Words of Encouragement Please and Thank You!

How much further do you think you need to go to be where you want to be? I am afraid of feeling faint or starved if I fast a few days before surgery though. Like I can see how it would help but I would worry about not having any protein at all for a few days. I would drink water though of course. Thank you for your words!! They make me excited for my journey. 

I would like to get back to 150 I think that is a good weight for me. I am only 5'3 so every pound is noticeable. :( You're having the sleeve or the Bypass? I had the RNY I've heard that recovery is different from the sleeve. My friend had the sleeve six weeks prior to my RNY and she was eating turkey at 6 weeks after where I couldn't eat hardly anything. Good luck and I pray that God gives you the strength and the courage to see this journey all the way through and that your life will be healthy and happy from this day forward.

I had to do a three week pre-op diet of only protein shakes.  It began the two weeks before Christmas, as my surgery was scheduled for New Year's Eve.  The first few days were hell.  I was sure I was starving.  I had a headache.  I felt weak and tired.  I was a diabetic -- so I was sure I was going too low.  I felt sick -- I would have thoughts about how I "needed my strength to get through the holidays." -- I toyed with the idea that "just on Christmas, I could have some goodies."

I was going through withdrawal.   

Just like any other addict.  

All my life, food was my go-to.  Sad?  Eat something.  Happy?  Celebrate with a treat.  Lonely?  Go out to dinner with friends and family.  Bored?  Eat mindless in front of the tv.  Everything in my life was centered around food.  And, the fatter I became, the less options I had to do anything else.

You see, that's the thing about addictions.  They sneak up on you.  No one ever says, "I hope I am super morbidly obese one day!"  Just like no wishes to be an alcoholic, chain-smoker or heroin addict.  But still, the addiction comes and takes a lot of the rest of your life from you.

The pre-op diet is hard.  Really, really hard.  You will find a lot of people "cheat" on the pre-op diet -- or tell you it isn't necessary.  But here's my take -- this is YOUR time to really examine your relationship with food.  This is your time to say, "you know what?  I am WORTH more than the moment of eating something!"  I learned a lot about myself in that pre-op time -- not all of it pretty.  But I also learned that I am strong and capable -- and that I could fight this addiction and get my life back.

Has it been worth it?  Absolutely.  Every single medical co-morbidity I had is gone.  I can DO ANYTHING -- go anywhere and be comfortable.  I have a much better chance of dancing at my little boy's wedding. 

Every day, I make the conscious choice to address my addiction to food.  It's work -- definitely.  But to answer your question:  YES, it is worth it.  2.9 years out -- my only regret is that I didn't have the courage to do it sooner.  

You are worth it.  You got this.  

This is the best answer anyone could write. Ever.

I am speechless. Your answer was riveting and inspirational. Please tell me that you blog or write and have shared your thoughts. You NEED to do this for the world! You would help so many people. 

Oh boy, you hit the nail on the head about addiction and how this pre op diet has brought out some things that I didn't know about myself and really challenged me. I am able to SEE now how my habits had been eating more for psychological reasons than actual hunger. How often am I hungry? Well, now.....appropriately so, but how often did I feel this before I started this whole bariatric process? Um.....I realize now I never allowed myself to feel hungry because of all the feelings that come out of not stuffing them down.  

I need to sit with your words more tonight and process them more because reading them has given me incredible pause and shifted something emotional inside of me. All the feels!!!!

Thank you.  I am truly glad it helped you.  

 Thanks for sharing that.....

Your day is almost here. Congratulations on taking control of your health and taking this big step. The pre op diet truly is the hardest part,but it's also a chance to see home focused you are on food. I am an emotional eater and every day even 4 years post op it is a struggle. I would eat if I was happy to celebrate,eat if I was bored,eat if I was sad or worried. You name the emotion and the plan was to eat. My surgery 4 years ago was the best decision I ever made. I had daily knee and back pain,high cholesterol and triglycerides,was diabetic and had uncontrolled high blood pressure on three pills.  I was out of breath going down my basement steps.  I weighed 273 pounds and wore a tight size 28. I was to an early death like both my parents who were brittle diabetics. Today I weigh 118 to 120 pounds at 5 feet 6 inches and have been this weight for almost 31/2 years. I wear a size 0 or 1 and walk over 3 miles a day with my dog for exercise and fun. This is after a lifetime of being obese even as a child. I can now buy nice clothes at any store,not worry about fitting in a booth and frequently get called "tiny". It's still about choices. Good choices keep my weight where it is and bad choices see the scale climbing. I still weigh and measure my food at home,track protein and calories and weigh daily. I credit my success at losing and keeping the weight off to these steps and to my participation here on OH and the accountability it forces. I post my food plan daily and my weight every day that I am at home. If I can do this you can too if you're willing to address the issues and do the work. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery and get ready for an amazing Journey! Before and after pictures to follow.