Motivational changes early on

[dani710 1]

Trying to figure out if this is normal. I was so excited once I had made the decision to get sleeved. I couldn't think about anything else. When I spoke to the nutritionist during the first visit two weeks ago, we set some goals(recording my food, limiting pop to 3/week, 25 mins exercise 3x/week). I just can't seem to get it together to do ANY of them. I almost feel like how you feel when you know you are going to be starting a diet "next week. "

I feel confident that I will succeed with the sleeve. I am just worried, that the process will be delayed or not approved at all if I don't do the things they are asking me to do.

[tracywag 27]

It's not unheard of, but it''s also kind of a problem. Yes, surgery can be delayed on denied if you don't do your part. And the sleeve can fail us if we don't get ourselves together to adhere to new rules. I'm not trying to beat up on you, I've cancelled this twice. Now I am a week away and have no problems. You may need to address some issues of why you are having problems with these small goals right now with a therapist. Talk to your team, go to group support and work it out. Good luck.

[jessiquoi 623]

i understand. i had a lot of trouble staying focused on my pre-op journey, and i'm really glad it's ending in two weeks!

can you try to make just one change a week? and if it's too big a change, cut it back? like maybe having 3 pops a week is a reallllllllllly big change for you... can you say 1 per day the first week, then start cutting out days?

you will have to meet the requirements, which may (according to your program) include losing a certain amount of weight. how bad do you want this? you're going to have to work for it, that's a certainty.

[Miss Mac 6,262]

Maybe change your perspective. Instead of looking at this as behaviours you can't indulge anymore, look at the changes as new behaviours that will help you achieve a better quality of life than the one you are going to have if you do not make any changes.

[GreenEyes604 753]

My biggest suggestion to you would be to take 1 day at a time, and if that seems to hard right now take 1 hour at a time. You have to do something consistently for a while in order to build a habit. Try not to stress yourself out about it. Have you considered journaling? I found it amazing how I changed my perspective on a lot of things from writing down how I was feeling at a particular time, and then later going back and reading it.

Just something to consider.

[Lauriep 32]

Someone was very forthright for me early on in my process when I asked a similar question. I'm going to do the same for you.

No. You won't be successful at all if you don't make the necessary changes now. There is a reason that the system is designed as it is. I am 3 days post op, and had I not worked the nutrition plan for 6 months prior, and had I not worked in the exercise, I would be miserable right now. I still didn't get all of the exercise plan in place and am really feeling it, but is better than had I started this week cold turkey. I cannot use my stomach muscles at all and am depending solely on my arms and legs to move , even to just walk. Which is necessary to get all of the gas out if my system they pumped in it during the surgery (the longer it's there the more pain I'm in). Thank God I worked them before hand. Could you imagine lifting all of this weight out of a chair or in the bathroom without preparing for it? Nope.

Also? food. I miss it, but I would be even more miserable if I hadn't started eating properly before hand.

One thing I've learned in this process is there is a reason I got here, and it was because I just couldn't get up, exercise and eat well, or should I say: didn't.

Of course there's much more to anyone's story than just that, but I am dead serious when I say you MUST, start following your NUT advice now. It's an education, all of it.

Limiting pop to 3x per week? After surgery you can't have it at all. Easier to work on quitting it now? Or all at once? If you don't learn the right way to eat and exercise and learn how to think with a 'thin brain', you will go through this whole process for nothing because you haven't learned how not to return to where you are right now. And let me tell you... This surgery is no joke.

There will be no success for you unless you learn how to make it that way. I've heard that the surgery is just a tool and it is. It's just part of the entire process.

The first step for you is to resolve yourself to make it work. You will be going through a lot right before and right after, if you don't follow the instructions, it's going to be a very, very hard road for you.

Wish you the best of luck!

[laurenella82 625]

I was the same way. I had my second of three appointments with my Nut today and I lost only one pound. But I know that I didn't do the best that I could. What's going to be hard right now is that we have all this stomach to put all this food in and we are used to filling it up with all the wrong things. Make small changes. Cut back your soda intake by one soda a day if you have more than one. If you're like me and go to McDonald's and have a Big Mac meal with a large soda, save some calories (and some money) and have a cheese burger with Big Mac sauce and a small fry...or no fries at all. Make some of your meals in muffin tins (check that out on Pinterest!!). Buy smaller plates or eat off of cake plates so your eye sees a full plate but the portion is smaller. You'd be surprised at how you really don't need as much to be satisfied. Baby steps. No one is expecting you to change over night. You just have to condition your mind to make different choices. You can do this!

Edited November 8, 2014 by laurenella82

[Dreamingofhealth 223]

Trying to figure out if this is normal. I was so excited once I had made the decision to get sleeved. I couldn't think about anything else. When I spoke to the nutritionist during the first visit two weeks ago, we set some goals(recording my food, limiting pop to 3/week, 25 mins exercise 3x/week). I just can't seem to get it together to do ANY of them. I almost feel like how you feel when you know you are going to be starting a diet "next week. "

I feel confident that I will succeed with the sleeve. I am just worried, that the process will be delayed or not approved at all if I don't do the things they are asking me to do.

We have all had those moments for sure. But this is going to be a long haul, and once you lose weight with the sleeve it's going to pretty much be a permanent diet for life to keep it off.

I read this great book called Emotional First Aid Kit: Life after Bariatric surgery. This book has really helped me put things into perspective on all different levels. And it isn't huge. For sure look into it.

Good luck my friend!

Sheena :-)

[Dreamingofhealth 223]

:-)

Edited November 7, 2014 by Dreamingofhealth

[dani710 1]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! I really needed to hear the things that you all had to say. There are some things that don't really worry me. I've exercised most of my life until I had a pretty bad foot and ankle injury a year and a half ago (which is how I got to the point where I qualified.) I now am able to exercise, but it's just not as easy as it had been with all the added weight. Pop is also not really a "thing" for me. But that was kind of the problem. It's almost as if I was thinking "I can't have pop anymore, better drink up!" So it's only been a couple days, but I am journaling, moving more and no pop.

This is why I needed to post-I knew I needed to hear from people going through the same thing. I also plan on going to the group meetings at my surgeons office.

Thanks again!

[CherokeeGirl 25]

i have had a lot issues and just now leveling out. The slleve will NOT make you thin. As you've probably heard before...it's a tool to help you, but you have to help yourself.