So, I am only about 6 weeks out from the sleeving, and I have cheated a few times in the last few weeks. And I don't feel bad about it one bit.

Cheating before the sleeve: a whole pizza...a whole 2-liter of pop...a whole pint of ice cream...

Cheating after the sleeve: an extra Protein shake...3 or 4 extra pieces of 50 cal cheese...a quarter of a hamburger...a few bites of rice or potatoes...

I admit, I'm rationalizing a little bit. But the difference in the before and after is pretty staggering: thousands of calories vs. hundreds of calories.

AND I have found that trying a few things helps let me realize that I definitely can't eat as much as I did before, and don't like everything as much as I did before. For example, I still don't crave carbs and sweets like I did before.

While I was on my pre-op diet I kept seeing commercials for fudge covered oreos. They looked so delicious to me, and I kept thinking, "great, they come out with that right before I have surgery and can't eat any!" I stayed clear of the grocery store, determined not to buy those damn cookies. When I finally reached the real food stage post-op, I decided I had to try them. I bought a bag, I ate one, I threw the bag away. I was shocked to find that I didn't really like them all that much. They were too sweet....WHAT?! But the old me would have eaten the rest of the bag anyway. The post sleeve me was fine with just one and will never buy them again. I like the post-sleeve me much better! I will have an occassional treat, or extra carbs like a piece of the home made pizza I made for my family the other night, but I trust myself that it will be a small portion and that I will be right back on track with eating healthy immediately. I love the new control over food that the sleeve has given me. I feel like I can eat like a normal, healthy person again rather than like the dysfunctional eater that I had become. It's liberating!

I am one year out now, and I have to say that I fully believe that If I tell myself I cant have something that I really want, then I will end up failing miserably. If there is something that I am truely craving then I will have it, just a really small amount, and then I am over it....instead of being haunted over it again and again. I'm glad you arent beating yourself up over it!