Approved and Anxious!

[lunadreams 22]

I just got a voicemail from the surgical coordinator to schedule my surgery, so I'm assuming insurance has approved me!

I'm looking at mid-July, and...I know in my head and heart that the sleeve is the right thing and I definitely want to move forward, but am also feeling super anxious about the pre-op diet (I have difficulty choking down Protein Shakes and get queasy without solid food), and even more so, about the recovery and all the long-term changes ahead of me, as well as the whether or not this will be sustainable over time. It's scary to read of stories of people's hunger coming back and regaining weight after all the effort. I just really want this to work.

Any words of wisdom? 😊

[Sorry for the x-post, didn't get any replies today in the pre-op forum]

[catwoman7 11,214]

the thought of regain is what has kept me on track for the last six years. I did bounce up 20 lbs after hitting my lowest weight (which admittedly was too low for me - I look better now), but that 10-20 lb bounce back during year 2 or 3 is extremely common, so I wasn't shocked by that. As for now, I know it'd be really easy to gain weight if I stopped paying attention - and the thought of that makes me pay attention! I still log my food and still weigh myself at least once a week so I can jump quickly onto any gain and get it back under control. This will probably be a lifelong thing...

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Yes. This surgery will help you control disordered eating....but it won't fix why you have disordered eating. Cutting out your stomach doesn't fix your head, and yes, lots and lots of people never come anywhere near goal and lots of people will regain the weight. Not what anyone wants to hear...but it's the truth.

Here's my version of "wisdom"... (lol)

1. Avoid extremes like the plague. Work on reaching a normal sustainable amount of calories eating healthy well-balanced foods. Crash diets and extremes don't work longterm. You probably already know this. Don't forget.

2. Losing weight at a breakneck pace is exciting and giddy....but can be crappy for your health and your longterm metabolism. You didn't gain it all in a year, you likely won't lose it all in a year. Work harder on making small meaningful permenant changes you can live with forever....than embracing extremes that will eventually burn you out. It's very easy to feel like post surgical extreme dieting is the new norm. Eventually, it catches up with you. The goal should always be a nutritious balanced diet with adequate (but not excessive) calories.

3. Find and see a bariatric therapist. Particulary, after surgery. Your disordered-eating brain still needs to be retrained. It has triggers you can identify and work through that will increase your success long term. Give your eating behavior history the care and consideration you give your new stomach. If depression and anxiety contribute to your disordered eating...address them. (This one is so important)

And these are just my personal ones...

4. Wear a fitness tracker. You don't have to go to the gym to increase your exercise, but you do need to be aware of how much you move and how many calories you're burning. My exercise is just walking more. It has made a HUGE difference in my health, endurance, fitness. Even if you're someone who has limitied mobility, or who "hates exercise"...you can give your metabolism a terrific boost just by adding a couple hundred steps a week.

5. Invest time in supportive people. Avoid unsupportive people. At least until you've got a good handle on how to manage your eating behavior and triggers.

[lunadreams 22]

1 hour ago, catwoman7 said:

the thought of regain is what has kept me on track for the last six years. I did bounce up 20 lbs after hitting my lowest weight (which admittedly was too low for me - I look better now), but that 10-20 lb bounce back during year 2 or 3 is extremely common, so I wasn't shocked by that. As for now, I know it'd be really easy to gain weight if I stopped paying attention - and the thought of that makes me pay attention! I still log my food and still weigh myself at least once a week so I can jump quickly onto any gain and get it back under control. This will probably be a lifelong thing...

Thank you. Do you track as intensively now as you did in the beginning, or just periodically to make sure you're not straying too much?

Yeah, my surgeon was very upfront that most people do regain a small percentage of lost weight after a couple of years. It's good to be aware of that so it isn't shocking, but also a little disheartening.

[lunadreams 22]

1 hour ago, Creekimp13 said:

Yes. This surgery will help you control disordered eating....but it won't fix why you have disordered eating. Cutting out your stomach doesn't fix your head, and yes, lots and lots of people never come anywhere near goal and lots of people will regain the weight. Not what anyone wants to hear...but it's the truth.

Here's my version of "wisdom"... (lol)

1. Avoid extremes like the plague. Work on reaching a normal sustainable amount of calories eating healthy well-balanced foods. Crash diets and extremes don't work longterm. You probably already know this. Don't forget.

2. Losing weight at a breakneck pace is exciting and giddy....but can be crappy for your health and your longterm metabolism. You didn't gain it all in a year, you likely won't lose it all in a year. Work harder on making small meaningful permenant changes you can live with forever....than embracing extremes that will eventually burn you out. It's very easy to feel like post surgical extreme dieting is the new norm. Eventually, it catches up with you. The goal should always be a nutritious balanced diet with adequate (but not excessive) calories.

3. Find and see a bariatric therapist. Particulary, after surgery. Your disordered-eating brain still needs to be retrained. It has triggers you can identify and work through that will increase your success long term. Give your eating behavior history the care and consideration you give your new stomach. If depression and anxiety contribute to your disordered eating...address them. (This one is so important)

And these are just my personal ones...

4. Wear a fitness tracker. You don't have to go to the gym to increase your exercise, but you do need to be aware of how much you move and how many calories you're burning. My exercise is just walking more. It has made a HUGE difference in my health, endurance, fitness. Even if you're someone who has limitied mobility, or who "hates exercise"...you can give your metabolism a terrific boost just by adding a couple hundred steps a week.

5. Invest time in supportive people. Avoid unsupportive people. At least until you've got a good handle on how to manage your eating behavior and triggers.

Thank you for this. It is so helpful!

I've never been a crash dieter, and I'm worried if I can sustain being as strict as I should be!

I hear such conflicting advice, between "slow and steady" and "take advantage of the 'honeymoon' time as much as you can, because it's never going to be this easy again to lose weight."

I'm trying to find a bariatric therapist, but having a hard time finding someone who accepts my insurance who seems good.

It's kind of weird to start thinking of myself as having disordered eating, because, for the past couple of years, I've been eating about 1600-1700 calories a day while exercising almost every day, and still not losing weight. I don't binge or restrict excessively. But I realize that, for sure, even though I'm not consuming a ton of calories, I definitely graze/snack more than I should (which I know is a pitfall for after weight loss surgery) and sometimes do eat when I'm upset or bored. And I know that a lot of social activities have centered around eating, and I've always loved to cook and bake and share food (thankfully, I do not enjoy eating much sugar!), and I know not being able to do those things in the same way will feel like deprivation and I'll need to adjust to it. So, definitely issues to work on...

Unfortunately, I can't do much weight-bearing exercise, as per my neurologist, so I'm planning to get a bike, but temporarily am using one at my local gym.

Good tip about supportive and unsupportive people. Did you tell many people? My husband and kids are super supportive, and I plan to tell some friends, but I have a weird relationship with my mom, who was always very body-shaming, and has her own issues around weight, and the thought of talking to her about it makes me cringe, but it also seems like it will be hard to hide it.

[catwoman7 11,214]

1 hour ago, lunadreams said:

Thank you. Do you track as intensively now as you did in the beginning, or just periodically to make sure you're not straying too much?

Yeah, my surgeon was very upfront that most people do regain a small percentage of lost weight after a couple of years. It's good to be aware of that so it isn't shocking, but also a little disheartening.

i still track every day - and every crumb that goes into my mouth!

[blackcatsandbaddecisions 851]

You’re going to do great! I’ve always been someone who can maintain a higher weight on low calories, especially for my height. The surgery has worked for me thus far- stick to your program, but also be mindful of what you know your triggers and pitfalls are. I know I can’t have candy or snack food because I am well aware that I have longstanding issues with control and these types of food. I still have Snacks on occasion, but I have “real” food snacks, not chips or popcorn for example.

Find distractions during the preop diet- it’s easier when you’re occupying your time rather than focusing on what you’re not eating.

Finally, be patient! You will have stalls- almost everyone has a stall at 3 weeks and then comes on the forums to announce that the surgery didn’t work for them and they will never lose weight again. It’s normal, it’s temporary, no changes need to be made, just get off the scale for a stall and keep to the program.

Oh, go take pre-surgery pics and measurements! I didn’t and I knew i should and I regret that.