Will WLS work if the problem isn't overeating?

[WitchySar 244]

Like the title of the thread says, will WLS work if the reason for being overweight isn't from overeating? I don't overeat but I definitely choose the wrong foods.

[Christinamo7 4,042]

what are the "wrong foods" you prefer? if it is sugar then I think the RNY may have an edge - but the truth is I don't really crave carbs right now and I had the sleeve.

now my understanding is that that will come back, so it is important to use the time after surgery to establish better habits.

[Valentina 2,642]

I agree with Christinamo7.

The first year out is all about learning and then establishing eating habits that you will have for the rest of your life.

When I eat anything sugary, overly rich, Pasta, rice or bread I get dumping syndrome--nausea, cramping, vomiting. About 17% of all sleevers experience dumping. I have learned to consider it a blessing as it keeps me on track whenever I might be tempted.

I hope my response is helpful to you.

Keep posting and letting us know about your journey.

Prayers going up

[WitchySar 244]

Mostly carbs. Things like chips, Pasta, pizza. Sugar is delicious but I can stay away from it for months at a time without a problem really. I can't have the RNY because some meds I have to take can't be taken with it so I'll be going with the sleeve. I don't mind putting in work with will power but having a tool that makes it harder to eat those things would be nice.

Edited June 15, 2016 by WitchySar

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I think you'll find that once you get to dense Proteins and some veg or fruit that there just isn't room or appetite for chips, Pasta and pizza. at least in the early days. I'm only 4 months out so I can't say beyond that.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I didn't eat all good things, but I certainly didn't get to 264 pounds eating proper portions, even of the bad stuff.

It was truly eye opening how MUCH I was actually eating (compared to how much I THOUGHT I was eating) once I was restricted. Kind of sickening, really.

[Christinamo7 4,042]

yes, @@LipstickLady I have experienced that same horror at realizing *just* how much food I really need compared to what I was eating before surgery. quite an eye opener. but I am not sure I would have believed it when I was pre-op even if I could go back and tell myself the truth.

[jess9395 5,450]

Well....

Let's be real, if you only ate a little bit of the wrong foods you wouldn't be overweight. No one will get fat eating half a small hamburger and six fries. It's a combo. Sure you have to eat a lot less of unhealthy calorie dense foods to be heavy.... But it's both. It's like no one got fat eating tons of vegetables. The portions and types of foods are not independent of each other.

If it's a disease process that keeps you heavy then no it won't help because the whole point of WLS is to restrict eating and control portions.

It won't change WHAT you eat you have to commit to that. It can help you change those habits, but you can continue to eat unhealthy foods after surgery. People do and then they gain the weight back.

[WitchySar 244]

Well I've been tracking my foods and I struggle to eat enough calories in a day. Even my thin husband comments on how little I eat. So it really isn't Portion Control I have a hard time with, just the choices. I know that after putting in all this work and pain to have surgery I'm not going to want to sabotage it so I think it'll help me make the better choices for what I need to eat. I just needed to hear from someone else that this really will help.

Edited June 15, 2016 by WitchySar

[jess9395 5,450]

Mostly carbs. Things like chips, Pasta, pizza. Sugar is delicious but I can stay away from it for months at a time without a problem really. I can't have the RNY because some meds I have to take can't be taken with it so I'll be going with the sleeve. I don't mind putting in work with will power but having a tool that makes it harder to eat those things would be nice.

You can still eat a LOT of chips/crackers/etc with the sleeve. Pasta might sit badly in your stomach (it does in mine, but many eat it just fine) and pizza is easy for many to eat.

The thing is simple carbs like those (as opposed to complex carbs like whole grains and beans) aren't much different to your body than sugar.

[Dub 10,004]

Most anyone, in my opinion, can eat past VSG surgery.

You've gotta adopt a new gameplan if you want to succeed. Proteins first. Supplementation of nutrients and forget about all the junk food once and for all.

If you can't commit to this.....then don't waste your time and money on the surgery.

Harsh ? Meh.....nope. Just cutting to the chase and telling you the truth.

[jess9395 5,450]

Well I've been tracking my foods and I struggle to eat enough calories in a day. Even my thin husband comments on how little I eat. So it really isn't Portion Control I have a hard time with, just the choices. I know that after putting in all this work and pain to have surgery I'm not going to want to sabotage it so I think it'll help me make the better choices for what I need to eat. I just needed to hear from someone else that this really will help.

If you are truly staying overweight on "too few" calories. Weight loss surgery won't help you, you have something else going on. How many are too few?

[WitchySar 244]

I plan fully on committing to this. I never said I wasn't going to. I was asking if this can help when weight gain before was from eating crap vs eating large portions of everything.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Well I've been tracking my foods and I struggle to eat enough calories in a day. Even my thin husband comments on how little I eat. So it really isn't Portion Control I have a hard time with, just the choices. I know that after putting in all this work and pain to have surgery I'm not going to want to sabotage it so I think it'll help me make the better choices for what I need to eat. I just needed to hear from someone else that this really will help.

I'm curious how many calories you get in during a regular day? I would assume you've had your thyroid checked? Do you exercise? None of this is judgmental, I promise you.

My fear is that if you are really aren't eating excess calories, restriction isn't your answer vs malabsorption. Have you talked to your doctor about your current eating regimen?

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

If you like chips, Pasta, pizza. Those are all things you can eat after surgery and you can eat them easily, easier than dense Protein. So if you aren't really invested, and you don't have the will power, liking those things will make it easy for you to fail.

Also, even if you aren't eating an entire large pizza yourself, or polishing off a whole bag of chips, it is unlikely you are measuring and weighing all your portions now and eating proper serving sizes. Basically everyone is over eating. Almost no one eats the actual serving size portion. Like a proper serving of meat is 3-4 ounces but people are regularly downing 8-16 ounce steaks.

For me personally, I have low carbed off and on for about 15 years. I like the low carb lifestyle. However, I had issues with Portion Control. I would eat a 12 ounce steak, and stuff like that. I wasn't getting the results I should have from a low carb lifestyle because my portions were still out of whack. So now I can easily eat the proper portions of the things I like and I am satisfied with those amounts. I can continue to eat healthy through a stall because I don't feel deprived. Before surgery when I hit a stall, I would give up, because I felt deprived and it seemed pointless to suffer for nothing. Now I can keep eating healthy through a stall and keep losing (inches) until the pounds drop because I don't feel deprived at all. I feel like a normal person living a healthy lifestyle.