What's the hardest thing for you?

I was very miserable before the surgery. I am so happy to be losing this weight. i think my problem comes from issues of worth that I am still working on. i actually am seeing my therapist today and we will talk more about it. I know i am going to make it. this surgery has given me a wonderful tool. plus kind and generous people like you help out alot. i've been blessed to find such wonderful people to help me through my journey. I don't know what i would do without it. my husband thinks i'm obsessed with this site but it does help me so much to come here. i can't wait to meet you guys. that is going to be a great dinner! and about the cooking, yes it will be my salvation. there is a lady on here called eggface that comes up with great recipes. so i try alot of hers out and look for sauces to put on fish and chicken. i have alot of fun with it. i'm going to try making pastaless manicotti using zucchini this weekend. yum!!!!!

Honey, believe me, you don't have a monopoly on low self worth.  For all the confidence that I project on this site, I still look at others and think, "Why aren't I as pretty?  Why can't my hair look as good as hers?  I'm still so fat..." blah, blah, blah.  I find myself comparing myself to others on this board and coming up miserably short.  Yeah, surprise, mouthy me, feeling bad about myself.  So you're NOT alone, you never will be as long as we're around. Like my therapist said for me, I'd been overweight since the age of 5, I was 38 when I had the surgery, you can't let go of that overnight.  I am still a work in progress and you are too. Zucchini - every girl should have some in the house!!!  Brown some ground beef or turkey, slice the zucchini lengthwise, mix the insides of the zucchini with the ground beef, add spaghetti sauce and spices, top with parmesan cheese and throw under the broiler!!!  Ta-da!!!  Zucchini boats!!!!!! Gotta run, more therapy tomorrow, I promise!!! Tia

Well the no drinking during/after meals kills me.  I used to drink approx 144 oz of water a day before the surgery and now I am lucky to get 48 oz.  I miss being able to gulp it down, too. I also just miss eating delicious food (with carbs!).  I'm 5 weeks out and still not very good on the solids yet.  I'd just kill for a salad right about now.  Or a turkey sandwich.

Don't worry, you'll gulp again!!!  I do.  I think I did salads at 2 months post-op, and OMG! it was like heaven in a bowl!!!  That was the one thing I craved.   Okay, as far as the turkey sandwich - once you can have the turkey - use lettuce as a wrap instead of bread (provided you can do lettuce), you can add some light mayo, light ranch, salsa, etc., and you won't even miss the bread.   Take it from an almost 3 year post-op - you want to maximize what they call the honeymoon period.  Once your "window of wl" closes, it becomes MUCH harder to lose, so you're better off TRYING to develop good habits now.  It is hard, I know, but MUCH easier than being overweight was!!!! Good luck!!!! Tia

Thanks Tia!  It is nice to know that thee is light at the end of the tunnel.  I can't wait for a salad!   Ridiculous as this sounds, I hate lettuce on sandwiches/wraps/tacos/etc, but love salads.  I did try to eat some turkey deli meat with cheese and dip into a little mayo/mustard, but it wasn't the same and it made me feel sick.

Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel - and it's the dressing room light as you try on increasingly smaller clothes!!  Don't get discouraged.  You will eat normally again, I promise.  But while I say that, ask yourself, "Is the way I ate pre-op NORMAL?"  I know mine wasn't.  It's just SO much better now. As far as the turkey, for some reason, I had a hard time initially with it, too, I don't know why.  And I have to eat real deli turkey, not the turkey jell-o looking stuff that's $1.99 a pound!!!  SLIMY!!  So instead of the mayo/mustard, try ranch or pepper parm dressing.  Get creative.  It's the only way to keep from losing your mind as you try to figure out what to eat. I'll say it again - it gets easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tia

I think that's the only thing I crave the most right now and that is a HUGE bowl of salad.  I found a fat free italian dressing that I could just drink right out of the bottle!  LOL

I think my biggest challenge is being creative when making food. I am a good cook if it involves pasta! Sometimes meat and cheese just doesn't sound good.

I know what you mean.  Provided I have the time and ingredients, I can be very creative, but sometimes, when I'm in a hurry, I feel like I could hurl if I have to eat another hard boiled egg or lunch meat roll-up. I'm gonna try to put together some stuff that's worked well for me - kind of my go-to foods.  Maybe if we all chime in, it'll help all of us!! Tia

Thanks Tia, that sounds like a great idea! Maybe I can get my creativity flowing!