Let's Fess-Up Boys!!!

Here is one positive thing that has happened to me since surgery. Anytime that I have revisited some of my past loves (pizza, burgers, Arby's, McDonald's etc. etc.)  I have come away from it unsatisfied and feeling bad in my tummy. The taste wasn't ever the same as I remember it being.  I'm so grateful for that!  My love for coffee still abounds, and thank God that wasn't taken away from me!  Though it took some time to get used to because the caffeine went straight into my system too fast post-op. I didn't like it at first because less than a cup sent me for a loop. Now, one or 2 cups is plenty... and I like the boost.

i dont count anything.  I eat foods that agree with me and small portions at that.  I find that i dont have the appetite that I used to have, and I dont have any carb cravings.  Carbs make me feel ill anyway.  I also consume 3 slimfast high protien bars per day.  I really like them, and they go down well.  My Lunch every day is 3/4 cup of nice Spicy chili.  My dinner is a small portion of meat, and a small salad.  I only drink water, apple juice and V-8.  Some times Ill Make a sandwich with whole wheat or rye, w/ a meat, cheese, or peanutbutter.  I had a few Reeses peanut butter cups since my surgery, and some peanut m&m's.  I've also had some very small slices of pumpkin pie. I am only 3 months out now.  I've lost 83 pounds so far, so I dont have any guilt. THE KEVINATOR.

The problem with wanting to be normal is normal made me fat.  If you don't use the first year to change old habits and form new healthy ones I think you will gain in the years following.  I was surprised how easy it was to loose the weight early on.  I was also surprised at how many people never really changed their eating and ended up obese again.  I don't know if you have been to a support group meeting lately, but it is scares the crap out of me every time I hear someone talk about how they stretched their pouch back out and got fat again. I have completely changed my lifestyle.  Normal was chili-cheese dogs and fries.  Burgers and pizza.  Now normal is chicken, fish, oatmeal, protein shakes.  I know we all fall down.  Of course I have had the occasional crappy food, but that is the exception and not the rule.  I don't track my calories or my protein, but I always read labels and I weigh myself every day. I really do wish you the best of luck.  The beginning is really exciting.  You are not hungry and you loose weight like crazy.  Just be prepared that things change.  The hunger will return and the human body has an incredible ability to heal and compensate.  Dwight

Hi Dwight!

I can say my habits have changed as much as one can possibly change. I now longer eat a whole pizza followed by ice cream.  I no longer order 2 submarine sandwiches and a couple a sodas. I don't go to all-u-can-eat buffets. I don't eat sweets!  I don't drink soda. And the list goes on forever!  Nobody can keep their old habits once they have the surgery. I defy anyone to possibly do it! I would be dead! One more thing!  Stretching the pouch from eating too much is more of a disproven theory than a proven. Most likely these people are just grazing all day on food. They didn't stretch their pouches!

The truth is (in my opinion), after you've safely gotten below goal and you're sure you can continue with exercising, water, protein and fiber intake (every three hours for each, if possible), you can eat just about anything in addition to that and not gain weight.

Recap:

1. Exercise several times a week

2. Drink water 15 minutes before you eat (16-32 oz)

3. Eat high protein food followed by high fiber food.

I was drinking a half gallon of grape juice and a quart of skim milk a day and not gaining weight. How's that for going off the wagon?

These days I'm pretty good, though but I have a healthy carb load for two evening meals a week. Rest of the time, I'm on low carb.

Dave

From someone who didn't lose as much as they wanted to, but realizes that it's my own fault, I can tell you honestly that the people who get to goal and beyond and also maintain past the honeymoon period generally DO stick pretty strictly to what they know they should do, learn the right way to use the WLS tool, drink water religiously, exercise, deal with the "head part" of why we eat, etc. They fail every now and again, but don't make a habit of it. Those of us who don't, IN GENERAL, fall down somewhere along that list on a semi-regular basis, either by choice or by kidding ourselves. There are people who have medical issues that regain because of that, but in a lot of cases, it's either not choosing to exercise (not MAKING the time), not drinking enough water, eating things we know we shouldn't or more than we should (and often paying the price by dumping or having pain from overeating or throwing up afterwards).. All that being said, there's always the potential to get back on the wagon (so to speak) after you've fallen off, even post-honeymoon. There are some ways to help re-tune the tool (ie: pouch) and even though you only get the "honeymoon" once, you can get back to re-losing more than 18 mos-2 years post op - it's just harder. Anyways, that's my 2 cents/babbling... Like everything else in life how far you go with it is always a personal choice, and a personal balance between being obsessed (which some are) and ignoring it (which some do), and each person has to find their own way to do it to get to whatever goal they decide.  ...Nick

It's true - try the reverse pyschology method. Even eat something like ground chicken or ground meat with veggies every 2.5 hours, after water like clockwork.

Make it impossible to feel deprived, see if you can make yourself sick of that little ration of food you're eating every 2.5 hours.

Best Wishes,

Dave

I agree with you guys and It's causing me to rethink how this is going to play long term. Grant it I have changed my habits drastically, and I have lost 80 pounds in 4 months out of the 100 I wanted to lose total, but I could be fooling myself into thinking this is always going to be this easy. I think a more conscious effort towards protein, exercise, and fluid intake has to be predominent for my lasting success. Thanks for your help guys!

  I posted before on the DS board of how ashamed I felt at our surgeon's recent U.S. patient  reunion and presentation this past September in Atlanta.     The event was held at an Ebassy Suites there over 3 days, and, as you may know if you have recently stayed at an ES, they throw the biggest free breakfast spread you have ever seen for their guests of late .. We're talking made to order eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, omlettes, [[;is a bar featuring all kinds of hot and cold b/f cereals, fruits, yogurt, even a heated bakery case with toast, muffins, doughnuts, bagels, etc. etc.      The shame came in seeing what some of my fellow DSers (myself included) would eat off the bar, instead of the protein heavy things like eggs, omlettes and meats .. I remember seeing one eating a big bowl of the very sweet granola cereal (some of the best I ever ate, too, I have to confess) and another eating a big bagel ..  both are verbotten carbs for us DSers (not to mention the runs and bad gas they can cause) ..  I esp. recall one of our group members slyly remarking to us - before our doc and his wife joined us that a.m. - "if only Dr. A. could see how we REALLY eat!" ..  I even caught one fellow patient  munching on a mini-box of Sugar Frosted Flakes during Dr. A.'s actual presentation .. !   Sure enough, whenever we would go dine out as a group w. the doctor,  though,, everyone would order steak, fish or chicken, or chomp demurely on salads ..  putting on the proper "show" of their best eating behavior  ..   So yes ..  "cheating" goes on all the time post-op ..   It almost seems to be expected ..   (ugh!)