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My surgery is on March 28th, and my number one fear is that I hate to cook I hate to plan meals. I am afraid that once I get the sleeve I won't be able to eat healthy or plan my meals, and I will not be able to lose the weight.

I know this is going to take time,I know I have to do this for myself and focus but I also know to break old habits it is going to take time.

I just don't want to fail. I don't want to do this for no reason.

What are or were your fears? And how did you over come them?

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My fears were more about the surgery. I had a hysterectomy for uterine cancer this past summer (they got it all!), but I was afraid they would find something when they went in for my sleeve. I don't really have any fears now.

The good news about your fear is that there are many "non cook" options to get you through. You are going to eat so little, that you can get by with minimal cooking! Cook a big pot of turkey chili or grill some chicken and you'll be set for days and days!!

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@@choicemun - what is your domestic situation? Support on the home front is important.

The next question how important is variety and flavor's to you? I have certain routine foods (esp. for breakfast), but I enjoy experimenting for dinner.

But I don't really plan meals. I just grab a Protein, and cook it. Occasionally I'll plan a roast or other crock pot meal. This system works well with my daughter who lives with me. All I use is my scale, cut off four ounces of meat and cook it. Then I throw some raw veggies in...tada dinner.< /p>

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number one fear is that I hate to cook I hate to plan meals. I am afraid that once I get the sleeve I won't be able to eat healthy or plan my meals, and I will not be able to lose the weight.

I know this is going to take time,I know I have to do this for myself and focus but I also know to break old habits it is going to take time.

I just don't want to fail. I don't want to do this for no reason.

That's quite a lengthy string of negatives and, I suspect, a unique greatest fear.

Let's get the underlined part of your note out of the way. There is very little that anyone has to do. What matters is what one wants to do. It's the things we want rather than "must" that are what we take on.. Each of us has to determine what we want and put the attention there. This may not seem so, but it's great news. If you don't want to lose weight, you don't have to.

On to the food part. What if you think of cooking as a creative endeavor? It's creative whether one follows recipes or improvises. A huge industry has grown around it, hence all the books, restaurants, TV shows and magazines. Planning is part of the creative process. It's also very much the mark of a capable person.

The question is simple: What do you want and how far are you willing to go to get there? Yup, simple isn't the same as easy.

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I like to cook, but I'm also on the go a lot. Try to figure out some go to foods/meals that don't take much effort so you always have something on hand. That's what I plan to do, anyway. I know I'll still struggle with the old, "I'm tired and/or need to be X in 5 sec and what am I going to eat" syndrome.

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Thanks everyone for your advice and ideas, this is why I love this place so much support and understanding.

I know this is something I want n need is going to take sometime to get use to the changes, but I am so looking forward to the future and all the things I will be able to do that I can't do now. Am willing to put everything I have to better myself in every aspect of my life.

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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!
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    • 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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