Do I have to give up soda/cookies/pizza/pasta after surgery???

I don’t believe there is such a thing as stupid questions. But I do believe some questions need to be put into context.

 

I hear many questions from folks who are pre-op and I wonder to myself if they’ve thought of the bigger picture. I know these things are important to us. And some of the things you are told you  may have to give up seem like the whole world. But I think if you look at the grand scheme of things, the “Can I never have X again???" questions may seem a bit…trivial, maybe?

 

Again, not to judge anyone!!! Because believe me you if someone had told me that beef and I would become mortal enemies post-op I would have definitely taken pause. But I encourage you to think about all the benefits you could have. Better health. Fitness. Decreased (or disappeared) diabetes symptoms. Reduced medications. The possibility of more self-confidence. Finally working out your head issues (if you so choose). Being an active participant in your own life

 

Beside all those things, is a diet soda really that important? Like, really?

 

If that doesn’t work for you think of some of the other ill things you could be giving up along with your vices. You could be giving up hypertension, heart problems, diabetes. You could give up shortness of breath. Bladder control problems, infertility. You could be giving up plus sized clothing stores and feeling like your life is completely passing you by. You could give up cringing every time you see a photo of yourself. You could be giving up sexual frigidity. You could be giving up a lifetime of being ostracized and judged (possibly).

 

In light of all that, does a cookie seem so important?

 

I just write this to empower thought. Again (at full risk of sounding like a broken record) it is not a judgment on what you’ll miss about your pre-op life. Just an encouragement that giving up these small things MAY not be the end of the world when you are looking at the bigger picture.

Is WLS right for YOU? I have no idea. But in the pro’s/con’s list, I can say with much confidence there are far more worthy con’s than the sacrifice of our vices.

 

I was a ice cream junkie.  No kidding, it was my crack.  Now, if I have a little bit too much I dump like a truck.  Is it worth it? No.  Would I do this surgery again in light of that? Oh Yeah, and I'd do it again in a heart beat.  I am a normal size person today with normal size problems.  No diabetes, no high blood presure, etc. Life is good.

I can eat a lot of junk after surgery but I cannot eat ice cream. I get an immediate sick queasy feeling. It doesn't even catch my eye anymore.

I was a little sad about giving up pizza.  This week I made the lil ones pizza with grands biscuts.  (yummy) and I wanted one, but i knew better. So instead I took 2 spoons of pizza sauce, a small grab of cheese and a couple pc of turkey peporoni and heated it up and ate it.  It was just as good as pizza with none of the guilt. 

My point is, most things you can figure out a way to make them so that it works with you, and my body loves me for it.  :)

You won't have to give it up forever unless it really just doesn't sit well and the consequences of how you feel deter you.

I can eat one slice of pizza with no problems.  The pizza toppings work just as well without the crust and in a few months this possibly will be something you'd be willing to try.

This is a great post...

I know I'm a newbie and my surgery is coming soon. This is maybe a common question for us, but for me not in a bad way but to educate myself on what goes bye bye and what I can have.

It seems like you have to be creative when making meals sometimes, and I also hear that sometimes you can treat yourself without losing control. I will be asking plenty of food questions soon, as I am trying to learn as much as I can. Thank to all you veterans who give advice and keep it real because we need it.

You guys are awesome....Thanks for all the support!

I haven't given up anything.  Sure I did initially out of surgery during the time when I wanted to maximize the weight loss and my pouch was so tiny eating was difficult I didn't drink or eat things that wasted the precious pouch space.

At 7 years out I can eat anything I want, albeit in MUCH smaller quantities than I did before surgery.  I don't dump very easily so eating sweets is OK occassionally also.

I've had all of those things since my surgery, but for the first time in my life, in moderation... thank God.

Great post and very needed for newbies to understand and not see this as a quick fix.  This is a TOOL to be used as other tools in your life.  Tools don't build the item you do, the tool just makes it easier to build and that is what WLS is all about.  I am soooo happy I did this and it was a right decision for me.  But it might not be for everyone that is overweight.  It is up to you to decide if you can make the life change that is required to help you be successful.

I feel like I am an extreme case sometimes because I have chosen to give up eating those things but the point is I choose to, I wasn't forced to.  I can eat anything I want any time I want to, if I am willing to pay the price tags.  And I did for many years.  I just got to the point where it wasn't worth it any more.  I also realized that surgery or not I would have to give up some things if I wanted to have a better life.  I didn't give those things up because I had surgery.  God knows I didn't give up a thing with my first WLS and I failed miserably.  The surgery has just helped me to this point be able to give up the things that were causing me so much pain and unhappiness.  The benefits of being able to eat a piece of cake whenever I wanted (and it was never a piece anyway) were so few and the benefits of not eating those things are so much better.  And I really can't think of a thing I really miss.  I can have pizza whenever I want.  I just make it with a cauliflower crust.  There are sugar free, gluten free cookies and bread and other things I can eat if I want.  I gave up soda long before I had my revision and have never missed it.  
I choose not to look at what I can't have but what I do have.  Most of all I have my health back.  I feel better physically then I ever did.