I had my surgery on February 28th so I'm four weeks out today and down 35 lbs which includes the pre-surgery diet phase. I'm beginning to be able to eat more real food but going very slowly and carefully.

I have been obese my entire life. Seriously, I think I was born fat! No one else in my family has a weight problem so I guess all the fat genes glommed onto me.

I am finding that so much of this journey is more about my mind and the emotional aspects of food and eating than the actual weight loss. I am in mourning in a way for all the food, that was such a source of comfort but also guilt and pain. In a way it still doesn't seem real that I made this choice, carried it out and am starting my life anew. I am constantly amazed at myself that I had the courage to go through with the surgery and that I am now able to function on such a small amount of food! I probably eat about 800-1000 calories a day and I'm quite tall 6'1". I was eating about 2200-2700 calories a day prior to surgery.

I am so grateful to have found this forum. It has been a real God send!

Blessings to all!

Hi There! You are the first one I've found to truly understand what this is really about. It is an emotional and psychological battle with ourselves. Everytime I read another message how they are having 'cravings', I can't help wondering what they expected. We are the same, hunger, cravings, and the whole ball of wax. The only difference is that we were given a second chance to work with our particular disability, to try and manage it, to win this dreaded battle of over-eating and obesity. We still need to remain vigilant, concerned and alert at every moment less we give in again to our 'cravings'. This is war people, we have only been given the weapons to fight this, there are no written guarantees we will succeed. It is up to YOU and your true fight to overcome this dreaded disease, obesity. Are you all up to the challenge?

Hi There! You are the first one I've found to truly understand what this is really about. It is an emotional and psychological battle with ourselves. Everytime I read another message how they are having 'cravings'' date=' I can't help wondering what they expected. We are the same, hunger, cravings, and the whole ball of wax. The only difference is that we were given a second chance to work with our particular disability, to try and manage it, to win this dreaded battle of over-eating and obesity. We still need to remain vigilant, concerned and alert at every moment less we give in again to our 'cravings'. This is war people, we have only been given the weapons to fight this, there are no written guarantees we will succeed. It is up to YOU and your true fight to overcome this dreaded disease, obesity. Are you all up to the challenge?[/quote']

Linda, I have to disagree with you about the understanding of the emotional and psychological battle we must do. I think maybe it might be worth going back and reviewing the posts of the majority of the vets on the board, at least, and a number of us who are pre sleeve who have done or research and worked at understanding what drives our weight. I believe you'll find that many of them talk about the emotional and addictive, psychological pieces of what we're fighting. In fact, the term "head hunger" vs physical hunger is used a lot. "Head hunger" is a catchall phrase for hunger that's in your head, be it a craving, an emotional response to stress, a need for comfort, what have you.

It's true that there are some who post about their cravings like it was some sort of surprise that they actually have to work at this and it's not some sort of magic. They seem confused that if they give into those cravings all the time they don't lose weight. I admit to wondering if they were given enough pre surgery support, and if they were ready for such a big step. Fortunately, though they post a lot sometimes, the number of these people is actually fairly small.

A lot of people who vent about cravings are doing just that - venting. This is a safe place to let off steam without scaring family and friends. I know that once I vent about something that's tough or driving me crazy, I can often take a deep breath and get back to work.

Sometimes it's more about validating that something is normal, and asking for feedback on how long others had to deal with their cravings, or how they dealt with them. This is, after all, a support group. If we were all perfect and everything always went as planned with perfect understanding, there'd be no need for this group!

Do keep in mind that everyone's journey is not the same, though. Some may need to completely abstain from some things or risk completely falling off the track. Others may indeed be able to occasionally treat themselves in moderation, knowing that it may slow their loss, but that by having the occasional small indulgence they avoid triggering a deprivation binge. We're each different, with different ways to best move forward. I just want to help where I can, with my knowledge and experiences coupled with some empathy for another's own situation and needs

Good luck and safe journeys to all of us!

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I had my surgery on February 28th so I'm four weeks out today and down 35 lbs which includes the pre-surgery diet phase. I'm beginning to be able to eat more real food but going very slowly and carefully.

I have been obese my entire life. Seriously' date=' I think I was born fat! No one else in my family has a weight problem so I guess all the fat genes glommed onto me.

I am finding that so much of this journey is more about my mind and the emotional aspects of food and eating than the actual weight loss. I am in mourning in a way for all the food, that was such a source of comfort but also guilt and pain. In a way it still doesn't seem real that I made this choice, carried it out and am starting my life anew. I am constantly amazed at myself that I had the courage to go through with the surgery and that I am now able to function on such a small amount of food! I probably eat about 800-1000 calories a day and I'm quite tall 6'1". I was eating about 2200-2700 calories a day prior to surgery.

I am so grateful to have found this forum. It has been a real God send!

Blessings to all![/quote']

Congratulations on your success so far! This is a great group to get info from - you'll hear a lot of perspectives, for sure, but you'll also get lots of support. Just remember that ultimately we can make suggestions and provide reassurance, but there are a lot of different guidelines from different doctors and nutritionists, so don't be frustrated if someone sleeved the same time as you has a different diet, for example

Best of luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST