I have planned mine out many times over the last few weeks and with surgery coming up three weeks from tomorrow and the pre-op liquid diet starting two weeks from tomorrow, I've finally decided what I am going to do.

I'm not having one. Why? Because I know that eventually (within 6 months or so!), I will be able to eat anything I want, I will just do so in moderation. (Imagine that concept!) I don't want to mourn the loss of any food, because it's not going away, I am just going to be limited in quantity. I have had more food in my 41 years than I should have consumed in a lifetime and I really see no need to mourn something that isn't dead and more importantly, has done nothing but made me unhealthy because I've allowed it to take control of me.

I want to be the one to make the decision to stop eating so much and to start being healthy, I do not want my surgeon to decide for me. For many people, once they go under, the decision is being made for them by the surgeon who is doing the cutting. Because they are no longer able to eat in mass quantity, they don't. Up until yesterday, that was going to be me. Yes, I've been doing one shake a day and high protein/low carb/under 1000cal for the last week and have lost 10.8 pounds to show for it. In the back of my mind, though, I was looking forward to having a smorgasbord of good stuff a few days before my diet started. I've looked at a million pins on Pinterest and gotten sad that I will never eat that or make that. I've been hyper-aware of all the new restaurants that are opening in my area, studying the menus, trying to figure out what I can have ONE LAST TIME. How ridiculous!

I don't want my surgeon to steal MY power, I want it to be MY decision. I decided Wednesday of last week that I would start prepping myself for the pre-op diet and yesterday I decided to stick to it right up till my surgery date. I decided to cut back on my favorite - Coke Zero - and have only one every few days. No more. I've not had one since Friday and I've lived!

Yesterday I completed all my pre-op blood work, xrays, tests, doctor visits, and signed off on all the papers. I also did all the pre-registration. The surgeon asked me if I was ready to make all the changes starting post-op that were necessary for my success and that really hit me. I told him I was not. I was ready to start right now.

I decided that I am in control of my body NOW because God knows I will not be in control of it for the weeks immediately following my procedure because at that point, I will be forced to do it.

I am the boss of me. Starting TODAY. Good Lord, I think it finally clicked and I cannot wait to start my new life. Oh, wait. I already did.

**EDIT TO ADD. I have no idea why this post is shaded or sized this way. HA! I made it bigger so it's readable.WEIRD!!!**

Thank you!! Are you doing well?

Yes. My surgery and recovery were complication free and since my last weigh two weeks ago, I am down 64 lbs. I did have some trouble keeping food down once I was able to eat solids but it was likely due to user error; specifically, not chewing enough and not feeling the restriction right away...probably because I was still healing. By week 6, I was able to clearly feel restriction before I even got full, so that has become my cue to stop eating.

If you are anything like many users here, you will love your sleeve.

I am so happy for you!!! I am extremely excited and I know this is the right decision for me.

I have been very faithful to my doctors instructions both pre op and post op. now 6 weeks post op. However, three weeks before my 1 week pre op I picked three things I wanted before surgery and had one each week. That worked for me - if I had to start again, I would maybe pick 6 and do 2 per week but in the end, I hardly remember having any of them. One was a hot fudge sundae, one was home made French fries, and the third was Fish and Chips - it was the last time I will have any of those for a long time if ever- at least in a large serving.

I think that is a very reasonable idea! I can easily fit in a "treat" if I stick to my plan of Protein shakes, lean protein and veggies. I am under calories/fat/carbs now.

I actually had frozen yogurt with my daughter yesterday and it was great. Instead of my usual mass of hot fudge, brownies, snickers, etc. on top, I had a half cup with blueberries and strawberries and it was delicious! I can live with that.

I am so happy for you!!! I am extremely excited and I know this is the right decision for me.

You'll do great!

I think you both really need to talk to a professional before you have this surgery. You both seem to really have the wrong perception about what you are about to do.

I would love to know where/how I have the wrong perception of what I am about to do. Anyone?

I think what Aussie was saying, is that this surgery is going to help you feel full quicker yes,

But as the months progress you WILL be able to eat more, and the "bad" or junk food goes down way to easy and you don't experience the discomfort with it like you do with dense Proteins. So people that have issues with food

(Yes, I know we all do) often eat "around" the sleeve.

So it's essential to at least have a fighting chance at this working long term, to work on food issues starting now, instead of thinking about everything you can consume now "before its to late".

You will be able to eat these things again.

And you most likely will be able to eat larger amounts of them over dense Protein.

I know that notion sucks because healthy food did not get us here, but unless they invent a sleeve that slaps that **** out of your hand, it's entirely up to you.

Once again that's what I think she was saying,

I could be wrong.

Hehe....I really wish the sleeve slapped that **** out of my hand! I was not so strong pre-op. I wouldn't say I had a food "funeral", but I certainly binged (but I always did, so it wasn't anything too different from my norm!) I can certainly eat anything I want and have been able to since very early post-op, so I'm not missing anything. But at the same time I certainly don't regret pigging out before surgery. In fact I'm kind of glad I did, strangely! But I admire your determination. Good luck.

I think what Aussie was saying, is that this surgery is going to help you feel full quicker yes,

But as the months progress you WILL be able to eat more, and the "bad" or junk food goes down way to easy and you don't experience the discomfort with it like you do with dense Proteins. So people that have issues with food

(Yes, I know we all do) often eat "around" the sleeve.

So it's essential to at least have a fighting chance at this working long term, to work on food issues starting now, instead of thinking about everything you can consume now "before its to late".

You will be able to eat these things again.

And you most likely will be able to eat larger amounts of them over dense Protein.

I know that notion sucks because healthy food did not get us here, but unless they invent a sleeve that slaps that **** out of your hand, it's entirely up to you.

Once again that's what I think she was saying,

I could be wrong.

I totally understand that and I agre which is exactly why I am NOT having a food funeral and I am NOT mourning the loss of something that I can have later in very small moderation. If your interpretation is correct, I think my post was misunderstood by her.

THANK YOU!!

I totally understand that and I agre which is exactly why I am NOT having a food funeral and I am NOT mourning the loss of something that I can have later in very small moderation. If your interpretation is correct, I think my post was misunderstood by her.

THANK YOU!!

I agree with you. I think Aussie Lady did not understand what you were saying. Be nice if she would jump back in and clarify.

I think you have exactly the right approach and attitude to be a fully successful sleever.

Thank you. It's sort of bizarre to me to suggest to someone that they need to seek professional help and not explain your position on that. Perhaps I'm weird.

Thank you. It's sort of bizarre to me to suggest to someone that they need to seek professional help and not explain your position on that. Perhaps I'm weird.

Sorry for not responding but I am in Australia so I'm online at different times. Laura summed things up really well you said "I've never been able to eat guilt free". This is a real problem and getting sleeved won't take all the emotional problems about eating away, it will bring up a whole lot of new ones. You really need to prepare for that. It's not a quick fix for eating problems.

I've been fat almost all my life and I've been aware of it. I've been on a diet all my life and I know what to do. I also know that I've not always made good choices even when dieting. In my original post, I stated that it finally clicked for me and that I am NOW doing the right thing instead of binging/indulging/mourning etc. I am past caring about what I am going to put in my mouth next and I feel awesome about that. It took me YEARS of mental preparation while even finally choosing to so this surgery and I am finally there.

I'm really not sure where that begs for professional help.

Devils advocate here....

All of us need to have help with this professionally because we all know what to do.

Hell we are experts at it! But knowing and doing don't always come together that easily for us that are "food addicts" right?

I don't think Aussie means it as an insult its just part of the hard road ahead.

The one thing I know for sure?

It's that this surgery is not a miracle

I've never been able to able to eat guilt free. Sigh.

You said that. That wouldn't seem to support what you are now saying.