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What's the one thing you had all wrong?



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I when I started this process I has the belief that it would just be a walk in the park aka "the easy way out". Obviously we all know I was completely wrong and we work hard every day to make our sleeves do their job. What was the one misconception you had before your sleeve??

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I expected that I would not want to eat as much. I was surprised by how certain foods that used to be fine with me don't agree with me at all! That really caught me by surprise.

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I guess my biggest misconception was thinking that my life would turn around in all areas... socially, work, ect. I'm still the same old me 18 months later. And I really thought that my energy levels would just take off once I dropped the weight. I'd read so many stories of people just launching out of bed in the morning because they had so much energy.

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Thought I would have less feelings of hunger and cravings. food commercials and some food smells are still driving me crazy! Maybe cuz I know I cannot have them! Hope this gets easier....

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I was wrong about how hard it would be. Because in my case it has all been so easy. The preop diet wasn't super fun, but two weeks goes by fast. Surgery and my care at OCC was top notch. Recovery was uneventful and nearly painless. None of the postop diet restrictions were too burdensome. After three months, I felt totally normal and even though my hunger returned, I have not had any major problems making the right food choices and listening to my sleeve so I don't overeat. Social functions that revolve around food and alcohol have been much easier to go to than I thought they would.

The biggest unexpected part was my C. diff infection, two months of diarrhea, and subsequent fecal transplant. But that's all behind me, I'm doing great, and the whole experience makes for interesting conversation.

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I really underestimated/misjudged the emotional/psycholgical toll it would take. You read about it, you talk with others, but it really doesn't (didn't) hit home until you go through the process...hell, I am still going through the process of figuring out my relationship with food and learning new coping skills for stress and unpleasant emotions.

Only other surprise is how my "eyes are still bigger than my stomach" so weighing food serves 2 purposes, one, keeps me from "filling my plate" and two, easier to calculate calories and nutrients for recording in MFP....

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I underestimated the adjustment period. The immediate after surgery sucked so bad. Not being able to drink hardly anything, the reflux, the sliming.... I'm 11 weeks out now and I have a pretty good grasp but most days when I sit down to eat, I still feel like a total newbie.

-MM

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not too much. really. i read and read and talked to dozens of people who had surgery and i really felt like going into it, i had eyes wide open and i felt as educated as i felt i could be about it. nothing that has happened so far has been a big shock.

if anything, i thought post op would be hard and so far it's pretty easy. like Kindle, i've had a pretty easy time this far...

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 1 reply
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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