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The Struggle is Real



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My surgery gastric bypass surgery was August 4, 2020. It was without complication and I healed as expected (two weeks back to work). I have been faithful to the diets pre and post op until about 2 weeks ago. I have had food cravings throughout this process and was hoping I would have been one of those individuals who has the cessation of cravings. I am averaging between 500 and 1000 kcals a day. I was just advanced to stage 4, regular diet. I am concerned that I am not going to be successful at this as my weakness, low calorie count and deprivation of carbohydrates has sent me into a dangerous whirlwind of eating. I am petrified that I have overstretched my new pouch and blew this whole endeavor. I am trying to reset this mess by turning back to Protein Shakes (cup or less) and Clear Liquids alternating days. I just need to shrink that pouch back to post op size. I don't get dumping syndrome and I'm not really obtaining a feeling of fullness or discomfort with eating. I am so upset! Looking for support. I can't be the only one experiencing all or part of this. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

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9 hours ago, mysuccess said:

My surgery gastric bypass surgery was August 4, 2020. It was without complication and I healed as expected (two weeks back to work). I have been faithful to the diets pre and post op until about 2 weeks ago. I have had food cravings throughout this process and was hoping I would have been one of those individuals who has the cessation of cravings. I am averaging between 500 and 1000 kcals a day. I was just advanced to stage 4, regular diet. I am concerned that I am not going to be successful at this as my weakness, low calorie count and deprivation of carbohydrates has sent me into a dangerous whirlwind of eating. I am petrified that I have overstretched my new pouch and blew this whole endeavor. I am trying to reset this mess by turning back to Protein Shakes (cup or less) and Clear Liquids alternating days. I just need to shrink that pouch back to post op size. I don't get dumping syndrome and I'm not really obtaining a feeling of fullness or discomfort with eating. I am so upset! Looking for support. I can't be the only one experiencing all or part of this. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

Welcome.

I'm assuming that when you say "regular diet" you mean your food plan that you will be following the rest of your life? If so, your calories as part of your plan will be north of 1000 kcals, which along with drinking, should relieve some of the deprivation sensations.

Cravings, however, are in your head not your stomach. Depending on your plan, you may be able to eat some of these cravings in much smaller quantity. Some folks change the cravings food to something more in line with their plan.

However, at 6 weeks it's critical to your success to follow your plan. You making decisions about food got you to where you needed Gastric Bypass. The lesson we need to learn is to follow rules. Once you start changing things to off plan, then you are back where you were pre-op. Right now you are learning how to eat and what to eat and you need to stay on plan and create a pattern and history of success.

Stay on plan.

Good luck,

Tek

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My heart goes out to you, mysuccess, for we all know what that pull and feeling is like. You’ve come so far on this journey to health...I would feel no shame and call my surgeon’s office or nutritionist, whichever you feel more connected to and that has a compassionate understanding. You deserve help through this and that’s what they should be there for. You will eventually have to discuss this with them during the periodic progress check ups, best they can help you through this now with a local recommendation. Surely they have seen this and will know how to best guide you. Hugs and more hugs, please keep us posted.

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17 hours ago, mysuccess said:

My surgery gastric bypass surgery was August 4, 2020. It was without complication and I healed as expected (two weeks back to work). I have been faithful to the diets pre and post op until about 2 weeks ago. I have had food cravings throughout this process and was hoping I would have been one of those individuals who has the cessation of cravings. I am averaging between 500 and 1000 kcals a day. I was just advanced to stage 4, regular diet. I am concerned that I am not going to be successful at this as my weakness, low calorie count and deprivation of carbohydrates has sent me into a dangerous whirlwind of eating. I am petrified that I have overstretched my new pouch and blew this whole endeavor. I am trying to reset this mess by turning back to Protein Shakes (cup or less) and Clear Liquids alternating days. I just need to shrink that pouch back to post op size. I don't get dumping syndrome and I'm not really obtaining a feeling of fullness or discomfort with eating. I am so upset! Looking for support. I can't be the only one experiencing all or part of this. Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

only your SX can tell you if you have stretched your stomach with a scan. and there is no way of shrink the stomach or pouch except for sx. You can however reset your brain.... i've had to do this a few times over the years.

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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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