Question:
Pre-Op - Will I be able to really eat normal foods?
My surgery is 5 days away and I'm freaking out cause I love food... it's been part of my family, growing up, eating until we all have to sit on the couch and yell, "I ate too much" and I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to eat again or ever be satisfied. My Mom is making a sauce and meatballs today and I'm on a liquid diet... I want that stuff, ya know? — Tina31507 (posted on March 18, 2007)
March 18, 2007
I am not far enough out to say you won't ever be able to eat it again...but
with changes before we are finished we can have almost anything in
moderation or so I am told.
But I want to tell you I made my hubby eat all the stuff I couldn't stand
while I was on my pre-diet. It is cruel to be fixing your favorite foods
when you are on liquid diet IMHO.
As for after surgery, I don't know about anyone else but I am 5 days out
and food doesn't even sound good. I am not eating because I am hungry I am
eating because I have to! I don't know how long this will last but as far
as I am concerned the longer the better!
Good luck with your surgery!
— CarolynK
March 18, 2007
hey Tina i am 7 weeks out ..your not going to be able to eat alot of foods
for few months ..i am eating 2oz at a time and very little bits ...i know
for a fact i can't eat bread are pasta thats per my dr. you should talk to
your doctor about it if your not sure this is for u .. this its a tool
help you to eat right and help u loss te weight this no joke sugery wants
u get it done there its no turning back beleave me i have cry and said to
my self why did i do this to my self but i have loss 40 pounds so far .. i
am glaid i got this surgery it saved my life i had a lot of health
problems ... ok well i think u really need to talk to your dr. about this
because you never really can eat the same as youi do now !!live to live not
to live for food !!!
Roxanne320-40=280
— Roxanne Piligno
March 18, 2007
I know exactly how you feel. I am 3 months + post op. I remember thinking,
before the surgery, that I would hate to "eat to live" instead of
"living to eat." Eating and food is such a huge part of my family
as well, and I loved eating. I felt like, God made food for us to enjoy.
The problem is that, we are getting addicted to food and to the feeling of
being full, at least that's how it was for me. Unfortunately, my metabolism
wouldn't keep up with my habit!
The first month post op was so horrible. I would cry and cry because I
would HAVE to eat something, but everything tasted terrible, and I didn't
feel like eating. Plus, my head hunger was awful. I would remember the
feeling of Dr. Pepper going down my throat, or the feeling and taste of
cake in my mouth, and I would think about all those times when I would eat
ice cream straight out of the container. I wasn't really hungry, but I was
so sad. I had to say goodbye to a good friend. I even wrote a poem about
missing my old pal, food!
But, now that I have mastered eating...and it IS like a full time job...it
is so much easier. It's especially awesome when I have some really good
days with my protein, and I can see the difference on the scale, in the
mirror and while putting on my clothes. I love it. For the first two
months, I wouldn't have recommended the surgery to my worst enemy, but now
that I feel and look so great, I can say with all honesty that I would
definitely do it again!
Good luck with your surgery, and remember to do everything they tell you to
do...vitamins and water are the most important!
Cherie~268/194/160 (start weight/current weight/goal weight)
— Cheriehott
March 18, 2007
Ahh I cried as I ate my very last thing, a gooey chocolate chip cookie, it
was yummy I feared like you NEVER being able to regular food again. For the
first month its tough, but as your new tummys swelling goes down it gets
easier. By one month I ate porterhouse steak, a 1 inch cube, 3 or 4 peas
and a teaspoon of mashed potatoes and gravy at a family gathering. I was
nervous with everyone watching:( Over time most can eat limited quanties of
nearly anything. Our realtionship of food being the center of our world
helped get us in trouble in the first place. I still like food but its not
the be all of end all:) You WILL be saying I ate too much, but will have
eaten little. This summer I will be 6 years out. WLS is the BEST DECISION I
EVER MADE.
— bob-haller
March 18, 2007
Hi Tina..You Are Not Alone!I'm four months out and Food was my world.The
good thing about the surgery is that, eventually you will be able to eat
just about anything.A smaller tummy won't let you overeat.At first it's
hard because you do think that you won't be able to enjoy food again.Be
careful..be very careful, because you don't want to regain your weight that
you do lose.Folks on this site have even admitted to gaining their weight
back over time, if they aren't mindful of their eating. The positive side
of it all is that you'll have to learn to enjoy Smaller portions.Some time
after surgery you may find that a small amount of something you really
enjoy, can satisfy you.I'm blessed to be able to eat what I want,just in
smaller portions. Also learn to listen to your body when it tells you that
you're full/satisfied.It's very hard to do, as Head Hunger is now my worst
enemy. Every day it's a struggle.I love seeing the results, as you will
too.In the long run..I don't want to say that I had WLS surgery and gained
all my weight back in a couple of years.Use the tool you will be given and
shoot for moderation down the road.Best of luck to you.
— purnellj
March 18, 2007
Hello, I know exactly what you are going through, I too, grew up all around
food. I am Italian, and my most favorite food in the whole world is
PASTA!!!, PASTA!!!, PASTA!!!...........but I made up my mind that pasta has
what made me fat, and now I am committed to a healthier
lifestyle...........I had LapBand surgery the end of Dec. 06, and giving up
food and being on the liquid diet was not too bad for me, thank God, and I
did still have to cook for my family. And I didn't deprive them of
anything, because I feel it is my problem, not there's, so I would cook and
when they were eating, I would go in the other room. YOU CAN AND WILL DO
IT.
Please just have faith and believe in yourself, because it is worth it. I
have lost 40 lbs. and I absolutely love how I feel. I would rather feel
this way than eating the way I used to and being FAT!
You will see how much better you will feel. And I have to say, I do eat
pasta every now and then, but I don't over-eat anymore, and it doesn't
appeal to me the way it did before either. So, eventually you will be able
to eat what you want, but you have to control your portions, but take it
slow, and get used to this new way of eating, and it will pay off, I
promise!!! Nothing feels better than feeling thinner, lol. I also see a
nutrisionist once a month, and I have joined a gym, and I really am high on
myself, lol, I haven't felt this good about myself in such a long time. I
still have a ways to go, maybe another 40 to 50 lbs., but I WILL do it, and
so will you. My name is Maryann, and my e-mail is [email protected].......
I am 59 yrs. young, married for 37 yrs. have 3 grown boys, 2 are married,
each with 1 child, both are boys too, and I have the most wonderful 2
daughters-in-law, who I love just as if they were my own. We are all very
close, along with our extended family too. I feel God has blessed me with
all this, and I thank God every day.
Well, I think I took up enough of your time, now I want to wish you GOOD
LUCK on your up and coming surgery. I would really like to hear how you are
doing. I am new to this site, and my site name is nonna2, so you just hang
in there and you will do just fine. Take good care, and I will hope to hear
from you soon.
Best wishes, Maryann (aka-nonna2) lol.
— nonna2
March 18, 2007
Like you, food has been the center of my universe my whole life... my
family fed you if you were sad, mad, happy, had a bad day, had a good day,
celebrations, or just to eat. My surgeon put it very bluntly when I made
the decision to have RNY:" are you ready to let go of your best friend
who's been secretly doing you in this whole time? ".. And my answer
was a resounding YES... I was finally ready.... not only that, but I don't
want my 3-year-old daughter to get in the same vicious circle of eating all
the time and being morbidly obese. I was ready to stop the cycle and live,
instead of slowly killing myself with food. I am almost 12 weeks post op
and down 97 lbs and feeling great. I went through about a month of
"mourning" for food. I cried when my husband ate a cheeseburger
and fries. My surgeon instructed me to be on liquid-only diet for 2 months
after surgery, and I did. It was hard, but conditioned me properly for my
new way of eating. Now I have little TINY bites of something I like... and
I'm talking, just a taste, because for the most part I still stick to the
soft, soft foods because after getting sick a few times from not chewing
well enough, I NEVER want to feel that way again. I guess what I'm trying
to tell you is that while it may be really hard in the beginning to
"let go" of the hold that food has on you, in the long run you
will be so happy you did... it will no longer have power over you , and
that is a wonderful feeling.... plus, when you start to see and feel the
results it will only make you feel positive that you did the right thing.
Best wishes! And e-mail me anytime you want to talk! Aaryn
[email protected]
— airbear762000
March 18, 2007
Mentally, you should be prepared for surgery.....while going through
education classes and support group, I had given up soda, starting portion
control and watched serving sizes. It was amazing - 30 lbs. dropped before
surgery. The liquid diet phase was hard the first day - when of course,
like anything else, they tell you - you can't have something or do
something and of course you mind plays tricks on you and you WANT to do or
eat or go where ever it is they say you can't. I craved a Big Mac. I hate
McDonalds. Right there I made a decision, it was mind over matter. I cooked
for my husband while in the liquid phase, I got to a point that the smell
of the food satisfied the "craving". At the office the girls
would pop popcorn and it would steal my wool. Being mentally prepared is
the best thing you can do for yourself. You have to change your mindset -
you don't live to eat- you will need to eat to live. Regarding ever being
able to eat again - you will, I promise. I can't say when or how or to what
degree....my first few weeks were HARD - starting to introduce new soft
foods was a bit challengeing and I had one or two dumping episodes when I
combined items I had never combined before and the mixture made me sick. I
am over a month post-op and am eating regular food - granted it is a
fraction of what I used to eat and now where near a whole meal to say the
least. I order soup. I order chicken tacos and eat the chicken and beans. I
order pasta. I order sushi. I made meals at home from good for you
cookbooks and the whole family benefits from me making more health
conscience decisions. My life is back to normal...the only thing that
changed is that I take more vitamins, more times a day and I take a shot of
liquid protein 2-4 times a day depending upon my food intake. and instead
of eating a full plate of food, I eat 1/4 of a salad plate. Again, I am a
month out, so this will increase, but...the bottomline is - you will be
able to eat the sauce and meatballs again...and before you know it. Good
luck honey!
— jammerz
March 18, 2007
I also know what you are feeling. I am 5 weeks post op. I am Italian and
food is always being cooked and shoved onto our plates faster than we could
eat it growing up. I had the same concerns you do. During my dietian
appt. she told me of a cook book that had some great recipes to keep on
track. It is called "EATING WELL AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY" BY
PATT LEVINE and MICHELE BONTEMPO-SARAY. It has tips, suggestions, serving
guidlines for whichever surgery you have, and the
calorie;protein;fat;carb;fiber breakdown of each recipe. It has italian to
indian to mexican recipes in it. I have tried a few and they are really
simple and they are so good. There is a lasagna recipe in there that is
awesome!!! There are even soups to help with the first few weeks post op.
I got mine at Barns & Nobel. It was the best thing I picked up before
I went into surgery.
I was really skeptical about it but the author has had weight loss surgery
and the other is a Nutritionist.
Good luck with your surgery.
— hugger1021
March 18, 2007
Thank you ALL SO MUCH for responding to my question!! I feel a lot better.
I was really having big issues with this yesterday and today and you have
all calmed my nerves. I almost thought the question was rather SAD asking
people if I can eat my best friend FOOD again!! lol
For those of you who graciously gave me your email - I will certainly keep
in touch and let you know how I'm doing. I hope this week goes by fast,
and I truly hope I can be there for someone when they need some support
like you all have been for me! Thank you again!!!
Tina
— Tina31507
March 18, 2007
I'm 12.5 yrs out. Tonight for dinner, sauce and meatballs (not as good as
yours, sounds like, but they'll do). I'll have a top of 4 meat balls. We
use angel hair vs spaghetti. I'll have the equivalent of a salad bowl?
Like Bob, I ADORE gooey choco chip cookies! And I can HAVE all I want, as
soon as I'm willing to wear a size 28 again. Yes, they'd make me sick
before that, but if I cheat small and often, I'll get the sugar and pay
the price in regain. It all comes down to choices. Largely, I eat regular
food. Fat won't make me fat again, only sugar will, so I'm careful with
sugar (including natural sugars, gained 8# from too much fruit), avoid
milk, and do not graze. I take more protein in supplements and vitamins
than most ppl do, but I'm still in my goal range after all this time. My
only regains have been (in case you missed it) from SUGAR!
— vitalady
March 18, 2007
15 months later, and I can eat pretty much anything. However, it all comes
in small portions. In the end though, having RNY is not the cure for what
got you where you are. It is simply a tool used to get your weigtht down
and get your health back. YOU have to make the next step. Figure out why
you are eating. Why do you want food. If you dont get a handle on those
things, you will be exactly where you are right now.
Best wishes and a speedy recovery.
Chris
— CChappell
March 18, 2007
I'm almost 4 weeks out and I know what you mean. My younger sister is
getting remarried in about 3 months and I will be going home for the
wedding. The home of Southern Maid donuts; Whataburger; and Mom's Peach
Cobbler. Will I be able to sample any of these things -- I'm don't know.
Am I going to at least try one or two bites -- you betcha. Otherwise I
will be have. I love food too so I feel you. We stopped at the Rite-Aid
and I was asked what I wanted and I jokingly said a bag of Jalapeno Chips
(which I'd purchase from time to time); however, they are carbs and spicy
and too hard -- maybe in about another 6-8 months; but for right now I'm
behaving. However, I do supplement my desire for spicy food with pepper
jack cheese.
— the7thdean
March 18, 2007
I know how you feel, but you'll be O.K. You will be able to eat again. I
am 3 1/2 months out, and meatballs and sauce (i make low fat chicken or
turkey ones) are a staple food. I don't do the pasta part. As you loose
weight and feel better you wont miss food as a friend. Good Luck!
— robinmarra
March 18, 2007
Hi Tina, I am so glad you wrote. You share the burden of many an obese
person. You have quite the battle on your hands. I am glad for you that
you are able to have the surgery, but Tina, I want to be very frank and
honest with you. You need to count the cost of what you are about to go
through and see if you are ready for such a change in your life. On the
plus side..............I am 3 years out, and did most of my protein intake
after the liquid portion with food. I decided within myself that I was not
going to live on liquid protein, and that God gave me food to enjoy, not
abuse, but enjoy. This way of life has been excellent for me. I used
cottage cheese, eggs, and other great sources of protein to get it in, I
drink milk and other things that give me the protein I need. At 3 years
out, there is not much that I cannot eat. I eat all meats and foods that I
desire, and any sweets in small portions and in moderation. It is a real
success story for me. I have come to realize that Obesity is a head issue
with a body consequence. Even though I really wasn't hungry much at all,
the lust for food is huge, and you are gonna feel like you have to eat,
that you are starving, that you might die from lack of eating, it is all
tricks in your head to convince you of a lie you have been telling youself
for years. Eating like you do is sinful and the consequences have shown up
in your body. Are you ready to address that and change? Please count the
cost and be sure you are ready for battle, because honey, in respect, it
will be a big battle.
On the negative side...............The lust for food is just huge. At
first you won't be able to eat a lot. I have met women that have been able
to eat full sandwiches just a month or so out of surgery. It takes a long
time, but they did it. If that is your goal, I will tell you that each of
those women never got satisfaction from their surgery. They are pretty
much close to their pre-surgery weight now and miserable from surgery and
their rebellion over food and it's consequences. That picture can be you.
If you choose to make your goal to be that you want to return to "I
ate too much" on the couch, then you will be able to return to that,
and be miserable and close to the weight you are now. If you enjoy the
honeymoon period, and celebrate the small successes you get each day after
surgery, and obey the advice of your surgeon, do what you need to, which is
quite simple, protein, water, exercise. These are the three primary
things. Do these three things, begin walking right away. You are having
surgery at a perfect time of year. I was 2 weeks out and began to walk 2
miles a day at this time of year (March 16th is my date). By summer I was
walking 5 miles a day, half in the morning and half at night. I now spount
a size 4/6 and have kept my weight off, and eat most anything I really
want. I could not ask for more, but the work was hard, and the dedication
was tough. I gave up soda and other pleasures to enjoy the weight loss.
Soda will not help you at all, not for a long time. At 3 years out I have
1 or 2 sodas per week, but I only gave myself soda after 2 1/2 years of
post op care. Protect your pouch if you choose surgery. Protect it like a
newborn child need protection. It will be the best tool ever if you use it
and keep it in good condition. If you abuse it like you have abused your
eating habits, as long as you have been (whatever time that may be), your
continued abuse will cause consequences that you wish had never been. You
will regret surgery and your body will not be forgiving.
Please count the cost, and be honest with yourself. There is a great team
of support out there, find it and fight for what you really want. If what
you really want is more food, then you are not ready for surgery at all.
If you are ready to walk away from the lust that has you captive, surgery
can be the best thing you every did for yourself. My profile is the story
of my walk, feel free to visit and see my walk. Seeing others helped me a
lot, and make me stubborn to walk by faith about this obesity I live with
and lust for food I struggle with. I wish you well, the decision is
strictly yours, and I hope you make the best choice for you. Just do it in
truth and with your eyes wide open. Take care, Patricia P.
— Patricia P
March 19, 2007
Aloha! You can eat anything you want.... IF you don't want to lose the
weight. Its all about changing your mindset. If you don't change your
mindset, then the surgery will be less successful. You read all the time
on this site about people who have gained weight 1,2,3 years out from RNY
or lapband. Its a lifelong journey and its about the commitmen to changing
your lifestyle. Its not easy to change things, like the way we eat. Just
consider, what is your reason for losing weight in the first place? Good
luck.
— gtali1954
March 19, 2007
I am 6 months out and have lost almost 90 lbs. Everyone feels the way you
do just before surgery. I no longer really care about food. What I do
like is that I work out 3 days a week, do not worry about whether there is
a parking space close up, or whether I have to walk uphill when on
vacation. I am 55 and now have a sex life better than I did at 25!
I could go on and on about the way the RNY has changed my life, and the
life of my wife as well. I no longer mourn the fact that I cannot eat huge
quantities of pasta and meatballs. The one meatball covered in cheese that
I can eat always is a bit of heaven to me. I do however have nightmares
about someday being able to eat again. Over and over again I see on these
posts that people one year or two years out are trying not to gain back the
weight. I fear this more than never again having a double wopper six
dollar big mac with cheese inandout burger!
While your family should not have to change their habits because of you,
your mother could make this a little easier for you 5 days pre-op! Is she
obese?
— Ted R.
March 19, 2007
LOL - "Obese" is not a word we use in the Italian genre!! But
yes, everyone in my family could stand to lose a few (except my younger
sister... but she had a thyroid problem and she always stayed skinny.)
Actually, my family is very supportive, but we do tend to get together for
food. I'm actually feeling a lot better reading these posts!!
Although, I find it very strange, I feel like I have an angel and a devil
on my shoulders, each one yelling at me every half hour with complete
conviction on whether or not this surgery is for me. But, the more I read,
I am just like all of you... I have had a loving relationship with food my
entire life, and unless I want to get very sick, my lifestyle has to
change.
P.S. Mom said she'd make me meatballs in 2 months!!! LOL
— Tina31507
March 20, 2007
Hahaha....I love how you all "sit on the couch and yell I ate too
much"!!!!.....you'll still can do that too after surgery.....but it
will be after like 10 bites of protein food!!!! Best of luck with your
surgery.....you're going to LOVE your journey. Laura A.
— Laura A.
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