I'm so stressed out trying to balance work, school, family and church. I really want to have this surgery and I'm doing all the appointments but I can't stop stress eating. I find myself putting stuff in mouth when I'm not hungry and its always junk. I've been logging my food but for the last 3 days I couldnt even remember what I ate. I haven't gained any weight but I'm not losing either. The worry is setting in and I'm wondering if I'm ready for this. I want it so bad but I'm having a hard time making the changes to be ready for surgery. Advice please!

I'm so stressed out trying to balance work' date=' school, family and church. I really want to have this surgery and I'm doing all the appointments but I can't stop stress eating. I find myself putting stuff in mouth when I'm not hungry and its always junk. I've been logging my food but for the last 3 days I couldnt even remember what I ate. I haven't gained any weight but I'm not losing either. The worry is setting in and I'm wondering if I'm ready for this. I want it so bad but I'm having a hard time making the changes to be ready for surgery. Advice please![/quote']

I hate to admit it but I didn't really change much before surg. I actually ate more because I felt I had to get all this food in that I wouldn't be able to eat for a while. It had me worried too. But I had it done and have lost 20.5 lbs in 2 weeks. Afterwards, it's not a matter of eating too much. That's no longer an option. I guess you CAN but you'd be sick or hurting.

I'd say go for it!

I sooooo feel the same way! I am having a revision from Lapband to bypass on 8/19, and I feel like I am eating everything in sight because I won't be able to have it afterward. I am very nervous too that maybe I am not ready for this lifestyle change. I have actually gained 2 lb in the last month! Not Good! I just keep telling myself that come Monday I will have to comply....I won't have a choice not to.......

Once you have RNY food is such a turn off, at least for me. You don't even feel hungry at all. I had to remember to eat so don't worry about that the surgery helps you with this - I swear !!!!!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. This whole process is crazy stressful! My emotions are all over the place. I'm so glad you all have been there and can give advice.

Trust me once surgery is done, you will look at food differently. Sometimes I forget to eat, but I know I have to,. For now although is a stressful time, know your triggers and start getting use to dealing with stress in a different way now...because after surgery no matter what stress your under you won't be able to stress snack...

Good luck and if your ever need to talk and release stress I'm just a note away:)

So much of this journey is mental and more specifically about perspective. For example, if I said to you that I will give you one million dollars IF you follow a strict diet not to exceed 800 calories a day for the next 30 days, could you do it? 800 calories a day - 801 on any single day and you get nothing. Could you do it?

If you make me the same offer I guaran-damn-tee you I'll be a million dollars richer in 30 days! Lol. And I'm sure that you probably feel the same way. It's about perspective.

So let's bring it down to earth and closer to home. If you've done the research, considered your options, taken a close look at your current health, and the direction it's headed in, evaluated the risk of surgery, evaluated the risk of doing nothing, read all of the statistics, learned everything you can about the benefits and risks of surgery - IF you've done all of those things and IF you have come to the conclusion in your mind that the odds of you having a successful, life-changing, rock-your-world experience are overwhelmingly in your favor - then you're ready for this.

Your goal is worth more, much more, a whole LOT more than that million dollars. It's about perspective. It' about knowing that you, and only you, control your destiny and that you will NEVER give that power to anyone or anything. You're not only ready for this - you're gonna love the new you!

Just know that the surgery will help but not forever. Eventually eating will become "too easy" again. It's a good idea to look at your eating issues now and start working on them. It will down to willpower and good habits later on in the game. The first few years are easy that way compared to later. It becomes much more challenging later.

You will have to focus on you, plan and organize your eating die the rest Of your life. Start now. :-)

Trust me once surgery is done' date=' you will look at food differently. Sometimes I forget to eat, but I know I have to,. For now although is a stressful time, know your triggers and start getting use to dealing with stress in a different way now...because after surgery no matter what stress your under you won't be able to stress snack...

Good luck and if your ever need to talk and release stress I'm just a note away:)[/quote']

Thank you. I may take you up on that.

So much of this journey is mental and more specifically about perspective. For example' date=' if I said to you that I will give you one million dollars IF you follow a strict diet not to exceed 800 calories a day for the next 30 days, could you do it? 800 calories a day - 801 on any single day and you get nothing. Could you do it?

If you make me the same offer I guaran-damn-tee you I'll be a million dollars richer in 30 days! Lol. And I'm sure that you probably feel the same way. It's about perspective.

So let's bring it down to earth and closer to home. If you've done the research, considered your options, taken a close look at your current health, and the direction it's headed in, evaluated the risk of surgery, evaluated the risk of doing nothing, read all of the statistics, learned everything you can about the benefits and risks of surgery - IF you've done all of those things and IF you have come to the conclusion in your mind that the odds of you having a successful, life-changing, rock-your-world experience are overwhelmingly in your favor - then you're ready for this.

Your goal is worth more, much more, a whole LOT more than that million dollars. It's about perspective. It' about knowing that you, and only you, control your destiny and that you will NEVER give that power to anyone or anything. You're not only ready for this - you're gonna love the new you![/quote']

O Wise One! :-) I always enjoy reading your comments. I know this the right decision for me but there's a small voice in the back of mind causing doubt in my ability to succeed. I've always been overweight because I like food and I mean "real" food. Not fast food or junk food or even fried food. I'm a meat and potatoes kinda girl. These past week I've eaten more Cookies and chips than I ever have. Its been scary. You're absolutely right. I need to respect my own decision, stop doubting myself and move forward. Thank you!

Just know that the surgery will help but not forever. Eventually eating will become "too easy" again. It's a good idea to look at your eating issues now and start working on them. It will down to willpower and good habits later on in the game. The first few years are easy that way compared to later. It becomes much more challenging later.

You will have to focus on you' date=' plan and organize your eating die the rest Of your life. Start now. :-)[/quote']

I think that's why I'm so frustrated with myself because I am trying to make these changes before surgery and I'll do really well on some days then horrible on other days. This week was especially bad. Learning to focus on myself is going to be my saving grace once I figure out how to do it consistently. :-) How do you de-stress?

Just know that the surgery will help but not forever. Eventually eating will become "too easy" again. It's a good idea to look at your eating issues now and start working on them. It will down to willpower and good habits later on in the game. The first few years are easy that way compared to later. It becomes much more challenging later.

You will have to focus on you, plan and organize your eating die the rest Of your life. Start now. :-)

... with a food log! I recently posted two quotes from a summary of a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health. They bear repeating here...

"Subjects who engaged in self-monitoring were less likely to regain any weight following bariatric surgery."

"Postoperative self-monitoring behaviors are strongly associated with freedom from regain. These data suggest that weight regain can be anticipated, in part, during the preoperative evaluation and potentially reduced with self-monitoring strategies after RYGB."

The summary is quite short and you can read it at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19554382 .

This is only one of many examples of research that have shown that folks who maintain a food log lose more weight, lose it more quickly and perhaps most importantly - are more successful at maintaining their goal weight - than folks who do not. Doctors know it. Nutritionists know it. Some of the folks on this forum know it. And if you commit to it, you'll know it too. I believe food logs to be the single most powerful tool we have for bringing all of the elements of what I call The Prime Directive, lifestyle changes, together.

I think that's why I'm so frustrated with myself because I am trying to make these changes before surgery and I'll do really well on some days then horrible on other days. This week was especially bad. Learning to focus on myself is going to be my saving grace once I figure out how to do it consistently. :-) How do you de-stress?

Since you are asking the questions about yourself I think it speaks volume about who you are. It also tells me you are ready! It shows you are aware enough to know there will be life changes ahead of you. Now the question is why are you putting so much pressure on yourself.

The great thing about this surgery is that your stomach does not allow massive amounts of food, and although your brain keeps trying to get you to eat more your stomach ultimately wins the battle. If you eat to much it will either hurt or come back up quickly. I have often said your brain is like a two year old. When it does not get its way it throws a temper tantrum. It sends out the signals of being hungry or a craving. For so many years you have given into your brain, and now you are going to take control. Is it possible that you are sabotaging yourself with the negative thoughts. You are giving in to the negative tiny voice in the back of your head and not the thoughts that are yelling YOU CAN DO THIS. I know how easy it is to give in to the small voice, and learning how to shut that voice up is hard to do. I think many of us struggle with it daily.

The next stage of the journey is where your food choices are not limited as much as in the beginning. You may not throw up as much, but you feel full quickly. Before surgery I could pack away food. It would be no problem to eat a 10oz ribeye steak, potatoes, a veggie and bread and salad in one sitting. Now I can eat about 4 oz of steak and a bite of potatoes. I actually feel fuller now than before.

It took years for the weight and habits associated with your weight to set in. Expecting yourself to change overnight is setting yourself up for failure. The changes that need to be made you are already doing. You are realizing and recognizing the areas within yourself that need work. With your food logs also write down feelings and stresses in your life at that moment. When you get the urge for a candy bar write down what is going on at that time. For example I noticed that I snack more when I am having a tough day at work. My brain keeps telling me I am hungry, but I don't physically feel hungry. So in order to solve this problem I do the following things:

1. I make sure that I have healthy Snacks available to eat. So if I give in I am at least eating healthy

2. I try to figure out why I have the urge to snack. After logging your feeling for a few weeks you might discover a pattern. If you find one figure out what can be done about it. i was able to figure out that my urge to snack was when I was busy at work or if I had to do a lot of driving at work.

3. Figure out what you can do instead of eating. I try to go work out or get on this message board.

This journey is a marathon not a sprint. You are challenged so much during the race that you wake up one day and think damn I am awesome!!! My last piece of advise is to write down a list of your goals and try to focus on the positive side of things. You will discover what a strong and powerful woman you are. We all stumble and fall and have bad days, the important thing to Remember is that we are all here for you!

Bravo! Well said!!

I sooooo feel the same way! I am having a revision from Lapband to bypass on 8/19' date=' and I feel like I am eating everything in sight because I won't be able to have it afterward. I am very nervous too that maybe I am not ready for this lifestyle change. I have actually gained 2 lb in the last month! Not Good! I just keep telling myself that come Monday I will have to comply....I won't have a choice not to.......[/quote']

Thank you for sharing I currently have the band I list 79 pounds to only regain 50 I am now waiting on UBS approval for the bypass. Are you happy you had the other surgery? I must admit I am very scared. I have heard great surgeries results and then some very alarming results. I just need done advise please

I too had the band and lost about 48 lbs but it slipped and now it has been removed. It has been three months and I haven't gained any weight. But this time I am determined not to regain just to have to take it off again for the hundredth time or so it seems. So at the age of 71 I'm jumping through my last hoop 8/22 and all will be submitted to the insurance company for RNY approval. Am I scared of having this surgery, you bet. There is a lot to weigh out, all the pros and all the cons but I am siding with the pros with a positive attitude rather than the cons. You see if I keep the weight, not do anything, I sentenced myself to death in about five years. For young ones this probably isn't reality check just yet, but believe you me, if they continue as is, it will. Being morbidly obese is a death sentence, you just don't know when the sentence will come. It truely is a eye opener when you are told though. So my advice would be........ you will have to decide whether you need a tool to help you or can you do it on your own. But the one decision is, that however you do it, the weight has to come off or you have sentenced yourself to numerous health problems which will probably lead to an early death. So from someone who has experienced being told without weight loss you about five years give or take a year the decision wasn't hard to make. So now I am in a battle to just prolong my life but damage has been done and cannot be undone. But losing weight will give the heart and lungs more room to function. So that is my thoughts, opinions, and my decision I have had to make for myself. I have to do this for myself because I did it to myself if I want just a few more years on this earth.