blizair09

I haven't had any Pasta in almost 11 months. It really isn't a big deal to me now. I don't miss it at all, but if I ever had it even once, I'd be back to craving it every minute.

I'm curious -- since you are just under a month post-op, have you worked through all of your food stages yet? I understand that everyone's plan is different, so your answer might be yes. I'm just really surprised that your surgeon would be okay with you having rice in any quantity at one month out. (And as doctor's have different opinions, he might totally be okay with it; I am just surprised.) I just don't want other folks reading this (or lurking) to think that it is normal to have rice at one month post-op. Take care and good luck!

Great post. I agree with you. Addiction is addiction, whether you are talking about food, drugs, alcohol, or anything else. The difference with food addiction is that you can't completely stop eating like the plan of action for those with various other addictions; therefore, sticking to our plan and always being conscious of what we are putting into our bodies is even more important. I accepted a long time ago that this was a journey FOR LIFE. It isn't a diet; I can never eat like I did before (unless I want to weigh 400 pounds again), and I will always have to be aware of my consumption for the rest of my life.

At 4+ months post-op, I have had several stalls. My pre-op weight loss (99 pounds during my six-month pre-op diet program) was quite linear (3 pounds per week on average). My post-op weight loss (almost 70 additional pounds since surgery on September 28) is more like a step function. My body sheds 8-10 pounds in a week or so, then I stay the same for 1-1.5 weeks. Then the cycle repeats. I liked the pre-op linear weight loss much better, but I accepted a long time ago that the post-op journey was going to be different. Can you tell that I do math for a living?? :-) If you find it too discouraging, just weigh once per week. That will help your sanity. Good luck!

Yep. My capacity for liquids increased steadily right away from Day 3 post-op.

This is a great, and very timely, post. I have been reading more and more posts lately where people admit that they aren't following their plan (both food- and water-wise). Hopefully they read this one! I hope you continue to feel better!

The thing about the early days and weeks post-op is that your stomach is healing. And since we can't see inside of our body, we really don't know the condition of the stomach like we would an external injury like a cut or a scrape. You didn't cheat; you made a choice. This isn't a diet; it is a prescription from the doctor for a patient with a healing stomach. What you have done is very, very dangerous, and, in fact, could be deadly. You are 3 days post-op. I can't imagine that you are off liquids yet, maybe not even Clear Liquids. Physical danger aside, if you can't follow your food stages for 3 days, how are you going to make the good decisions required to be successful on this journey long term? I'm not trying to be unkind, but you don't want to put yourself through all of this to lose minimal weight, or to lose while you can lose with minimal effort only to gain it all back and more. You have to change your relationship with food to be successful, which, in part, means not letting it have such control over you. I'd recommend that you talk to your surgeon about what you have done, and I also recommend that you get in touch with a psychologist with bariatric experience to work through your issues with food. Good luck, and please take care of yourself and your stomach.

Thank you for sharing your story. You exemplify the grit and perseverance that are required to be successful on this journey. Unfortunately, so many people on here look at the surgery as some sort of magic pill, even though many have discussed why that is not so. Your story reinforces the hard work it takes to be successful -- surgery or not. I'm such a fan, and I will continue to root for you as you continue your journey! All the best, Blair

But even with the surgery, you have to change your relationship with food and eat within certain parameters which include calories, Protein, carbs, fat, etc. The purpose of the pre-op diet program is to work on changing your relationship with food. I lost 99 pounds during mine, and it set me up for success post-op. At 4 months post-op, I've lost 77% of my excess weight, and I wouldn't be where I am without the work I did BEFORE the surgery. I only asked those questions to try to answer your original question. If you haven't worked on your relationship with food, or put some limits on your daily intake, that's why you haven't lost any weight.

What do you think is keeping you from losing weight? What kind of "diet" are you following during this pre-op period? How many calories are you taking in per day? Carbs? Are you tracking or journaling your intake?

@@BigDog Bryan You're right about the booths. I sit in them at every opportunity now!!

You are off to an awesome start! Keep up the good work!!

Enjoying food with no restrictions at all is what got me to 400 pounds. I refuse to let myself miss any of that experience. I like the things I eat, but it is fuel, nothing else. The new things that I experience each day as I get my excess weight off is so much better than any food or drink ever could be.

I spent the six months before my surgery changing my relationship with food. I trained myself to look at food as fuel. I also worked really hard to create a lifestyle where food wasn't central to everything. I no longer Celebrate with food, comfort with food, or do anything else with food outside of getting the necessary fuel I need for the day. Cutting out carbs (20 per day) was central to that for me. I also cut out alcohol for 9 months, and even now (at 4+ months post-op), I only have some occasionally and in very small amounts. You are right. The mental game is the biggest part of this journey. I know that I have issues with food, and I also know that I will have to battle it every day for the rest of my life. Some people won't agree with the stance I have taken, and that's okay. I know that if I don't take this hard line, I'll be 400 pounds again before I know it, sleeve or not. Good luck!

I almost worried myself to death in the days and weeks leading up to my surgery in September. But everything about the surgery was easier than I thought it would be (anesthesia and all). You will worry, that is the human factor, but try to take some comfort in the fact that many people have done it and have had little to no complications. Good luck!

I carry powder on the plane all the time. I do exactly what you said in your post -- I take what I need in a gallon size zip-loc and a Blender Bottle, and I get the FA to bring me a glass and bottle Water to mix it up. TSA has never said a thing. All they really care about is liquids. (And I have split a Premier Protein across 3 of the 3.4 oz bottles many times as well!)

I have been observing a low carb lifestyle since the beginning of my six month pre-op diet program (including the time going through the food stages). I have less than 20 carbs per day. (And 12 of the 20 come from 4 oz of cottage cheese with 1 T of sugar-free strawberry preserves twice a day!) Even "low carb" people may not keep them as low as I do, but carbs are my enemy, and I have to keep them as low as possible. Good luck!

I knew all along that my insurance would require the six month pre-op diet program. So, I decided to make the most of it. I lost 99 pounds (from 397 to 298) during that time. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I was as prepared as possible for the surgery; I re-established my relationship with food, and I set myself up for continued success post-op. In the 4 months since the surgery, I have lost almost an additional 70 pounds for a total of almost 77% of my excess weight since I started my journey. I can't imagine having to re-establish my relationship with food and deal with the aftermath of surgery all at the same time. Also, dealing with the 3 week stall (that everyone has) was so much easier when I had lost 120 pounds (at that time) than if I had just lost 20 pounds. I wish more people could see the benefits of that six month period and not see it as a bad thing. Anyway, I encourage you to get started now. The surgery is a tool, not a destination, and not the whole of your journey. The mental game is the biggest part of the journey, and the sooner you get that under control, the better off you will be. Good luck!

This is why changing your relationship with food is the most important part of this journey. (And, consequently, why I think the six month pre-op diet program, done right and not just a a compliant check-off thing, is so important.) I'd recommend working with a psychologist on your relationship with food. If you don't work on that, it will always cause issues for you. Good luck!

I have accepted that I will most likely never have pasta again in my life. No food is worth going back to 400 pounds, and I'll be damned if I let myself go there again. Food is just fuel, and pasta will slow (or halt) weight loss, take up valuable real estate, and give relatively little in exchange for all of that. Good luck!

That's cute!! Best wishes as you continue your journey.

The biggest part of success in this journey is changing your relationship with food. If your biggest concern is having to "give up so many foods for the rest of [your] life," then you should think about the hold food has over you before you make any final decisions. I lost 99 pounds during my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program. But even with that kind of success, I knew that I needed this sleeve as a tool to help me lose the other half of the excess weight and then to maintain. Losing weight is easy, but, unfortunately, gaining it back is easier. I'll never regret having the surgery. I'd urge you to follow through with the surgery IF you are willing to put in the work, and to change your relationship with food. Good luck!

I have been logging and journaling since the beginning of my six month pre-op diet program in March, and no food or drink has gone into my body without being weighed, tracked, and recorded. Honestly, I cannot imagine not doing that, and I consider it to be central to my success pre- and post-op.