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

[Butterthebean 8,146]

It seems that there are two major groups on this forum. Those who get the sleeve and use the tool to eat less and loose weight and those who get the sleeve to kick off a new life of healthly eating' date=' exersice, Protein shakes and basicly a totally new life. The first group, in which I belong, is a little more laid back, we are going to incorporate birthday cake and margaritas. I would love it if the group of "Sleeve life changer- health nuts" would give us "Laid back sleevers" a break and not accuse of us of being trolls, or giving bad advice. We have a different lifestyle, it is okay not to be just like you, I promise. There needs to be room for both types of people on this forum. When I first started reading I thought the only people on here were health fanatics, I am glad to see there are people who are not running 5k's and drinking Protein Shakes 4 weeks out.[/quote']

Way to lump us all together.

There are other types of people on here as well....those who have severe eating disorders and have not addressed them before surgery. They are not laid back and they certainly are not health nuts. Which way should they be advised to go?

[NJSleeveboy 212]

@butter I stick to my original post. I am not lumping. I am speaking of a)the pre diet liquid obsession.. If it is killing you then have a bowl of veggie or chicken soup.. Live it up. It is PROVEN to not affect your liver for the surgery if you do it only once or twice, etc.. the post 1 to 6 week diet folk who are on liquids.. Well, since many docs allow puree on day 2, I still stick to my post and tell those who are having a hard go on week 2 or 3 or 4, etc post op liquid to live it up and take a 4 oz can of tuna, for ex, add two TB of light mayo. add some salt, dash of sugar and some onion powder and pepper and have an INCREDIBLY healthy meal (sub canned chicken if you don't like fish) that will indeed be on their lifetime diet.. It won;t hurt them was my point and I was really dealing with those obsessing on here.. I get it and was trying to help.. People fantasizing about food, what they'll have in 7 weeks, etc.. GO for it.. It's ok if your stomach can handle it.. eat slowly and wait for reaction. I'm NO doc and No shrink, of course, but was never my intention. BTW, YAY on the comment on laid back sleevers. I'm too new to know if I'll be one, but suspect I will but also am incorporating (or plan 2) the second group, that also watches healthy eating and working out etc..

[doxieville 799]

Way to lump us all together.

There are other types of people on here as well....those who have severe eating disorders and have not addressed them before surgery. They are not laid back and they certainly are not health nuts. Which way should they be advised to go?

Or what about people who have severe (non weight) related issues like auto-immune diseases? What about....the list is endless. We really aren't two groups as if we are divided down the middle. At least I hope not!

I really wasn't going to post as i was enjoying just reading all the silly going ons. But, this one got me. I thought the whole idea of this forum was accepting each others individuality?

As for the OP? I put his post down as excitement. He's only 2 weeks out, people! Remember the ups and downs and aha moments your first month? True, I think it was rather irresponsible to spout off as he did as if it were all facts, but did you guys catch that he's a 'motivational speaker?' I'll keep my personal feelings out of that profession, but most are paid to speak as if what they say is the honest to God only way to be. (I say most because there are SOME good motivational speakers out there. Opps, my opinion got in the way.)

I just hope that newbies follow their doc's orders because your doctor is the one who is helping you with your care. If he doesn't want you to have that dorito, don't have it!

About Obsessing? If someone is so obsessive about food post surgery that they are going agnst their docs orders, then if they don't get help for their eating disorder (which led us all to this surgery to begin with) then down the road they will more than likely have a harder time. So to me, it's sad that the OP was celebrating that it's ok to disobey their personal docs orders.

Again, I rarely join these debates, but this one bugs me on too many levels to be quiet.

[doxieville 799]

@butter I stick to my original post. I am not lumping. I am speaking of a)the pre diet liquid obsession.. If it is killing you then have a bowl of veggie or chicken soup.. Live it up. It is PROVEN to not affect your liver for the surgery if you do it only once or twice' date=' etc.. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> the post 1 to 6 week diet folk who are on liquids.. Well, since many docs allow puree on day 2, I still stick to my post and tell those who are having a hard go on week 2 or 3 or 4, etc post op liquid to live it up and take a 4 oz can of tuna, for ex, add two TB of light mayo. add some salt, dash of sugar and some onion powder and pepper and have an INCREDIBLY healthy meal (sub canned chicken if you don't like fish) that will indeed be on their lifetime diet.. It won;t hurt them was my point and I was really dealing with those obsessing on here.. I get it and was trying to help.. People fantasizing about food, what they'll have in 7 weeks, etc.. GO for it.. It's ok if your stomach can handle it.. eat slowly and wait for reaction. I'm NO doc and No shrink, of course, but was never my intention. BTW, YAY on the comment on laid back sleevers. I'm too new to know if I'll be one, but suspect I will but also am incorporating (or plan 2) the second group, that also watches healthy eating and working out etc..[/quote']

I repeat....IRRESPONSIBLE POST. Do what your own surgeon tells you to do. Period. Until all the studies are done and a united protocol is established, follow your docs orders because he is the one treating you.

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Amen Doxie!!!!!

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Why bother responding to your post when you go back and edit, add and back track everything you say.

And yes you edit every single post by volumes and changes galore.

A valid debate never needs editing once given.

[NJSleeveboy 212]

Umm @lessofme, I have not yet spoken about anything OTHER THAN the one week preop and the two weeks post op, of which I have completed just like anyone with 2 years of sleeve history.. So, not quite. That's why I don't comment on the future. I did call my DOC and said I was dying and they said to live it up pre surgery with some Soup. So, feel free for anyone to call ur doc and ask.. My bro also okd it.. So, not blind on what my doc and many have told me and what I did for my first 3 weeks. Just sayin'

[Ready4success 380]

It seems that there are two major groups on this forum. Those who get the sleeve and use the tool to eat less and loose weight and those who get the sleeve to kick off a new life of healthly eating' date=' exersice, Protein shakes and basicly a totally new life. The first group, in which I belong, is a little more laid back, we are going to incorporate birthday cake and margaritas. I would love it if the group of "Sleeve life changer- health nuts" would give us "Laid back sleevers" a break and not accuse of us of being trolls, or giving bad advice. We have a different lifestyle, it is okay not to be just like you, I promise. There needs to be room for both types of people on this forum. When I first started reading I thought the only people on here were health fanatics, I am glad to see there are people who are not running 5k's and drinking Protein Shakes 4 weeks out.[/quote']

I'm in neither of those groups, what I am is someone who had to shoot myself in the *ss with insulin every other day, and take 2 diabetes and 2 b/p meds everyday because of eating too much of the wrong stuff. If you've never had a chronic illness, or never had to worry about losing a leg, going blind, or not being able to have children, then you have no clue. Maybe you just "wanted to eat less and lose some weight", so you can buy some new clothes, that's fine too. I did this to save my life, so you can put me in the Sleeve Life Savers club, and I guarantee there are lot more us out there than in your other groups.

[doxieville 799]

Forgot to mention the OP about Caffeine. (I'm not going to copy the whole post, just go to the OP if you are just joining us.).

It IS bad for those with more acidic stomachs. It truly is. I'm not a coffee drinker so if coffee drinkers want to help me here, i'm pretty sure that caffeine/coffee is acidic? And that's the last thing our poor 'new' tummies need.

[Supersweetums 1,164]

So I have read through all the posts on here, and I agree on some and disagree on others. I am getting close to my 2 yr anniversary, so I am not sure if that allocates me as a veteran, but I do think have a more experience than some.

Here is my take. The rules are there to help people develop new habits. I used my first 6 months to develop new eating habits that I could live with. Did you read that part, that I could LIVE with. I do worry about some of the people on here that go to absolute extremes with post-op diet, obsessing over every calorie, carb or Protein gram that passes their lips. Neilsleeve, you are correct in that. We were all good at diets, but diets are not something that you can live with forever. I never counted or weighed anything. BUT, I did use that time, like I said, to form a new routine, a new way of looking at food, and a new way of eating.

I think telling people to go out and eat whatever they want is not good advice. Like ButtertheBean said, there are the people out there that have not dealt with their issues and are just waiting for someone to say it is ok to eat a chip. I don't think people can go into this surgery expecting to not change a single thing and have a positive result. Sure, you will lose weight. Will you reach your goal, maybe, maybe not. Will you be able to maintain, chances are probably not. The further out you are, the more you can eat. And trust me, although it is nothing compared to what a person could eat pre-op, if you aren't careful, you can eat a substantial amount. And if you continue to eat foods that are unhealthy, you are going to be in trouble. How do I know, I have seen it. I have seen others that have went through the same program that I have. They have not changed anything. Eating chips and crackers, eating fries everyday and justifying it by saying, well, I can just eat a little. And some of those people have lost the weight, only to start to regain. Maybe not the 100lbs that they lost, but all of a sudden they have put 20 or 30 lbs back on, which is harder to lose 2 years out than 2 months out. It takes 1 year to form a new habit, take the first post op year to form yours.

I do completely agree with the obsessing. Now, you have to do what works for you. But, cutting out complete food groups or going to eating extremes does not form a healthy relationship with food nor do I think that it is sustainable for the long term. If I like Bananas and I post a recipe with Bananas, I am not asking you to come on here and preach to me about how "fattening" bananas are. Do they have carbs? Yes. Are they higher in calories than other fruits? Yes. Are they unhealthy? No. If your world is consumed by every morsel you are putting in your mouth, you are going to be miserable. Like I said, I have never counted anything, and I have never dieted. But I also know my trigger foods and do not keep them in my house. Does that mean I never have anything that would be classed as a treat? Hell no! I have ice cream, I have chocolate, and I have chips. They key is, I only have small amounts and I do not have them often. The key here is healthy, lifelong changes, not diets.

The last point I would like to make, and sorry for the long post, but it was touched on, is the guilt and shame around food. We have spent our whole lives feeling guilty and made to feel bad about what we eat. It creates a vicious cycle of eating something we think we shouldn't, feeling guilty and beating ourselves up, and then eating more to shove down the pain of the guilt. The sleeve is an opportunity to develop a healthy relationship with food. And it is not easy. There are days that I still struggle. But I have worked very hard at putting those feelings in their place. If I have a few chips, should I feel bad about it. No? If I eat half a bag of chips, should I feel bad? Equally, no. Learn from it and use it as a chance to change. Tomorrow is a new day and use that new day to make better choices. Let's stop beating ourselves up and berating ourselves every day. I am not going to let food define who I am anymore.

[NJSleeveboy 212]

Geeze, @lessofme, I don't think you have been reading clearly. I agree with you!! Same goes for any food. If YOUR OWN stomach can't handle anything don't do it.. My point was for those who know they won't stay off coffee and don't want to and whose bellies can handle it.... Then my post remains valid.. U guys who don't agree with things crack me up, but I enjoy give and take and glad there is such passion on this. Funny how the vast majority like this post and so agree and about a quarter think I'm the antichrist. I'm Jewish, but not that lol

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

wow I could say so much on this topic but it has been said by Pookiesm, PDXman,Butterthebean and Doxie so Im done here. I just want to say I am a firm believer in following doctors orders. Also my Dr instructs me himself not his brother so I feel confident it is his expertise I am following.

best of luck to everyone.

Surgery and healing from it is serious business.

[doxieville 799]

Great post SuperS!

And I think many of us agree with you.

What bothers me about the OP is he's saying have what people are obsessing about only 2 weeks out. That really doesn't help develop true better eating habits down the road.

[doxieville 799]

Amen LessofMe!!! :-)

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

actually I think you arent reading clearly, I didnt post about the coffee lol

that was Doxie but I can say I totally agree with her

good day