"The last supper" syndrome?

[summerset 5,261]

@@summersetMy diet was heavy in Pasta, rice, crackers, sweets, etc.......I ate very little Protein.

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but I'm going to ask it anyway:

Did you ever count calories when eating like this and when you weren't on a diet? Like really counting calories with weighing everything and not only estimating so you can compare the amount of calories with what you're eating now? Just asking because people tend to underestimate the amount of calories they eat quite a lot (even the professionals do!)

I think some people are more sensitive to certain foods than others (there is obviously evidence regarding this) so in general I don't think you're a big exception but part of a whole crowd. However, when looking at the diet of some WLS patients it's purely the fact that they're eating less of what they ate before. Especially on this board there is the talk about patients who "can eat all the crap they want" and lose weight effortlessly in the honeymoon period because the "surgery is doing it all".

Well, what is the surgery actually doing? It restricts the amount of food that can be eaten, sometimes combined with malabsorption, so it seems that quite a lot of people can eat "crap" and losing weight anyway (someone remember the guy who lost weight on twinkles to prove a thing or two?) without having to rely on the so-called "clean" foods.

I'm not saying it's not true for you but I'm not so sure you couldn't maintain your weight on a diet containing different foods if the amount of calories is about the same. I understand that you wouldn't want to experiment with this, though.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@summerset

I track everything I eat in myfitnesspal and have for the last 3.5 years. I know exactly what I put in my body 90% of the time and understand the macro nutrients as well. For the first 2 years, I weighed and measured everything and lost 100% of my excess weight. I have been maintaining under or at goal since March of this year.

Prior to that I was on diet after diet trying to lose weight. Even during my 9 months prior to surgery when monitored by a nutritionist, I lost a whole whopping 5lbs then entire time and I stuck to the plan. Which, I was told was normal for people with metabolic disease and at my age.

I am not sure what your age is but it really matters. I am 53 and I used to be able to lose weight very easily. There comes a point in time when your age, the fact that you might be going through menopause and your metabolic disease effects everything and you can no longer lose weight without help.

What you eat is very important to losing the weight and ultimately keeping it off. I am not saying that you can never have those foods again, all I am saying is they cannot be the norm because if it is, you will likely have regain issues.

Many of the folks on this site who have gained some or all of their weight back can tell you that it isn't about the amount at this stage, it is about what you put in your tummy. If you consistently go back to foods that are not high in Protein and good carbs, you will likely gain.

There has honestly not been a time in the last 30 years that I wasn't on a "diet". I was always always on some type of plan to lose weight and or maintain my loss since i was in my 20's.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@summerset

And you are right, i would not want to try eating crap and seeing if i can maintain. First, eating crap makes me feel like crap.

Second, I have had a week or two of eating some of the foods that caused my problem in the first place. Right after plastics in July, i became ravenously hungry. I am sure it was because I was healing.

The reality is, you can eat around these surgeries two different ways. 1.) you can graze eating small meals or snack throughout the day - You will gain weight 2.) you can eat the wrong foods increasing your calories because those foods cause spikes in your blood sugar, and create cravings therefore causing you to eat more

There may be other ways, but i have experienced both and guess what? I gain weight......I gain if i eat crap and I gain if i graze.

i am guessing I am not the only one.

[teedsg 250]

@@Djmohr, how many calories can you eat after surgery 6 months - 1 year out? Gastric Bypass or Gastric Sleeve?

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@teedsg

I maintain if i stick to 1300 to 1400 calories per day.

[Hammer_Down 631]

I was so motivated about WLS and paid out of pocket for it. I had my preop diet plan a few weeks before I was to start, and I found myself questioning all of my food choices against my diet plans for pre/post op.

I actually ended up basically doing preop for a few weeks longer than I needed to. I had great results during the actual 2 weeks of preop, I was down 14lbs in 14 days going into surgery.

It helped me break the connection/addiction to foods I know I shouldn't be having. Slipping and eating junk food will not help me "get it out of my system", but will actually just foster more cravings in a similar way that getting wasted the nigh before checking into rehab won't make rehab any easier.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I was so motivated about WLS and paid out of pocket for it. I had my preop diet plan a few weeks before I was to start, and I found myself questioning all of my food choices against my diet plans for pre/post op.

I actually ended up basically doing preop for a few weeks longer than I needed to. I had great results during the actual 2 weeks of preop, I was down 14lbs in 14 days going into surgery.

It helped me break the connection/addiction to foods I know I shouldn't be having. Slipping and eating junk food will not help me "get it out of my system", but will actually just foster more cravings in a similar way that getting wasted the nigh before checking into rehab won't make rehab any easier.

This is exactly why I started my pre-op diet 4 weeks prior to surgery instead of the prescribed two. I figured if I was going to flub it up, it would be within the first two weeks, so I gave myself some wiggle room.

[Armygalbonnie 643]

I didn't have a chance for my "last supper". I went to prep class and found out my surgery was in exactly 2 weeks. The next morning I started my 2 week pre-op diet. My Dr. strongly encourages her patients to not have that mentality. I really, really wanted Mexican food 1 more time before surgery but I didn't get it. In the long run I think it helped me because I felt success that entire 3 months I was working toward insurance approval. Good luck with everything. If your insurance is adamant that you don't gain weight before surgery, please watch what you do. I would hate for you to have to start at step 1all over again.

[Aggiemae 739]

A woman in my pre surgery class had so many "last" suppers that she gained over 30 pounds in 6 months.

[KeepCalm 223]

When I went for my first consultation (July 2015) - they suggested I be unfilled because my surgery would probably be sometime in October or November of 2015. So, I went right away and got unfilled... I ended up not getting approved and had to resubmit. By January I had gained 20lbs cause I ate everything I had not been able to eat previously because I would get sick if I ate it. kinda had one long last supper, I guess you could say.

I went in for my appointment in January and pretty much demanded that I get refilled, so I wouldn't gain anymore weight and that I didn't care if I started getting sick again. The nurse that was doing the refills didn't want to refill me because she thought I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I finally convinced her that it was because I did NOT want to gain anymore weight.

after the fill - I lost about 25lbs before surgery - I was at 250ish for the consultation - 270 after the regain, and 249 on day of surgery... I'm at 225 right now, and stuck because I quit caring...

Recently though I'm trying to take back control of my life and get back to doing what needs to be done instead of letting my roommate control it. I bought a new car and starting working at my second job again. I'm trying to get back on track with my eating habits, but its a mind over matter thing for me and I've never been much good at telling myself no I can't have that, but I'm trying. I noticed I hang out on here more when I know I'm getting off it.

I messed up last night after being on track all day and again this morning. I'm restarting again at lunch with chicken salad and a Protein drink for mid afternoon and sugar free Jello. I have to remember to eat before I go to work at night as that is when I usually fall down.

Yes, I tend to ramble - I'm sorry...

[tamirn 90]

I mean if you think about it??? We have had MANY last suppers that is why we are over weight! Lol

Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

[teedsg 250]

@@teedsg

I maintain if i stick to 1300 to 1400 calories per day.

Ok, cool!

[summerset 5,261]

@@Djmohr You're telling me lots of things in your posts but unfortunately you didn't answer my question:

Did you ever count calories when eating like this and when you weren't on a diet? Like really counting calories with weighing everything and not only estimating so you can compare the amount of calories with what you're eating now?

So how many calories did you eat when you ate "all that crap"? Do you know?

(most people don't, including me - I have no clue how many calories I ate while gaining weight and being at my highest weight because I only counted calories when being on a diet)

You say:

There may be other ways, but i have experienced both and guess what? I gain weight......I gain if i eat crap and I gain if i graze.

Of course you do - you're getting in more calories because you either eat

1) more food (grazing)

or

2) more calorie dense food (the crap as you call it)

i am guessing I am not the only one.

I am also guessing you're not the only one gaining weight when eating more calories.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@summerset

@@Djmohr You're telling me lots of things in your posts but unfortunately you didn't answer my question:

Did you ever count calories when eating like this and when you weren't on a diet? Like really counting calories with weighing everything and not only estimating so you can compare the amount of calories with what you're eating now?

So how many calories did you eat when you ate "all that crap"? Do you know?

(most people don't, including me - I have no clue how many calories I ate while gaining weight and being at my highest weight because I only counted calories when being on a diet)

You say:

There may be other ways, but i have experienced both and guess what? I gain weight......I gain if i eat crap and I gain if i graze.

Of course you do - you're getting in more calories because you either eat

1) more food (grazing)

or

2) more calorie dense food (the crap as you call it)

i am guessing I am not the only one.

I am also guessing you're not the only one gaining weight when eating more calories.

@@summerset

Yes, I counted calories when i ate like that. Why are you so worried about my calorie count?

You seem to assume that if you count calories, no matter what you eat you will lose weight. That is simply not always true. If it were, most of us that simply eat less than 3500 calories a day would continue to lose weight. It is not that simple. Which by the way, I do every single day yet I am at the same weight (My goal) that I have been since March.

If you want to eat the old foods that got you here, go for it. I happen to know that does not work for me. I GAIN weight!

Not everyone is the same but clearly you have it figured out. Let us know, after you are through the honeymoon period if it works for you.

As for me, I know what works and what doesnt. I also know the calories i consumed both before and after surgery. And I know what I ate mattered more than how much i ate. I know this from tracking my foods both before and after surgery and I have had both nutritionists and doctors tell me that I was morbidly obese and malnourished at the same time. This comes from eating too many bad carbs, not enough dense Protein and vegetables.

[Hammer_Down 631]

@@Djmohr

You are not alone with the malnourished obese phenomenon. Since obesity is primarily a hormonal issue and not a gluttony issue, many (perhaps most) obese people also show deficiencies of Vitamins and minerals and signs of malnourishment.

While a calorie is a scientific measurement, it cannot be said that all foods affect us the same way. Calories from carbs increase blood sugar, insulin response, contribute to insulin and leptin resistance. Calories from meat do none of those things.

If I eat a single slice of bread, I will not lose weight for 1-2 days. A few years back I became basically carnivorous for 2 years and regularly ate 4000 calories a day of mostly red meat (poultry has too much Protein and too low fat content and causes me to stall) and I lost 100 lbs in 18 months and put on substantial muscle without really trying.