New Member! Concerns about after surgery

Hi All! I do not have a surgery date yet for my VSG, but I feel pretty sure it will be in April. The only thing that weighs so heavily on my mind and I'm worried about it, is after surgery when I'm able to eat regular food. I am worried I will go back to my old ways of mindless eating of whatever I want to eat and completely ruining what I have done to help myself. I worry that I will be that lazy. I know I have to determine the right thing to do in my mind and make changes, but...... :/ I think in the beginning will be ok. I'm thinking a year, two or three years down the road. My eating habits right now are absolutely horrible. There is no thought to anything I eat or the quantity of it. Sometimes I think I have a mental problem towards it. Did any of you feel this way???

you do have to monitor your eating for the rest of your life, or the weight will come back. A lot of people on here work with a therapist and find that helpful..

It's good to ponder these things. You will be able to eat, and you can certainly eat around this surgery by grazing and eating too many refined carbs. You will really have to soul search. Many of us have disorders (diagnosed or undiagnosed), that cause us to eat. Many are also successful in reaching their goal weight. It can be done. It takes a lot of effort, and you'll have ups and downs, but you can do it!

Maintenance is not easy. IMO, the surgery gives you three main advantages:

1. A head start on weight loss after the procedure due to reduced ability to eat while healing and an enhanced metabolism.
2. Time to develop better eating and excercise habits and tools to monitor them during the weight loss period. Some individual food preferences may change during this period as well.
3. A "tool" to restrict the amount that can be eaten at one time. But as noted by others it is ultimately possible to eat as many calories as previously by grazing or by eating the wrong foods (high caloric, quickly digested).

I definitely think your concerns are warranted. I was diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder after surgery, although I clearly had it before surgery.

The surgery only changes your stomach, and your stomach isn't what got you to obesity - your brain did that. So if you don't fix your brain in conjunction with the surgery, you will end up back where you are. I highly recommend working with a therapist to help you get your brain sorted out too!

Are you working with a dietitian or therapist now? I am in the pre stages, and my 4th and last dietitian appointment is this Thursday. Its very helpful as they show you what and how much and when to eat, and how to alter your current habits. And journal. If I wasn't ready, then she would have me keep seeing her until I proved I was ready (she told me in Jan I am ready and will sign off but insurance requires this last one.)

The therapist part may also be helpful.

I DO still worry about long term but one day at a time.

I am SCARED TOO but TRULY BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE. I have met people that have been SUCCESSFUL and other people that REGAINED the WEIGHT because they DIDN'T STICK to their DIET. I am EXCITED and TERRIFIED but think that we should get as MUCH SUPPORT as we CAN. I have my first teleconference appointment with the surgeon on Thursday.