I gave you the stomach of a baby; raise it well
When I first decided to get surgery, about five years ago, it was early in the year and I knew I wouldn't be able to get off wor****il the Fall. So I hung out on WLS boards like this one and I soaked things up and I watched people succeed and I watched them fail and I watched people have miraculous changes in their lives. At some point, I decided that's what I wanted for myself... Not just to lose the weight, but to lose the old me and to become the person I was meant to be.
During that time, one of our VSGers came back from her surgery in South America and had this story to tell. She was being discharged and her surgeon was going over the post-op diet when he smacked her on the butt (hey, he's Latin!) and said "I gave you the stomach of a baby; raise it well"
That really stuck with me. In the early days, when I was starting on soft food and my post-op instructions said to only introduce one new food at a time, I was reminded again of his words. And I determined to treat my new stomach the same way I did my kids when I first introduced them to solid food -- acting like I didn't know what I liked and didn't like and like I was a blank slate instead of an old lady with lots of bad habits.
So I tried foods I'd never tried before (Greek yogurt? Edamame? WTF?). I ate foods I thought I loved and found I didn't actually like them as much as my memory of them. I cut whole foods out of my life and didn't miss them (Diet Soda? Who needs a mouthful of chemicals.) I even tried cooking for a while. (Okay, that one didn't stick. 
)
I did the same thing with exercise. I tried new things like running that I thought I hated and I signed up for stuff that scared me (a 5k race? What if I can't run the whole thing? A triathlon? Are you INSANE?) And I discovered my inner athlete. And now I'm a two-time Ironman, of all things!
This never would happened if I went into this adventure saying things like "I know myself and I know what works for me!" or counting the days until I could eat all the same things I used to eat (but in smaller quantities, of course. 
)
This is not to say that I do everything perfectly or that I never made any mistakes or that I do nothing like I used to or eat nothing I used to. But by being open to change and by trying new things and by treating my tummy like it was a baby that hadn't developed entrenched habits yet, I was able to throw off a lot of my bad habits and rework my relationship with food during a time when it was a lot easier to do that than any other time in my life.
At this point, I don't even remember who that other poster was who inspired me so and I'm pretty sure she's not around any more. But I'm really glad she passed on her doctor's advice to us so I'm passing it on to you....
This surgery gives us a second chance to have a different relationship with food and exercise than we had before. Be open to change! Don't be so sure you know yourself and what works for you ... be willing to try things that didn't work before WLS and see if maybe now they will work.
And definitely try some food you never ate before (edamame?) ! 
HW - 225 SW - 191 GW - 132 CW - 122
Visit my blog at Fatty Fights Back Become a Fan on Facebook!
Starting BMI 40-ish or less? Join the LightWeights
Hey Mac....
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent post !!!!
Glad your active again......!
frisco
SW 338lbs. GW 175lbs. Goal in 11 months. CW 148lbs. WL 190lbs.
" To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art "
VSG Maintenance Group Forum
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/
CAFE FRISCO at LapSF.com
Dr. Paul Cirangle
Lap Band 2006
VSG 2008
Thank you!!! I will keep this posting and re-read it during my journey!!!
Jenn Highest weight: 278. Starting weight: 275. Surgery weight: 253. Month 1: 25 lbs. Month 2: 8.8 lbs. Month 3: 12.6 lbs. Month 4: 7 lbs. Onederland 7/29/2013. Month 5: 7 lbs. Month 6: 5 lbs. Months 7-9: self-induced maintenance, then 5 lb gain.
