Second thoughts...

[mybypassjourney 0]

Hi everyone,

I posted this on two other forums but I thought I'd post here too. I'm having my bypass next Wednesday, 7/22. I was calm for the most part until the past few days, when I started getting nervous, but that was the nervous that I'm assuming everyone feels when surgery gets close. For some background, I'm 22 years old, 5'1, and started working towards surgery in October of last year at 260 pounds. As of today, I'm 50 pounds down, and that's of course on my own, before having surgery. Yesterday, I started having serious second thoughts. These normal nervous thoughts had me wondering if I could do it on my own since I've been able to lose 50 pounds by myself before surgery, and I keep telling myself I worked hard for this, and surgery is right around the corner, and if I didn't think I needed it, I wouldn't have started the program in the first place. Like I said, I was calm until a few days ago, but yesterday it really started hitting me. I started getting the feeling that I'll be unsuccessful with the surgery. Most, if not all, programs require a high-protein diet after surgery, including my own program. My issue is, I'm an extremely picky eater. I'm a vegetarian, and while I'm not totally vegan since I'll eat products containing milk and eggs, I prefer not to eat (or drink) those things if I can avoid it. So aside from not eating meat, I don't eat cheese or regular eggs prepared in any way (if I try I will not be able to stomach it). I also am grossed out by tofu. This honestly leaves my only options for Protein for the rest of my life to be Protein Drinks and yogurt (which I would prefer not to eat all the time, it's not my favorite thing). My nutritionist said lentils and Beans are ok, but they have a lot of starch so to eat other things if I can. I'm on my pre-op diet so that means I'm stuck on my protein drinks and yogurt for now, and after talking with my nutritionist a few times yesterday, the nerves I was already feeling worsened, and I started having normal doubts to real second thoughts. I was wondering if I'm actually cut out for this kind of surgery since I know I can't keep up with the Protein that I'm being asked to eat, and I'm not sure I can compromise since I already know I won't be able to handle things like eggs, cheese, and tofu. If this kind of thing relies on me eating protein all the time, what kind of success can I have if I'm not able to do that? Yes, it'll physically restrict me from overeating, at least for the first year or two, but I'm afraid of a stall after only losing a small amount, or regaining the weight and having gone through all of it for nothing. I'm also thinking how if I lost 50 lbs on my own, I could try to lose the other 100 lbs on my own too, even if it's not the rapid weight loss that the bypass would give me. Like I noted earlier, though, I wouldn't have started this program in the first place if I didn't feel like I needed to go through it and wouldn't have worked so hard to make sure it happens. I'm 22 years old, should I wait a couple of years since I'm having these thoughts and try things out on my own and see how things go with that? Or should I go through with surgery next week? I have no idea between my doubts and the hard work I went through.

[catwoman7 10,845]

first of all, yes, being really nervous before surgeries is pretty normal.

secondly, if you can lose the weight on your own, then go for it. Up to about 5% of people are able to lose their excess weight and keep it off long term. I, unfortunately, was not one of the 5%. I had surgery at age 55, after literally decades of losing and regaining the same 50 lbs. Same story every time - I'd lose it, hit a brick wall, and then it'd eventually all come back on - within a few months. I finally got to the point where I had to stop kidding myself. I couldn't even keep 50 lbs off, and I had over 200 to lose! So for me, surgery was really my only choice. Maybe you'll be one those who'll be able to do it and keep it off. There are some out there. And btw - surgery doesn't guarantee you'll be able to lose most or all of your excess weight and keep it off - but it greatly improves your odds.

not sure what to tell you about Protein. I only eat meat a couple of times a week, but I do eat a lot of dairy (including yogurt and cottage cheese). I also add Protein Powder to some things. In addition, I still drink Protein Shakes, at five years out, because they help me get up to my protein goals (most people don't need them after the first few weeks or months - but I have to have 100+ grams a day to keep my prealbumin level up, and a Protein Shake a day really helps me get there)

you do have to be mentally ready for this, because the surgery only does so much. It's a lot of work, esp after the first few months. But the difference is, your efforts actually pay off. I was able to lose - and maintain - and enormous amount of weight, which I'd never been able to do before.