Worried

Ok, I guess I get to do the tough-love! :)

You've had major surgery. You've split your stitches, and your leg is going numb. If that's not a wake-up call that something might be seriously wrong, what is??

Two "goofs" in three weeks may not sound like much. But when you're starting out and establishing new patterns, that's kind of a big deal. Sad but true: there should be NO cookies in your life, more or less, until you hit maintenance. Protein first, and lots of it, and maybe one cookie at most. It's easiest to get used to it now, especially when it's most important to hit your water and protein goals every day.

Yes, the first month or two of limited post-op eating options is really boring, but that's the price you pay for getting started on a new road to health! There are plenty of options if you need to change things up that can still be "on plan" for your doctor's recommendations; try searching the forums for others' suggestions. 

It's great that you've changed! But a few changes, like skipping the cheese curds, aren't enough. Like you've said, you've waited a long time for this, so make the most of it. Stick to plan, even if you really want the string cheese that your doctor says you shouldn't be eating for another few weeks, because surgery isn't a free pass and it's all hard work.

Hang in there, you can do it! Hope the doctor has good news for you :)

So you're 15 days our from surgery and you feel that not following your liquid diet for 3 weeks is ok?  Yes I did say you are not following your doctor's diet.  You should be under stress, anxiety, and worried, but not that you "might" have stretched your stomach, but that you seem not to be able to do what is required to succeed. 

Tell me how much protein does coffee have? How about the cookies and mashed potatoes?  They have a big fat ZERO for protein. 

If you continue with the "Oh one cookie soaked in coffee is ok" or continue with the mashed potatoes yup you will fail. 

You didn't have some "little mishaps". You made some deliberate choices to eat things you know, deep down, that you shouldn't. Or, to put it in the best light, these are things you *should* know you shouldn't be eating. Perhaps you need to spend some serious time researching the role of protein, fat, and carbs in the post-op diet.

I see from your profile that you had to file an appeal to get cleared for WLS.  You must have really wanted the procedure to jump through the hoops that the insurance company demands and fight them for approval.

With that being said, what happened?  Are you unclear of what your post-op diet should consist of?  I'm almost sure cookies and mashed potatoes are not on the list of things you should be eating three weeks after surgery.  

As others have mentioned, you should consider getting some support through either individual or group counseling.  You have an emotional eating disorder.  It's not uncommon.  So do I.  But don't sabotage yourself this early in the process by justifying the BAD things that you're eating vs. the WORSE things that you didn't eat.

Protein is key to your new lifestyle change, not sugary sweets and heavy carbs.  Be good to yourself and your new sleeve.  You went through so much to get this and now is not the time to bury your head in the sand.  You know better, right?

This is the time to establish good eating habits and maximize your loss. Eating cookies and mashed potatoes isn't going to help with that.

Sometimes habit is all that carries us through. Spending time now getting into good habits of protein forward eating with limited simple carbohydrates will help you later. As Eggface says, this is not a do over; it's a do better--meaning if we do the same things we did before surgery we will have the same result. So we have to make better choices.