My Suggestion-Stop The Obsessing. Rules Are Meant To Be Broken

[NJSleeveboy 212]

@VST addict, yes plenty of people who ate too quickly had horrible gas or stuck and needed to get help.. Don't do that and that's why I said listen to your OWN stomach and body. ALSO, what you and the few critics on here of me don't seem to get is I am debunking not peoples own opinions about themselves, but rather those who GIVE THEIR opinions to others, telling them this is the right way.. I'm just saying that If you are on 3 weeks of liquids and want a bowl of Soup and you can handle it, then stop listening to person A who tells you that it's a must, etc... The majority agree on here with me, but I enjoy a good debate.. Nowhere did i tell people to do what I am doing but to stop the "oh, man, can i have one pretzel". Or "Oh, I am soooo bad and feel so guilty. I cheated today and had half a piece of toast... ".. It's silly.. Read the title of the post.. it's about OBSESSING :-=)

[Skittle 26]

To the OP: great post! I have pretty much gotten the same info from my surgeon. Eat what you can tolerate.

Since surgery, my only complication was developing a sinus infection which kept me in an ongoing battle w nausea, coughing, and sometimes not being able to keep things down. But it was not from having the sleeve, it was from keeping my stomach in stress from coughing sooo much and so hard. My doc told me when I was having trouble getting things down, that it didn't matter what it was, if I could tolerate it, drink or eat it. This kept me off of iv fluids and pic lines.

After surgery I have also noticed that I do not crave all the junk foods as I did before. Seeing a picture of a McDonalds quarter pounder no longer makes me want to go buy one and swallow it in 5 minutes. Do I want one now and then? Sure, but I also know how all that grease will feel and just say no lol.

My surgeon also said that when you have a craving take 2 bites. 2 bites will curb that craving while maintaining everything you have done. 2 bites is not going to hurt anyone unless it becomes 2 bites.. Then 2 more a few minutes later.. Then later... I am changing my habits. But as my surgeon said to do, I will never deprive myself of anything just because I was sleeved.

Do I eat extremely slow? No. As a teacher I get maybe 20 minutes to actually eat, and 5 of that is to heat up whatever I brought. I don't have the luxury to eat that slow. HOWEVER, I also cannot eat as fast without discomfort. I listen to my body. I view the "rules" as guidelines. I can't always follow them, but I do what I can.

If you feel like you have to follow the rules 100% then do it, and know that it will work for you! But for all of us who struggled to stay on a diet and were miserable with cravings while on a diet, the rules can be bent, and some can be broken. But if you break it, keep the duct tape handy invade you need it again!

[buffythefatslayer 66]

I don't think it was a long post. I think it hit the nail on the head.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Nowhere did i tell people to do what I am doing but to stop the "oh, man, can i have one pretzel". Or "Oh, I am soooo bad and feel so guilty. I cheated today and had half a piece of toast... ".. It's silly.. Read the title of the post.. it's about OBSESSING :-=)

Now this is an idea I can get behind.

BTW....all this talk about cravings. I would never lick doritos. But I did lick wheat thins about 8 days after surgery....God they were good.

[sabbymomof3 11]

Your post was greatly needed and I'm sure we all relate.... I don't feel so bad for eating when I'm hungry. I'm learning my new sleeve and not going starve in the process.. to each their own.

[Readytolose2012 88]

I don't know how you guys ate solid food so early! I am 4 weeks postop and it hurts to eat ground turkey.

Plus, I'm the kind of person that buys a bag of chocolate to have one piece a day and end up eating the whole bag. Once I break the "rules" I have a real hard time getting back on track (speaking preop here). With that being said, I eased into soft food while on the blended diet, adding things slowly. I still have not tried real chicken or anything "bad". I think it's best for me to take it slow. To each his own .

[LittleRed30 38]

I'm three weeks out and I have to say that following the "rules" have been driving me batty. Mostly because everyone has different rules so... whose' right? how can every post-op be so different? I wanted this surgery for a better life to be able take weight off and keep it off (this is where I usually fail) ..not to live in a bubble. I have a 5 year old and want to enjoy life with him that will at some point include a Christmas cookie or an ice cream cone.

My post-op has me starting puree's this week...i'm board of eating and find my self barely getting in 3/400 calories (i also hate Protein drinks) so for me i started soft foods - I very much enjoyed carrots this afternoon and an egg tonight. all i really wanted was a meatball (first thing I've craved!). I have a NUT appointment tomorrow and was going to tell her just this - I'm glad you posted this because many of us do feel this way.

None of us got here because we are good with food and limits - i know chips and chocolate out but i can't wait for my first glass of wine to live this new life!

[NJSleeveboy 212]

First full day on real food here on day 9... Yogurt parfait with all sorts of fresh fruit for breakfast..... Kippered salmon and hummus for lunch.. A banana for a snack and dinner was a pan grilled turkey burger with low fat swiss cheese (no bun yet for me) and a side of garlic and olive oil freshly sauteed veggies and then steamed to make a tad more mushy. Um, YUMMMMM. All went down great.. We are all dif because each doc has a diff view of what issues they want to deal with and believe it best.... That was also my point. If you are dying, my doc suggests having a half of meatball, although since it has bread in it, they want me to grill up some steaks tenderly, chicken, pork, beef and play with diff foods.. So far loving the new adventure today. Thank goodness this was is my nut/docs views or else I'd be pulling my hair out... I get one more snack today and i'll be at 1000 calories.. Bear in mind. that is 200 more than you on liquid have.. So thats one extra pound each two weeks or two pounds less I will lose than you over the next month.. I'm , umm, FINE with that, lol

[NJSleeveboy 212]

Oh, As noted, the lack of liquid diet hasn't hurt my results. Here is a pix before and after posted showing 3 weeks (1 pre liquid and 2 post pureed).. SWEEEET lol

[Sleeved&Hopeful 182]

I have seen this discussion on a lot of forums. Moderation vs. strict. The people who do well with moderation are those who have the self-control to stop at one or two of the treats like chocolate or candy or ice cream or what have you. The ones who don't do well can't stop at one or two. They have to eat until they are stuffed. Those people do well with being strict. One lady I have seen said she does moderation with FOODS SHE CAN CONTROl. For example, she will eat crackers or chips because she is satisfied with just a few. BUT, she cannot moderate ice cream so she doesn't even buy it or bring it in her home. She just won't eat it period. So there is strict--there is moderation---and there is moderation of foods that you CAN control. I think it just takes figuring out what you personally need to do.

[slimshadee 26]

I am 6 months out and agree about 60 percent. While rules are difficult to follow, people should follow in the early stages. This is major, major surgery and you need to give your stomach and body a chance to heal. Protein helps you heal...Doritos do not. Once you are healed and experienced with the new stomach...of course figure out what works for you. This is my best advice looking back over the last 6 months.

[BLSC 7]

Loved your post Neil. People need to keep in mind the SPIRIT behind it, not read it as a directive that Doctor's orders are to be ignored. P.S. You lost 10 years in addition to those pounds

[PdxMan 4,292]

I also can't imagine a Dr telling his sleeve patients its OK to be eating a meatball within 2 weeks of having surgery. Sorry, but I think I am calling BS on this. I'm not just talking from my personal experience. I tried eating eating ground turkey meatball 1 month post-op ... no way. Too painful. 2 months post-op, same thing. I believe it was at 3 months I could handle it, and tried a ground beef one and it, too was painful. 6 months before eating beef was OK for me.

At our nutrition seminar, our NUT told the story of a man who had a steak 1 week post-op and died. I don't think she was making the story up to put the fear in us and after having been there, done that, I could see how having a steak post-op would have killed me.

I don't think I am the norm, nor was I atypical, but I just can't fathom ANY Dr suggesting the kinds of things you are saying. Now, if he is just directing these things at you, that is something else altogether. To suggest that others should throw caution to the wind and do it too is just irresponsible. If this is what you are suggesting, then I gotta mark you as a troll and not a true VSG recipient who wants to come on a WLS board and f*ck with a bunch of people's heads.

Maybe I'm in left field, here, but ...

[NJSleeveboy 212]

@pdxman, are you still on your post op pain meds? Really? someone will troll a site and waste their time ? u r too funny. re-read what I wrote. Man. FIRST OF ALL, my doc and NUT met with me. As yours does. We talked about what I have been eating and how well it's gone and what I cheated on.. His plan for anyone on week 3 is full diet.. Protein first and good choices. So, yes, I went shopping after and bought steaks and chicken and pork chops and hard cheeses and you name it. YES< I ATE THEM TODAY . So, my friend, it does work and if you read the replies, many on here also had the same luck. I'm not suggesting that people who can't tolerate the stuff do it and any doc who would tell a patient that is having trouble to progress faster would be a quack.. I'd post my post op diet from them, but not sure if you are a troll on here, who just casually reads posts and makes pompous comments.. :-)

PS. Umm, having ONE friggin Dorito instead of obsessing about licking the powder is not exactly throwing caution to the wind now, my exaggerating friend.

PPS I'm grilling steaks tomorrow. If you don't see me online after, then I guess i'm the person who you can say died from it.. OY.... I also heard when his guests work up, it said "welcome to the world of aids" on his bathroom mirror and then his brother was found in the tub, filled with ice with his liver taken out... THen when going outside he heard a scratching on his car roof and went outside and found it was his friend, dead, hanging from a tree, with his feet going over the car... Then he went for gas and the attendant told him that there was an axe murderer hiding in his back seat.. OY

[NJSleeveboy 212]

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