For nearly four years, I've worked on Intuitive Eating. I worked with an eating disorder therapist for a couple of years, and she is the one who directed me on this journey. I stopped dieting. I've - for the most part - never been happier. Dieting made me miserable, insecure and it didn't work. My weight has basically stabilized. I base that on how my rings and clothes fit. I've fluctuated, but probably not more than 10 pounds in either direction.

For the most part, I eat what I like when I'm hungry. food stopped being an enemy. I'm not yo-yo dieting up and down 30 pounds a year (and it was always more up than down).

I'm happily married. I have a husband who loves me for who I am, not what I look like. I was 380 pounds on our wedding day seven years ago, so it's not like he married me thin and then I got fat. I truly know I am loved for who I am as a person, and not the size of my clothes or a number on the scale.

I haven't gotten on a scale in almost four years. I live someplace that is, for the most part, not as superficial as the rest of the world. I lived in NYC for six years and I don't think I could've come to the emotional place I am at now while living there... where a size 8 is too fat, and everyone is judged for how they look.

So, why am I here? A friend had this type of surgery a year ago. I'd never heard of it before I read some of her blog posts about it. I knew about the other types of WLS and I knew - with no doubt - that they were not for me. I knew too many people who had WLS and suffered unpleasant side effects afterwards due to absorption issues and "dumping syndrome..." even sometimes with foods that one day they could eat without problem, but the next day it made them sick! I never wanted to go through that, even when I wanted to lose weight desperately.

I no longer want to lose weight desperately. In fact, there are only a few reasons I *want* to lose weight at all. There's the obvious inconveniences that come with being more than 200 pounds overweight. I need 2 airplane tickets, for example, which pretty much eliminates the potential for air travel. Which usually doesn't matter, as we prefer road trips anyway... but at the same time, it would be nice to have flying be an option. I am also somewhat concerned about the potential health issues. I'm not diabetic, but it is in the family. I don't have any heart issues I wouldn't have anyway (benign palpitations), but I'd also like to keep it that way. My father died of a heart attack in January. He was 58, almost 59. I am 35, and I'm not really fond of the thought of dying young. Granted, he was diabetic and did not control it even slightly for years... which led to kidney failure and dialysis. The point being, he had medical issues I don't currently have. I'd like to keep it that way, though.

I have fibromyalgia. Exercise is extremely painful for me. I don't really know that it would be easier if I lost weight, but it might be... however, I do have some concerns that eating so little - as is required following surgery - might be a problem for me because of the fibro... because I am already so tired and have so little energy.

Here's where things get complicated, though. I don't ever wanna know what I weigh again. I just don't. It's not good for me emotionally. I am so much happier not knowing, and *if* I were to undergo this procedure, I wouldn't want to know what I started out at or where I finish. I'm just pretty sure no doctor is going to work with me on that. I don't want a goal weight. They can assign me one, and weigh me... but I don't want to know about it. I'm not considering this radical procedure because I want to be thin. I'm not dreaming of wearing a bikini, and frankly, given the extra skin I'd likely have to deal with, I might look even worse after surgery than I sometimes feel I do now (though generally, I don't really think of my looks at all - it's been part of my eating disorder recovery process).

If I were to have surgery, I'd only tell my husband and a few very close friends. It's none of anyone's business, but I also think that people are quick to jump on a bandwagon - so to speak... and surgery is an extreme choice to deal with a lifelong problem. I don't want to influence others in a way that might be negative. But mostly, it's just that I'm a fairly private person.

I've accepted my body and my limitations. I love myself the way I am now. But I can't deny that life would be so much easier if I could lose weight. Dieting won't get me there, and it will make me absolutely miserable. I have two medical conditions that make weight loss challenging (polycystic ovarian syndrome and Hashimoto's Disease). However, I know that I can follow a medically necessary change to my diet. Last year I had gallbladder surgery and for 2 months had to eat a very low fat diet. It didn't make me crazy, I didn't really feel any sort of deprivation and I wasn't obsessing about my weight during that time... because it wasn't about that. I get that WLS is about losing weight, but for me it wouldn't be the focus. It would just be a means to an end that makes life less challenging and hopefully makes me feel better than I do now (due to the fibromyalgia).

I'm just curious... I'm doubtful I'll find anyone who doesn't check the scale regularly, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask...

I don't own a scale right now. I threw it away. I know my weight through recent doctor's visits. It doesn't bother me to know what I weigh. There are just much, much better measures of changing fat levels. scales are to weightloss what wide spectrum antibiotics to a virus: used with good intention, but ineffective and ultimately more likely to do harm.

I suspect I will buy a scale if I ever get to something resembling a goal weight. Pounds have a way of sneaking up on me and if I start going back up I'd like to know before some of the more overt indicators become obvious. But I know enough to take anything the scale tells me with a large grain of salt.

HTH

Thanks, Wheetsin... that's a good analogy.

I don't own a scale right now. I threw it away. I know my weight through recent doctor's visits. It doesn't bother me to know what I weigh. There are just much, much better measures of changing fat levels. scales are to weightloss what wide spectrum antibiotics to a virus: used with good intention, but ineffective and ultimately more likely to do harm.

I suspect I will buy a scale if I ever get to something resembling a goal weight. Pounds have a way of sneaking up on me and if I start going back up I'd like to know before some of the more overt indicators become obvious. But I know enough to take anything the scale tells me with a large grain of salt.

HTH

I suspect the very fact you are here you are truly not happy with yourself. FOR ME and ME only, it sounds like this therapists\"s offered you and easy way out from the reality of your situation rather than facing the effects of your weight on your body. Sorry if that seems harsh, but until I got real with myself I had a 101 excuses for eating what I wanted and saying to myself if others don't like it they don't have to look.

The reality of the situation was I was on 5 YES 5 blood pressure medications and when my Dad died of a massive brain stem bleed from his blood pressure it was enough for me to face the facts, I was heading in that direction!

I can tell you this surgery is the absolute best thing I have ever done and is totally freeing of my former body. The fact you are hear is telling me your inner voice is guiding you further, listen to it!

It is possible to find a doctor that will respect your wishes on not wanting to know your weight. I have patients who come in all the time who turn their head so they wouldn't see the scale. your husband could fill out the paperwork you (he would have to know your weight) for the insurance company and such. good luck to you.

For nearly four years, I've worked on Intuitive Eating. I worked with an eating disorder therapist for a couple of years, and she is the one who directed me on this journey. I stopped dieting. I've - for the most part - never been happier. Dieting made me miserable, insecure and it didn't work. My weight has basically stabilized. I base that on how my rings and clothes fit. I've fluctuated, but probably not more than 10 pounds in either direction.

For the most part, I eat what I like when I'm hungry. food stopped being an enemy. I'm not yo-yo dieting up and down 30 pounds a year (and it was always more up than down).

I'm happily married. I have a husband who loves me for who I am, not what I look like. I was 380 pounds on our wedding day seven years ago, so it's not like he married me thin and then I got fat. I truly know I am loved for who I am as a person, and not the size of my clothes or a number on the scale.

I haven't gotten on a scale in almost four years. I live someplace that is, for the most part, not as superficial as the rest of the world. I lived in NYC for six years and I don't think I could've come to the emotional place I am at now while living there... where a size 8 is too fat, and everyone is judged for how they look.

So, why am I here? A friend had this type of surgery a year ago. I'd never heard of it before I read some of her blog posts about it. I knew about the other types of WLS and I knew - with no doubt - that they were not for me. I knew too many people who had WLS and suffered unpleasant side effects afterwards due to absorption issues and "dumping syndrome..." even sometimes with foods that one day they could eat without problem, but the next day it made them sick! I never wanted to go through that, even when I wanted to lose weight desperately.

I no longer want to lose weight desperately. In fact, there are only a few reasons I *want* to lose weight at all. There's the obvious inconveniences that come with being more than 200 pounds overweight. I need 2 airplane tickets, for example, which pretty much eliminates the potential for air travel. Which usually doesn't matter, as we prefer road trips anyway... but at the same time, it would be nice to have flying be an option. I am also somewhat concerned about the potential health issues. I'm not diabetic, but it is in the family. I don't have any heart issues I wouldn't have anyway (benign palpitations), but I'd also like to keep it that way. My father died of a heart attack in January. He was 58, almost 59. I am 35, and I'm not really fond of the thought of dying young. Granted, he was diabetic and did not control it even slightly for years... which led to kidney failure and dialysis. The point being, he had medical issues I don't currently have. I'd like to keep it that way, though.

I have fibromyalgia. Exercise is extremely painful for me. I don't really know that it would be easier if I lost weight, but it might be... however, I do have some concerns that eating so little - as is required following surgery - might be a problem for me because of the fibro... because I am already so tired and have so little energy.

Here's where things get complicated, though. I don't ever wanna know what I weigh again. I just don't. It's not good for me emotionally. I am so much happier not knowing, and *if* I were to undergo this procedure, I wouldn't want to know what I started out at or where I finish. I'm just pretty sure no doctor is going to work with me on that. I don't want a goal weight. They can assign me one, and weigh me... but I don't want to know about it. I'm not considering this radical procedure because I want to be thin. I'm not dreaming of wearing a bikini, and frankly, given the extra skin I'd likely have to deal with, I might look even worse after surgery than I sometimes feel I do now (though generally, I don't really think of my looks at all - it's been part of my eating disorder recovery process).

If I were to have surgery, I'd only tell my husband and a few very close friends. It's none of anyone's business, but I also think that people are quick to jump on a bandwagon - so to speak... and surgery is an extreme choice to deal with a lifelong problem. I don't want to influence others in a way that might be negative. But mostly, it's just that I'm a fairly private person.

I've accepted my body and my limitations. I love myself the way I am now. But I can't deny that life would be so much easier if I could lose weight. Dieting won't get me there, and it will make me absolutely miserable. I have two medical conditions that make weight loss challenging (polycystic ovarian syndrome and Hashimoto's Disease). However, I know that I can follow a medically necessary change to my diet. Last year I had gallbladder surgery and for 2 months had to eat a very low fat diet. It didn't make me crazy, I didn't really feel any sort of deprivation and I wasn't obsessing about my weight during that time... because it wasn't about that. I get that WLS is about losing weight, but for me it wouldn't be the focus. It would just be a means to an end that makes life less challenging and hopefully makes me feel better than I do now (due to the fibromyalgia).

I'm just curious... I'm doubtful I'll find anyone who doesn't check the scale regularly, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask...

Karelia,

I think if that is what is right for you, Great! For myself however, I have struggled my entire life with weight issues. I am the heaviest one in my family, and I hate it that everyone else is so active and I am always "too tired" to participate in family activities. I have let my weight limit my life for so long, that I wanted to take charge of my own life and do something positive for myself.

I have a strong history of diabetes in my family. Did you know that if one of your parents is (was) diabetic you have a more than 50 % chance of having diabetes yourself? If both parents are diabetic, you have a 100% chance that you will be diabetic also (assuming you live long enough to develop it)! Pretty grim statistics, huh? My Dad was diabetic, both my grandmothers, and now my Mother is diabetic. She is very good about keeping her weight in control (5'4", 130 lbs). My husband is already a diabetic, has been for 6-8 years, and has had two heart attacks and a stroke. We are both in our early 60's and I feel SO fortunate that I am still basically VERY healthy. BUT, I want to keep it that way, and statistics show that weight control, control of cholesterol and triglyceride levels, not smoking and activity are all part of a healthy life style that promotes long life. All four of my grandparents lived to their late 80's. My Mother just turned 90 this spring and still lives in her own home, does all her own cooking, laundry, drives, teaches Bible study twice a week, plays organ for church three times a week.... well you get the idea, she is ACTIVE! I want to be the same!

I have tried Weight Watchers (would you believe 17 times!?!), Diet Center, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weigh Down Workshop, Overeaters Annon, Overeaters Victorious, TOPS, and probably some more programs that I can't remember. So far nothing has made a permanent change, so surgery was the next logical option for me. My 1st cousin is a Bariatric surgeon, who has had bariatric surgery himself. He examined me and recommended a Verticle Gastric Sleeve as a solution. So a week ago I proceeded to have the surgery. I am now working very hard to recover and get myself on a more healthy life plan.

I wish you all the best, but for me, I want to know my weight, and want to do everything I can to control it so I can live a more healthy, active life style.

Clearly, you're unfamiliar with IE. It's not about making excuses. It's about acceptance. I learned that I don't have to be thin to love myself. I already knew that, but dieting taught me otherwise. It taught me I was a miserable, no good, fat failure. I believed I was supposed to feel hatred about my body, because that's what dieting and weight loss programs typically teach, even if it's indirect. I learned to listen to my body's hunger cues, which I never did before. I learned that just because it's there, doesn't mean I have to eat it... or eat all of it. food is always there. Dieting lends itself to feelings of desperation where food is concerned. If it's prohibited, it's "bad" for you. It's not always that black & white, and it's easy to diet and still eat in ways that are unhealthy. I know, I did it for years on Weight Watchers. I ate nothing but junk food, even if I was in my Points... I lost weight, but I certainly wasn't eating "healthy."

I've explored foods I never would've before IE. I've learned what I really like and what I just thought I liked because it was verboten on diets. Things like Twinkies, as a concrete example. I hate Twinkies, but I can't tell you how many times I binged on them.

I almost never binge anymore. I used to non-stop. I rarely overeat because I've learned I don't like that "too full" feeling, and I know enough now to recognize when I'm in danger of hitting that point.

The fact that my weight has stabilized clearly demonstrates that I'm not eating the way I once did. Otherwise, I'd have continued to gain weight rapidly. I didn't. I also didn't lose weight, but that's almost certainly because I have medical issues that work against me, both physiologically and in the sense that I can't be as active as I wish I could be thanks to chronic pain.

In fact, if not for the lessons I've learned as a result of eating disorder therapy and Intuitive Eating, I wouldn't even consider a procedure like this... and the fact that I am has absolutely nothing to do with how I feel about myself emotionally. It's a logistics choice, and a concern that someday maybe I'll need blood pressure medications, or become diabetic.

It's very easy to judge other people's choices, especially when you don't know very much about them, or the reasons behind them... it's human nature to judge, and we all do it. But when you spend so much of your life being judged because of a number on the scale or the way you look, it gets tiresome.

I suspect the very fact you are here you are truly not happy with yourself. FOR ME and ME only, it sounds like this therapists\"s offered you and easy way out from the reality of your situation rather than facing the effects of your weight on your body. Sorry if that seems harsh, but until I got real with myself I had a 101 excuses for eating what I wanted and saying to myself if others don't like it they don't have to look.

The reality of the situation was I was on 5 YES 5 blood pressure medications and when my Dad died of a massive brain stem bleed from his blood pressure it was enough for me to face the facts, I was heading in that direction!

I can tell you this surgery is the absolute best thing I have ever done and is totally freeing of my former body. The fact you are hear is telling me your inner voice is guiding you further, listen to it!

Kathy,

I see your point... and I absolutely respect everyone's decision to do what works for them. For me, if I know what I weigh, it becomes a battle, a struggle, a war. I never want to be at war with my body again. I also happen to know that, despite what the media will have us believe, health issues related to weight are not as black and white as they're made to seem. I have done a lot of research, and I believe there are plenty of thin people who are very unhealthy and a lot of "overweight" people who are much healthier than some of their thin counterparts. I'm not interested in a number on the scale, but I am interested in being healthier - and it's that which made me lose interest in the numbers game. For me, that's NOT healthy.

I'm just not convinced I'd even find a doctor who would work with me on that. I also don't think surgery is even an option for me right now, because our insurance company sent a letter like six years back to all patients saying they'd no longer cover WLS for any reason. But I'm curious enough to do the research at this point, and find out more about it.

Clearly, you're unfamiliar with IE. It's not about making excuses. It's about acceptance. I learned that I don't have to be thin to love myself. I already knew that, but dieting taught me otherwise. It taught me I was a miserable, no good, fat failure. I believed I was supposed to feel hatred about my body, because that's what dieting and weight loss programs typically teach, even if it's indirect. I learned to listen to my body's hunger cues, which I never did before. I learned that just because it's there, doesn't mean I have to eat it... or eat all of it. food is always there. Dieting lends itself to feelings of desperation where food is concerned. If it's prohibited, it's "bad" for you. It's not always that black & white, and it's easy to diet and still eat in ways that are unhealthy. I know, I did it for years on Weight Watchers. I ate nothing but junk food, even if I was in my Points... I lost weight, but I certainly wasn't eating "healthy."

I've explored foods I never would've before IE. I've learned what I really like and what I just thought I liked because it was verboten on diets. Things like Twinkies, as a concrete example. I hate Twinkies, but I can't tell you how many times I binged on them.

I almost never binge anymore. I used to non-stop. I rarely overeat because I've learned I don't like that "too full" feeling, and I know enough now to recognize when I'm in danger of hitting that point.

The fact that my weight has stabilized clearly demonstrates that I'm not eating the way I once did. Otherwise, I'd have continued to gain weight rapidly. I didn't. I also didn't lose weight, but that's almost certainly because I have medical issues that work against me, both physiologically and in the sense that I can't be as active as I wish I could be thanks to chronic pain.

In fact, if not for the lessons I've learned as a result of eating disorder therapy and Intuitive Eating, I wouldn't even consider a procedure like this... and the fact that I am has absolutely nothing to do with how I feel about myself emotionally. It's a logistics choice, and a concern that someday maybe I'll need blood pressure medications, or become diabetic.

It's very easy to judge other people's choices, especially when you don't know very much about them, or the reasons behind them... it's human nature to judge, and we all do it. But when you spend so much of your life being judged because of a number on the scale or the way you look, it gets tiresome.

As I emphasized, my reply was for me and me only as for how I felt. I must ask why are you here then??? If you are truly happy with how you look and feel at your current weight? For me it was about A. I did not like what I seen in mirror and B.. About my health issues.

I applaued you on getting in tune with you brain and body and only eating when and what you need! That is half the battle. For me there was no off switch of when to stop.

I never want to imply I am better or not accepting. I have a life time of failed diets that keeps me humble!

It doesn't hurt to ask a surgeon. Why don't you call up a reputable clinic near you and just talk to them about it? Maybe they can help you work though the process. And, if they don't seem to listen and understand, call a different one. There are lots of doctors out there and it sounds like you need someone that can take their time and listen to your concerns.

We probably won't have the answere here, but we will support you on your journey!!

Good luck--

Lara

Good that you are in tune with your body and looking for a way to lose weight for only a few reasons. I do however have to say that the sleeve is a tool and anyone can eat too many calories (slider foods) and gain back the weight. Yes the number to you on the scale is only a number but for some of us it is also a tool to remind us that we are not putting the correct fuel in our bodies and therefore gaining weight. The sleeve is a part of a lifestyle change. Just like your IE where you have accepted your body. Here we have to accept that certain foods in excess quantity will get us back to where we were.

That being said I feel the sleeve is a wonderful tool.

You have PCOS and a underactive thyroid which could cause you to lose weight at a much slower rate. If you do not mind the slow rate and can not eat around your sleeve then I think this surgery is what you should really look into.

Keep us posted on your decision.

Clearly, you're unfamiliar with IE. It's not about making excuses. It's about acceptance. I learned that I don't have to be thin to love myself. I already knew that, but dieting taught me otherwise. It taught me I was a miserable, no good, fat failure. I believed I was supposed to feel hatred about my body, because that's what dieting and weight loss programs typically teach, even if it's indirect. I learned to listen to my body's hunger cues, which I never did before. I learned that just because it's there, doesn't mean I have to eat it... or eat all of it. food is always there. Dieting lends itself to feelings of desperation where food is concerned. If it's prohibited, it's "bad" for you. It's not always that black & white, and it's easy to diet and still eat in ways that are unhealthy. I know, I did it for years on Weight Watchers. I ate nothing but junk food, even if I was in my Points... I lost weight, but I certainly wasn't eating "healthy."

I've explored foods I never would've before IE. I've learned what I really like and what I just thought I liked because it was verboten on diets. Things like Twinkies, as a concrete example. I hate Twinkies, but I can't tell you how many times I binged on them.

I almost never binge anymore. I used to non-stop. I rarely overeat because I've learned I don't like that "too full" feeling, and I know enough now to recognize when I'm in danger of hitting that point.

The fact that my weight has stabilized clearly demonstrates that I'm not eating the way I once did. Otherwise, I'd have continued to gain weight rapidly. I didn't. I also didn't lose weight, but that's almost certainly because I have medical issues that work against me, both physiologically and in the sense that I can't be as active as I wish I could be thanks to chronic pain.

In fact, if not for the lessons I've learned as a result of eating disorder therapy and Intuitive Eating, I wouldn't even consider a procedure like this... and the fact that I am has absolutely nothing to do with how I feel about myself emotionally. It's a logistics choice, and a concern that someday maybe I'll need blood pressure medications, or become diabetic.

It's very easy to judge other people's choices, especially when you don't know very much about them, or the reasons behind them... it's human nature to judge, and we all do it. But when you spend so much of your life being judged because of a number on the scale or the way you look, it gets tiresome.

This is just my opinion (which is usually wrong anyway) but I don't think this operation is the right answer for you at this time. No matter what, for the sleeve to be successful, you will need to follow certain guidelines, give up certain foods etc. This will mean thinking about what you are eating, how much you are eating etc. quite a lot (at least initially, till the habits become ingrained). It seems you have a different way of looking at food, which is working for you. Maybe just keep using that and see if you can get progressively healthier. After all, some people are able to get healthier without WLS.

I appreciate your insight... and you may be right. I'm not at all convinced this is an answer for me, or something I want to put myself through. The restrictions don't worry me much, since they'll become medically necessary if I have the surgery. But they are something to consider while asking questions. I'm not so much opposed to weighing or measuring food as I am to weighing or measuring ME, lol. I had to eat extremely carefully following my gallbladder removal last year, and there was a chance that I might have to keep that sort of diet permanently. Some people do... it was over six weeks before I even tried a small piece of chocolate. I had to slowly reintroduce foods. Possibly because my gallbladder attacks weren't triggered by fatty meals, I was lucky. I haven't had any issues with any foods (that I didn't already have issues with).

I do, however, worry that the low carb nature of the post-surgical diet is not a good fit for me. Not for the reasons I'm sure some might think, either. I have very bad IBS, and there are times when crackers or a piece of toast are all I can stomach. I can't eat most veggies raw and have to completely avoid citrus fruits. There are a lot of fruits I love and miss, but it's not worth how awful they make me feel. It's one reason the low fat, high Fiber diets were doomed for me. The things I *could* eat weren't the most healthy options (like Rice Krispies Treats!). So, that's something I'd be worried about. Right now, I balance what I eat very carefully in terms of how my stomach responds to foods, and carbs of some sort (multi-grain breads, crackers, etc) are usually involved. So I'm not sure I could live comfortably on a diet that didn't allow them.

This is just my opinion (which is usually wrong anyway) but I don't think this operation is the right answer for you at this time. No matter what, for the sleeve to be successful, you will need to follow certain guidelines, give up certain foods etc. This will mean thinking about what you are eating, how much you are eating etc. quite a lot (at least initially, till the habits become ingrained). It seems you have a different way of looking at food, which is working for you. Maybe just keep using that and see if you can get progressively healthier. After all, some people are able to get healthier without WLS.

I appreciate your insight... and you may be right. I'm not at all convinced this is an answer for me, or something I want to put myself through. The restrictions don't worry me much, since they'll become medically necessary if I have the surgery. But they are something to consider while asking questions. I'm not so much opposed to weighing or measuring food as I am to weighing or measuring ME, lol. I had to eat extremely carefully following my gallbladder removal last year, and there was a chance that I might have to keep that sort of diet permanently. Some people do... it was over six weeks before I even tried a small piece of chocolate. I had to slowly reintroduce foods. Possibly because my gallbladder attacks weren't triggered by fatty meals, I was lucky. I haven't had any issues with any foods (that I didn't already have issues with).

I do, however, worry that the low carb nature of the post-surgical diet is not a good fit for me. Not for the reasons I'm sure some might think, either. I have very bad IBS, and there are times when crackers or a piece of toast are all I can stomach. I can't eat most veggies raw and have to completely avoid citrus fruits. There are a lot of fruits I love and miss, but it's not worth how awful they make me feel. It's one reason the low fat, high fiber diets were doomed for me. The things I *could* eat weren't the most healthy options (like Rice Krispies Treats!). So, that's something I'd be worried about. Right now, I balance what I eat very carefully in terms of how my stomach responds to foods, and carbs of some sort (multi-grain breads, crackers, etc) are usually involved. So I'm not sureI could live comfortably on a diet that didn't allow them.

<div><br></div><div> This tool, the sleeve, does not necessarily require a low carb diet at, all. I have not been doing low carb. I eat full sugar foods and drinks, I eat crackers (sometimes all I can tolerate, too) and I eat toast (soft bread does not do well for me), I eat tortilla chips and yes, I have even had a rice crispy treat or two. I am not trying to be non-compliant, I just can't tolerate artificial sweeteners and so I have drinks that are sweetened with sugar, like gatorade, lemonade and tea. I can only eat about a half a piece of toast with my bacon and eggs, but that fills me up and makes me feel satisfied. I eat crackers with my Soups and with cheese, etc. I have lost 55 pounds since the day of surgery (65 since my week long pre-op diet) eating this way. And I am ashamed to say I have not exercised once. So, you see, just because some have much success with low carb, that does not mean it is the only way to lose weight with the sleeve. I would never, EVER suggest to someone to eat like I do, but it's what works for ME. Believe me I tried and tried to drink those SF Protein shakes and crystal light, etc. Just could NOT do it. I can eat anything I want (just not a LOT of it..lol) and am still losing weight steadily. I may not be the fastest loser, but it is good enough for me. 55 pounds in 3.5 months is not too shabby. Anyway, just thought I would share my experience so far.

</div>

I too went to therapy for complusive overeating, and you should be applauded for not gaining weight. But 200 pounds overweight is literally killing you. I was told at 242 that my life expectancy was 65!!! WAY too young for me.

FOR ME facing the scale was a wake up call to how unhealthy I was and that I will killing myself slowly with food.

Having WLS is a personal decision, but one that literally saved my life and I hate to tell you this, but I loved myself at 242 and now I REALLY LOVE MYSELF! I lost 80 pounds and I have energy, perfect blood pressure, can travel and fit into chairs easily. You can have all the self love in the world but not fitting into seats and sweating at the slightest change in temperature is downright uncomfortable.

Good Luck no matter what you do.

BTW---I love getting on the scale now!! Seeing 164 is a freaking dream!

Thanks, Disney... I suspect it's not dissimilar in some ways to my post-gallbladder recovery. I was able to eat anything I ate before. The only difference I have noticed is that I need to eat more frequently. If I go hours in between meals, my stomach literally hurts. So I try to eat smaller amounts more frequently.

I am also sensitive to a lot of artificial sweeteners. I can taste sucralose even when I buy something I didn't know had it, so I avoid it like the plague. I can tolerate aspartame, but not in things like pudding or yogurt. I don't drink diet soda at all, so that's not an issue for me. In fact, I avoid soda in general. I used to drink Crystal Light, but after the gallbladder surgery, it tasted weird. I have no idea why, but I can't drink it anymore. So I mainly drink Water, hot tea (often herbal) and once in a while grape juice.

<div><br></div><div> This tool, the sleeve, does not necessarily require a low carb diet at, all. I have not been doing low carb. I eat full sugar foods and drinks, I eat crackers (sometimes all I can tolerate, too) and I eat toast (soft bread does not do well for me), I eat tortilla chips and yes, I have even had a rice crispy treat or two. I am not trying to be non-compliant, I just can't tolerate artificial sweeteners and so I have drinks that are sweetened with sugar, like gatorade, lemonade and tea. I can only eat about a half a piece of toast with my bacon and eggs, but that fills me up and makes me feel satisfied. I eat crackers with my soups and with cheese, etc. I have lost 55 pounds since the day of surgery (65 since my week long pre-op diet) eating this way. And I am ashamed to say I have not exercised once. So, you see, just because some have much success with low carb, that does not mean it is the only way to lose weight with the sleeve. I would never, EVER suggest to someone to eat like I do, but it's what works for ME. Believe me I tried and tried to drink those SF Protein shakes and crystal light, etc. Just could NOT do it. I can eat anything I want (just not a LOT of it..lol) and am still losing weight steadily. I may not be the fastest loser, but it is good enough for me. 55 pounds in 3.5 months is not too shabby. Anyway, just thought I would share my experience so far.

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