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t open up to them.
My wife does not want me to share my story with her side of the family and I’ve respected her wishes in that regard. I don’t personally care if they know but she has her reasons and that’s good enough for me. I totally understand that someone you know and will see repeatedly is an entirely different story….
But a stranger I’ll never see again? Someone who is like I was and clearly is looking for help? I’ll never lie to them. They deserve to know that traditional diets are damn hard if not impossible for most of us. I feel like it would make them feel worse about their own diet failures and their self esteem if I lied about how I did what I did. I’ll share my story with anyone going forward with joy, because I’m so happy about it and I want them to feel this way too. I gave both of those people info on this forum and my username. If you’re here reading this now, welcome. I’m glad you made the effort. Please don’t feel the need to introduce yourself just yet. Read, absorb, self reflect. But welcome nonetheless. I’m happy that you’re here.

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

First…. I 100% support YOUR decision to tell people about your surgery or not. I am in no way saying you should or should not….
I recently went on a trip and on this trip I had to show my old ID a few times. When I applied to TSA PreCheck I got a triple take when they looked at my passport photo vs the new me… so I explained… then on the trip I just decided to preemptively say “yeah I’ve lost a lot of weight since then” when they looked at my ID. Twice I had the person (quietly) ask “mind if I ask how? It’s none of my business I’m just wondering.” Both times I told them the truth, both times they said they’ve been thinking about it. Both times they smiled when I told them how stupidly amazing I feel and how I wish I had done this sooner. Both times we held up the line entirely too long while they and I both opened up about our weight issues and weight wishes. They were great moments and they wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t open up to them.
My wife does not want me to share my story with her side of the family and I’ve respected her wishes in that regard. I don’t personally care if they know but she has her reasons and that’s good enough for me. I totally understand that someone you know and will see repeatedly is an entirely different story….
But a stranger I’ll never see again? Someone who is like I was and clearly is looking for help? I’ll never lie to them. They deserve to know that traditional diets are damn hard if not impossible for most of us. I feel like it would make them feel worse about their own diet failures and their self esteem if I lied about how I did what I did. I’ll share my story with anyone going forward with joy, because I’m so happy about it and I want them to feel this way too. I gave both of those people info on this forum and my username. If you’re here reading this now, welcome. I’m glad you made the effort. Please don’t feel the need to introduce yourself just yet. Read, absorb, self reflect. But welcome nonetheless. I’m happy that you’re here.

*raises hand*
I cancelled. Twice.
I was approved in March 2017, and backed out TWICE out of fear and/or laziness until I finally just said eff it, I'm doing it, and had it done in Oct 2018. I was 46.
Looking back i wish I just got it done the first time as I would have had had over a full extra year of being "normal" sized. In fact, I wish I had it done when I qualified for it back around 2012, when I reached the morbid obesity range.
Better late than never, I say.
Yes, I did lose quite a bit of hair, but its all back now (plus some!) at 3 years out. Would I go through those few months of thin hair again to look as fab as I do now? H*lls, YEAH. Temporary thinning hair was an infinitesimally small, tiny, minuscule, insignificant price to pay.
Yes, I was scared. I remember starting to tear up when they put the anaesthesia mask on me. I also remember thinking to myself, "YESSSSS! I'm alive!!!" when I woke up in the recovery room.
The way I see it, I just wasn't ready until I was ready. And when I finally was, it was all downhill from there.
So no, I do not regret it one iota.
You will find a few folks on here who DO regret it, but really, their experiences (nor mine, for that matter) will not give you any indication of how YOU will fare.
You won't know until you know.
Good Luck! ❤️

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

Thank you ALL so much for your input, reflections, insight and for sharing your own personal experiences. I have read and re-read each and every post and I am taking it all in. I suppose if we didn't feel nervous about going through a life changing surgery, that would be an entirely different concern. But I truly appreciate you all taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts. Thank you!!! I have alot to think about

I'm about a week away from surgery and I know these feelings are real!
But I'm here to say I got past that. I got past that by looking at this site and at the people who've changed their whole lives. I got past that by looking at the things I want to be able to do (I have a whole list, written in purple dry-erase on the whiteboard next to my desk in my home office). And by talking to a friend who went through it.
It's normal to have the freak-outs. "Will I ever be able to eat like a normal human?" (yes, but not in the quantities you used to) "Will it work for me?" (yes, if you put in the work to use this tool) "Will I wake up a hideous half-dragon creature with a blue tongue and scales? " (almost certainly not)

I dropped into the 100's this week. I'd been looking forward to it for so long that it almost seemed unreal that there was no trumpet fanfare when it happened 📯. I haven't shared it with anyone and am savoring it. The last time I remember being this weight for certain was just around high school graduation. But just so my ego didn't get too big, surgery kicked in the next and gave me foamies and pain when I didn't eat slowly enough. That hasn't happened in a long time. I think it was a poetic-justice reminder.
On a slightly less exciting note, "the girls" have dropped to a size I don't recall since early high school . I've always been well-endowed, even before being morbidly obese, so it is quite a change. I have broken down and purchased some new clothes. I realized for myself, despite being told, that I look terrible in all my too-big clothing. I think it was a security blanket of sorts. For so long, nothing was ever too big or too loose. I still hate shopping. I have no idea what size I need from what store.
I asked the doctor in my program for a suggestion for a therapist. I couldn't get an appointment until February. But I was able to get into a cancellation next week. I'm excited as I had some very specific criteria for a therapist, experience with bariatric patients was only one. I'm looking forward to having someone to process changes with as well as the road ahead. I again want to thank all of you on this board for the ongoing advice and support. I'm grateful for having found you. I belong to a few FB groups and am astounded by the misinformation and lack of preparation/education that is out there.
That's all ❤️

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

I wouldn’t ask for input from only people who had regrets and/or canceled, because… well that’s all you’re going to hear about and you’ll definitely not go through with it (which is fine, it’s your choice of course).
I’d ask “can everyone here who is at least a year post op give me a “would do it again” or “would not do it again” please”
This forum is a great place. It really is. There are tons of helpful people, funny people, honest people. The downside to a forum like this is it’s much more common for someone who is having a problem to post a question looking for help or advice or just to vent. It vastly skews the perception of the number and severity of problems. The reality is for most people surgery works and works well at achieving sustained weight loss. Very few people statistically have what I would call a major complication. When compared to the statistics of complications (or co-morbidities) of being obese, it’s not even a fair contest.
You are not alone in having worries and doubts though, not by a long shot. I had them too, many of us did. But I didn’t cancel and I most definitely do NOT regret having surgery. It was probably the best true free will choice I’ve ever made in my life… no, it definitely was. Being a guy who doesn’t care about his hair, I can’t share my advice about Hair loss. It’s a thing that can happen. It didn’t happen to me, but again I wouldn’t have cared if I lost all my hair, I’d have done this again without a second thought. In fact, I would go so far as to say that… based on how GREAT I feel today, even if I had a major complication that required hospitalization post op, I would still go through with it knowing what I know now. I wish I did this years ago, but I didn’t. I feel like I lost some of the best years with myself, my kids, just in general…

The following is a cheeze-ball comment but it’s true….
This new me… this is the me that was hiding inside a fat suit almost all of my life… sad, pretty lonely, afraid to come out and just enjoy life like I am now. I wish I met him when I was younger. I wish I was strong enough to do this on my own at a much younger age, but in the end I don’t care how this new me got here… I’m here and I’m not going back inside that fat suit ever again. I am 46 and feel like I’m about to turn 27.
I wish you the best, no matter what you decide. But don’t only look for the negatives, because that’s what you’ll find. There’s a lot of us “hell yah I’d do this again!!” people out there, we’re just quiet about it in general compared to the people who do really need help getting through a tough spot.

I was downing carbonated drinks very early on, I had no specific prohibition. Probably week four? I drink several cans of diet sodas a day, it’s how I get my Water intake needs met. never had an issue with bubbles or cravings or weight gain or blood sugar levels etc. ymmv and your doctor may not approve…

I was downing carbonated drinks very early on, I had no specific prohibition. Probably week four? I drink several cans of diet sodas a day, it’s how I get my Water intake needs met. never had an issue with bubbles or cravings or weight gain or blood sugar levels etc. ymmv and your doctor may not approve…

I just wanted to note, for anyone that is stating that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain and don’t drink diet because of them, I would absolutely not use this as a reason or to drink diet soda. There are artificial sweeteners in your Protein Shakes, Protein Bars, yoghurt, Jello, pudding, Gatorade, mio/water flavorings, and many others items you consume. These are all foods and additions that are heavily relied upon on almost every single post op diet I’ve seen here.

So I am going to be part of the rare % that is going to say that DIET (regular high sugar carbonated have no place in anyone’s diet) have done nothing to impede my weight loss. I’m currently 5 months and down almost 80lbs. My stomach isn’t stretched from drinking these, I drink slowly and it takes at least a full hour to have 1 can. I’ve had very little issues with Fluid consumption post surgery so I don’t feel this gets in the way of staying hydrated. If you’re not having pain, bloating, or unusual sides I think this part of the many old wives tales and fallacies with weight loss surgery.

The people who need a book like that won’t read it, and even if they did they’d find excuses or google until they get the one response from a like minded Neanderthal that confirms their bias.

Y'all are seriously getting me through the stress here. Thank you so much.

Whoa this is a tough one…. Truthfully many (most? All?) of us have failed at every diet. We’ve all probably sat in bed falling asleep and promising ourselves that tomorrow will be the day I take this seriously. We’ve all failed over and over again otherwise we wouldn’t be here in this forum talking about having (or having had) surgery to help us achieve what we want but have yet been able to achieve. You’re not alone, you’re not even in the minority here. You’re all of us and we are all you. Some of us are just in different parts of the same journey.
Since you know it would be disingenuous for us to tell you “yeah you’ll do great” I’ll spare you the line. We can’t know how you or any other one person will do on this path. We can tell you that for many many many of us it has worked when everything else failed. It can be life altering in the best of ways.
The pre op diet sucks. It seriously sucked for me, I had all the same thoughts you did. But I got through it, I did cheat but recovered. Once the stomach was gone it got drastically easier for me. I was you. I had doubts, I thought I would be the rare exception and fail. I’m not far enough out to say regain can never happen…. But I’m saying it will never happen. I was you. And you will - statistically speaking - very likely end up being me. I know you’re not happy the way you are, or you would have failures in your past and you wouldn’t be here. So I ask… why not? The way I feel today? Despite the fears and doubts it was worth it, 100000 times over.
I don’t cook either. Neither does my wife. My meals don’t look anything like the meals in the “food before and after” thread. Not one bit. I lived off cottage cheese and cucumbers and tomatoes until I moved back into meats. My lunches are a couple pieces of deli meat and some cheese and I’ll squirt some off brand mayo in the middle and roll it up. Last week I bought a burrito from chipotle and ate most of it over four days (two meals a day). I still enjoy food, flavors haven’t changed, what I liked before I like today. I can eat anything I want, but I never want much at all. Shockingly so compared to the amount I used to eat. Some people have to be very careful and strict, some people are able to not be so careful. It depends on so many factors, but I will say for the first few months be super careful and stick to the plan. You’ll figure out your hang ups, you’ll know if being near food is a trigger, and you’ll know what risks you can take. And if you can’t figure it out, we are here for you to help. Therapy might be a great option for you as well. I didn’t need one for my plan, and I don’t really think it would have been helpful for me anyway, but that’s just me. Self reflect and don’t be afraid to say to yourself “I need someone professional to help me work through this.” If you need it.
I wish you success, I hope you become like the new me, because I feel like I’m talking to the old me right now. You CAN do this.

Whoa this is a tough one…. Truthfully many (most? All?) of us have failed at every diet. We’ve all probably sat in bed falling asleep and promising ourselves that tomorrow will be the day I take this seriously. We’ve all failed over and over again otherwise we wouldn’t be here in this forum talking about having (or having had) surgery to help us achieve what we want but have yet been able to achieve. You’re not alone, you’re not even in the minority here. You’re all of us and we are all you. Some of us are just in different parts of the same journey.
Since you know it would be disingenuous for us to tell you “yeah you’ll do great” I’ll spare you the line. We can’t know how you or any other one person will do on this path. We can tell you that for many many many of us it has worked when everything else failed. It can be life altering in the best of ways.
The pre op diet sucks. It seriously sucked for me, I had all the same thoughts you did. But I got through it, I did cheat but recovered. Once the stomach was gone it got drastically easier for me. I was you. I had doubts, I thought I would be the rare exception and fail. I’m not far enough out to say regain can never happen…. But I’m saying it will never happen. I was you. And you will - statistically speaking - very likely end up being me. I know you’re not happy the way you are, or you would have failures in your past and you wouldn’t be here. So I ask… why not? The way I feel today? Despite the fears and doubts it was worth it, 100000 times over.
I don’t cook either. Neither does my wife. My meals don’t look anything like the meals in the “food before and after” thread. Not one bit. I lived off cottage cheese and cucumbers and tomatoes until I moved back into meats. My lunches are a couple pieces of deli meat and some cheese and I’ll squirt some off brand mayo in the middle and roll it up. Last week I bought a burrito from chipotle and ate most of it over four days (two meals a day). I still enjoy food, flavors haven’t changed, what I liked before I like today. I can eat anything I want, but I never want much at all. Shockingly so compared to the amount I used to eat. Some people have to be very careful and strict, some people are able to not be so careful. It depends on so many factors, but I will say for the first few months be super careful and stick to the plan. You’ll figure out your hang ups, you’ll know if being near food is a trigger, and you’ll know what risks you can take. And if you can’t figure it out, we are here for you to help. Therapy might be a great option for you as well. I didn’t need one for my plan, and I don’t really think it would have been helpful for me anyway, but that’s just me. Self reflect and don’t be afraid to say to yourself “I need someone professional to help me work through this.” If you need it.
I wish you success, I hope you become like the new me, because I feel like I’m talking to the old me right now. You CAN do this.

Whoa this is a tough one…. Truthfully many (most? All?) of us have failed at every diet. We’ve all probably sat in bed falling asleep and promising ourselves that tomorrow will be the day I take this seriously. We’ve all failed over and over again otherwise we wouldn’t be here in this forum talking about having (or having had) surgery to help us achieve what we want but have yet been able to achieve. You’re not alone, you’re not even in the minority here. You’re all of us and we are all you. Some of us are just in different parts of the same journey.
Since you know it would be disingenuous for us to tell you “yeah you’ll do great” I’ll spare you the line. We can’t know how you or any other one person will do on this path. We can tell you that for many many many of us it has worked when everything else failed. It can be life altering in the best of ways.
The pre op diet sucks. It seriously sucked for me, I had all the same thoughts you did. But I got through it, I did cheat but recovered. Once the stomach was gone it got drastically easier for me. I was you. I had doubts, I thought I would be the rare exception and fail. I’m not far enough out to say regain can never happen…. But I’m saying it will never happen. I was you. And you will - statistically speaking - very likely end up being me. I know you’re not happy the way you are, or you would have failures in your past and you wouldn’t be here. So I ask… why not? The way I feel today? Despite the fears and doubts it was worth it, 100000 times over.
I don’t cook either. Neither does my wife. My meals don’t look anything like the meals in the “food before and after” thread. Not one bit. I lived off cottage cheese and cucumbers and tomatoes until I moved back into meats. My lunches are a couple pieces of deli meat and some cheese and I’ll squirt some off brand mayo in the middle and roll it up. Last week I bought a burrito from chipotle and ate most of it over four days (two meals a day). I still enjoy food, flavors haven’t changed, what I liked before I like today. I can eat anything I want, but I never want much at all. Shockingly so compared to the amount I used to eat. Some people have to be very careful and strict, some people are able to not be so careful. It depends on so many factors, but I will say for the first few months be super careful and stick to the plan. You’ll figure out your hang ups, you’ll know if being near food is a trigger, and you’ll know what risks you can take. And if you can’t figure it out, we are here for you to help. Therapy might be a great option for you as well. I didn’t need one for my plan, and I don’t really think it would have been helpful for me anyway, but that’s just me. Self reflect and don’t be afraid to say to yourself “I need someone professional to help me work through this.” If you need it.
I wish you success, I hope you become like the new me, because I feel like I’m talking to the old me right now. You CAN do this.