I'm going to have surgery in June with the likelihood my date is moved up. I had joined a Facebook bariatric group thinking I'd find support and possibly friends there, but unfortunately left the group due to the outrageous number of posts regarding how soon people could eat pizza, drink alcohol, eat I cream or drink soda pop, etc., etc. then the myriad of unhealthy recipes that were posted was upsetting, even as I scrolled past them. Then, I came here. It's the same difference. The people who have knowledge are vastly outnumbered by the addicts and self indulgent. What's worse is if anybody speaks the truth, which is that the vast majority of people here are seeking a quick fix, don't want to put in the work, are food addicts and compulsive over eaters, and even lazy, then they risk the wrath of people who disagree and want to mess up for their own ignorant and selfish reasons. Stupidly and indulgence win out the day.

I'm always from the school of thought if I know something or have information I ought to impart that to others. Knowledge is power and the truth is always better.

It pisses me off to have to keep my mouth shut so that stupid or misinformed people win out the day spreading their crap all over these forums and ruining it for those of us who actually can use the encouragement and not use this site as a crutch for our self indulging.

I was thinking of leaving.

Then I realized I'm not alone after reading a post on here expressing the same outrage. Plus, I'll stick around for the few people who actually can use the help and viable info, not to mention have real issues with support outside these forums for reasons beyond what is normal, either they have limited net access and funds, or get a doctor that isn't up to par, plus I feel it's my duty to give out the correct information. And yes, there is actually correct information about this stuff. It's really easy to find and a great doctor will give it.

Some of what I read is preposterous. Reading stupid crap such as it's okay to drink soda or pop because the stomach muscle left over from the surgery won't stretch - B.S! NOT TRUE, and if that isn't the worst if it, not acknowledging what sugar and fake sweeteners do to our bodies is the icing on the cake. Nobody is that daft in 2017.

Rather than attack and change the nature of the addictions, people seek any excuse to indulge them. It's tiresome and boring. Have some guts, and stop spreading stupidity to others.

Believe it or not, some of us want to be healthy and actually live longer by correcting the habits that got us here in the first place.

If you don't like it, fine. It's not my job to encourage bad behavior, not for myself or anyone else. Leave a rude comment or not, that's your bit. At the end of the day it's about adding years to our lives and making the best out of a tool that not everybody has an opportunity out to use.

6 minutes ago, AmandaTherese said:

You're pretty lucky to be able to eat fast food before and after surgery and not get sick. I can't eat it now, preop, I get very sick. I don't like fast food I don't trust the way it is handled I rather cook my own chicken and not have i pretty lucky to be able to eat fast food before and after surgery and not get sick. I can't eat it now, preop, I get very sick. I don't like fast food I don't trust the way it is handled I rather cook my own chicken and not am additinal naughty nutrition. I'm hoping I don't get any crazy cravings for things I don't like now due to this big change. I personally would never shove anything sort of fast food in my mouth I would make it and take it with me even if it is cold I'm just very anal retentive like that however everyone is different . Congrats on your success and amazing size !! I hope am as successful in reaching my goals as you did. I am going into figure in bikini competitions when year out of surgery don't am already working with A trainer and nutritionist who has had the sleeve surgery as well I am excited !!!!! ????

LOL

When I brought an ex of mine from Greece to the states for the first time, when she tried American fast food she threw up. Way too greasy, carb-laden, and salty.

I will point out that even with my pre-op diet I've still had Wendy's, McDonalds, and chicken + burgers from restaurants. My portions are much smaller, I chew much more thoroughly, and I found I get full much faster. I also take off the fillers, and don't consume the carb infested foods and drinks, like french fries, burger buns, soda, etc. I exclusively drink tons of water a day, and chew a lot of ice (I'm weird like that), and drink 1/2 cup of calcium fortified apple juice with my meds (because they make me want to vomit taking them with water). Many simple/small changes can make extremely positive results in the bigger picture.

Edited April 10, 20179 yr by PatientEleventyBillion

LOL
When I brought an ex of mine from Greece to the states for the first time, when she tried American fast food she threw up. Way too greasy, carb-laden, and salty.
I will point out that even with my pre-op diet I've still had Wendy's, McDonalds, and chicken + burgers from restaurants. My portions are much smaller, I chew much more thoroughly, and I found I get full much faster. I also take off the fillers, and don't consume the carb infested foods and drinks, like french fries, burger buns, soda, etc. I exclusively drink tons of Water a day, and chew a lot of ice (I'm weird like that), and drink 1/2 cup of Calcium fortified apple juice with my meds (because they make me want to vomit taking them with water). Many simple/small changes can make extremely positive results in the bigger picture.

That's awesome!! It's all bout the changes you make and what you eat. Fast foood smells so damn good but if I eat it I know 1 of two things will happen. lol when I was in Italy it was so different. American food is crappy lol but smells sooooooo good. I just am so in the habit of prepping my self. I want it so bad. Nothing is going to get in my way... hooooweeeverrrrr if you're talking about twinkles and cake.... that's my weakness. I haven had anything like that in over 2 months and luckily my sugar tweeks are no longer. They better not come back!!!!

5 minutes ago, AmandaTherese said:

That's awesome!! It's all bout the changes you make and what you eat. Fast foood smells so damn good but if I eat it I know 1 of two things will happen. lol when I was in Italy it was so different. American food is crappy lol but smells sooooooo good. I just am so in the habit of prepping my self. I want it so bad. Nothing is going to get in my way... hooooweeeverrrrr if you're talking about twinkles and cake.... that's my weakness. I haven had anything like that in over 2 months and luckily my sugar tweeks are no longer. They better not come back!!!!

That's awesome. My vice was soda. Massive amounts of it. Cherry Coke in particular. It was my fav drink to have with Captain Morgan, though I rarely had any alcohol. Along with my awful diet, the soda destroyed me. I used to joke before I was even diagnosed as type 2 that I was gonna have a big cup of "liquid diabetes". I had my last one the day before pre-op. Heck, last year I went 6 months without any of it. Would be funny if they had an AA program for soda-holics. "I'm 2 months sober!"

Edited April 10, 20179 yr by PatientEleventyBillion

Just to say one last thing, the point of my post, and I should have been more clear, is that there are a lot of newly sleeved people ( think a few days, a few weeks out of surgery) asking when they can drink alcohol, eat ice cream, and eat pizza. To me it seems that I'd be more concerned about the healthier side of having this tool. To me that ideology makes sense.

Am I glad they ask? Sure. Knowledge is power and it's safer for people to ask than not. But what makes it hard to swallow are the few who actually admit to eating the unhealthy stuff a month out and then tell others, "sure go ahead, no problem, eat it."

We are all different and how our tastes and appetites react will be different from one another, our bodies respond different. But that's not the point, the point is how "healthy", not just in terms of weight loss, but nutritional value is drinking, ice cream, tacos and pizza. You know?

I've actually read a post recently where some someone speaks casually about eating three whole tacos, and another four bananas in a sitting. One post here, the other FB. Is that cool? Does anyone want to encourage it? Would I want that example?

I'm sorry my initial post wasn't as clear as it should have been but hopefully people understand more where I'm coming from.

6 hours ago, AmandaTherese said:

You're pretty lucky to be able to eat fast food before and after surgery and not get sick. I can't eat it now, preop, I get very sick. I don't like fast food I don't trust the way it is handled I rather cook my own Even from I have to eat it cold. I rather cook my own chicken and not risk additinal naughty nutrition. I'm hoping I don't get any crazy cravings for things I don't like now due to this big change. I personally would never shove anything sort of fast food in my mouth I would make it and take it with me even if it is cold I'm just very anal retentive like that however everyone is different . Congrats on your success and amazing size !! I hope am as successful in reaching my goals as you did. I am going into figure in bikini competitions 2 year Post op!! I am already working with A trainer and nutritionist who has had the sleeve surgery as well I am excited !!!!! ????

My husband encouraged me to find the humor in my bizarre, completely unexpected cravings for fast food when I absolutely couldn't eat even a bite of it during the liquid phase of post-op, after years of turning my nose up at it, haha. The pre-op me would have never believed that's what the post-op me obsessed about. The fast food meals I've actually eaten had have been reasonably healthy (unlike the ones I craved during the liquid diet) and I always enter them into MyFitnessPal to keep track of my daily nutritional stats. I think if I were to eat a Big Mac and fries my stomach would protest, and I'd probably get an acne breakout in a day or two. The only fast food burgers I've eaten since having the VSG is a kids size one from In-N-Out, Steak-n-Shake, and Freddy's, all of which uses better ingredients than most of the others. What I eat most often are the grilled chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a, and occasionally the fried ones, and the bowls from Chipotle without the rice. El Pollo Loco has a menu of items under 500 calories, and they're pretty tasty. At Panda Express you can order the entrees, like the grilled chicken, a la carte, and without the rice added on it's reasonable. I also eat from local fast food places (there are a ton in LA), but choose better options.

Healthy food you make for yourself at home is almost always superior, though. There's a girl who lost something like 150 pounds after having the VSG, and a huge part of her success is making meals for the week on Sunday nights. (She used to be on Instagram with the screen name Fit Miss Bliss, but I think she disabled her account.) She had breakfast, lunch, and dinner all planned out, and lunch stacked up in the refrigerator for each day. I admire those who plan out that well, but haven't followed suit. I just try to meet targets with each meal, and keep track of what I've had thus far that day.

It's awesome you're working with a trainer and nutritionist. You seem to have the attitude that will lead to great success!

I agree, we shouldn't attack anyone for the choices the make and to support and lift up our fellow sleevers to be and do better than they did the day before. Now you need to keep in mind not everyone is at the same stage in their journey, they also have different doctors, and different plans, that being said we must be mindful and considerate of one's food choice. Most of us got here not only by eating junk food. Some of us had really healthy diets, but had no portion control, had low activity, either do to injury, depression, or as you put it Lazy. I could go on for ever some people on here know they are straight up wrong. We shouldn't encourage that behavior for them, but ask what we can do to help.

I disagree

I never said I didn't eat an ounce of bad food. All I am saying is that I wasn't pile driving candy bars, cookies, fast food, etc down my gullet. Overeating was my problem, and as many can attest, you can still gain weight polishing off 2 or 3 helpings of grandma's meatloaf.

Healthy eating is also portion control