needing advice!!!

hi everyone!! i am now 8 days post op and have not had one complication. thank god!! however, i am having a few problems. such as: thinking that i can eat-when i can't, battling the craving for food, and thinking that i am not going to lose weight-because i feel this way. i am really having a hard time with the protein drink. it's crazy!! also, did anyone NOT stay on a stricked liquid diet for 2 weeks? can anyone out there explain these feelings to me or help me feel that i am not the only one like this? love you all, brook carcamo

Hi Brook, it's interesting that you say this. I'm two weeks post op today and the week that I came home was filled with temptations and food desires like you wouldn't believe! I would see stuff on tv and drool! It was a little frustrating and worrysome so I know EXACTLY how you feel. It will go away though I don't feel that way at all anymore. It was almost like "period craving"; salt, sugar, cream etc. Everything I saw, I wanted (and I've never really been that way). I don't feel that way any longer. I think it's just "chub-shock". lol As far as worrying that the weight won't come off? I had the surgery...the weight will come off. Believe it. -Sandra

I 'M GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. I WANT TO EAT EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT HUNGRY. AND I'M ALWAYS THINKING OF FOOD. SURGERY ISN'T GOING TO FIX THESE FEELINGS OR THOUGHTS I HAVE. I NEED TO CONTROL THEM ON MY OWN. WHICH I'M TRYING TO BY TALKING ON THE PHONE OR WALKING THE TREADMILL OR FINDING SOME WAY TO TKAE MY MIND OFF OF FOOD AND EATING. I DID CHEAT BEFORE MY dR.S 1WEEK POST OP APPT. I HAD BABY FOOD AND THEN I TRIED HAVING REFRIED BEANS, VERY LITTLE, HOWEVER I STILL CHEATED. THE CRAVING OF FOOD IS IN OUR HEADS AND WE NEED TO REDIRECT OURSELVES SO WE DON'T FALL INTO THE SAME TRAP WE WERE IN BEFORE. CAUSE OUR STOMACHS CAN STRETCH OUT AGAIN IN TIME AND THIS IS A BIG FEAR I HAVE. GOOD LUCK REBECCA

Hi Brook, I had my surgery 10 days ago and also had no complications. I also crave eating (when I sleep, actually dream that I am eating). At my one week visit to my doctor, the administrator (who is also an RN) told us that we will all cheat. She was actually surprised that nobody had cheated during our first week. She said that everyone, at one point of another, will try to over eat or eat something we are not ready for, and that we will throw up. and then we will do it again, and again until we realize that it is not worth it and wont do it anymore. I asked my doctor the same question on my first visit, how is my head going to change and not crave the food anymore. He told me that the negative experiences we will have from overeating or eating the wrong foods will recondition our brain. But still, we have to make smart choices of what foods we eat (protein, protein, protein and leave the evil carbs alone. I had a poached egg today (i broke an egg inside my Swanson chicken broth), The best egg I have ever had..... LOL. I ate the egg and no problem. Then, I went out with a friend (she's on Weigh****chers) and she had to stop to eat someting. I ordered a small "NY Cheesecake lactose free sugar free frozen yogurt". I ate a few spoonfools, so afraid I was going to get sick. No problem there either. With ref to the protein drink. I tried one brand yesterday. HATED IT. My doctor's office now also offers the optifast for post op. I will try that because I loved their pre-op shakes. (but that has 20 gr of carbs and they prescribe only 10 g per serving). Hope this helped you a bit. Good luck

thank you all very much for the excellent advice. i really needed to hear everything that was said. i knew that this was going to be the hardest part for me. the thing that scared me the most was when my dr's office called me to check on me, i told the nurse that i has eaten a couple of crackers. be her response was so drastic, you'd think that i was killing myself. she scared me so much that i am afraid to try anything. i hope that the "craving time period" is so true. i used to love watching the food channel, and i wondered why i was fat, now i can'****ch anything with food. i went to the store for the first time wednesday, it was torture avoiding those beloved aisles full of carbs. i try not to let my situation affect my family, so i will cook in the afternoons, agian--torture!! all in all, i am getting better, thanks to all of you and my family. i went for my first post-op dr's visit yesterday, i lost 9.5 lbs--yeh for me!!!!!!!! well good luck to you all and thanks again for taking the time to respond, it was really helpful. god bless, brook carcamo