Why Gain It Back?

[MinaT 669]

@msvickvee Treating yourself to a sugar-free fudge popsicle once in a while is not an issue, but feeling like it's owed to you because you are being denied other foods is not good for you. I love popcorn, and I still think perhaps I may have some...someday, but I am hoping moreso that I won't want to have it because I will have changed my eating. I am going to treat myself once in a while, right now I can't even think about it, because I haven't reached my goal.

@shellbell, I know those that go to Mexico have to self-pay and that's rough and some people do a lot of research and work hard before they go, there are those in the US that get fast-tracked in too and don't have to do any psychological counseling as well as those that went through 6 month pre-op diets and didn't even follow any of the rules they were suppose to, they spent 6 months gaining weight.

I think behavior therapy or behavior modification is too important though and that's what most people will not want to do. I didn't want to do it the first time around and I cried like a baby because I thought the lady was being mean to me and singling me out.

The main point is whatever caused you to gain weight in the first place is still going to be there after the sleeve, and if you don't work through that first, or find some deep inner strength you never though you had before, you can slide back into old habits.

Thank you all for your kind words, I am sad it took me until now to work on me, but I hope it brings me lots more years to enjoy in the future.

[bakawaka 59]

I know many go to Mexico to get sleeved or they get into a program that fast-tracks them and everyone wants to rush the process.

I have seen people go through the six month process and gain weight only to have to hurry up and do some major dieting to to be allowed the surgery.

I balked the first time I went to WLS and they wanted me to get psychological counseling. I hate the lady' date=' seriously, and my husband lost his job so I backed out. The 2nd time I went to another place, and I balked about the six months, I ended up getting pneumonia and I backed out first month.

The third time I grabbed all the information and made a binder from both places and I started the diet on my own. 800-900 calories, 80 grams of Protein, 45-75 carbs and I started charting my food (the thing I dreaded the most was writing my food down and looking up calories etc.). I charted my Water, and I contacted Healthy4life. I realized I could get denied because of the Lupus and I decided to put 100% effort into it. I lost 70 pounds pre-op.

I worked on behavior modification in advance. I think that is what is really truly needed. I think a lot of people think that this is going to do the work for them. Even with everything I did in advance, giving up coffee, exercising etc. the surgery still was a bit hard on me, I still kind of wig out that I can barely get in 2 ounces of food at a sitting. I still look at steak with longing in my heart, I would love some Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored but I love my life so much more.

At the beginning of last summer I knew I was dying. I sat there with a heart monitor in my chest, lupus and I could barely breathe. My normal size A cup was now going on DD, I couldn't get up the stairs without help and I found out my great grandmother died at the age of 49 of Morbid Obesity related illnesses, the ones I had. She didn't have a brain tumor like me, or Lupus, or neurological issues, but she had the rest of the stuff I had. I figured my son would come in from school and find me dead and I said no more.

If the people getting sleeved don't say no more, if they don't put 100% effort into this, and don't start thinking about their lives as worthy of putting effort into, they will lose weight at the beginning, but will find ways to justify the french fries, the piece of cake, the ice cream, the spaghetti and the burrito.

It's up to you to work out the issues you have with food, with or without psychological help. The sleeve is only a tool. Many people I know that had gastric bypass have gained their weight back, people that were lap banded gained weight back, stalled or ended up with more complications. I can't afford to, I need to live. If I die it's going to be because I got hit by a bus, or because of the lupus, or the brain tumor, I'm not dying because of my weight. No more.

Good luck to you.[/quote']

Very inspiring story!

[bakawaka 59]

There was a girl at work who had the lap band surgery the same time I had my surgery. The other day I was speaking to her about the success of her operation. I dont see much of a change in her. She said she wasnt losing the weight she wanted to and started resorting to taking diet pills. I was astonished' date=' why have the surgery if you are going back to the same lifestyle as before. I believe that we become relaxed in our dietary consumptions and fell back into the same trap. For several weeks I found myself eating fat free sugar free fudge popsicles constantly. I didnt gain any weight but I had to ask myself, why? I had to rethink and reevaluate my eating habits. I dont want to gain the weight I have lost. I feel wonderful but I can see how it is easy to fall back into that trap. It will be a struggle, we are food addicts and we need to focus on what makes us want to eat and how we can redirect our atttention to other outlets.[/quote']

I am afraid of falling back into bad habits post surgery.

[Sleeved&Hopeful 182]

The one thing we have to remember is no one is going to be perfect 100% of the time. The main thing is balance. Eating small portions of unhealthy food will work for a while but once the capacity of the sleeve increases that means the food will too! So the small portions turn into bigger portions and you will experience some weight regain. It's just the plain truth. I honestly believe in the whole "bounce back" pounds. If you go more than 5 or 10 pounds over your healthiest weight since being sleeved, then you need to scale back and re-asses your diet choices. If you don't pay attention, it can quickly turn into 20-30-40 lbs! I think the Protein first rule is genius. Fill yourself up on protein and you probably won't even crave the bad foods because you will be satisfied :-).

[SMP1126 76]

I think too it's about recognizing how we got to where we were and learning how to make good choices. For example, I was a night binger.... I'd be pretty good all day but if I stayed up watching TV, I'd raid the fridge and cabinets like there was no tomorrow. So now, instead of 6 string cheeses, a sandwich and 1/2 a bag of chips and a couple of Coke Zero's I'll have 4 oz of cottage cheese or a coupl of sugar free Popsicles and I'm good to go! I had this procedure because I hated myself for what I became, and now I'm learning to love myself for what I'm becoming! Good luck and God bless!

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[Catyroses 1]

@msvickvee Treating yourself to a sugar-free fudge popsicle once in a while is not an issue, but feeling like it's owed to you because you are being denied other foods is not good for you. I love popcorn, and I still think perhaps I may have some...someday, but I am hoping moreso that I won't want to have it because I will have changed my eating. I am going to treat myself once in a while, right now I can't even think about it, because I haven't reached my goal.

@shellbell, I know those that go to Mexico have to self-pay and that's rough and some people do a lot of research and work hard before they go, there are those in the US that get fast-tracked in too and don't have to do any psychological counseling as well as those that went through 6 month pre-op diets and didn't even follow any of the rules they were suppose to, they spent 6 months gaining weight.

I think behavior therapy or behavior modification is too important though and that's what most people will not want to do. I didn't want to do it the first time around and I cried like a baby because I thought the lady was being mean to me and singling me out.

The main point is whatever caused you to gain weight in the first place is still going to be there after the sleeve, and if you don't work through that first, or find some deep inner strength you never though you had before, you can slide back into old habits.

Thank you all for your kind words, I am sad it took me until now to work on me, but I hope it brings me lots more years to enjoy in the future.

It will! It's a wonderful thing! As an aside, I have to tell you that popcorn is a dangerous thing! Turns out that it disintigrates to just about nothing in the stomach, so you can eat an awful lot of it even with your tiny little tummy. Stay away from the popcorn!!

[*susan* 1,709]

I am a "everything in moderation" kind of girl. I have not lost as quickly as others and I am okay with that. In fact, between being pre-menopausal, having a very painful back problem, steroid injections, etc., I gained 30 pounds between August of last year and May of this year. It happens, I had medical issues, and like my doc said, based on my blood levels, I should just count my blessings that I only gained 30 pounds and not 100!

Now, everything seems to have finally leveled out and I am able to start moving again and the scale is finally dropping 1-2 pounds a week again. When I had this surgery, it was not with the mindset of being on a "diet" for the rest of my life. I wanted to be able to eat like a normal person. Guess what, normal people do eat popcorn, hamburgers, chips, etc., they were just better able to stop themselves at a reasonable amount than I was. I try to eat mostly healthy, but I have no guilt whatsoever when I have popcorn, a bacon cheeseburger, fries, or a drink. That is because I am now able to have a few bites, with the help of my sleeve, feel satisfied and then push the plate away like "normal" people do. I record every bit of food that goes in my mouth, I monitor fat, carbs, Protein, sugar and salt and they are all within normal, recommended levels. I never feel deprived and I am a very happy person.

Sent from my iPad using VST

[KS Fort Worth 86]

I worked on behavior modification in advance. I think that is what is really truly needed. I think a lot of people think that this is going to do the work for them. Even with everything I did in advance, giving up coffee, exercising etc. the surgery still was a bit hard on me, I still kind of wig out that I can barely get in 2 ounces of food at a sitting. I still look at steak with longing in my heart, I would love some Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored but I love my life so much more.

I, for one, am glad that Aetna requires a 90-day supervised weight loss period before they will grant approval. It gave me time to fix the bad habits, and the carrot-on-a-stick (surgery) to make sure I didn't cheat. I think that anybody who is still gaining weight and wants the surgery RIGHT NOW needs to ask themselves some very hard questions. ALL of us here know how to lose weight; the sleeve will be just a tool to help KEEP it off. I originally considered bypass precisely because of the malabsorptive potential, but decided the sleeve PLUS getting my head straight was a MUCH better path.

[HalfTheWoman 107]

@msvickvee Treating yourself to a sugar-free fudge popsicle once in a while is not an issue, but feeling like it's owed to you because you are being denied other foods is not good for you. I love popcorn, and I still think perhaps I may have some...someday, but I am hoping moreso that I won't want to have it because I will have changed my eating. I am going to treat myself once in a while, right now I can't even think about it, because I haven't reached my goal.

@shellbell, I know those that go to Mexico have to self-pay and that's rough and some people do a lot of research and work hard before they go, there are those in the US that get fast-tracked in too and don't have to do any psychological counseling as well as those that went through 6 month pre-op diets and didn't even follow any of the rules they were suppose to, they spent 6 months gaining weight.

I think behavior therapy or behavior modification is too important though and that's what most people will not want to do. I didn't want to do it the first time around and I cried like a baby because I thought the lady was being mean to me and singling me out.

The main point is whatever caused you to gain weight in the first place is still going to be there after the sleeve, and if you don't work through that first, or find some deep inner strength you never though you had before, you can slide back into old habits.

Thank you all for your kind words, I am sad it took me until now to work on me, but I hope it brings me lots more years to enjoy in the future.

I know I am fat because I absolutely love food and love to eat! When I am sad or stressed out...I do not eat! So I am happy that there are great websites where I can modify the food I love to be a healthier, better choice. I like to cook and eat. http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/ http://www.skinnytaste.com/search/label/Low%20Carb%20Recipes http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2012/04/day-in-my-pouch_14.html

I believe that we need to enjoy our food as long as it's good choices. I have also found that a lot of things I used to like..I don't want or crave. I love my sleeve and so thankful to have it!

[Pattyhdz 32]

I think for some people' date=' the weight loss is so easy, they never have to work at it a little. They still eat everything they were eating in small amounts and still lose weight. There was one in our support groups that was always eating fries and poutine but said, Oh, I only eat a few. And she lost all her weight really quickly. After a while, all the french fry eating caught up with her and she started gaining back. There are also a lot of habits and emotional issues when it comes to eating. Without dealing with those and gaining some control, you can sabotage yourself, even with the sleeve.

It is important to remember that the sleeve (like the bypass) is just a tool. You still have to learn to eat healthier and get active to be truly successful. The only thing is there are some differences between the sleeve and the bypass. Many patients with the sleeve do not gain back weight, or a small amount (10% of what was lost is typical). The bypass leaves a pouch with the stretchy part of the stomach which can be stretched out easily as one eats more and more and more. The sleeve is significantly less stretchy, so you always retain a fair amount of restriction. The sleeve also takes out the portion of the stomach that produces ghrelin, the hunger hormone. You still have some, so don't expect to never feel hungry (some people do, some don't, I sometimes feel hungry, but not the same as before). The bypass leaves the entire stomach intact, thus your body continues to produce ghrelin.

It is not a magic bullet.

love the World According to Eggface, and my favorite quote from her is "Weight loss surgery is not a do-over (repeat the same mistakes = get a similar outcome.) Weight loss surgery is a do-better (make some lifestyle changes you can continue forever.)"[/quote']

[Smoggy 152]

Meaningful words Mina. Thanks.

[mylifeinpink 350]

I know many go to Mexico to get sleeved or they get into a program that fast-tracks them and everyone wants to rush the process.

I have seen people go through the six month process and gain weight only to have to hurry up and do some major dieting to to be allowed the surgery.

I balked the first time I went to WLS and they wanted me to get psychological counseling. I hate the lady' date=' seriously, and my husband lost his job so I backed out. The 2nd time I went to another place, and I balked about the six months, I ended up getting pneumonia and I backed out first month.

The third time I grabbed all the information and made a binder from both places and I started the diet on my own. 800-900 calories, 80 grams of Protein, 45-75 carbs and I started charting my food (the thing I dreaded the most was writing my food down and looking up calories etc.). I charted my Water, and I contacted Healthy4life. I realized I could get denied because of the Lupus and I decided to put 100% effort into it. I lost 70 pounds pre-op.

I worked on behavior modification in advance. I think that is what is really truly needed. I think a lot of people think that this is going to do the work for them. Even with everything I did in advance, giving up coffee, exercising etc. the surgery still was a bit hard on me, I still kind of wig out that I can barely get in 2 ounces of food at a sitting. I still look at steak with longing in my heart, I would love some Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored but I love my life so much more.

At the beginning of last summer I knew I was dying. I sat there with a heart monitor in my chest, lupus and I could barely breathe. My normal size A cup was now going on DD, I couldn't get up the stairs without help and I found out my great grandmother died at the age of 49 of Morbid Obesity related illnesses, the ones I had. She didn't have a brain tumor like me, or Lupus, or neurological issues, but she had the rest of the stuff I had. I figured my son would come in from school and find me dead and I said no more.

If the people getting sleeved don't say no more, if they don't put 100% effort into this, and don't start thinking about their lives as worthy of putting effort into, they will lose weight at the beginning, but will find ways to justify the french fries, the piece of cake, the ice cream, the spaghetti and the burrito.

It's up to you to work out the issues you have with food, with or without psychological help. The sleeve is only a tool. Many people I know that had gastric bypass have gained their weight back, people that were lap banded gained weight back, stalled or ended up with more complications. I can't afford to, I need to live. If I die it's going to be because I got hit by a bus, or because of the lupus, or the brain tumor, I'm not dying because of my weight. No more.

Good luck to you.[/quote']

Even though I took the fast track to Mexico and expedited the process- every penny of the 5500$ that was spent came from MY pocket- not from an insurance company so you better believe that I take care of myself and work my A$$ off to overcome any food issues I have! I AM motivated by money and saving for my MM- so even though I'm a fast tracker Mexi goer- I take my health SO seriously- never cheat - and am on track every step of the way!

[mylifeinpink 350]

this iis why I reply frankly to the "So I'm post-op, when can I eat french fries, Doritos, cheese Doodles, etc.?" posts. I'm not trying to be judgmental. There are just some folks who do not change their eating habits and I want to help"

OMGOSH this makes me crazy! But their money- (or insurance) their health!

I can say for me- NO THANKS!

[mylifeinpink 350]

I just had my first visit with my surgeon and this is what he has to say. If you want to lose weight and keep it off forever you must give up soda' date=' dessert, chips, crackers, and popcorn for the rest of your life. These foods are genetically altered by the manufactures to make you hungry and make you eat more. He goes on to say In the beginning you may eat just one but you have my guarantee that will not last and you will gain the weight back.

I believe this 100%. I have every intention of following his rules because I want to stop the insanity once and for all.

Good luck to everyone taking this journey.[/quote']

AMEN!

Following to a T!!!! (and losing!!!!)

[mylifeinpink 350]

Are the sugar free fudge Popsicles not a good choice? I was eyeing those babies yesterday but settle for the old familiar sf popsicles.

I eat one or two a week- after I do my miles- I will sit in the sun and eat one- I love them- and I'm losing like mad.