Wow, it's been over 3 years!

[Creekimp13 5,838]

I had my sleeve surgery December 5th of 2017, and its been ages since I've checked in here.

I'll be honest....after a while, this became an unhelpful environment for me and I needed to leave. Too many experts. Too many people who had "found the answer" and judged others who were following a different path. Sometimes ya'll were really helpful and sometimes you just made things worse. I'm not saying that to be critical of this place (there were times it was sincerely helpful and I think it's a great site, particularly for those starting out)....but I wanted to share my experience that there are times when it's better to walk away, take breaks, or escape relationships formed here that end up being unhealthy.

I'm gonna talk about my experience with the disclaimer that this is MY experience. I'm not judgeing anyone else's experience. If it works for you...that's great. I'm not giving advice here....nothing I say will be "right or wrong" for anyone but me. It's your job to find your best path. This is just my experience.

I had a terrific surgery. Either i'm really tough or was too excited to feel much pain, but I woke up from surgery feeling great and walked every chance I got. It helped. I had an easy recovery. I followed directions to the letter with the bazillion little ouce cups spaced out across the day. Got my fluids in, hit my protien targets, walked constantly.

The two most difficult things I remember....were the liquid diet leading up to surgery. Mine was over Thanksgiving and wow, did that suck, because I was cooking dinner for everyone else. Crazy difficult.

The other really tough part for me....were the first few months after surgery when my weightloss slowed and I was like....what in the world? I expected this big fast drop, and it wasn't like that at all. It was a slow weightloss with long plateaus. I also remember being angry because I was insanely hungry ALL THE TIME the first three weeks. Harsh! And here I thought all the little "hungry sensors" in my stomach would eliminate this issue....nope.

My doctor had a different approach to what many people were doing on this site. I was told to eat more calories faster than many other plans, and my diet included a lot of carbs....which melted the brains of many of the protien police. LOL. Granted, the carbs I was allowed were high Fiber, high protien and unrefined. (Potatoes were one of my first foods, I ate chickpea Pasta, whole grain high fiber English muffins, sweet potatoes, Beans, etc.) So yeah....I was clearly doomed to failure and killing myself in the minds of many here. LOL. And it's true...I lost weight slower than most....BUT! I continued to lose weight, and weirdly, my tastes changed. And I've gotta tell you....no one is more suprised than me about this....but better food choices are much much easier for me now. I stay away from refined sugar, refined flour and animal fat. I like plant based protien and fiber is my go to. My doctor stressed the importance of fiber and fermented foods in creating the right kind of gut bugs...and I really think he's on to something.

Couple of things I've learned that apply to me:

* I'm a food addict. I will always be a food addict. I have never met an emotion I couldn't eat. I need to think about that every day, and when things get tough....I need to go to therapy, because it helps. I don't go nonstop...but when really tough situations come up in my life (big changes, deaths, etc.) having an extra set of eyes and ears from a bariatric-familiar therapist really helps me keep the addiction in check.

*At some point, you regain a little. In fact, statistically, most people will regain about 20% of what they lose the first year. I didn't. I regained ten pounds and joined Weight Watchers until I lost it, again. I didn't follow their diet, but found that going in to be weighed once a week and attending the meetings with a fun coach really helped keep me on track. (Therapy also helped, bigtime. If I gain five pounds, I schedule a therapist appointment...I know something is going on and I need to act)

*I need to exercise if I want to eat the number of calories I find satisfying. I love my Fitbit. I wear it on my foot. In the summer, people think I'm a criminal with an ankle monitor. LOL.

*I hate logging my food with a purple passion. But if I start to gain weight, I know it's absolutely necessary if I want to reverse it.

*Menopause sucks. Particularly with your metabolism. You might need to make calorie adjustments.

*No matter what life throws at you...no excuse is good enough to destroy your health with food addiction. Find better ways of dealing with anxiety, pain, grief, fear, boredom, worry, stress.

*Weighing myself once a week reduces stress. I have been a lunatic with the scale most of my life. Get on every morning (or several times a day)...if the number is good, I'd go...heck, I'm doing great, I deserve a treat! If the number was bad, I'd get depressed and stress eat....it was no win. Weighing once a week is much saner for me!

*I grieved foods when their taste changed and I didn't like them as much anymore. I used to love Egg McMuffins and Chilli cheese Dogs. I can take or leave an Egg McMuffin now...it's ok, but kinda meh. Chilli Cheese Dogs just taste like salt and I don't like them at all. Have tried eating them a few times and each time...have grossed myself out. I genuinely miss and feel sad about how good they used to taste. This isn't a perception I've talked myself into...other naughty things still taste great...but your tastes honestly do change and some things get ruined for you and even though this is probably a VERY good thing, it can make you feel kinda sad.

And here are some CONFESSIONS!

I eat 1400-1600 calories a day now and maintain my weight at 168-172

Eventually, you really can eat almost anything. And I have. I've eaten all my old favorites and overdone it. And felt guilty and stupid. And I've also saved calories and eaten an appropriate amount of my old favorites and felt pretty damned satisfied with my discipline.

There might be a few things that give you trouble forever. Last week I ate dry chicken with corn on the cob...did not get backed up saliva stuck...but felt that horrible stuck feeling for about twenty minutes and sipped Water until it passed. Corn is my big one to watch...which stinks...because I really like corn.

I drink diet pop. Yep. I do. A can a day most days. My restriction is still great...as evidenced by my corn issue.

I take ibuprofen now. Never more than a dose or two in a week's time and always take it with antacids....but I do use it once in a while and my doctor is ok with this. (he said not advised for the first year after surgery)

My maintenance diet has a ton of carbs. I still get about 60g of Protein a day, but I try to get at least half of it from plant based foods.

I eat fast food once in a while, when necessary. Usually, I cut a sandwich in half and eat half. No fries. coffee with cream and splenda. I don't like it very much anymore. Honestly...it doesn't taste like it used to. My idea of naughty junk food now...is hitting the specialty deli for four pieces of sushi and one of those cups of watermelon chunks. LOL.

Here is a current picture of myself. I'm not perfect, but not bad for turning 49 this year! Beats the hell out of weighing 270 pounds. I have no regrets. Wishing you all the very best.

[Creekimp13 5,838]

Was looking through old posts here and figured I'd repost my old "Chunky Monkey" pic. This is me in spring of 2017...feels like a lifetime ago.

[Arabesque 6,469]

Thank you for sharing your story. You’re so right about us having our own experiences & what works for you might not work for me or someone else.

Oh My God. Menopause! Don’t get me started. That’s when some 30ish kg piled on for me. But it lead me to my surgery & I’m now like I was just as puberty hit which is pretty shocking in some ways. Damn hormones!

I take ibuprofen too with my surgeon’s ok. He said as long as you’re taking them randomly & not every day for blocks of time it’s fine.

I know what you mean by some foods not tasting quite the same any more which is fine with me except when it’s a good nutritious food. Last night I had some corn succotash with some king fish & had some flemmy type saliva (got a bit choky with it too) - I’m wondering now if it was the corn???

I think you’re looking pretty darn good. Congratulations on what you’ve achieved.