Hello everyone,

I don't post on here often, but I need some help.

A little background... I started my pre-op diet in July 2011, lost 25 pounds pre-op. Had VSG on September 1, 2011. Everything has gone very well, down another 55 pounds since surgery, total of 80 pounds.

Lately I have begun to feel like I am on a diet, and feeling resentful about it. For every meal I have to cook my family a meal and I cook myself a meal, and of course theirs is always way yummier. I guess I am missing starchy carbohydrates. I do let myself eat them but I feel guilty when I do.

I am having trouble making this a lifestyle when I feel like I am on a diet.

Does this feeling change once you are at goal and just maintaining?

For some reason I thought that my per-op diet would be the last time I would have to diet. lol.

I only have another 25-35 pounds to go till I will be at a normal BMI.

Any world of advice??

Thank you

I don't think I will ever NOT feel like I'm on a diet. My guess is that most skinny people (with the exception of those lucky few that are simply blessed with killer metabolisms and/or are workout junkies and can truly eat whatever they want without gaining) are constantly dieting (or are at least aware of what they are eating on a daily basis). If I don't enter everything into my food tracker that goes into my mouth, I will get completely off-track and fast.

What are some examples of a meal you might cook for your family and what are you cooking for yourself?

I try to make meals that are adaptable for my sleeve eating and my family . . . for example, I will still make spaghetti and meatballs. When I make this meal, I make sure I'm using a lean meatball recipe (or using italian turkey meatballs); I will eat more meatballs & sauce and only a very small portion of Pasta. I always try to have some salad or vegetable too. The only temptation I avoid when I have this meal for my family is the garlic bread, if I make it for them.

Another favorite meal of ours is taco or fajita night. Instead of having tortillas or taco shells with mine, I just make a yummy salad with 2% shredded cheese, lots of the meat and then salsa/veggies. I might have just a few tortilla chips with it for a little crunch (or half a crunchy taco shell).

Good luck!

I was sleeved on Oct 4 and i think i will alway have to watch what I eat. I don't want to gain my weight back. I plan on eating just like i am now. Mostly protein, low carbs. Don't get me wrong, i will still take bites of foodss that i love, i will just take a bite, not alot. That makes me happy. Diet is only a way of eating.

This is funny because I was just telling my mother how I don't feel like I am on a diet. But, for those who haven't read any of my posts, I do exercise quite regularly at pretty high levels, so I am probably an exception, not the rule. But, that being said, I pretty much eat what I want now following some basic, easy rules. I get my Protein in. I start the day with a 30 g Protein shake, have a high protein lunch (chili or turkey soup) another shake and still more lean protein at dinner. I eat Pasta now regularly and have very limited exposure to bread. I think not eating breads for so long has pretty much turned me off of them and to be honest with you, I really don't miss them, so I don't really plan on having them in my regular diet. As I said above, I eat what I want and there are a lot of foods which were my favorites which I have no desire for anymore.

So, yes, I am bad at times. Watched the Rose Bowl and ate 4 chicken wings during the course of the game. Did I want more? NO! I was stuffed!

Yesterday, the family wanted Subway. I used to have the footlong Tuna 3/4x a week for lunch, so I split one with my wife. I ate 1/3 of it there, ate 1/3 about an hour later and threw the rest away. Tasted great, but a Tuna sandwich has a short lifespan in my books.

So, yes, for me I do believe the "Diet" ends, but again, I am exercising no less than 5x a week. I ran 4 miles yesterday, did an hour high intensity aerobics the day before, 45 minutes spinning the day before that, ran 2 miles the day before that ...

So, I try to earn my right to be bad, but let me tell you, I feel great! I can feel my body burning my food so much more efficiently now. The sleeve is a tool that lets me eat 4 wings in 2 hours instead of 20 (or more). If I didn't exercise, then I am sure I would have to limit my selections, but now that I have lost enough weight were I can MOVE, I'm working the tool and eating what I want.

Edited January 3, 201214 yr by PdxMan

Sounds like you are going through a tough patch mentally - it has been hard during the holidays to see all of the rich carbohydrates.

The reality is, yes you are still on a diet - since you have 35 pounds to get into the normal BMI range. And, yes, you need to really watch those starchy carbs if you want to get those pounds off as quickly as your metabolism allows. Unless you are like PDXman and exercise like crazy you aren't going to be able to eat a lot of them.

I think Indymom has the right idea - what she is doing is what I do also. I don't cook two separate meals. I do occasionally make my husband something that I choose not to eat - but it is happening less. He has become much more conscious of eating healthy and is choosing to eat less starchy carbs, too.

How about treating yourself to a cooking class? Take one that focuses on cooking healthier lighter meals - and get the whole family behind eating healthier and living a healthier lifestyle.

I think everyone is on a diet - if diet means being conscious of what you are putting in your mouth. I know I will be on one for the rest of my life. Does this make me happy? No - I wish I were 3" taller, absolutely loved to exercise, and had the metabolism of a jet engine. But I didn't get any one of those three gifts when God made me. But He did give me some thing that I really appreciate - so I am not ungrateful. I work with what I have and make the best of it. Nothing is more important than being as healthy as I can be. That means watching what I eat and making exercise a regular part of my life.

There are so many more wonderful joys in life than the fleeting satisfaction you get from eating a starchy carb. Look to add those things in your life and make the food less important.

This is the hard part - learning how to live with the sleeve and the life changes you have to make. Good Luck.

Sharon

So, yes, for me I do believe the "Diet" ends, but again, I am exercising no less than 5x a week. I ran 4 miles yesterday, did an hour high intensity aerobics the day before, 45 minutes spinning the day before that, ran 2 miles the day before that ...

PdxMan, do you have any advice on getting started with the work-outs? I'm just starting to work out again, I used to do it quite a bit when I was younger but I haven't done anything for probably 13 years! I can't do anything that involves my arms yet (I had carpal tunnel surgery on both arms the same time I had the VSG, and they aren't up to par just yet) but I do love to walk and would love to get back into running again. Any advice to get me going? You sound like you would know a lot about it!!

I guess that I've been on a diet all of my life. Low-carbing on and off since the mid-70s, 6 years with an over-filled Lap-band that kept me from eating most healthy things, and now three weeks post-op with the sleeve.

I'm having to re-think what I've been saying all these years, "I want to be thin. I hate being fat." Do I really? If I resent not being able to eat certain foods, I obviously love the food more than I love being thinner. So I have been lying to myself?

Right now, my healing stomach is a good preventative against eating what I shouldn't. When I'm healed, I hope that I can figure out which one I love more: Myself (eating healthily) or the food.

I'm having the same problem!!!! I just can't seem to get it! My problem is that I apparently couldn't "diet" long enough or change my eating habits for life long enough to stay skinny prior to the VSG SO HOW THE HELL CAN I DO IT NOW????? I just don't understand how all of you are getting skinny just because you had the surgery! Right now I'm losing weight because I'm only 3 weeks post-op but I've already started cheating by eating Hershey's kisses. Again, I couldn't say no to food before so what is it that is changing your life for all of you to be able to say no to food now? Just because you had the surgery doesn't change the way your mind works....at least not for me. I'm scared to death that I've gone through the surgery for nothing! I can down 8oz of creamed soup and want more food a half hour later! People on here are saying they can only eat 2-4 oz at any given time....WHAT??? I'm going through the motions and going to join a gym but this just feels like all the other diets I've been on....I'll lose weight and then gain it back....this is sooooo depressing....

Frumpy, the 2-4 oz is lean Protein, not creamed Soups. I can easily eat 12 oz of chili at a setting, but that, like the creamed soup, is mainly liquid and the pyloric valve opens, lets it through and their is room in the stomach for more. That is not what we're talking about. In a few weeks, when you get on solids, you will feel the restriction when you eat a 2 oz piece of chicken or fish. You will eat that and be full. But ... if you drink Water while you eat this, you run the risk of your pyloric valve opening and draining your stomach allowing you to eat more, just like with the creamed soups. As I mentioned above, I'm 6 months out and could only eat 3 bites of a Subway sandwich and I was STUFFED for a couple hours. If someone cheats the tool by drinking with the meal, then they run the risk of not feeling the restriction and being able to eat more.

The other thing is not starting with the protein. Protein is going to help you feel your restriction. Starting with a piece of German chocolate Cake is a great way to get a lot of calories and "cookie carbs" (as I like to call them), but it isn't the right choice. So, with the tool, you can still make bad food choices, but if you follow some basic rules ... eat protein first, get your liquids in 1/2 hour before/after eating, exercise ... I believe you can eat what you want. Just know, that in conjunction with following these rules, your "wants" most likely will change. I know it has for me. I think the only way to gain weight back of any significance is to break the rules I mentioned above. Do I break them? Occassionally, sure, but for the most part I stick pretty tightly to them.

SmallGirls, I started with a C25K program on my iPhone. It was a big goal for me and I was determined to be able to run a 5K once I had lost enough weight to where I felt I could run enough where I wasn't killing my knees. Suprisingly, I have stuck with it as I am amazed at how good I feel after running. I exercised on elliptical machines pre-sleeve, but never felt as good as I do now. Perhaps it was that bag of cheetos I ate afterward ... hmmm.

Yep, being successful at keeping our weight LONG TERM will require that we eat differently than we used to. But isn't it worth it?

I have this posted on my bulletin board as a daily reminder:

I didn't have this surgery so I could eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I had this surgery so I could DO whatever I want, whenever I want & enjoy living & loving life.

Frumpy, the 2-4 oz is lean Protein, not creamed Soups. I can easily eat 12 oz of chili at a setting, but that, like the creamed Soup, is mainly liquid and the pyloric valve opens, lets it through and their is room in the stomach for more. That is not what we're talking about. In a few weeks, when you get on solids, you will feel the restriction when you eat a 2 oz piece of chicken or fish. You will eat that and be full. But ... if you drink Water while you eat this, you run the risk of your pyloric valve opening and draining your stomach allowing you to eat more, just like with the creamed soups. As I mentioned above, I'm 6 months out and could only eat 3 bites of a Subway sandwich and I was STUFFED for a couple hours. If someone cheats the tool by drinking with the meal, then they run the risk of not feeling the restriction and being able to eat more. The other thing is not starting with the protein. Protein is going to help you feel your restriction. Starting with a piece of German chocolate Cake is a great way to get a lot of calories and "cookie carbs" (as I like to call them), but it isn't the right choice. So, with the tool, you can still make bad food choices, but if you follow some basic rules ... eat protein first, get your liquids in 1/2 hour before/after eating, exercise ... I believe you can eat what you want. Just know, that in conjunction with following these rules, your "wants" most likely will change. I know it has for me. I think the only way to gain weight back of any significance is to break the rules I mentioned above. Do I break them? Occassionally, sure, but for the most part I stick pretty tightly to them. SmallGirls, I started with a C25K program on my iPhone. It was a big goal for me and I was determined to be able to run a 5K once I had lost enough weight to where I felt I could run enough where I wasn't killing my knees. Suprisingly, I have stuck with it as I am amazed at how good I feel after running. I exercised on elliptical machines pre-sleeve, but never felt as good as I do now. Perhaps it was that bag of cheetos I ate afterward ... hmmm.

I just downloaded the app on my phone and it seems totally do-able if I really stick with it!! I'll be killing myself for the first couple of weeks but oh well. I thought I was dying the first few days after VSG surgery too, but I lived through that lol. My hubby is supposed to be getting me a membership to the local YMCA and I can use the treadmills there to do it. Thanks for the info!!

I am 3 weeks out and still on pureed food so I kinda know what you mean. I have some of the same fears, that I won't be able to change.

Here are a couple of things I am doing.

-I am tracking food and exercise to increase self awareness

-I am getting junk food out of the house, to the extent possible. Hubby is a real snacker, which is my downfall.. I just have sad "no cheetos" and don't get near the bag. If I lived alone, I would make sure that that stuff wasn't even around.

-I just started upping my activity level. This is helping with my mood

-I realize that when I am busy, I am not really hungry. Sitting around gives me too much time to think about food. I feel hungry but I think it is more head hunger During recovery, there was more sitting around then moving around so my focus going forward is on staying busy. There are closets to clean, friends to visit, window shopping to do... you know... anything that gets me away from the TV and old habits.

-Take your PPI and drink your fluids. Acid and thirst can both feel like hunger!

-I too was panicked about how easy it was for me to consume fluids (and even liquidy pureed things). The NUT assured me that will change as I start eating thicker food. Today i had some ricotta cheese flavored with sugar free vanilla flavoring and I feel quite content on a small portion. I do think that more solid food will help with this.

also, remember not to drink 30 min before or after consuming pureed or solid foods.

I am scared I won't be able to change, so I am trying to pick one habit at a time. I am now focused on eliminating the eating after dinner habit. It is an ingrained habit, i have done it for years and it hasn't served me well. I am working on changing it. 3 days in a row now - if I can make it more like 3 weeks, then hopefully i have changed that habit. Maybe you can choose one small bad eating habit to work on rather then trying to change everything overnight and feeling overwhelmed.

I'm having the same problem!!!! I just can't seem to get it! My problem is that I apparently couldn't "diet" long enough or change my eating habits for life long enough to stay skinny prior to the VSG SO HOW THE HELL CAN I DO IT NOW????? I just don't understand how all of you are getting skinny just because you had the surgery! Right now I'm losing weight because I'm only 3 weeks post-op but I've already started cheating by eating Hershey's kisses. Again, I couldn't say no to food before so what is it that is changing your life for all of you to be able to say no to food now? Just because you had the surgery doesn't change the way your mind works....at least not for me. I'm scared to death that I've gone through the surgery for nothing! I can down 8oz of creamed soup and want more food a half hour later! People on here are saying they can only eat 2-4 oz at any given time....WHAT??? I'm going through the motions and going to join a gym but this just feels like all the other diets I've been on....I'll lose weight and then gain it back....this is sooooo depressing....

Frumpy, the 2-4 oz is lean Protein, not creamed soups. I can easily eat 12 oz of chili at a setting, but that, like the creamed soup, is mainly liquid and the pyloric valve opens, lets it through and their is room in the stomach for more. That is not what we're talking about. In a few weeks, when you get on solids, you will feel the restriction when you eat a 2 oz piece of chicken or fish. You will eat that and be full. But ... if you drink Water while you eat this, you run the risk of your pyloric valve opening and draining your stomach allowing you to eat more, just like with the creamed soups. As I mentioned above, I'm 6 months out and could only eat 3 bites of a Subway sandwich and I was STUFFED for a couple hours. If someone cheats the tool by drinking with the meal, then they run the risk of not feeling the restriction and being able to eat more. The other thing is not starting with the protein. Protein is going to help you feel your restriction. Starting with a piece of German chocolate Cake is a great way to get a lot of calories and "cookie carbs" (as I like to call them), but it isn't the right choice. So, with the tool, you can still make bad food choices, but if you follow some basic rules ... eat protein first, get your liquids in 1/2 hour before/after eating, exercise ... I believe you can eat what you want. Just know, that in conjunction with following these rules, your "wants" most likely will change. I know it has for me. I think the only way to gain weight back of any significance is to break the rules I mentioned above. Do I break them? Occassionally, sure, but for the most part I stick pretty tightly to them. SmallGirls, I started with a C25K program on my iPhone. It was a big goal for me and I was determined to be able to run a 5K once I had lost enough weight to where I felt I could run enough where I wasn't killing my knees. Suprisingly, I have stuck with it as I am amazed at how good I feel after running. I exercised on elliptical machines pre-sleeve, but never felt as good as I do now. Perhaps it was that bag of cheetos I ate afterward ... hmmm.

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH PdxMan! You've given me hope! I've never heard it put that way before! You just don't know what you've done for my outlook! Thanks again from the bottom of my heart!!!!

No problem, happy to help. That is what we're here for ... each other.

The first month is difficult, no doubt. There is a lot of confusion and fear. Your body is going through a drastic change and nothing tastes right. You're all a jumble.

Just know it does get better. Just keep to the rules and you will do great. I promise you.

Protein first priority

No drinking any liquids 1/2 hour before/after eating

Exercise - whatever you can do. Walk, run, stairs, rubber bands ... whatever you can find that works for you and do it in the amount that works for you. This, too, will get easier.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. Sometimes it helps to be accountable to something and that can be us!

Probably a dumb question but when we are able to eat solids, should I focus on fixing all my food healthier or eat whatever I want but in small amounts? If there is a secret, I'd like to know. My fear is that I won't be able to prepare my food to taste good..I'm an all flavor person. I hate bland food.

Healthy and as natural as possible, IMO. Your stomach is the mechanical part of digestion and it has undergone trauma. Let's not test it by giving it processed, difficult to handle foods.

I ate a lot of baked fish (Tillapia baked in butter with sprinkles of parmesan cheese)

Chili (Still eat a lot of that for lunch)

Salads with Tuna, blue cheese crumbles and honey mustard dressing. (Nothing low cal or low fat)

Have you been to eggface's blog?

I, like you, needed bold flavors coming off 2 months of blah. Blue cheese and parmesan cheese provided that along with chili. Sharp cheddar cheese was also a mainstay in my diet, too.

But, of course, everything in small amounts. Stop when you begin to feel the restriction.