4 Days till Surgery and feeling HOPELESS

[HappyJoy53]

Thanks for this post and all the replies. This is very helpful.

[jcook2]

I had some of the same thoughts, but now just a week after surgery, I am already so glad I went through with it. Here is an anecdote that you may find comforting- Last night my husband made chicken parmigiana, a family favorite. The house smelled AMAZING, garlic, cheese, chicken, etc. I found myself wishing desperately that I could eat with the family, but I know that I can't right now- I am still on liquids! I asked one of my kids to get me a medicine cup with some of the sauce. These cups are clear plastic and hold 1 oz- the hospital sent me home with a TON of them, as a way to measure liquid intake at first. So anyway, I had a tiny cup with just a half ounce of sauce, and a baby spoon to eat it. I had those 3 tiny bites and I was FULL. No more hunger, but I got to experience the flavor without going off the rails.

With any other diet I've done in the past, husband making chicken parm would have been a major setback. But now...there has been a shift unlike anything else I've experienced. I still have feelings of course, but I am coming to realize they are in my head and not in my stomach. I have also been seeing a therapist since my pre-op psych eval, and that is helpful too.

Best wishes as you move forward!

[sraebaer]

You will not be on a "diet." If this was a diet, I would not be at a normal weight, because I dieted my whole life and it made me fat. I have no "forbidden" foods. None. Of course I have changed my lifestyle to eating primarily protein and veggies, but if I want a treat once in a while, I'll have it. The difference is now I can eat one piece of pizza when we go out rather than half the pie! Also I love to exercise, so that probably helps with the occasional treat.

[Gvn71]

First three letters of diet spells DIE.......

Just saying!

[Christie13]

You have received a lot of sage advice. I can tell you that I just spent 2 1/2 weeks on vacation in Italy and ate EVERYTHIING I wanted. I also worked out daily. I only gained 2 lbs and in just one day of being home and going back to normal eating I have lost 1 of them. I am sure by the end of the week I will be back down the other pound. I have changed my way of eating. I focus on protein and veggies first and then if I want a treat I will have one. I don't drink soda (regular or diet) or other sugary drinks. I limit sweets. I limit junk food. I weigh daily (except when I was on vacation) and make sure I make good choices.

[PokerGuy]

Okay.. I'm only 16 days post op and just ate my first egg today !! But My mother was sleeved 4 years ago and my sister was sleeved 1 year ago. I'm not going to lie the first 2 weeks are the worst.. But it gets better every day.

It's very important to follow the "Steps" and "Phases" your doctor gives you post op for the first month or so. Both my mother and sister followed this to a tee but after they went on solid foods neither of them really tried to eat super healthy. They both eat pizza once or twice a week and my mother eats something sweetie once a day Crumb cake or apple turnoverr. During the first year she loved Klondyke ice cream bars and had 1/2 one every day for 4 months. .. Yes she has been doing this since 1-2 months after surgery. They usually split a meal out but really both eat whatever they want. Mother lost 80lbs of her 100lb goal in the first year. Then the last 20lbs over the next 6 months.. Now at 4 years out she is at 171lbs which is 9 pounds under her goal weight and she eats anything she wants. My sister lost her 50 pounds to reach her goal weight in just 8 months. Eating anything she wants.

I'm not saying this will work for everyone but it's just my family's reality. In otherwords you may not need to be as strict as the Drs and NUT say you need (After you are all full solids and your tummy is healed) Everyone is different.

It's a life changing surgery anyway you look at it.

PG