I mean no offense with this question, so no one please take it that way, but I've been reading a lot about extensive diet restrictions, both before and after the surgery. Some examples are (1) Don't have Fluid with your meals (2) Don't ever have sweets again (3) For that matter, don't have Cereal and have fruit pretty sparingly. The push is Protein, protein, protein.

So my question is (again, no offense to anyone, because I just want to understand)--wouldn't these extreme dietary restrictions work without the surgery? What is it about the surgery that makes the weight loss a done deal, since a person is already radically changing their diet (in other words, what is the point of the surgery, or what does it do for you that you couldn't naturally do for yourself?)

Thanks in advance for feedback...

Edited July 27, 201412 yr by Skywalker

I can only speak for myself, but I needed the size of my stomach reduced in order to stick with the reduced portion sizes. Pre-op, I could eat smaller meals for a long time (months) but eventually I'd start going back to my old ways. And it just seemed like it was a lot of physical and mental effort for such a low payoff.

The main benefit I got from the removal of part of my stomach is the reduced cravings. Since surgery, I no longer "need" to eat any particular food or flavor. Pre-surgery, it was like an addiction, I'd get a craving for a food or flavor and could not get past it. I'd just have to eat it until I had enough.

I'm only 9 wks out but ill try to help. Yes, I think these dietary restrictions 'would' help anyone lose weight. The difference is how long can you follow these restrictions with a whole stomach and plenty of gherlin to boot? Me personally, I've done it ALL. Any diet u can name, I've done it. Low fat, low carb, pills, shakes, supplements, the list goes on. And yes, I lost. But never maintained, because eventually I got HUNGRY, and there was nothing stopping me from eating whatever I wanted to fill up. It was a viscous cycle of diets, hunger, guilt, weight gain, diet again. I'm 52 pounds down now in 9 wks. Not hungry. For once in my life im Eating to live and no longer living to eat.

The point of having the band is to get into the green zone where hunger it totally controlled. And binging loses its appeal.

I had VSG last month..I feel like im on a low carb diet. I lost more weight pre surgery on low carb high Protein. Yes I eat less and am in the soft food phase but I get really hungry every 3 hours. I have yet to feel full. I measure out 4 oz servings. Mostly protein. I have had no problem with Water intake.

I Hope and pray this small stomach helps me maintain the weight loss that I will have. In the past I have always put the weight back on plus some.

I'm just on the 3rd week post op but I'll tell you about the change after the surgery.

I have no longer hunger but I know I MUST eat for energy and the amount of food that I can eat is 2 tablespoons.

I have sleeved in France so the restriction post-op for diet is a bit different, my doctor said I can eat anything I want but blended. The first two weeks it has to be only Fluid (but I can eat yogurt) then the 3rd week I can start eating pureed food like potato smashed. Oh, yes, but no candies no soda, all sweet stuff. Eat a little at a time (4 times a day) on the fix hour, I'm not hungry but I just eat on the meal time. Eat very small amount and slowly and the most important thing is at least 1 L of Water everyday 20 minutes before and after the meal.

After the research I'd done on my own, like you, I asked him about Protein shake and he said, no need, no supplementary diet of any kind is necessary at the moment. He told me to eat only small amount of natural food. Seems like he needs me to get used to my new stomach first and learn that I can live on a very small amount of food Personally I try to eat as much as protein as possible like eggs, purred fish, Greek yogurt with purred fruits, cooked brocoli purred, mainly protein, fruits and vegetable. One time I tried Pasta purred with salmon and I felt sick, so no pasta at the moment.

My doctor said I have 3 years post-op to learn to eat right to maintain the weight for life. I guess that at some point the hunger will return, I will be able to eat more than 2 spoons per meal but at least the experience of being obese for 20 years and receiving the second chance should remind me to pick the best choice of food and move my (hopefully smaller) ass to exercise to keep this gift for life.

And I know I can do it because during the pre-op I tried the low carb diet to see if I can make it after the surgery (my surgeon never asked me to lose weight before the surgery) and it worked pretty well actually, I wasn't really too strict because I ate small amont of carb only for lunch or Breakfast but not for dinner and I lost 13 lbs in 2 months before the surgery between my first consultation with my surgeon and the date of operation.

What's different is I've lost almost 19 lbs in 20 days post-op woo hoo!

Its all about the reduced portion size. Sure you can eat carbs, sugar ect. But if you dont eat protein your gonna feel like shit. So you eat the protein and then you dont care to have anything else.

prior to surgery, at capacity my stomach, like MANY people here could fill to about the size of a football if EXtremely full. now it's the size of a highlighter pen and doesn't really stretch much at all. that right there tells you the amount of food it took to make me 'full' before surgery. now i take about 5 bites and it's done.

yes, i'm sure it may work for some, but trust me, been there tried that. i tried Atkins and South beach enough to own stock in and they never worked. this works no matter what. can't really cheat, no room. can't binge, no room.

prior to surgery, at capacity my stomach, like MANY people here could fill to about the size of a football if EXtremely full. now it's the size of a highlighter pen and doesn't really stretch much at all. that right there tells you the amount of food it took to make me 'full' before surgery. now i take about 5 bites and it's done.

yes, i'm sure it may work for some, but trust me, been there tried that. i tried Atkins and South beach enough to own stock in and they never worked. this works no matter what. can't really cheat, no room. can't binge, no room.

100% agree! I used to be able to eat and eat and eat! I had sleeve on July 16th and let me tell you that decision saved my life. Now as ml75 said my stomach is as big as a short highlighter and I can only eat about 3-4 ounces and I am satisfied and full. I like many had tried every diet on the market, lost 10 pounds here and there and would eventuality gain i tall back! Knowing myself, I knew I needed structure added to my eating and got that from my sleeve. I am still in mushies stage and choosing to eat the lowest possible amount of carbs and fat I can find, which is soooo much easier than everybody thinks, you just have read your labels, its there in black and white. They stress Protein, protein, protein because when you go into weightless mode by eating protein first you don't burn muscle as you lose. I love the feeling of restriction after like 4 bites of food, to quote ml75, "no room, no binge" Working out on my treadmill everyday and have dropped 20 pounds already. Getting the sleeve is the easy part! Good Luck Pamela