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

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Personally speaking, I think it was the "love it" size cold stone that did me in originally.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

That's a week and 2 days I've already spoken to my NUT' date=' I'm good. Staying right on with what I'm allowed. Today I've switched to a pre made Atkins shake and I've had half of it with no issues other than a lot of belly noise. Had some Greek yogurt (2.5 oz) and my sleeve is much happier. Fingers crossed the pre made works. Next step will be Isopure. (Too expensive at over 5 a bottle)[/quote']

My bad . I somehow missed the week part.

[Escape_Pod 358]

Oh, how I'd love to be one of you "everything in moderation" people. I'm sure it's lovely. But if I'm honest with myself, I'm just not. Sure, when I was only a few weeks or months post-op, I could have a couple of crackers, or a spoonful of Peanut Butter, or half a cookie, and that would be that. But now, with a mature sleeve, I start out having just a little, and I might get away with it once or twice. But, eventually it becomes just a little bit more, and then a little of this, and a little of that, and then I spend several weeks trying to drag myself back on track. I've found that I'm very susceptible to sugar and carbs. When I'm off of them, they're fairly easy to resist. When I've been eating them, I cannot walk away from the stupid cupcakes in the break room with canned frosting that don't even taste particularly good. And when you get to be a year or more post-op, I think you'll discover that a mature sleeve will NOT stop you from eating an entire bag of m&ms.

So, I live a pretty strict life because it makes my life easier. I don't spend my days and nights fighting cravings. I didn't have this surgery so I could eat whatever I want. I had this surgery so I could DO whatever I want, GO wherever I want, have whatever ADVENTURES I want. I had this surgery to be healthy, and strong, and confident. That sure beats the heck out of chocolate cake (ok... most days.... )

By all means, forge your own path and find something that works for you. But be brutally honest with yourself about what REALLY WORKS for you, and what's just slipping back into old habits. Because in the early months the weight will come flying off just about regardless of what you do. Down the road, it gets a lot harder, and there's never an easier time to make a dramatic change in your life than right after surgery - it doesn't get more dramatic than that.

[newgrandmother 725]

ok so decided since im back at work and they feed us for free and i dont have money if they serve something i can eat i will eat it and take my home lunch back home (makes sense?) i know visually oz and measurements wish me luck

[Ready4success 380]

ok so decided since im back at work and they feed us for free and i dont have money if they serve something i can eat i will eat it and take my home lunch back home (makes sense?) i know visually oz and measurements wish me luck

It must be nice to be fed for free at work, but I work in a hospital, and I feel sorry for the patients most of the time.

[rybecca20 160]

ok so decided since im back at work and they feed us for free and i dont have money if they serve something i can eat i will eat it and take my home lunch back home (makes sense?) i know visually oz and measurements wish me luck

That's nice that they feed you guys. Where do you work at? Are you feeling better?

[newgrandmother 725]

i work for marriott. im feeling ok thanks for asking becca. the food sucked i should of took my food with me. it was a red curry chicken and rice pilaf and green beens so i measured out my food. the chicken was so so the green Beans i couldnt eat because they were to hard. and the rice omg it had so much oil i almost threw up so i got some black bean Soup but was to nauseas to eat that but i got my protien in

[Trcyprkr70 69]

I should follow up my post with saying that I still get my Protein in' date=' minimum of 65-75 grams per day, so after that is when I may fit in that special something that I just have a craving for but can't really eat much of. Getting in your Protein will prevent you from wanting the junk food. Just dont substitute that pan of brownies in instead of that chicken breast! That is not what my point was and dont think neilsleeve was getting at that either. Point is eat right but dont be afraid to treat yourself in moderation if you can tolerate it.

One of my favorite junk foods is ice cream but over the past 2 weeks, I discovered I can't tolerate it and was sick for a few hours the 2 times I tried it. Tried it once and felt bad, tried it again just to verify it was the ice cream and not something else...sure enough, same results even in moderation. I guess I will hang up the ice cream indulgence for now. Boooooooooooo![/quote']

I am almost three months out on the 24th of this month and down 45 lbs including pre-op. I stalled for three weeks. I consider myself doing well. As for ice cream I was driving down the freeway about two weeks ago and I had to toss it out the window. It was either let it melt or toss it. My stomach was hurting so bad. Milk is my favorite but I seem to only tolerate 1% or fat-free. I eat what I want but so much less. I also get my 3 miles walk per day three to four times a week. I would like to lose 3 to 4 pounds a week but if I only lose 1 or 2 I am ok with that.

[Trcyprkr70 69]

One other thing my Doc put me on puree foods on day three but I waited only because I couldn't tolerate it.

[Cookeeeeez 269]

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?

I'm still reading and will post again in a sec, but just wanted to say THANKS I'm in this category and if I wasn't getting very professional help with this then the rather anecdotal info in this thread and others could mess me up even more!!! I certainly know that being "laid back" is NOT as easy as OP suggests! Nor is being "obsessive".

Actually, I would suggest that what OP thinks is what I'm attempting to achieve long term, BUT it's not "the easy way" as another similar thread refers to it.

Moderation and calm-eating can be just as terrifying as anorexia or obsessive compulsive over-eating. In fact, it's more so because it depends on us relinquishing the control over food (and the control it has over us).

[Trcyprkr70 69]

Very eloquent response!

Supersweetums I just love your profile pic.....I don't know if I will ever be able to fit into one leg of my old size 18's but it sure feels good so far to see how they just fall off of me :-)

[Cookeeeeez 269]

Okay, so a good book on "moderation" is

If Not Dieting, Then What?

by Dr Rick Kausman

This is the theory behind OP's discussion

The book explores how to:

- enjoy food without feeling guilty

- increase your eating awareness

- improve how you feel about yourself

- fit some sort of activity into your day

- achieve and maintain a healthy, comfortable weight for you, without being deprived of food or quality of life.

This is not an advert, but I do recommend this book if you are interested in this topic.

You will find in this book something OP left out: eat when you're hungry, not when you're not. Now one Dorito may be manageable by a person as a treat when they're not hungry. They can enjoy the "taste" (which is what the licking posts are referring to) but aren't consuming it to fill the "void". They can easily stop at one.

That same person, if physically hungry, may end up eating a whole bag because they didn't realise till they tried that chip just how hungry they were.

The same person again may not be physically hungry, but may have "head hunger". They may be snacking because its a certain time of day, they're at a party, they're offered it and don't know how to refuse politely, or it is a trigger food! This is where people usually feel disappointed in themselves for "indulging". They didn't feel deprived in the first place, they just ate because it was there.

So there's a saying that goes "the best tasting bites are the first and the last, so why not just have two bites "

I tend to agree, it's just that practically this isn't always possible for all people.

Finally, I agree with butterthebean that some people may use to sleeve to only change how much they eat, and not what they eat. Many obese ppl actually suffer from malnutrition and this is even worse post-op if this behaviour continues.

Yes, for some, it is great that you're only having half a can of soda, or a small fries instead of a large meal. In Aus the Gov has started an ad coaign in this same vain- "swap it, don't stop it".

But this also refers to the types of foods. If you can try to swap your half can and small chips to fresh fruit juice and a baked potato with sour cream you are getting even healthier.

Or you can stay the same if it stops you backsliding to "even-worse-ville"!

BUT listen to me now please!! Just because your eating healthy-er doesn't mean you're eating healthily! Please try to reassess your eating and exercise habits with a calm and logical approach. This goes to ppl who still only eat 400 calories 2 yrs out and those blending up cheeseburgers and vodka in the hospital parking lot

This is a wonderful place for learning and we all have our own lives and journeys and even if I disagree with you I will always wish you very very well in your life!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

This goes to ppl who still only eat 400 calories 2 yrs out and those blending up cheeseburgers and vodka in the hospital parking lot

That brought back memories of a great rant thread that sadly, has disappeared.

And you are right about the malnutrition aspect . I'm in the middle of the book "Why We Get Fat" and it shows a lot of studies of different groups of people who suffer from malnutrition and obesity at the same time.

[PdxMan 4,292]

As many long threads do, this one has meandered here and there. So, indulge me for a second.

I am reminded of 10 years ago when my wife was pregnant with our first child. I was reading as many parenting books as I could, as most nervous, well meaning parents do. I don't recall the exact name or author of the series I read, but the first book, I thought, was great. It had all kinds of advice and information about clinical studies and what the top researchers knew. They had written a second book and I picked it up. In the preface, to summarize, the author wrote:

For those who read my first book. Ignore it. Everything. Throw it all away. I wrote that book before I had kids. Now, I have a two year old and there is no substitute for real life experience ...

He went on explaining the mistakes of his advice and this book took a more general position. It was *real* advice from a professional who had walked the walk.

I kinda feel the same way here. I would like to see if, after a year, Neil's advice and other's pre-op who posted, changes.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Pdxman, even if this advice does (or does not) pan out for Neil or many others, all it takes is for one person to stand up and say "I did this and I made it to goal, therefore it must be true." And there will be others only too happy to jump and cheer because that is exactly what they wanted to hear. (I feel awful typing that last part, but I believe for some it's true)

Will we hear from the ones who try this approach and fail? We already do. Every few days there is a post by someone who is either stalled, or gaining weight, who is also not eating properly or did not follow their docs plan. I have seen several who have turned it around once they reapplied themselves and I salute those people. But what you almost never see are post op patients (one year or more) eating the proper Protein, low starches, sufficient Water and exercise....complaining that they have failed.

Although I say all that humbly considering that people who post here may or may not be representative of ALL Vsg patients.