Approved and Date set for surgery but not motivated....

Sorry this is long....


I really need some advice. I am all approved for surgery on June 27th but I am not very motivated to make changes. Like many of you I have gained and lost weight a million times. I've been struggling with weight issues my whole life but I really packed on the pounds after my boys were born. I have been successful and then inevitiably gained back everything I have lost and then some. I never seem to reach that goal. I get all pumped up and plan to start something new when a new season premiers of biggest loser and I work out vigorously and eat right and do well and then at some point I slip back into old habits.I joined WW and lost some weight and then they changed their plan and that was my excuse to fall off the wagon with that. It just seems like I want this badly but I always have a reason to rationalize not keeping at it. I know many of you have experienced the same thing.

This winter I decided after much consideration to pursue weight loss surgery. I am a nursing student and I quit smoking two years ago after 15 years of smoking because I wanted to set a good example for my patients. I am graduating a year from now and I thought now that I have conquered smoking its time to conquer my weight. I don't want to be a lazy, hypocritical nurse. I want to set a good example for my sons, I want to be able to keep up with them and my husband. I don't want to get all the comorbidities that are associated with morbid obesity.

I flew through the program. It is a center of excellence and I feel great about my surgeon and support and everyone I have told is supportive and wonderful. I figured I would have surgery this summer so that I would have lots of time to recover before school started again in the fall. My surgery is scheduled for June 27th and so I start my liquid diet June 13th.

I have basically been eating whatever I want. I have rationalized this because my surgery is so far away, that I am never going to be able to eat all these things that I love again, that I will get serious when surgery gets closer...on and on and on. Trust me...I know that I need to start doing better now, but I can't seem to get serious. Its finals week at school and I just want to eat and so I have been.

I see so many people be so successful on here and I so want that to be me! Did you all do well leading up to surgery? Did you tell yourself this is your last hurrah? Am I wrong to have surgery if this is what I am doing? I want advice..not lectures...advice! 

Thanks,

Kristie

The first 2 months after surgery has been hell for me but  I am finally past that point. Now, I can eat a few different things, I am losing weight steady but slowly ( i love it that way) . Its not all that bad, my tummy hurts some but, not often. I get all my vits down without crushing them now. I am 9 weeks out and can actually enjoy my litty bitty meals and I have noted what things does not agree with me and maybe try it again later on a few weeks down the road. Overall, the good things are out weighing the bad. I can wear clothes comfortably, my rings are loose on my fingers, I dont have to pull down and tug at my shirts anymore, and my belly dont lap over anymore, its flat!!!! I had 3 kids so thats a big thing for me:) The emotions are a ***** for a few months but I can definitely deal.......Dont give up, you are human and have feelings. You can do it, and you will be happy in the end......

I didn't rationalize. I do see on here though that people do.  I knew that once I was done with my 6 months supervised diet that it was really time to get down to business.  June 27th will be here faster than you can possibly imagine. My 2 months went by soooooo fast!!!  If you say you want it badly, THEN GO FOR IT!!! No excuses!!! You will be able to eat the foods you love again, that is a myth... Yes you might have to change up some of the contents... sugar free for sugar, Whole grain, whole wheat, etc... But, when you are dropping weight so fast, able to wear smaller sizes and your health and energy are going through the roof I think you will find that all the foods you loved were just that, something you loved at one time. Like an ex-boyfriend. So start breaking up with that food now. There are some women on here who have some fabulous recipes and I'm eating better now then I ever did!!!!!

I think it's great that you're thinking about doing something to help you live better and longer.  You were able to quit smoking which must have been really hard to do.  If you can make that change, then you'll be able to make the changes needed for WLS. 

I, too, was a yo-yo dieter after packing the pounds on after my kids.  I found (for me) it was easier to start the changes before surgery.  Eating slower and not drinking with meals helped a lot.  Also getting used to drinking lots of water throughout the day was a helpful habit as well.  As far as eating all those foods that you won't be able to eat later on, I tried hard not to do it.  I did indulge once and a while (damn you, pizza!!).  You will be able to have those foods later on.  Just not in the amount you did before so save yourself the extra pounds and watch what you eat.  Early on you wouldn't even be interested in the food (can you believe it?)  Everything is so sweet at the beginning, the thought of chocolate turns me off big time!  I never thought I'd feel like that, LOL!

I'm happy with my surgery.  I've been complication free, though.  You really have to consider that you could become lactose intolerant, get reaction hypoglycemic, and/or dump on sugars (some are happy they do-keeps them away from all sugar).  Only you can decide if this is something you can live with.  It hurt but I was feeling like myself 3-4 weeks out.  It's good you're scheduling time to recoup.  Good luck!

 Your current stomach is about the size of a two-liter soda bottle.  The new pouch will be closer to the size of the cap on the soda bottle.  It takes a lot to feel full with a big stomach.  It is very easy to fill up the pouch.  Until you have your surgery, you will want to eat more food, because we like to feel full.

 You are going to have RNY.  After surgery you are going to lose weight rather rapidly.

 Average weight loss after RNY is 100 pounds in one year

 Month 1  -   20 pounds

Months 2 –  6  10 pounds per month

Months 6 – 12 - 5 pounds per month

 This is going to happen pretty much whether you follow the diet or not.  If you have surgery and also work on a new way of eating and exercising, then you are going to lose weight and also look and feel healthier than you can ever imagine.

 If you just have the surgery and don’t eat enough protein, don’t take your vitamins, and don’t exercise properly, you are going to have nutritional deficiencies, less weight loss, low energy, flabby muscles, and a lot more loose skin than people who stick to their program.  This is like Weigh****chers in many ways.  The only difference is that you will be making a life long commitment and that it WILL work for you.

 After surgery, I have never been hungry again.  Some people claim to get hungry, I never have.  Sometimes I get cravings for carbs, but I don’t keep them in the house and don’t crave them enough to make a trip to the store for them.

 What you are going through now is what I call the “Last Supper" syndrome.  You feel like you need to eat things because you will never get to enjoy them again.  The truth is that there is absolutely no food that you will never be able to eat again.  After surgery there is a honeymoon period of about 18 months when you have a tiny pouch and can only eat a tiny amount of food.  And after you eat that food, it is malabsorbed by your body.  So losing weight is very, very easy.

 That tiny pouch expands and will end up at between eight and twelve ounces.  When that happens, you will be able to finish a normal amount of food.  The body also learns how to absorb food again, so weight loss once again becomes hard.  There are people several years out from RNY who can put away a plate of spaghetti with a whole pizza on the side.  They gain back all of their weight and more.

 For about 30% of people who have RNY there is dumping when they eat a lot of sugar or fats.  That wears off for almost everyone.  Everything that you think you can never eat again will probably be possible for you to eat in time.

 The best thing you can do for yourself now is to eat a lot of healthy low calorie foods.  A huge salad, lean meat and sides of things like mashed potatoes made from cauliflower instead of potatoes.  Cut down on carbs as much as possible.  Eat lots of lean protein instead.  Work some exercise into every day.  Drink lots of water.  Cut out carbonated beverages if you drink them now.  You are still hungry, you are nervous, and you are not sure if you are doing the right thing.

RNY is going to take care of most of that.  You are going to be a knockout on the beach next summer. You are doing the right thing.  This is a golden opportunity.  Use if for all that it can do for you.

I did my 6 months like a breeze as well and made minor changes... but didnt get serious till 2 weeks prior....

 Melissalove3 said:
"...when you are dropping weight so fast, able to wear smaller sizes and your health and energy are going through the roof I think you will find that all the foods you loved were just that, something you loved at one time. Like an ex-boyfriend. So start breaking up with that food now. "

That is a FANTASTIC way to describe it! 

I could have practically written your post myself, Bkritty. They talk about "last meal syndrome", but I have been having last meals for months now! I started the process in October and wasn't losing any weight during my supervised diet, but the doctor never seemed to make a deal about it so I wasn't even trying.  Then when my supervised diet was over, she dropped a bomb that I could not have my surgery until I dropped 10 pounds. Wish she would have said that sooner!

So I buckled down and dropped 13 pounds in 2 weeks, but as soon as I weighed in at the doctor's office and met that goal, I stopped at a drive thru on my way home. Oy! So I easily regained 7 of the 13 pounds I lost and now I have been buckling down again to re-lose it before my final pre-op appointment with the surgeon tomorrow. One more pound to go! 

So long story short, yes, I feel your pain and am having the same motivation issues. In my head I keep telling myself that this is it - this is my life change, and I am so excited! But in the back of my mind, I have this fear and doubt that I will be able to keep from eventually slipping back into old habits. But that isn't going to stop me from having the surgery. What's the alternative? Stay fat? Stay miserable? Start developing co-morbidities?

You can do this!! We can do this!! Start breaking up with food now! A little at a time.

Jenny- I did the same EXACT thing with the six month diet and the needing to lose 15 pounds and going through the drive thru right after! RIDICULOUS! My final appointment with the surgeon I actually had put two pounds back on after losing 15 but she let it go! You would have thought that would have scared me straight! So frustrated with myself. We got a new puppy a few weeks ago so I have been walking a little more, but I sold my treadmill because I rationalized that we would have more room in the basement and I didn't need it anyway because I am going to be going outside for exercise with my dog! Anyway...Please let me know how your surgeon appointment goes and when your surgery is scheduled for! Maybe we can keep in touch and be real with each other! 

Thank you everyone who posted....it really did help to know Im normal and I can do this! I just needed to get honest out in the open on paper! I hope that I snap out of this soon!

Kristie

Please - I went through the BK drive through a few weeks ago to get a burger and fries and decided that I HAD to have onion rings too, because I wouldn't be able to eat them anymore. But I really wanted the fries too.

I was embarrased to order both because I thought the cashier would judge my fat ass, so what did I do?  I ordered an extra burger and an extra drink to go with it so she would think I was picking up food for two people and not just myself.  So sad!!  And I ate it all!

I have issues.  

you're not the only one that has done that. don't feel bad!  I am struggling with my pre-op diet currently. My surgery is the 31st and we have to do 4 oz protein, 1 cup veggie 1 cup fruit 3x/day.
it sucks. I keep dreaming of ice cream, cake, etc.  I have decided to make a list of my favorite foods, each one written on a piece of paper. I am going to say "good-bye" to them and burn them. They are not fuel for my body but fuel for my inner demon called addiction. The demon likes to rear its ugly head during my dreams, but I've been able to keep it at bay during the waking hours.

1 day at a time. 1 meal at a time.  I've found out by making out my menu for the day/week and sticking to it that it helps. Pack your meals so they are ready. Have fresh fruit/veggies cut up for you. cheese sticks rolled up in deli meat is a good source of protein and easy to carry around.

Hugs to you! May your demon be vanquished soon as well!

Jilli