Ok, be honest with me. Does anyone regret that they can't eat some of the foods they used to and live in the same way? I am not a fan of cooking and I'm a grab it and go person. I'm worried that down the line I will miss all that and regret not being able to live that way. I like easy! Which is what got me in this mess in the first place. So I know I'll be better off health wise. Just wondering how I'll feel about the food! Thanks!

The short answer is yes! There are definitely days when I wish I could just run through a drive-thru and enjoy a hamburger and french fries like I did before the surgery. I was an emotional eater and not having my "best friend" around sometimes causes me to feel frustrated. However, I have lost 60 pounds since my surgery in June and I feel A LOT better than I did when I would eat using my pre-surgery habits. It's worth the trade-off, but there are days when it is tough. You just have to figure out how to focus on the positive changes on the days you're struggling and missing your unhealthy pre-surgery habits.

You can still make easy choices but it can be a challenge. Eat a deconstructed sandwich. Drive-thru's are not the best choice but you CAN find something to eat if you need to. The drive thru and the choices we made are part of what brought us here. I try to stay away from those but have had a small Wend's chili and a grilled 4 count nugget from Chik-fil-A. I, for one, am happy that I can't eat that stuff anymore.

I honestly don't miss anything. I do get a little tired of eating high Protein, but I work around that by adding unflavored whey protein to sauces and things.

If you are not a cook type person I would recommend doing a weekly food prep. I do mine on either Sunday or Monday, but really you just choose whatever day is most convenient for you. Initially it took a while to start, but now I spend less than an hour once a week doing food prep. I boil half a dozen hard boiled eggs, chopped fruit & veg to add to meal and snack. I also make up a pot of brown rice or quinoa to use throughout the week. I may even pre-portion fixings for over night oatmeal or other meals. The upside is I always have food ready to help me make good choices and I never spend more than 15 mins preparing any meal.

Other options are to start looking at your local deli or salad bar and figure out what things are safe for you to eat. I think there was even a thread where people shared what Fast Foods where safe to eat.

As you can see it takes a little creativity, but it can be done. You can cater this new way of eating to fit your lifestyle.

Nope. I like feeling and looking healthy and wearing a size 6-8. I've chosen this lifestyle for a reason, and if that means planning and preparing every meal for the rest of my life so I can continue to feel good and wear a size 6-8, so be it.

Sometimes, yes, I'd love to go eat a burger or fries. Changing habits of a lifetime isn't easy! But then I remember how long I've managed to go without those things due to surgery and survived perfectly fine. I've found myself enjoying coming up with new things that I can eat and make myself; perhaps challenge yourself to cook and you may enjoy it? Of course, things like fries and burgers aren't off the table forever, but now it's about moderating those types of foods and ensuring it's not part of your life except as a once in a while treat.

First off, no I don't miss it. What I gained from this surgery and weight loss is so much more than the ease of convenience food and the pleasure of eating wtf I want that there really isn't any comparison. It just makes me laugh to even think about regretting it.

That said, I am not much of a cook either and I also like fast and easy. I am not a fast food person, but I do stuff like buy pre-grilled chicken breast and pre-roast sirloin from Trader Joe's. I can just chop up as much as I need, throw some (bottled) sauce on it and heat it up in the microwave. I can buy bags of peeled hardboiled eggs and packets of pre-flavored tuna. I use frozen veggies and just break off as much as I need and either nuke it in the microwave or roast it in the oven. The most complicated food prep I do is making a protein shake with four ingredients.

So far no. I'm only 5 months post-op, but so far I honestly don't miss the foods I used to stuff myself with. I was never the type that enjoyed cooking in the past. It was a chore and I hated it....which lead me down a horrible path. Lots of take out, drive thrus, and home deliveries. However, now I'm actually enjoying finding new ways to work around old favorites. Plus I like trying new recipes with foods I never would have eaten in the past.