The hardest thing I've had to write

[Nitasjourney]

Yesterday I had my consult with my dr. Let me start off by saying this he is awesome and agreed that the sleeves the right surgery for me. Now the sad truth. When I started my options class I was 274 lbs after a year of trying to lose weight. The starting weight the year prior was 311. The goal is to lose at least 10% of your weight. Instead of being close to 250 for my consult I was 301 pounds. My amazing surgeon made a deal with me get back down to atleast 275 and he will do my surgery. He signed me up for two week weight check ins with the nurse and told me when I drop that 25-26 pounds to give him a call and schedule the preop.

I had 3 months between the time my classes ended and my consult. Did I drop any weight no. I bounced on and off diets. I started a change of life and started eating clean two days before my consult and to be honest I have been doing well so hopefully I can drop this 25 pounds in no time with the meal plan he gave me.

Today is one of the hardest days it made me realize that food addiction is so real. I am following my 1200 cal diet but I feel like I'm going through withdrawals are something. Today has made me realize this is not going to be easy but it also showed me how strong I can be.

I will get this 25 pounds off and get my sleeve surgery. I CAN DO THIS

[Lisa73me]

Hi Sweetie,
Have you tried counting carbs instead of calories? Please look into the Atkins diet where you count carbs instead of calories. You should be able to drop that 25 pounds in a couple of months. Low-carb is the way that you'll have to eat after you get your sleeve anyway. The first few days you won't feel very well on a low-carb diet, but after that you will feel a whole lot better and your appetite will decrease. If you have never done a low-carb diet please look into it. I lost the weight twice on low-carb, but then I end up gaining it back. I have a bit of a food addiction I believe, but my biggest problem is portion control. That's why I'm going to get the sleeve. The reason I say the Atkins diet is because it's the most mainstream low-carb diet. There's also the Paleo diet. If you do the Atkins and follow it to a T, you can eat a lot if meat, cheese, eggs, and green leafy vegetables and still lose weight at a rate of about 10 pounds a month. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll even send you my phone number if you would like. Good luck Sweetie! Big hugs!

[Nitasjourney]

Thank you so much for your support. I have tried the no carb diet and gained right back after. I feel like I should finally just follow the exact meal plan the dr gave me. Bought enough for today but taking the list he gave me to the grocery store tomorrow to get the list of stuff he gave me

[Lisa73me]

Okay, just remember if the calorie diet is too hard to stick to, do the low-carb long enough to lose enough weight to get your surgery. If you've done it before, you know if you stick to it you'll lose that 25 pounds and no time. I think both of us will be fine once we have the surgery, I honestly believe that in my heart... Good luck to you, please let me know how you're doing, I'll send you a friend request!

[Pam G]

It's Ike Lisa said, low carb is what you'll have to do the rest of your life, so if you can't stick to it now, how will you do it after the sleeve! Something to think about....

It's not something you do to lose weight then stop....because you'll gain it back, as you've experienced

[Nitasjourney]

I agree but what I was saying is I've noticed how hard it is today and I am making through it so I'm seeing how strong I am and can be. I've done a lot of research and I am definitely aware that it is nothing to play with. I know it is a tool and takes work. So maybe what I wrote wasn't understood. I didn't say I wasn't sticking to it. I was saying I'm only going by doctors recommendations and follow exactly what he says instead of tryin to find other ways out of it

[tinoch]

I just lost 12 pounds in the last month by doing the Whole 30 diet. It is great because you don't count calories or measure food but you can't eat sugar, grains, gluten, processed foods, legumes, artificial sweetener, etc. All of the information is on their website for free.

As you can see from my profile, I had surgery 3 years ago but it didn't change my relationship with food. I still wanted to eat when I was happy, sad, to celebrate, when I was lonely, when my husband went out of town for work; I just couldn't eat as much. My OB/GYN warned me about the 3 year honeymoon with weight loss surgery and unfortunately, he was right. After 3 years, I started gaining weight despite the fact that I was using myfitnesspal to log/count calories.
I am still glad I had my surgery and I would recommend it to anyone but for some reason, it didn't fix my food addiction. I know for many people it is just the tool that they need to get down to a healthy weight and change their lives forever.

Good Luck! You can totally do this!

[Nitasjourney]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and story. I definitely appreciate it

[Bufflehead]

@Nitasjourney I just want to give you support and encouragement for following your doctor's plan for you. I know that for me the hardest thing was to put away the tendency to try to research my way to a "better" way of losing weight on my own (read: one that I liked better) instead of following the instructions I got from my own medical providers. I could always find someone on the Internet to tell me a different way to do things, or find an article or paper that said I should do something other than what my doctor said, and surprise, I tended to pick out the ones that appealed to me most and follow them! But when I just told myself I would comply 100% with my doctor's orders, that was what worked for me. Good luck to you!

[Pam G]

@Nitasjourney I just want to give you support and encouragement for following your doctor's plan for you. I know that for me the hardest thing was to put away the tendency to try to research my way to a "better" way of losing weight on my own (read: one that I liked better) instead of following the instructions I got from my own medical providers. I could always find someone on the Internet to tell me a different way to do things, or find an article or paper that said I should do something other than what my doctor said, and surprise, I tended to pick out the ones that appealed to me most and follow them! But when I just told myself I would comply 100% with my doctor's orders, that was what worked for me. Good luck to you!

I got very little direction from my "sleeve em and leave em" provider. I didn't know anything about weighing foods, limiting portions or 'macros'.

I learned most everything from this board and Dr Google.

[Lisa73me]

I had the 6 months of the nutritionist and two sleep studies because I was going to have surgery here (in the United States) a couple of years ago, but chickened out. I thought it would mess up my stomach or something. Now I know more and I'm going to go through with surgery, but my insurance changed I have to go to Mexico so I can afford self pay. I have already lost a lot of weight twice in the last three years on low carb, but I gained it back. The one time I gained it back wasn't my fault, doctor's orders. But anyway, I just need some help, so this tool of gastric sleeve should help me a lot. Research, research, research! Keep reading and watching videos! There is solid old info and some great new info out there... Good luck to you on your journey!

[ebbrandon]

Have faith you can do this!! Once you start to lose you will just want it to fall off. Listen to your doctor.

[Pam G]

I had the 6 months of the nutritionist and two sleep studies because I was going to have surgery here (in the United States) a couple of years ago, but chickened out. I thought it would mess up my stomach or something. Now I know more and I'm going to go through with surgery, but my insurance changed I have to go to Mexico so I can afford self pay. I have already lost a lot of weight twice in the last three years on low carb, but I gained it back. The one time I gained it back wasn't my fault, doctor's orders. But anyway, I just need some help, so this tool of gastric sleeve should help me a lot. Research, research, research! Keep reading and watching videos! There is solid old info and some great new info out there... Good luck to you on your journey!

You'll still need to be 'low carb' after the surgery, though. I wouldn't put myself through surgery if you don't think you can maintain the necessary eating patterns for life.

[Lisa73me]

I think I will be ok, my main problem is portion control. I love ice cream too, I'm hoping the surgery will make me lactose intolerant. If I didn't think I could handle the lifestyle change, I wouldn't be wasting my time... Thanks!

[Emmeraldas]

First off....... I want to say I am sorry that any surgeon today still clings to making obese people lose a fixed amount of weight prior to surgery. Very few of us life long dieters have kept the weight off after dieting and this is why we look to surgery in the first place. I personally do not see the required weight loss amount as proof of commitment but another bit of discrimination and bias. Mind you...this is just my personal gripe as a life long dieter who, probably over the course of 50 years, lost and regained a good 600 lbs or more. Thankfully, my surgeon preferred me to lose weight but it would not impact his decision if I did not. My PCP preferred me not to go on a diet and need my cardiac meds readjusted before surgery.

On the other hand, you have a goal and all of us have at one point or another got on a diet bandwagon and lost 25 lbs. It was not easy or pretty but we did it. The difference here is when you reach your goal.... you get a great tool to help you lose more! You don't have a diet, per se, to fall off. You will have a life style change. You said you tried the Atkins but gained it all back AFTER. Well, there won't be any AFTER when you have surgery. Your main food will be proteins.

Whatever plan you choose to follow to get the surgery is great. You can do this... it is a finite about of weight, not the complete amount, you have to lose. However, make sure to do your homework and study the AFTER surgery diets. Be prepared to face the potential side effects of surgery; vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, etc. They are brought on by poor food choices. You can do this and it will be great!