required support group meeting failure

last night i went to the required support group meeting for my insurance to cover the WLS.... and all i can say is WOW !


everything that i have learned from my own research and from what all of my wonderful friends on OH have told me is totally differant then what the people at the support group have told me... so now i am torn on what to do , cancell this whole process towards WLS or beleive what they said and go on ??


here's what they said ...


NO sugar not even splenda..

NO carbs not even tiny amts...

NO fats

NO caffeine in any amts.


and the list goes on and on!



i have been reading up on OH and a few other sites and i have read that ifyou can tolerate any of those listed above then they are ok to have in very very small amounts...


so i guess on holidays i can't have a super small holiday meal ( healthy of course) and no super small peices of cake on my childrens bdays ??? 


i hope that i can get this cleared up because i feel i may be misguided or the pple at the support group were just a bunch of liars as they knew there were a ton of newbies there !

Interesting. Never heard those "No's" at my support group. Maybe they were preaching to the newbies as in "do as I say, not as I do". No idea but totally unrealistic and not true either.

--gina

thanks gina...


i have read so many posts on here that other people can have those foods in severe moderation and have had no problems at all... i am going to have the surgery and follow the guidlines provided by the NUT and go from there....

I agree with Price. You will have to find the plan that works for you. Maybe you can have a tiny piece of cake and maybe you cant
't and STILL LOSE. This is a big key. Some people can eat in moderation aand still lose I,personally,can't. I am addicted to carbe and a tiny piece of cake sends me over the edge not to mentiom stopping my weight loss.

You will have to take what you can use from every resource,including the support group and make a plan yopu can live with and lets you lose.

GL

No offense meant but I have a horrible time reading your post in the color it is in.  I guess it is old eyes, but it makes responding difficult if you aren't sure about the original post.

I haven't had a problem with any foods that I have tried.  Of course, I watch what I eat and if you will read on Miles and Menus, we eat carbs, sugar, fat, and just about everything.  Even though I don't seem to have an issue with sugar, I still use splenda mostly. I still do caffine and alcohol on very, very rare occasions. Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese have carbs naturally as do veggies and fruit.  You may find you are sensitive to sugar alcohols, or dairy or chicken or whatever after surgery and you certainly can't go eating with abandonment, however, most folks can tolerate a wide range of foods in time.

Support groups vary from place to place, time to time.  I wouldn't write them totally off after one meeting.

I agree with Price.  What you can eat varies from person to person.  I haven't had any problem with any foods except scrambled eggs.  I can eat just about anything I want.  I just have to watch the portions, how fast I eat, and chew.  I don't know about everyone else, but I had this surgery to get healthy and for me part of healthy is eating as normal as possible.  So, on special occasions I have had a small piece of cake.  I drink coffee, but I do stay away from soft drinks, diet or otherwise.  The few sacrifices I've had to make are well worth how I feel now.

Sue

 I agree with everyone else.

I was horrified at the thought of never celebrating with a piece of cake.  But, I did, and I do!  Ice Cream does not work for me, but cake is fine.  I know some people can't tolerate it.  But that's the gamble we take.  

I too have given up soft drinks and almost all of the sugary mess that got me here in the first place.  But that's not a bad thing.  
Follow your instincts.   If you think this surgery isn't for you, then you might be right.  
It's a big deal.  And it takes a LOT of sacrifices to make it work.  

Good luck with your decision.  We support you either way.

Hi,

I think my guidelines are pretty flexible. They do state once you are on regular foods (as I am now) that protein will always come first, then veggies, then fruits. We can have whole wheat grains, but they do not have bread on my list, but can have low carb wraps. When I asked about Bryer's smart carb ice cream bars they said no, but I do have them once in a while. Their theory is that even low carb, sugar free or low fat ice cream is a slippery slope, and then I may start having more and more of those foods. So, when I do have my carb smart bar, I try to be mindful of that so I don't fall off that slope.

Basically, they state that if the first 3 ingredients have sugar in it, then to avoid it.

I, too, don't want to NEVER be able to have dessert, etc, but I realize that when that time comes, it will have to be special occasions only, and not to make every day a special occasion.

I had an interesting conversation with my NUT about Weigh****chers, as I do feel their new program is very healthy, and will probably go back to meetings at some point. My NUT said that Weigh****chers is a great program, and that I can do that, but not to get into the mindset that as long as I use my points I can eat whatever I want. I had said that I wanted to eat like a normal person & he said by my saying that I didn't get it. I will never be able to eat as a "normal" person. I need to set limits for myself and avoid foods that are big triggers for me (white sugar & white flour). So I try and keep those words in mind that I am not "normal" where food is concerned.

Also, interestingly, I had been a BIG diet Coke drinker & coffee drinker. I stopped both before surgery cause I didn't want to deal with withdrawal headaches and recovering from surgery. I used to get migraines a lot, and since I am not drinking them I have not had as many migraines.

Sorry this is so long. Just some of my thoughts as I am beginning my new life!

Good luck in whatever you choose.

thanks ladies for all of your input on this , i have decided to go ahead still with the surgery and i am willing to make any and  all food sacrifices that i need to in order to make this whole weight loss journey happen..

Tanya
You need to do what is workable, and you should also be aware that avoiding the items on the list are necessary for some folks.  I know for me, that sugar will give me hypogylcemic issues if I haven't had it in a long time.  Caffiene irriates my pouch, I developed a total intolerance to sugar alcohols and lactose, so many artificial sweetners and cheese is off limits.  From previous diets, I know that if I eat fat after I haven't had it for a few weeks, it will give me trouble too.   So it's all about what you can tolerate.  But you shouldn't expect to tolerate all foods that you enjoyed pre-surgery.