I Admit It...i Have Cheated A Bit

[luckybee13 0]

So my surgery is in two days and I have to admit I have cheated a little. My diet was for 10 days of high Protein liquids no food. My approval went really fast, and because I am a bit smaller (i guess?) my doctor was able to squeeze me in for surgery faster than what was originally planned. I didn't meet with my NUT until Monday, almost 1 week after starting my diet. I was STARVING...turns out, I wasn't getting enough calories on the high protein liquid drinks I was drinking, which led me to cheat. Here is what I cheated wtih before today....a couple bites of chicken (grilled, and very small bites...less than an ounce), scrambled egg...my son made it and it smelled so good, i ate two bites, a hard boiled egg, a bite of a hot dog (no bun), some frozen yogurt (no sugar added and was at a place that had no Protein Shakes available), and the worst....on day 3 of my diet a co-worker was leaving and they brought in cinnamon crunch Bagels from Panera....I was bad! I felt so guilty! My husband told me to let it go and not beat myself up but to try really hard moving forward. I tried, I really did. I have told myself that I am not going to cheat at all anymore....surgery is in two days after all. I have lost about 19 lbs from my first appointment in July (12 of them since starting this liquid diet). Did anyone else cheat like I did? When I looked I only heard of people cheating with an actual meal, not a couple bites daily...I am really nervous that I screwed something up inside. Feels good to admit what I ate though, hopefully someone out here understands.

[vssupermodel 15]

Do tell your Doctor about the cheating cause it could interfere with the surgery!

[lollyfidy1965 402]

If you're a reader, I would highly recommend reading "The End of Overeating". It really helped me understand how the food processing companies intentionally manipulate foods, in order to make them addictive (and I use that word literally...you'll understand, if you read the book). The more I read, the angrier I became...and now I have a much stronger ability to resist those foods that are tempting to me...because I know the temptation is a function of those addictive attributes (of the food). Its made my post-surgical process MUCH more bearable....I'm not going to allow any food manufacturer control my health anymore!

Best of luck to you!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

cheated a little

kindof like being "a little pregnant"

congrats on loosing those 19 lbs with your pre-op WLS

you ate a few things that you "maybe" should not have.,get over it

DH is right, let it go, don't beat yourself up over it, move forward.

Sounds like he's a supportive keeper

You are before WLS - you lost a lot of weight - feel proud, you have done wonderful

you ate a crumb - you didn't eat the whole loaf

since you feel guilty about that little extra eating, i think that will help you in the long run, you'll know to act differently PO

People do at times, on a rare occasion cheat throughout WLS - we're only human

that being said - you must follow the rules that go with the sleeve - no cheating with the sleeve - follow whatever your NUT./dr tell you, the drinking, chewing- et al

i'm sure you will do great with your future with the help of the sleeve

WLS is for the rest of your life - a total committment - the rewards are wonderful

Health, happiness, and of course weight loss too

good luck on friday

speedy recovery

[luckybee13 0]

Thanks Everyone!

I did tell my NUT on Monday that I was cheating here and there, and when she found out that I was drinkiing 4-5 (they are hard to get all down) EAS shakes per day, she wasn't surprised because it was only totaling about 500 calories per day. I will make sure to mention to my doc on Friday...it helps to hear someone tell me to 'do it'!

I am happy that I have lost some weight before surgery, because I know it is supposed to make things easier for the surgeon and for recovery, but I can't take all the credit. I have to confess (again) that I was weighing a little heavy on my first consult appointment because it was 'that time of month' However, the 12 lbs lost since starting this pre op diet is all me! For me, losing 20 lbs isn't really hard, but losing anymore than that seems to be impossible. I haven't seen the scale go below 220 in too long to remember; even with diets and consistent exercise, which is how I decided it was time to take charge of my life (and my body) and move forward with this WLS and this permanent weight loss tool.

Thanks lollyfiddy1965, I am going to order that book today. My husband (my whole family) is terribly addicted to certain foods. Mayber this will help break all of our addictions Thanks for the suggestion.

[jsd2 39]

I did the same thing and was only getting around 4-600 calories for most of my time on the high Protein diet although it was recomended to get 8-900 calories. It was tough to get much more in for me even tho I was getting in more than the recomended grams of protein- around 100 each day when 80 was the target. I spent sooooo much money on the food I was determined not to cheat and make it all be for nothing, but there were several times I just couldn't take it anymore! My worst offenses in my opinion were 2 or 3 sweet potato tater tots from sonic one night, a can of diet coke on the third of my nine days, a huge slice of greasy pepperoni pizza the Friday before my Monday surgery and a piece of sugar free gum the morning of surgery. I felt so awful and guilty for failing the diet and talked to the doc, he said more people cheat worse than that and that he only had to cancel 1 surgery for a patient who had a full meal the night before surgery. He also said they can tell while they're inside whether you've cheated or not- 2 weeks of super high protein and low cal and carb cleans out your intestines, bowel and decreases the fat in your liver- patients who cheat tend to have "greasy" intestines per the doc, gross! So many of us have food issues, that's why we're here! Losing 12 or 19 lbs on the diet is great, they're looking for weight loss so there is more room to work in your tummy and the size of your liver decreases making surgery easier and safer.

[lollyfidy1965 402]

Thanks Everyone!

I did tell my NUT on Monday that I was cheating here and there, and when she found out that I was drinkiing 4-5 (they are hard to get all down) EAS shakes per day, she wasn't surprised because it was only totaling about 500 calories per day. I will make sure to mention to my doc on Friday...it helps to hear someone tell me to 'do it'!

I am happy that I have lost some weight before surgery, because I know it is supposed to make things easier for the surgeon and for recovery, but I can't take all the credit. I have to confess (again) that I was weighing a little heavy on my first consult appointment because it was 'that time of month' However, the 12 lbs lost since starting this pre op diet is all me! For me, losing 20 lbs isn't really hard, but losing anymore than that seems to be impossible. I haven't seen the scale go below 220 in too long to remember; even with diets and consistent exercise, which is how I decided it was time to take charge of my life (and my body) and move forward with this WLS and this permanent weight loss tool.

Thanks lollyfiddy1965, I am going to order that book today. My husband (my whole family) is terribly addicted to certain foods. Mayber this will help break all of our addictions Thanks for the suggestion.

You're very welcome! I recommend that book to everyone I can....it really has been a game-changer for me! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, after you've gotten into it a bit.

Laura

[amandatxgrl 16]

I just started my liquid diet today my surg is next Wednesday I'm sacred, but I'm really nervous about this liquid diet!!! Any suggestions??!!!

[Wheetsin 714]

Cheating on a pre-op diet won't kill you. You know you shouldn't, chose to, and it's in the past. So let it go, and just do what you need to do going forward.

I say this from a good place, not waggling my finger at you. I do notice you're taking a lot of time to qualify/justify your "cheats" (I don't even like to call them that). That speaks to your regret, but don't regret. Just work toward change. I'm talking about the additions like: it was grilled, there wasn't a Protein option, no sugar added, etc. You might want to bring up the "cheats" with your surgeon, but it's your choice. Some do, most do not. It is what it is. Of anything, your "justification" concerns me the most. Only because it's truly one of the hardest shifts for us to make post-op (possibly the hardest, collectively speaking). Our brains are really good at getting what they want. When they want this "bad" thing, they will give us whatever we need to make us feel like it was "ok" or "not that bad" or "had no choice" or whatever. I've been there sooo many times I can't even count them, and I probably only win over bad brain about 60% of the time. The closer you can get pre-op, the easier it will be post-op. Best of luck!

[amandatxgrl 16]

Thanks I can do it!!!! I know I can, I'm just tryin to stay positive!!!

[luckybee13 0]

Thanks for all the encouragement! It is very helpful and makes me know that I can do this on a permanent basis moving forward.

Wheetsin, I appreciate your candidness, but I wasn't 'justifying' so to speak (at least I didn't think I was). My intent was to give a clear picture of what I ate and the circumstances behind it so that I could get honest feedback and maybe learn more about the diet overall. Your comments did get me thinking though, and I know that I did try and justify (to myself) the 'why' I ate the food immediately after I ate it. I know this is a life choice. I looked at getting the surgery over two years ago and didn't because I wasn't ready to make the commitment needed. I now have the support system and mental readiness to move forward. Thanks for your comment...please continue to keep me honest!

amandatxgrl, the Protein liquid diet is really not bad as long as you remember to keep one with you at ALL times! I think that was my biggest mistake. I went a couple places thinking I would drink one on the way, and when I got there I had nothing and my tummy was growling. I originally purchased Atkins Protein shakes both chocolate and vanilla...the chocolate were ok, but the vanilla needed some flavoring. After my appt with the NUT she told me to blend in a little fruit...MUCH better! My husband and son took pity on me and went to target and bought me a bunch of EAS Protein Shakes and I have to say that I really don't mind them. The strawberry cream tastes like strawberry quick...i have gone thru almost 3 containers of those alone. The cafe caramel is not bad, I think blended with ice would taste very similar to a blended coffee. The double chocolate is a little too much for me, but it isn't bad. I suggest those, and of course I am living on sugar free Jello...every flavor there is! We can do this!!

[lollyfidy1965 402]

Thanks for all the encouragement! It is very helpful and makes me know that I can do this on a permanent basis moving forward.

Wheetsin, I appreciate your candidness, but I wasn't 'justifying' so to speak (at least I didn't think I was). My intent was to give a clear picture of what I ate and the circumstances behind it so that I could get honest feedback and maybe learn more about the diet overall. Your comments did get me thinking though, and I know that I did try and justify (to myself) the 'why' I ate the food immediately after I ate it. I know this is a life choice. I looked at getting the surgery over two years ago and didn't because I wasn't ready to make the commitment needed. I now have the support system and mental readiness to move forward. Thanks for your comment...please continue to keep me honest!

amandatxgrl, the Protein liquid diet is really not bad as long as you remember to keep one with you at ALL times! I think that was my biggest mistake. I went a couple places thinking I would drink one on the way, and when I got there I had nothing and my tummy was growling. I originally purchased Atkins Protein shakes both chocolate and vanilla...the chocolate were ok, but the vanilla needed some flavoring. After my appt with the NUT she told me to blend in a little fruit...MUCH better! My husband and son took pity on me and went to target and bought me a bunch of EAS Protein Shakes and I have to say that I really don't mind them. The strawberry cream tastes like strawberry quick...i have gone thru almost 3 containers of those alone. The cafe caramel is not bad, I think blended with ice would taste very similar to a blended coffee. The double chocolate is a little too much for me, but it isn't bad. I suggest those, and of course I am living on sugar free Jello...every flavor there is! We can do this!!

If you're looking for protein sources, you might google "gelatein 20"...its a high-protein Gelatin...88 calories, and 20 grams of protein in a 4 oz cup. If you email the company and ask, they will send you a sample of each of the two flavors to try, before committing to an entire case. I "like" the fruit punch flavor, and have one as an evening snack on days when I'm running short of protein.

[Wheetsin 714]

I have a direct communication style (just as much in real life as anywhere else) so I'm glad you were able to see the message for what it was. As I wrote it I did quite a bit of editing to try and make sure it wasn't 1) harsh or 2) preachy, but to the point. I'm just "that girl" who kind of lacks "that filter"! And actually I shouldn't even say justification so much as "cognitive distortion" (using fancy terms like that makes me feel like all the $$$ I spent on a psychology education was worth it! ). That little voice in our head that says, "Well you just blew your diet with this slice of pie, so you might as well take the rest of the day off from it too" and makes all the other things "ok" that are actually working against us.

EAS strawberry creme is one of my favorite RTDs, but it has to be COLD. Their vanilla is ok too, but not as enjoyable as the strawberry. You can also blend in (I assume) sugar free syrups (DaVInci/Torani become our best friends), maybe a little PB2 (dry Peanut Butter that's a fraction of the fat, but tastes amazingly like the real deal when mixed into something). There's a brand called Syntrax that has a line of "Nectar" Proteins. The most tolerable (IMO) flavor is Roadside Lemonade - you can get sample packs of it. If you add in some sugar free lemonade mix, it sort of has a "lemon creme" flavor. If allowed, you can also try powders with milk instead of Water (if you haven't already). The extra Protein & stuff in the milk should give you a better sense of satiety.

There's also a brand of RTDs called "Premiere Protein" - I know Sam's and costco carry them. Their chocolate is a favorite of a LOT of bariatric patients. I think it's ok, it's not my favorite. The other day I bought a case of their vanilla and don't care for it much at all, even "doctored up" with syrups, BUT they are 30gm Protein per 11 0z and that's seriously hard to beat.

Gelatin Proteins have their place, but they're really not the best protein for us. If you can, whey isolate is one of the better ones. (I'd rank it #2).

I don't think your unprepared for surgery in any way because of it. It's sort of a junk protein for our needs. I've posted the nutrition/scientific reasoning before (as have others), you might want to search for "gelatin protein" or "incomplete protein" and do some reading up before you make any purchases.

I'm sure you'll do great. You're here getting help, for one. That puts you in the top 10th percentile already.

Wheetsin, I appreciate your candidness, but I wasn't 'justifying' so to speak (at least I didn't think I was). My intent was to give a clear picture of what I ate and the circumstances behind it so that I could get honest feedback and maybe learn more about the diet overall. Your comments did get me thinking though, and I know that I did try and justify (to myself) the 'why' I ate the food immediately after I ate it. I know this is a life choice. I looked at getting the surgery over two years ago and didn't because I wasn't ready to make the commitment needed. I now have the support system and mental readiness to move forward. Thanks for your comment...please continue to keep me honest!

[Izuri 428]

Just want to say you're brave for admitting to us and yourself that you cheated and made a mistake. What is it they say....that admitting it is the first step to overcoming it? I can't remember exactly, but it's true. I know that before I decided on the surgery I lied to myself and the people around me about what I ate because I was ashamed. I am trying hard to be an open book now, because being ashamed isn't productive - it just leads to wanting to eat more. Plus, the more honest I am about what I eat, the more it helps keep me on track.

I doubt that you will be unable to have surgery. If you're feeling worried you could always give your surgeon's office a call for a little peace of mind. There will be many more of these challenges to come throughout your post-op life, and you did the right thing by turning to your NUT. Are you tracking your diet? It helps me to write out my day's diet on MyFitnessPal. I have added quite a few people on here (If you want to add me my username is the same as it is here), and they are all very positive/reinforcing good habits. It's nice to get feedback and to be able to see how others are doing.

By the way, congratulations on your loss =) Surgery will be here quick and you will be over here on the loser's bench in no time!

Lollyfidy1965 - Thank you for the book recommendation! I am really interested in this too and will definitely be checking it out.

[lollyfidy1965 402]

I have a direct communication style (just as much in real life as anywhere else) so I'm glad you were able to see the message for what it was. As I wrote it I did quite a bit of editing to try and make sure it wasn't 1) harsh or 2) preachy, but to the point. I'm just "that girl" who kind of lacks "that filter"! And actually I shouldn't even say justification so much as "cognitive distortion" (using fancy terms like that makes me feel like all the $$$ I spent on a psychology education was worth it! ). That little voice in our head that says, "Well you just blew your diet with this slice of pie, so you might as well take the rest of the day off from it too" and makes all the other things "ok" that are actually working against us.

EAS strawberry creme is one of my favorite RTDs, but it has to be COLD. Their vanilla is ok too, but not as enjoyable as the strawberry. You can also blend in (I assume) sugar free syrups (DaVInci/Torani become our best friends), maybe a little PB2 (dry Peanut Butter that's a fraction of the fat, but tastes amazingly like the real deal when mixed into something). There's a brand called Syntrax that has a line of "Nectar" Proteins. The most tolerable (IMO) flavor is Roadside Lemonade - you can get sample packs of it. If you add in some sugar free lemonade mix, it sort of has a "lemon creme" flavor. If allowed, you can also try powders with milk instead of Water (if you haven't already). The extra Protein & stuff in the milk should give you a better sense of satiety.

There's also a brand of RTDs called "Premiere Protein" - I know Sam's and costco carry them. Their chocolate is a favorite of a LOT of bariatric patients. I think it's ok, it's not my favorite. The other day I bought a case of their vanilla and don't care for it much at all, even "doctored up" with syrups, BUT they are 30gm Protein per 11 0z and that's seriously hard to beat.

Gelatin Proteins have their place, but they're really not the best protein for us. If you can, whey isolate is one of the better ones. (I'd rank it #2).

I don't think your unprepared for surgery in any way because of it. It's sort of a junk protein for our needs. I've posted the nutrition/scientific reasoning before (as have others), you might want to search for "gelatin protein" or "incomplete protein" and do some reading up before you make any purchases.

I'm sure you'll do great. You're here getting help, for one. That puts you in the top 10th percentile already.

Just as an FYI...gelatein 20 has whey protein isolate in it