Who Were You Before Vsg?

[happyfam 24]

I am presleeve and am curious as to what changes in a person post sleeve that allows them to behave in manners they struggled with pre sleeve.

For example...I'm a stress/emotional eater, I eat even if I'm not hungry. I can lose weight, but not keep it off, I don't care what food tastes like (within reason), as long as I get to put it in my mouth until it accomplishes whatever feeling I'm trying to compensate for.

Is this anyone else? Everyone else? Am I too broken for the sleeve, or perfect for it? I'm great at following instructions and don't care if I eat the same thing every day. I'm not looking for a get-skinny-quick magic trick. I just need a "tool" to help me keep my weight under my control vs it controlling me.

Would LOVE some feed back....Who did you used to be? And how have you (on the inside) changed? And, as always, the most popular presleeve question ...Any regrets?

[PerfectlyImperfect 49]

Mentally I'm still the same. I want to eat but I can't eat. Emotionally also the same and it's worse by not being able to when I want.

BUT then I remember the nearly 50 lbs I've lost in 6 1/2 weeks. And the clothes I'll be able to buy, the more time I will be able to run around with my daughter

I am the same person just with a smaller stomach. I will be starting therapy for my food issues amongst other things next week.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I think you are asking a pretty complex question. I am still the same person and I think I had alot of assumptions about what type of eater I was. I would always say that I was a stress or emotional eater because this is what I was told. Seems to me that I was more of a "I am so hungry I could eat a cow" kind of eater. I can't say that emotional factors don't come into play - they do - but for me, I was just hungry.all.the.time.

[LadyK 164]

I was an emotional eater too, and what I found helpful was to think about why I'm eating. Am I happy, mad, sad? Sometimes I would go to the cabinet and fridge over and over again just to look in there to eat when I had just ate. Now I still think about how I am feeling but a lot of it has gone away, I just don't have the same motivation for food. I feel like eating is a chore now, I actually don't feel like eating. The only reason I eat now is because I know if I don't have some sort of sustenance It could be a detriment to me. So now I'm eating to live. Another thing that helps is I finally see the weight coming off, my clothes are too big for me now, smaller clothes is a motivator. The main reason I got the sleeve was to make my children's lives more enjoyable, now I can finally stop saying Mama knows how to Rollerblade, roller skate, jump rope, ride a bike, dive off a diving board, and hula hoop...but I can't right now. Now I can say hey let's go have fun and teach them in the process about eating normal and eating a proper portion size. I'm still working on my husband's eating, but that's another story...I have noticed that I am more outspoken about how I feel now. Your NOT broken and you can do this, but you should really think about why are you eating when you eat, think about your emotional state and how long has it been since you last ate then eat. No regrets so far, but there was a period while I was in the hospital where I thought, Why did I do this to myself, but looking back it was because I could not eat like I used to. Now that I see progress I'm all good!

[happyfam 24]

I am the same person just with a smaller stomach. I will be starting therapy for my food issues amongst other things next week.

I too planned on incorporating bigger life style changes for my family along with the sleeve. Including therapy, But My parents want me to do that now and skip the sleeve. I'm struggling to believe that I'll have the strength (capacity/ability), without the sleeve, to live the way I want to live. I want to believe that when I have more control of myself, I will have more to offer my family. Is this a reasonable thought?

[gmanbat 5,889]

I believe it is a reasonable thought. If you can get control of yourself, lose the weight, and keep it off you don't need the sleeve. I could not. I had to have the tool. Getting the sleeve did not get rid of my fat, eating less and eating good food did. I do have more to offer my family now.

Was it a crutch for me? Yes, indeed, I was broken and needed a crutch.

Am I ashamed? For what, being human?

No, I am proud of myself for taking decisive action and getting my health back.

Now I have a firm hold on myself, I am exercising and actually enjoying it! The positives granted by having this slim body have neutralized the emotional need that I had before that caused me to cram.

I no longer eat to escape life, I eat to empower life.

[cmaloney 151]

Pre sleeve I was a carb addict. Pasta, pizza, hero sandwiches...ham,egg & cheese with butter in massive bagel.,I are like a football player! NEVER thought I could give this up...Post sleeve - it never crosses my mind. I love the smell, but that's it. I'd rather eat my tuna with balsamic dressing. (Was such a mayo Freak & now it's blah.....if I can do this without feeling deprived, so can you. Tomorrow will be 8 weeks & I'm down 43 pounds...

[atPeace55 71]

First off you're definitely not broken it you are then we all have pieces laying somewhere. Second, if you were able to do this on your own then you would not be considering the sleeve, everyone on here has had or have some type of food disorder that they are battling or have battled. You'll never really get read of it having certain trigger that cause you to eat but if you are patient and listen to your body you will learn what sets you off and causes you to want food to pacify you. I for one still can catch myself with cravings for certain foods during that girlie time of the month and I can be super emotional during that time or close to it. What I've done to deal with that emotional timeframe is I have a calendar reminder in my Outlook on my laptop and sync to my phone that lets me know that my time is near and to pay attention to my feelings. Yeah I know it sounds funny but it helps me keep that one in line.

The VSG is a tool and that's it - you will still have to learn to eat right and exercise and that is a choice. Will you loose weight without working out or eating properly everytime? Yes, the first 6-9 months I dropped weight and wasn't really trying to workout like I should have but it's because you can not eat alot even if you wanted to so your body is adjusting/adapting to it's new stomach. But in the long run on this journey you will have to make good decisions which is you will even "STOP" loosing and you will have to eat properly and workout or you can gain all the weight back I have been to meeting where people did not maintain there weight loss because they didn't take care of themselves or they continued to eat like they did before. So just know you will have to do the work - hopefully soon rather than later.

I am 18 months Post-Ops and I'm on my maintaining weight loss journey now so I am conscience of what I put in my mouth, I exercise 3-4X per week for 60-90 mins. and I weigh myself weekly to make sure I stay on track. I love the new me 135lbs lighter and I don't want to go back and this is my choice that I am in total control of.

I was like you scare I may fail and not do well after I got this surgery but once you start losing the weight and you see transformation it makes you feel so different in a positive way. I wish you luck and I hope you make the best decision for you and you alone.

[happyfam 24]

I was like you scare I may fail and not do well after I got this surgery but once you start losing the weight and you see transformation it makes you feel so different in a positive way. I wish you luck and I hope you make the best decision for you and you alone.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. It is very encouraging and validating. Bless you.

[mezanne1401 190]

I had surgery on Monday, so I'm a freshman sleever, but here is what I have experienced so far.

My process was fast as I was self pay. I had my first appointment on Oct 30 and was sleeved on the 12th. The preop diet was without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done. I missed my food. I missed the flavor. I missed being full. I slipped up a couple of times, but nothing drastic like eating 4 plates at the buffet. I was miserable and cranky. I'll get a little personal here, so my apologies in advance if I offend. My husband and I were having sex and I couldn't finish and didn't let him finish because I was so hungry that I started to cry like a baby. It was awful and all I could do was apologize to him. So, Monday was surgery and even with the pain from the gas and the soreness, I know it was the best decision for me. I kid you not, I have not been hungry since Sunday night. My family can eat in front of me with the smells of what I used to love and I am not even tempted to taste. I have no cravings. Before the sleeve, cravings and Pepsi were my weaknesses. I have no desire to drink a Pepsi and that is HUGE for me. A little accomplishment in and of itself. I have no desire to eat. I ended up realizing that it was not the food I was missing, but the fullness. Since the fullness is there, I'm okay. For the first time since I can remember, I am not controlled by food. It is really a liberating feeling to know that something doesn't have a death grip on me anymore. Also, I finally have something to look forward to and I was missing that in my life. I'm looking forward to the progress, not the failure. I'm looking forward to being confident again. I'm looking forward to life again and that is a damned good feeling.

[Kalipso2 25]

i used to be a lapband patient that had an unknown slipped band. i was losing so much weight that i looked sick but i was obsessed with losing weight. i vomitted multiple times a day but i thought i was bulimic. i weighed a skeletal 116 pounds before i decided to get my band checked. when they found the slip they took all the Fluid out and told me to EAT. and eat i did! i gained 30 pounds in 2 months before deciding to revise to the sleeve. i basically feel like i have the same restriction with the sleeve as i did with the band BUT i no longer throw up. i know now i'm not bulimic, just a person with a slipped band. i'm so much happier now being able to eat and not worry how close i am to a bathroom!

[sleeve_sister 110]

I am only one month out but I too had a Lapband. I lost 24 lbs and gained back 40. I felt like such a disappointment to everyone. I was embarrassed and it got to a point that I didn't want to leave my house. It wasn't until today that I really realized that this was the best decision I've made for myself. Everyone has been bugging me for pictures (I moved to TX from FL in July so everyone doesn't see me often) and I found a before picture that I put next to a picture taken today. It's only 50 lbs but it makes a huge difference. As far as family goes, I did not tell my dad until the night before I was going in because I didn't want to worry him. The day after surgery I woke up (in ICU) and my dad was sitting at my bedside crying. Once again, I felt so ashamed. We didn't speak hardly for the remainder if time that I was in FL. Today I sent him the picture and he finally has excepted my decision as a good one. You can't lose (no pun intended) here. It comes to a point when your family is dependent on your health and its never a mistake to be healthy. God Bless you and your journey whichever path is chosen.

[happyfam 24]

I ended up realizing that it was not the food I was missing, but the fullness. Since the fullness is there, I'm okay. For the first time since I can remember, I am not controlled by food. It is really a liberating feeling to know that something doesn't have a death grip on me anymore. Also, I finally have something to look forward to and I was missing that in my life. I'm looking forward to the progress, not the failure. I'm looking forward to being confident again. I'm looking forward to life again and that is a damned good feeling.

This is everything I hoped for myself. Thank you and congratulations.

[happyfam 24]

God Bless you and your journey whichever path is chosen.

So encouraging! Bless you as well. I'm so glad for you. Truly...

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I am presleeve and am curious as to what changes in a person post sleeve that allows them to behave in manners they struggled with pre sleeve.

For example...I'm a stress/emotional eater' date=' I eat even if I'm not hungry. I can lose weight, but not keep it off, I don't care what food tastes like (within reason), as long as I get to put it in my mouth until it accomplishes whatever feeling I'm trying to compensate for.

Is this anyone else? Everyone else? Am I too broken for the sleeve, or perfect for it? I'm great at following instructions and don't care if I eat the same thing every day. I'm not looking for a get-skinny-quick magic trick. I just need a "tool" to help me keep my weight under my control vs it controlling me.

Would LOVE some feed back....Who did you used to be? And how have you (on the inside) changed? And, as always, the most popular presleeve question ...Any regrets?[/quote']

I am exactly like you in these regards pre-sleeve. Post sleeve, I eat the same thing almost daily and stick to it day in and day out. For me, I strive on a structured approach where there is little variation. Inside, I feel like a new person and am really in touch with who I am and what I want to achieve. This is much different then pre sleeve. No regrets so far. Love it !