Reputation from brendani - Page 2

brendani reacted to sueoco in Attention ! Australian Sleevers June 27, 2013

brendani reacted to Sydney Susan in Attention ! Australian Sleevers June 27, 2013

Brendani I agree with everything Sue said a couple of posts earlier, although I've been sleeved a lot less time than she has. After only 9 weeks (not even a footy or tv series "season") I find that my thoughts about eating have changed a lot - not my love of food and taste, just amounts and speed at which I eat.
"Restriction" is a beautiful thing - you WILL slow down your eating because it will be bl**dy uncomfortable if you don't! I eat with a teaspoon a lot and have no problem with that, but sometimes I get carried away with the taste of something, take a whacking big bite and then realise I have to chew it a lot and swallow in stages. It works fine for me.
As Sue said, only you can make the decision for you, but try not to equate everything you do today with something you'll experience as a loss later - you almost certainly won't. I was a big portion eater of mostly v good quality food - no junk food, not particularly sweet stuff and nor do i tend towards "two fat ladies" style creamy or fatty dishes (my hubby does though, but he's thin... a story for another day and a different forum). I now watch my husband and son eat their "huge" meals at a pace that seems obscene, but didn't used to. I don't feel deprived because I'm not hungry - it's the "new normal" people speak of.
What we do or did around food is also only one way of eating - there've always been people who ate slower, took smaller mouthfuls and ate less quantity and less calorific food. Our "normal" was/is only one of many.
I'm no saint by the way... I could quietly nibble exquisite cheeses and sup good wine all day long, and my sleeve would let me! But it would be no real achievement to lose my excess weight if there was no work left for me to do, would it???
A few days before my op I posted on this site that I didn't think I could give up the enjoyment of food and was thinking of backing out. Lovely people reassured me I would still enjoy my food, just in smaller amounts. And they've been right.
At this relatively early stage I'm still avoiding bread, rice, Pasta and cake/biscuits ... but I find plenty of stuff I like when I'm out and about. I enjoy socialising and was eating out very early on... eating around the solid food in an Asian Soup while still on thin liquids!
My BMI was "only" 36 but I had several serious health issues related to my weight and a huge family history of early death. I'm 52 and earlier this year realised my state of health was significantly worse than both my parents at this age, and they died well before reaching 60. I can't begin to tell you how great it feels to have "hope" (and even "positive expectations") again. Health may not be your biggest concern, but for many of us it is or becomes a big black cloud in our lives.
I wish you well with your decision and your journey, whatever it is. Have faith in yourself to cope with the transitions you face. If we can do it, you can too.
Good luck.

brendani reacted to sueoco in Attention ! Australian Sleevers June 27, 2013

Hi Brendani
I will start this by saying that this is your decision to make and no one can make It for you. I want to tell you about how I felt leading into an operation that was going to change my life - and yes this is a big deal!
I too felt scared that I would regret it and mourn the loss of eating all I could eat when I wanted. The truth is that you do have to come to terms with that in your head. The reality was that I had tried to lose weight over many years and I did have some successes but always put the weight back on. I also had thoughts of 'if I can do this pre op thing, why can't I just lose weight this way without this operation! I realised that I would have to continue on the pre op diet (or something very close to it) for about a year and then have a life long battle with hunger to keep the weight off - I knew I would never be able to maintain that as I had been there so many times before - haven't we all!
The pre op diet is hell and it does play tricks on your mind - I have even heard that such a restricted calorie diet can trigger sort of a depression - something to do with hormones I think - or was it liver. Anyway, I think most people have thoughts of 'why couldn't I just do this and lose the weight' - it is a normal thought process.
Once you have the operation, the way you feel about food that you used to love will be different. The reason is that 1/ you don't feel hungry 2/ food can taste different 3/ the sensation of fullness has completely changed - so all the payoffs you got from food prior to the operation are gone - suddenly your brain goes 'hey I don't have to eat to feel good'.
I am nearly one year out now and I do feel hunger (but not ravenous like my old hunger), most food tastes good and I feel satisfied with very little of the things I love. I can eat chicken wings and drink a margarita, I can eat a sushi roll - yes I eat it a bit slower but I don't feel deprived or unhappy that I couldn't eat a whole plate. I just feel full, happy and thin!
I can honestly say that I do not miss the way I used to eat. I still love my food but I am so happy I don't have to eat a lot anymore. People often ask me how I feel now and I think my key word is 'relief' - I am so relieved that food doesn't control me - I now control it - with a little help from my sleeve!
This is just my story ...I hope you make the right choice for you and what ever you decide please stay on this forum. It will give you insight into other people's experiences and who knows, if you aren't ready yet, you might be soon! All the best.