Food funerals

[beautiful_alarms 12]

I started the bariatric surgery process in the beginning of April. I had my final consultation with my surgeon on Wednesday and was alarmed when he cheerfully said that I could have my surgery next week - Friday 8/19 (!!!!!!) - and was quickly taken care of by the scheduler and handed a packet of papers on the surgery check-in process. The office submitted the claim to my insurance and it was approved within 4 hours.

This surgery has the potential to be an agent of profound change in my life, so I feel a little adrift now that it's suddenly only days away. I have a pre-op appointment at the hospital today, but aside from that appointment and an all-liquid diet the day before surgery, I have no prep to do. I had my gall bladder removed a couple of years ago and had to follow the liver-shrinking diet for two weeks before surgery. I was prepared to have to go through that again this time, too. I know, as a (mostly) reasonable grown-up, that I should stay the course for the next week and continue to make good dietary choices and be as healthy as I can. However, not having to follow a strict pre-op diet has my mind reeling with FAT THOUGHTS. Like, I gotta cram in as much of my favorite, horrible, greasy, calorie-bomb foods as I can in the next week because this is my last chance. I don't even really want that food because I've conditioned myself away from it, but I've been a compulsive eater for so long; even though I've worked hard to get a handle on my compulsive and emotional eating over the last few months, that lizardy deep brain that drives my compulsions is lit up with anxiety over my impending surgery. It feels totally desperate - I indulged last night and rationalized it by thinking "well I only had two slices of pizza and 5 wings" because in previous times I would have had FOUR slices of pizza and a DOZEN wings - which of course is why I got up close to a cool 3-hundo on the scale in the first place.

Anyway - do any of you have advice or experiences to share for surviving the countdown to surgery? Especially if you didn't have to follow a strict pre-op diet or struggled with food mourning?

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@beautiful_alarms I'm pre-op but this issue has been discussed alot. I wouldn't beat yourself up for having pizza/wings last night. In terms of food funerals, remember that there's not many foods that you won't be able to enjoy again someday. Going into surgery healthy and eating properly will help you post-op - you'll have been through the carb withdrawals, etc. already. When your craving something bad - distract yourself (go for a walk, read a book, write a list of all the things you want to do after weight loss, clean, go through your closets and get rid of clothes you won't wear - figure out what you have in terms of sizes, etc. It's natural to want a food funeral - and I wouldn't blame you to have one (I'm sure I'll be indulging in greasy pizza before surgery) - but just remember - you will eat most foods again (or a very good alternative - such as zucchini pizza).

I'm excited for you - best of luck and keep us all posted!

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

I didn't have to do any pre-op diet restriction at all, and I also got my surgery day with a pretty short period of time between that and the big day, about 10 days.

I pretty much ate what I wanted, but my problem has never been eating 'bad' food per se, it's been more of a quantity issue and at 51, my metabolism is shot from years of 50 lbs up/50 lbs down/40 back up dieting. We went to a couple of my favorite restaurants and I had what I wanted, and I felt a little panicky the day after surgery when the enormity of the change I'd made really set in.

Eat what you want within reason, I'd say...you're not going to gain significantly in a week and after surgery you CAN'T eat, so it's not like you're setting yourself up for some bigger change than those who are on restrictive diets already. And for what it's worth, I have zero food cravings now (except a weird obsession with blueberry scones?) and can watch others eat foods I previously loved without even wanting them.

[TracyBar 132]

I didn't have to do any pre-op diet restriction at all, and I also got my surgery day with a pretty short period of time between that and the big day, about 10 days.

I pretty much ate what I wanted, but my problem has never been eating 'bad' food per se, it's been more of a quantity issue and at 51, my metabolism is shot from years of 50 lbs up/50 lbs down/40 back up dieting. We went to a couple of my favorite restaurants and I had what I wanted, and I felt a little panicky the day after surgery when the enormity of the change I'd made really set in.

Eat what you want within reason, I'd say...you're not going to gain significantly in a week and after surgery you CAN'T eat, so it's not like you're setting yourself up for some bigger change than those who are on restrictive diets already. And for what it's worth, I have zero food cravings now (except a weird obsession with blueberry scones?) and can watch others eat foods I previously loved without even wanting them.

Why is that? Why do people have no cravings (or a lot of people) after this surgery? That's something I don't understand as yet.

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

I didn't have to do any pre-op diet restriction at all, and I also got my surgery day with a pretty short period of time between that and the big day, about 10 days.

I pretty much ate what I wanted, but my problem has never been eating 'bad' food per se, it's been more of a quantity issue and at 51, my metabolism is shot from years of 50 lbs up/50 lbs down/40 back up dieting. We went to a couple of my favorite restaurants and I had what I wanted, and I felt a little panicky the day after surgery when the enormity of the change I'd made really set in.

Eat what you want within reason, I'd say...you're not going to gain significantly in a week and after surgery you CAN'T eat, so it's not like you're setting yourself up for some bigger change than those who are on restrictive diets already. And for what it's worth, I have zero food cravings now (except a weird obsession with blueberry scones?) and can watch others eat foods I previously loved without even wanting them.

Why is that? Why do people have no cravings (or a lot of people) after this surgery? That's something I don't understand as yet.

I don't know why, but it's sure been helpful! I'm amazed by some of the immediate outcomes of this surgery: I was on lisinopril for my hypertension, came off of it the day before surgery and haven't had to start it again. I have fibromyalgia and my trigger points are GONE. This is huge for me, as I was taking meds AND going for acupuncture once a week with only some success. And I'm not hungry, not envious of what others are eating, and I'm not at all inclined to eat more than my sleeve can handle. I have a ton of energy and have since about 2 weeks out...it's been marvelous!

[TracyBar 132]

I didn't have to do any pre-op diet restriction at all, and I also got my surgery day with a pretty short period of time between that and the big day, about 10 days.

I pretty much ate what I wanted, but my problem has never been eating 'bad' food per se, it's been more of a quantity issue and at 51, my metabolism is shot from years of 50 lbs up/50 lbs down/40 back up dieting. We went to a couple of my favorite restaurants and I had what I wanted, and I felt a little panicky the day after surgery when the enormity of the change I'd made really set in.

Eat what you want within reason, I'd say...you're not going to gain significantly in a week and after surgery you CAN'T eat, so it's not like you're setting yourself up for some bigger change than those who are on restrictive diets already. And for what it's worth, I have zero food cravings now (except a weird obsession with blueberry scones?) and can watch others eat foods I previously loved without even wanting them.

Why is that? Why do people have no cravings (or a lot of people) after this surgery? That's something I don't understand as yet.

I don't know why, but it's sure been helpful! I'm amazed by some of the immediate outcomes of this surgery: I was on lisinopril for my hypertension, came off of it the day before surgery and haven't had to start it again. I have fibromyalgia and my trigger points are GONE. This is huge for me, as I was taking meds AND going for acupuncture once a week with only some success. And I'm not hungry, not envious of what others are eating, and I'm not at all inclined to eat more than my sleeve can handle. I have a ton of energy and have since about 2 weeks out...it's been marvelous!

Well! You bring me so much hope! :-)

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I'm firmly in the camp of no foood (sic) funerals. You WILL be able to indulge again if you care to. Maybe not for 6 months to a year, but that's not so bad in the grand scheme of things, is it?

Why gain pounds you will have to turn around and lose? Why trigger carb cravings when you are about to get your tummy cut out and won't be able to resolve them? If you are in a good mind set now, why lose that momentum?

Have a bit of something you truly love, but don't waste your efforts on something icky like a Big Mac or greasy pizzza (sic). You can do better than that!

[theantichick 2,204]

Why is that? Why do people have no cravings (or a lot of people) after this surgery? That's something I don't understand as yet.

For a couple of reasons. Mainly, the stomach tissue that is removed generates a number of "hunger hormones" and with it gone, those hormones aren't there to tell your brain that you're hungry.

The stomach is smaller and gives signals that it's full faster as well.

Also, for reasons we don't know yet, the surgery seems to re-set the set point. When you gain weight, your body decides that the new weight is the one it should keep, and it will flood your system with hormones and other things to make you crave high fat, high calorie, high sugar foods in order to maintain that weight. That's referred to as set point. When you lose weight normally you are fighting against this, and it gets worse and worse the more you lose. Theoretically, through just diet and exercise it will eventually reset, but it's an uphill battle. Surgery seems to short circuit this somehow.

[beautiful_alarms 12]

@@LipstickLady is on to something - I'm going to go split a piece of cheesecake with a friend in a little bit, but I think that's going to pretty much be it for me (I'm having surgery 2 days before my birthday, so half a piece of cheesecake with a friend is going to be my early birthday celebration.) I think just making the initial post helped me some - my husband is supportive, but he isn't experiencing this first-hand.. it's helpful to hear from people here that have had or are having to make the same decisions. And, truly, I am in a better mindset (not perfect, but better) in regards to my compulsive eating and cravings and whatever else got me to this point. Thanks for the responses, both for and against food funerals! I don't feel bad for last night's dinner (I made a Facebook post joking about a moment of silence for the last chicken wing that I'll be eating for a couple of years or whatever) and I won't feel bad about dessert tonight.. and like a couple of you mentioned, it's not like I'll NEVER be able to eat this stuff again, and I may not even want it when I'm able to, anyways. Thanks!

[TracyBar 132]

Why is that? Why do people have no cravings (or a lot of people) after this surgery? That's something I don't understand as yet.

For a couple of reasons. Mainly, the stomach tissue that is removed generates a number of "hunger hormones" and with it gone, those hormones aren't there to tell your brain that you're hungry.

The stomach is smaller and gives signals that it's full faster as well.

Also, for reasons we don't know yet, the surgery seems to re-set the set point. When you gain weight, your body decides that the new weight is the one it should keep, and it will flood your system with hormones and other things to make you crave high fat, high calorie, high sugar foods in order to maintain that weight. That's referred to as set point. When you lose weight normally you are fighting against this, and it gets worse and worse the more you lose. Theoretically, through just diet and exercise it will eventually reset, but it's an uphill battle. Surgery seems to short circuit this somehow.

I learned about our body set-point not too long ago and spoke to my doctor about it. She said "yup, pretty awful isn't it". It is - it's why we lose and gain it back with an extra few pounds each time, the body fighting to get up to that new set-point. I knew that the reduction of the stomach removes the grehlin hormone (although not sure if there is still some left?). It's a good thing though to have this gone and love the fact that the set-point is re-set with surgery :-)

[Lema 236]

Why don't you choose three things that you really really really want to eat before you start this journey, eat that in a day and start eating healthy the next morning??

Or, you can get very little of everything, have your picnic and start eating healthy next day. It's not that you will never be allowed to eat this stuff again. You will but in moderation. The food will still be here in future once you have healed. You will not want it as badly which makes it very very easy to resist the cravings. You don't have to have a food funeral.

[higher 966]

The last pounds you gain are the first pounds you have to lose. Alternately, the first pounds you lose are the last you will ever gain back.

[Dub 9,922]

Do what you know is right to help ensure your safety for your VSG.

Put the junk food aside.

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,900]

A food funeral is not necessary. food did not die.

You will be able to enjoy the same foods post surgery, in time, in smaller quantities and for some less frequently.

[katiecem 24]

Remember you have a choice about your surgery date. It's not now or never. You could ask them to give you a couple more weeks to prepare yourself.

I had 7 weeks to wait when I got my date. Those weeks were super valuable to me for getting my head in the right place for this huge life change.

I put myself on a pre-op diet when I found out that my surgeon didn't require one. If you go ahead with your current date, I would put yourself on a pre-op diet to shrink your liver, lose a few pounds and prepare yourself. If you plan to do that then have a small amount of a few of your favorite things probably won't hurt.