Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Why I Post aka That guy's an A Hole



Recommended Posts

Hi Paul - as a newbie, I have to say I really appreciate posts like yours. I am a little over 9 weeks post-op, and there are a couple of people on the forum - you, Laura-ven, Fiddleman, Cheri, LSereno, to name a few - whose guidance and knowledge I rely on. It's honest, blunt, and never mean.

Maybe your posts aren't everyone's cup of tea; one size doesn't fit all, as we all know! But here's a "Thank You!" From someone who appreciates it!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Paul,

There has been many a time when I answer post trying to help with a thoughtful and time consuming reply only to be over looked because I am not saying the things that the op wants to hear.. I've even been called some not very nice things... So I understand your frustration.

I also understand the addict that is in withdraws and is looking for an enabler.. They will stop at nothing in those moments.

There have been times where I feel like just staying in my safe little corner here and communicate with a few individuals only.

But if you let the misinformation train run rampant what would happen? It would be like a bad game of telephone!

You are a vet that has been very successful, and this forum needs to have vets like you stick around!

Laura

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Paul, I could not have said it better myself. I want to be successful and want everyone of my fellow VSG'rs to be successful also. It makes me sad, mad, and down right exasperated sometimes when right out of surgery ppl are posting about eating the same crap that got them where they are. I don't get it. There are so many ppl that need or want this surgery and can't get it and here they are throwing their chance at a new life away. Of course no one is perfect and we will all slip or have a bad day. And I will always offer support and an honest opinion and maybe a kick in the pants if someone needs it. Plz if I ever get to surgery and come back asking "are you sure xyz isn't ok to have now?" (When every single one of us has gotten a well thought out and very self explanatory diet plan to follow) Someone plz pop me upside the head!!!! Anyway thank you for the post and know you are not the only one that feels this way....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Paul,

I can't tell you how many times, especially early on I've slammed shut the screen on my lap top, or gone to bed angry by something on this forum. My husband laughs at me and asks why I am letting the internet make me angry, but I could not have said it better than you just have. I get angry because I don't want people to fail at this. I also don't want new people researching the sleeve to think it's ok to cheat, and not change, and to say 'well this person is doing it, I can too', and develop bad habits because other people poo-poo the boasting of failures. I got yelled at the other day because someone said they were giving up and eating zebra cakes everyday...well if you want to do that crap, do it away from here, and don't expect a pity party! We all know what we need to do, we all jumped through hoops to have this surgery, and I also believe we should all be respectful of it, and successful. Good for you for being an a**hole. I commend you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Paul, I love your posts, both here and in the Facebook group. As a 10 year lapband vet (and recent revision), I've been down that road and see people headed there themselves and I cringe. I know exactly where that train leads and I refuse to enable. I refuse to act like those mind sets and habits aren't detrimental to any WLS. I HAD those mindsets and I kept those habits through 10 years with my band. I wasn't part of an online community then, and I didn't have the "A*holes" telling me to knock it off and do MY part to make surgery work for me. I had "supportive friends" who told me to "listen to my body" and encouraged me that I was eating "so much less" of those bad foods, so it wasn't a big deal. I am part of a community this time around, and I am so thankful for the A*holes. The ones who refused to let me do this without hearing all the darkest parts and who would smack bad foods out of my hand if I fell back to those habits now. It's a*holes like you who made me understand where I went wrong and what I had to do this time, to be successful. At only 2.5 months out, I'm nowhere near a sleeve vet, but I suppose I am a "WLS vet" and now I'm an a*hole myself, when needed. I wish someone had been for me the first time around. Who knows how things could be different for me now. Took me a while to get here, but I couldn't be more thankful to the a*holes like you!!! ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have haven't run across many of your posts here as I am a newbie. But continue to be an ahole as needed. This will be a long process and I know I need a kick in the butt sometimes. Truth hurts but you need it to heal

Suzy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There's some folks that need a "V8 slap" now & then (myself included). Growing up we were told "There's no stupid questions, unless you already know the answer" & I'm pretty sure that a lot of these folks know the answer.. I don't know why they think a bunch of people in a forum would change that answer.. Some issues are just dumb, but others could be dangerous. It's a little hard to take tough love from strangers. I doubt that you're going to see many "Thank you"s. Hopefully though they're taking something away from your responses.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have to admit, I sometimes just ignore posts where the person says " I've been eating <name the bad food> and I'm in a stall." But if I do reply, I try to answer in the kindest way possible because you can't hate yourself thin. I think you can provide a helpful answer without being mean or an enabler. But I haven't seen anything you've said that was mean.

I also avoid fights. That's just me. I'm a runner, not a fighter. So if I provide a helpful answer and I get pushback, I don't get in a huff. Even if the OP is not ready for the info, it might help someone else.

Lynda

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry I just can’t do it. Guess I will have to become comfortable with my role as the hard ass.

I appreciate people like you. Sometimes I need a kick in the ass. I hope you are here inspiring people for a long, long time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There have been times where I feel like just staying in my safe little corner here and communicate with a few individuals only.

I don't think so. There's a wealth of knowledge in that pretty little head and you are someone here that I look up to.

So you're not hiding anywhere! :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I try my best not to reply to those posts, lest they become an all out flame-war. ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I appreciate the patience that the more seasoned folks have since I imagine every question has been asked at least 100 times. The fact that any of you take the time to share your experiences and guide us through this journey is truly a gift. (I have only been on this board for a few weeks and if I read one more question about the 3 week stall....I want to have an auto response that tells people how to search)

It seems like there are always people who come here want to get only the answer they want to hear. On the internet, you can keep asking and even if a million people give the same answer they just want to hear from the one person who validates their decision.

The posts that disturb me are the ones where they are newly sleeved and want to know how to cheat the system just days or weeks after going through the surgery. What are they thinking? Don't they want to succeed? They spend all this time and energy working to getting the surgery and then want to know if it is OK to not follow the instructions of professionals? I am just bewildered by them.

In the end, they may not hear what they want to hear but they are hearing what they need to from the folks on this board who are brutally honest. What they choose to do with that truth is just another factor in how successful they will be in the end.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think at one point or another we have all "cheated the system" when dieting..

It's what got us all here!

So I understand that mentality.

The difference being, that right after surgery it's not about a "diet" to lose weight, your stomach needs to heal. So I do step in when I see new sleeved people telling other newly sleeved people "I ate an omelette and English muffin and I'm doing great! Go ahead you will be fine"

Do I get yelled at for stepping in? Hell yes!

But I do it because other people read those posts.

Also it's important to try and relearn your relationship with food early out. Because you can cheat the sleeve and eat around it.

I see it here everyday. It's sad to see all the pain that someone goes through to get this done only to fail themselves....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×