VSGAnn2014

Capegin said: THANK YOU ALL!!!! J bond... that hope is exactly what I'm looking for with this as my last option. I have lost up to 100 lbs on other plans (that was when I was a contestant on season 3 of Biggest Loser), and here I am. It is a vicious, nasty cycle! I know it's the right thing to do. I'm having a tough time sticking to healthy eating in the last few weeks, (start liquid tomorrow) but I know that once I get down to something and put my mind to it I'm all in. Like I said, I have amazing support, too. My husband is behind me 100%, and I have the BEST friends and family. They're not going to let me fail myself any more than I am. Thank you all for your helpful words!! Good grief! You were on "The Biggest Loser"? I can't even begin to imagine what kind of garbage your head is filled with after going through that kind of psychological abuse. (Yup, I have strong opinions about that show. And not many of them are positive.) I certainly am pro-exercise, pro-good nutrition -- we must exercise and have good nutrition to be healthy human beings. But most of us who have lived a lifetime of obesity in public (and that's, of course, all of us) have a lot of other things going on, too -- physically, socially, psychologically, etc. Have you considered adding to your support team the resource of a psychologist or psychiatrist who can support you as you learn how to use your VSG tool and find your own personal way to healthy living? This is YOUR path. It's not your trainer's path. Or even your surgeon's path. YOUR path. I wish you everything that's good, healthy and positive in your own journey.

Nothing new to report here. All is still on schedule for surgery on August 18. I start my pre-op diet on Monday. Have two weeks of it. Am already sampling Protein shakes. I'm sending encouragement out to everyone here whether they're pre-op or post-op. BTW, I don't know why anyone (including us) thinks post-65'ers are old. This is the prime of life, kids!

Really helpful thread. Thanks, all.

Not sure how old you are or how many times prior to VSG you've lost weight, but here's my experience .... There are just some weights / proportions I look better at than others. It's like a haircut that's growing out -- sometimes it looks better at two weeks out than three weeks out. Just keep doing what you're doing. You'll find a place that you like. HOWEVER, don't expect to measure your satisfaction (even at the same week) in weeks or even months. Your body will be shifting for some time to come. And, of course, your satisfaction will depend on the exercise you're doing, how long you've been doing it, and whether you're challenging yourself enough. (Hope that makes sense.)

I'm no nutritional expert. But I've read that because post-op we're on high Protein diets (and very low carb diets) that our brains miss the ready energy they need (like carbs) to hit on all 12 cylinders. Post-op for WLS patients most of our focus is on weight loss. But nutrition is necessary for other things we have to do, too. I don't know what the answers for you are, but I would suggest you consult with your NUT about these issues, rather than prescribe for yourself willy nilly.

I'm newly in counseling with a psychologist who works with WLS patients, as well as other people. I've had only four sessions thus far, but at this point it promises to be staggeringly effective. For those of you who are now in or have sought counseling from a psychologist or psychiatrist to improve your chances for WLS success, do you have any observations about your counseling experiences or any lessons learned there that you would like to share?

I'm MFP and Fitbit Flex, too. Happy customer here. Have never tried the Jawbone, so can't compare.

Well, six Cookies won't make or break you. And the advice above about removing temptation is a good one. Here are the questions my counselor would ask me when I feel food cravings (whether I succumb to them or not): What was happening before and while you ate the cookies? What emotions were you feeling? Be as specific as you can. His take on these events is that for those of us who experience "emotional eating" (and don't we all?) that eating emotionally is a compulsion we have learned (usually at a young age) and since then spent a lifetime practicing and reinforcing. It takes some work to identify emotional eating and what stimulates it and to replace those compulsions with new behaviors. I wish you (and all of us) great success in building new relationships with our food.

Now THAT'S what I'm taking about!

Awesome! Thank you bpbqueen. Those are the topics I am just starting to address.

Linda, just keep posting -- about the good, the bad, the losses, the wins, the challenges, the NSVs.

Linda, I may move to Florida so you can be MY coach.

I hesitantly offer the following, since I have yet to be sleeved (happens August 18). Everything I've read and heard from others and from long-term research studies I've read about WLS indicate that after WLS some people are unable to build new relationships with food. The roles that food plays in their lives go unexplored and unchanged. For them, overeating remains an "appropriate" response to many positive and negative feelings and life situations. Long-term research about WLS isn't as plentiful or rigorous as any of us would wish. But some studies show that within 3 to 5 years after WLS surgery, 40-50% of patients regain more than half the excess weight they lost. If we don't do "the head work" many WLS patients refer to, how can we be successful long-term?

Excellent article. Thank you.

Misty, I'm glad for you that it's going better. Loving this thread. Thank you.

Jessi, My comment above was based on my own experience -- grass turns me into a food monster. Hence, my comment. For me, grass + VSG = WTF?!

I think I'm missing a lot of information. Why is this a world-ending disaster? (Just asking, not judging.)

Kristigo, I'm very sorry to hear this has happened. HOWEVER, most of the peer to peer reviews I've read about result in approval. Please hang in there. Your reasons for wanting the surgery have not changed. And that's why you try. ((hugs))

I feel your pain. Boy, do I. Eventually, it'll all work out. But nobody cares about it going fast nearly as much as you (and I) do.

This is just my personal opinion -- having several nephews who suffer from these issues. (I also was a young person one time. ) Many young people who "just drink with my friends when we go out" have literally no idea that they have a serious drinking problem. In fact, some of them are alcoholics. The problem is they have little context for what is happening. Everyone in their social set drinks like a fish,and there's literally no appreciation for what social drinking actually is. For the record, social drinking means having 3-5 drinks a week. It's not 2-4 drinks 4 nights a week and 8-12 drinks the other 3 nights of the week. Social drinking does not include getting drunk. Ever. Now, having gotten that off my chest, if your friend drinks a few beers, a ton of wine and some mixed drinks ... bazinga! He's going to gain back all the weight he has lost. Bottom line -- yes, after a while (a year or two) anyone who wants to can eat and drink around their sleeve's restriction. In fact, that's precisely HOW 40 - 50% of all patients who have WLS eventually gain back all their weight. Sincere best wishes to you. Your long-term success with the tool your sleeve offers you depends on your ability to be compliant with your surgeon's instructions and to change your lifestyle -- eating, exercise, and probably some serious "head work" that most people who are obese have to tackle eventually.

I posted somewhere (don't think it was on this thread): Why would you get VSG surgery and simultaneously use a product that is medically prescribed for people who need to increase their appetite. Just sayin'.

Orlando! That was awesome.

What was your starting weight? How much did you lose on the pre-op diet? How much do you weigh now? Are you drinking any sugary or carb drinks? Are you exercising? Are you keeping a food journal?

I too am keeping my eye on this "gut bacteria" theory and research. Thanks for posting those links and keeping this topic going here.

CGJ, I can't disagree with any of your observations about how big changes affect some relationships. However, I'm going to stop quoting any statistics about post-WLS divorce until I see some defensible research on the subject. BTW, congrats to you and your ex-partner for making a healthy change in your lives.