What we eat drives our success

[MaggyF]

Hi, I'm new to these forums and am only one month out since surgery. Today is my first day on my "lifetime" diet. One of the things that's struck me from reading the hundreds of posts I've read over the past couple of days is how much stricter my bariatric center is when it comes to diet than many of yours are. I see post after post about people eating popcorn, bread, oatmeal, rice, tortilla chips, pizza, potatoes, etc., and all these things are forbidden forever by our dieticians. Looking at people's tickers, I see a correlation of lack of success for people who eat these types of starchy carbs, so as much as I wanted to believe my center is being unnecessarily strict, I now believe they are right.

When we first go to my weight loss center, they begin preparing us psychologically and behaviorally for our lifetime diet. They require everyone to lose weight before surgery and put us on the same diet we will be on for life, which is high protein/low carb with zero sugar, zero starch, no carbonation or caffeine. As you might notice, I lost quite a bit of weight prior to surgery on this diet. More importantly, it broke me from a lifetime addiction to sugar and carbs. The first few weeks were hell. I literally would have gotten in my knees and licked the floor if I'd found sugar on it! But after that, it was easy. It was never hard to avoid eating my trigger foods, and if I had a craving, I could always find a way to substitute healthy things and still eat what I wanted (pizza made with cauliflower crust, spaghetti made with spaghetti squash or zoodles, protein chips, etc.) Then, after a time, my tastes started changing, and I now like things I never liked before like Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.

The real trick to this and the thing that made it so easy for me was that I NEVER cheated. I never ate sugar or starches, because if I had cheated, it would have not only stopped my weight loss, but would have made me go through withdrawals again. I saw this with my sister who was strict for herself for two weeks, but every other weekend would have an ice cream cone. With this one difference, she lost 25 lbs in the same time period I lost 65 lbs, and she was constantly miserable while I was completely satisfied.

I know those of you who are struggling with weight loss in spite of surgery and are eating sugary, starchy things may think there's no way you could adhere to a diet missing the starchy and sugary things you love, but you really can. You can even make no carb bread out of eggs that is pretty good and a good substitute. Proof that this lifetime diet works is the amazing success rate of our bariatric center. More than 95% of people who have their surgery through there and continue to attend support group and see the dietician and exercise professions reach their goals and keep their weight off long term. We have people in our support group who are eight years out and still at goal.

Just some food for thought. I know I've only been post surgery for a month, but I've had six months to research, observe and ask questions of the hundreds who've had surgery there, and I think the information is solid. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[Ann2]

Hmmm ... this will be interesting to watch.

You're 1 month post-op. I'm 18 months post-op. I know scores of sleevers (here and on other boards and IRL) who are 2-3-4-5 years post-op who are "long-term successful" by any measure of that term. These are people I talk to on and off the boards and have become friends with.

Among all these people I literally don't know anyone who eats "zero sugar, zero starch, no carbonation or caffeine." They eat some of those things responsibly. Some of them track their food (like I do), some of them don't. Most of them drink alcohol -- again, responsibly. They all exercise in some way. They are connected to other sleevers (although not necessarily IRL support groups). They're all in touch with their surgeons' offices. And they now know a helluva lot more about nutrition than they did pre-op and practice good nutrition most of the time. They have learned over the years what works for them -- sometimes those are approaches that don't work for others (and vice versa).

But none of them has signed a pledge of lifetime abstinence from eating a particular kind of food. I will note that to my knowledge none of them suffer from binge eating or other disorders. To my knowledge, they're just garden-variety formerly fat people who got sleeved, followed their respective programs, learned what worked for them, and are not fat anymore.

Did they eat lots of sugar and starch while they were losing weight? No ... during the weight-losing phases they were focused on doing whatever program they were on. Some went very low carb, some (like me) did not. (You can read about how I lost 100 pounds at this thread.)

Most of them realized that everyone's body is not alike. Some tolerate carbs, some don't. Most of them eat a lot more protein than they used to. Some work hard to eat veggies and fruits, others don't even bother. Some can eat 2,500 calories a day and maintain their weight, others can eat only 1200 calories a day and stay at their goal weights. Some can tolerate caffeine, a few can't. A few can even tolerate carbonation, but most can't.

I'm responding to this thread not to discourage you from following your center's program or to suggest that in doing so you won't be successful. Your success and how you achieve it is completely up to you.

However, I would like to assure other readers here that they do NOT have to commit to a lifetime of "zero sugar, zero starch, no carbonation or caffeine" to be successful long-term. I know -- because I just know so many people who have not gone that route and are long-term sleeve winners.

I do wish you the very best! I'm happy you've found something that's working well for you.

[jerzeygirl]

Amen, Ann, I was thinking and going to post the same things. I'm not here to discourage you in any way to eat the foods you have sworn off for life, but being 5 years out and eating some of the foods you've sworn off; I feel successful. One day at a time, trial & error, and some common sense have been keys to my success. I also like Ann, didn't eat any of the aftermentioned foods until I was well over 1 year out, but now I'm enjoying life and still working the program.
Continued success, and remember to be kind to yourself

[RoDean]

Thank you all, but I just want to say as someone who didn't have sleeve success, that if I could have gone completely sugar free, carb free, starch free and lost 65lbs, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have needed this surgery. I am having this surgery because I used to try to sustain those unrealistic lifestyle choices and failed. I am not saying you will fail, I wish you the most amazing continued success, I am just saying I failed, that lifestyle was not sustainable for me and so I had the surgery.

[MaggyF]

Thank you for responding. I can guess from your "this should be interesting" comment that you mist be thinking, "Oh, here we go...a newby who had no idea what she's talking about but thinks she knows it all." I don't blame you. I'd be thinking the same thing. What I should have made clear is that I didn't post that for the garden variety fat person, but for those who are carb and sugar addicted like I am. I didn't have one month or six months to learn this but 57 years. I have tried every diet under the sun and never felt free or had success until I broke my addiction to carbs and sugars. I see people in this forum who have lost only 30 pounds or so in two years since their surgery taking about popcorn and crackers and bread, and I recognize them as carb addicted and understand their struggle with those foods. I'm sorry if I offended you VSG experts. I'm glad you can have the success you have had and still get to enjoy those foods, but not all of us can. Some if us DO have an addiction we have to fight for life, and those are the only people I was trying to reach. I was only trying to help them as well as myself. Please, the rest of you, simply ignore me.

[jaimaroo]

I was just going to chime in with the same thing!
The thought of food being BAD or GOOD scares me. I did the sleeve so I could moderate what I ate, make better choices, and have a tool to help me. I never did it thinking...I can NEVER have carbs, sugar, or caffeine again. I don't want to live in that world. I want to live in a world where I am a normal eater and make normal choices. I don't eat many carbs, I haven't had pop, and I enjoy very little sugar....but I do have it sometimes. Every once in a while I just want a cookie....and I think it is ok for me to have one. It is never ok for me to have a ton of them, or to partake daily. I just think the idea of never again is unrealistic and it sets a person up for failure. If you allow yourself a treat every now and again you give yourself permission to be normal...and then you don't punish yourself for breaking your "diet". I am not on a diet. I have changed my way of living with food.

[Aydensmomma]

We all know how we got to the point of obesity. We all know how hard it is to loose the weight. How hard it is to retrain our minds and bodies. When I got sleeved I made a commitment to get healthy. I'm 14 months post op. I'm down 128lbs and have been maintaining for a few months now. I track my food, I take my vitamins, make healthy decisions and I am active. I have learned about nutrition and how to make tasty healthy meals. I have never followed a no sugar, no carb, no caffeine diet. During the first months I did low sugar and low carbs. Was never a coffee drinker. If Im at a party with cake then I'll have a small piece of cake, and I usually only eat 1/2 of it. I'll still have potatoes with dinner, but I always eat my meat 1st so if I have room I'll have a bite of a potato. I still have a lot of restriction. I don't crave sweets like I used to.
So while everything your doing is great, it isn't set in stone for everyone else. We're all different and what works for you may not work for me. I just don't want anyone getting discouraged thinking they can never have a sandwich or a cupcake. It's OK to have these things, responsibly.
Your a month out and sound like your doing very well. I'm glad that all works for you. This a lifetime journey, so we each need to find what works best for ourselves.

[mrtumnus]

I know you are post op 1 month...no offense intended, but I don't there is enough experience there to really come up with a sweeping verdict. Your sister and you I am sure are not the same exact weight, and are different people~ so different levels of weight lost is typical. Also, I believe everything in moderation. Looking into the future with a realistic view for myself and really human nature~ I really do not see just black and white when it comes to food selection. Granted the amounts will change and at first with the surgical aspect in mind changes are inevitable, but to say the word "never" is not realistic. This surgery (for me) is a tool to use along with other changes to assist me to become healthier. Will I never, ever eat a bite of wedding cake? Of course I will (I will have to pay 1500 for daughter's cake when she gets married..damn skippy I am having at least a bite or two!) I will also more than likely have a piece of pizza, eat pasta, rice etc but in my case it will be in moderation. Instead of the two slices of cake, 5 pieces of pizza, mixing bowl of pasta--I will have way less.

[mrtumnus]

perfectly stated!!

[MaggyF]

So I guess my bariatric center, their plan and their success rate is wrong. Thanks for letting me know, everyone!

[Ann2]

If your center's position (and your position) is that WLS patients can be successful ONLY if they take a sugar / starch / caffeine / carbonation (and maybe other foods) lifetime abstinence pledge and never eat those foods, then -- yes, I would say that your center's position is incorrect.

But I didn't say that. What I said was that, based on my own experience and a lot of data I have observed first-hand about WLS patients' long-term success, none of the patients I know who've been successful long-term have taken a sugar / starches / caffeine / carbonation abstinence pledge. Yet, we've been successful.

Please note that minimizing the use of sugar / starches / caffeine / carbonation is similar to, but not the same as, your center's requirement of abstinence, which is ZERO intake of those foods. And obviously, indulging constantly in sugars and starches is the road to regain and WLS failure.

Good luck to you. You should do exactly what YOU need to do to be successful. That's what each of us should be doing.

[Merry Mary]

Proof that this lifetime diet works is the amazing success rate of our bariatric center. More than 95% of people who have their surgery through there and continue to attend support group and see the dietician and exercise professions reach their goals and keep their weight off long term. We have people in our support group who are eight years out and still at goal.

How many people have had surgery through your bariatric center and then attend support groups, see dietician and exercise professionals? My guess would be not everyone and probably less than half. They may go initially but then life happens and they no longer attend support group meetings.

If the plan from your bariatric center works for you, great. For me it sounds like one of my many failed diets. You mentioned you can have zero sugar, yet most fruits and vegetables contain sugar. So are you saying you can never have fruits and vegetables? That doesn't sound realistic

I followed the progression through the various food stages and did not cheat or go to the next phase until I was cleared to do so. It's important to find a plan that works for you and that you can live with the rest of your life. That's where each of us is different with different metabolisms. I eat normal food every day, am 17 months out from surgery and below my goal weight.

[mellowjoy]

Well..... this has been an interesting read!

[jaimaroo]

I didn't mean to offend or be rude. I just wanted to express a different view point. I failed at so many diets so the idea of kicking things out of my life for good make me feel like failure is on the horizon. I don't like being told I can't do or have something. I had to retrain myself, but I am not you. If you need to stick to a no carb, no sugar, no caffeine lifestyle....that is fully up to you and you are in control of your own success. I hope it works for you and I hope you kick butt with it. I never meant to tell you that you were wrong...but I do believe that there are other ways to be successful at this process.

[zoey101]

What everyone else said!!

Now I will add my 2 sense and I think it is EXTREMELY important that anyone considering getting sleeved or just got sleeved doesn't panic due to this post. Every single one of us is different and not everyone will have the same results using the same tactics. I will be one year out on March 24th and I reached my goal and then I bypassed it by 10lbs. at around month 6 or 7 and I have been stuck there ever since. My "Goal 140" "Current weight "130" so 70lbs. gone for around 5 straight months.

So here we go, I drink coffee, I eat cookies, I eat cake, hell I eat whatever I want whenever I want it. What I don't do is drink things that are carbonated and I LOVED Champagne, I don't eat pizza, bread, salad, most meats and a host of other things because my tummy doesn't like it and I will NOT hurt it by drinking or eating something it can't handle. What I do do is get in my protein, eat healthy 90% of the time and eat everything in MODERATION. Listen I am not perfect and lets be honest none of us are or we wouldn't have had or think about having this surgery to begin with.

My point is just because you are getting the "Gastric Sleeve" it is most definitely NOT a death sentence for foods that you enjoy. You can and will treat yourself every once in while and just so long as you don't abuse it you won't regain the weight you lost. Eat healthy, make good choices and above all don't sabotage yourself by convincing yourself that you will never ever have sweets or anything else that isn't good for you for the rest of your life.

My advice is follow your Doctors guidelines, don't push yourself to eat something you know you shouldn't especially in the beginning and again make good healthy choices. This is a life changing gift and I myself never ever would be where I am today without it, believe me I have tried. But please don't think you will walk around the rest of your life in chains and never treat yourself to something that may not be the best thing for you. The sleeve is hard work and doesn't come easy so down the road after you reach your goal if you want to have a damn cookie have a damn cookie because in my personal opinion that is living. Best of luck to anyone who can abstain for the rest of there entire life because you are a much stronger person than I will ever be but that life style is not for me it's just not.

Good luck to all the current and future sleever's, you got this just do what your told and you will have success!!!!!