Just Wondering......

We seem to have a lot of "newbies" lately, and something Jenn just posted really struck me.  She said she got through her pre-op diet because she knew it would be the last time she "dieted".   I am wondering if anyone out there had a reaction to those kinds of statements.  I am almost 2 years post op, and I'm 20 lbs. from goal.  I cannot lose this last amount to save my life.  I have to DIET every single day.  I am hungry all the time, and I have to stop myself from eating what I know I shouldn't.  I am having the same battles with food that I had before surgery.  Yes, my life has changed, and I am so happy that I lost 125+ lbs.  But I do have to be careful every time I eat something. If I go off of my "DIET"  I immediately start to gain.  I thought I would never be hungry, but that's just not true. So....is there anyone else out there, or is it just me?   PS-I'm not picking on Jenn at all, it's just her post that stood out for me. Brenda

Speaking as a "newbie" and " pre-op", I guess I was hoping what we do after surgery isn't called a diet.  I would like to call it a lifestyle change.  Something we have to do all the time, not just when we want to lose a few pounds.  Maybe that is naive, but that's my mind-set right now. 

Hi bstar, I am in the same rut you are in with the "diet."  As we get further out from our surgery, we ARE able to eat some of the bad things again and it is a daily struggle not to give in to that temptation.  I simply don't buy the bad stuff.  Call it what you want, but this lifetstlyle change -is- a diet that we must follow for the rest of our lives if we are to remain healthy.  Since the part of our intestine that absorbs certain vitamins and nutrients has been bypassed, what we can't get from food must be replaced with supplements.  Protein grams have to be considered with anything we put in our mouths and if we don't get enough of it, our hair falls out and we lose muscle mass.  Since most of our major organs are controlled by or made of muscle, chronically low protein levels can cause permanent damage.  Any medications we need must be absorbed either in the pouch or further down in the intestine.  We are more prone to ulcers, can't take NSAID's or aspirin, and have to constantly be drinking something.  It can really be a pain.  But the results of this lifelong DIET could not be had any other way or we wouldn't be here, right?  Gastric bypass surgery is the -easy- part of of our journey, it's the lifelong changes we have to make that are hard.

Well, for me personally being over 3 yrs out..I REFUSE to diet ever again.  I do not deprive myself and I dont overload it.  I have not gained any weight since surgery soI figure I am semi doing something right.  If I start to gain I will go back to basics but until then I am gonna live my life and not worry about "dieting" ever again. SHannon

Just another note.... When I got married in May, I decided that I am so tired of counting calories and protein and all that.  We went to Vegas for TWO DAYS and I ate what I wanted, when I wanted to.  Now mind you, I've made the whole lifestyle change, so eating what I wanted didn't mean 6,000 calories or anything like that.  It means that if I wanted a blueberry muffin for breakfast, I was going to have one...you get the idea. Got home from Vegas, gained 4lbs!  I did the same thing at Christmas.  I didn't pay attention to every single bite, and over 5 days I gained 5 lbs.  I still haven't lost that weight.  I don't like to think of it as dieting either, but if I don't deprive myself and keep tabs on everything, I start to gain.

There are so many elements to be considered here.  What works for me may not work for you or anyone else.  I believe it's all personalized.....and with the choices we make. For me, I am coming up on 3 years post op WLS in July.   I have stabilized where I am comfortable in between other surgeries, and although I'd give anything to be a size 6, I don't think with my thighs of thunder I ever will be.  I just look in the mirror and remember what I use to look like, what I look like now is half the person I use to be physically.  Part of my problem is that in the winter time, I lax off exercise.  I don't walk because I'm not a member of a gym or fitness facility (though I can be at work) and who wants to go out in 2 degree weather?  That is part of my problem - it's the exercise.  So, if I don't exercise, I do my best to avoid those things I know will do damage.  I don't deprive myself either, but moderation is the key for me. I indulge in things once in a while, and sometimes I pay for it - sometimes I don't.  But the one thing I do is maintain a strict level of monitoring my protein intake (just ask Shannon!) and vitamins on a daily basis.  I often find myself not even hungry and have to force myself to eat.  I am not going to diet, but I am going to monitor if I am overdoing it.  That is the fastest way to become how I use to be and I refuse to let that happen. Stacey W

I didn't take offense at all, Brenda.  I never gave thought that the comment would bother someone, but in hindsight I can see where it would.  I struggle with the idea of dieting.  On one hand, I decided early on not to deprive myself of something that I wanted.  I have found that seems to make my life much harder than if I had just had a taste of something I wanted.  I chose not to eat refined sugar for almost 14 months.  Because it was something I wanted to do, it wasn't really a problem. Now, being almost 16 months post op, I struggle every day with myself about what I'm going to or not going to eat.   I've found that by keeping track of every single morsel I put in my mouth, I'm able to imbibe in some things I wouldn't consider (i.e. higher carb foods).  If I don't keep my calories at 1200, I cannot lose. Is this a diet?  I chose to see it as a lifestyle/health change. I find that now I'm more responsible about what I'm putting into my body whereas before, I would have shoved whatever I felt like without giving it a second thought.  I feel that this surgery has made me more aware of what I should and shouldn't eat.  I still have 18 pounds to my goal and now I'm not sure I'll ever see it.  Am I ok with this?  I haven't decided yet.  I have to keep reminding myself of where I've come from.  It's really hard for me to see people who hit their goals quicker and weigh less than me.  I have to realize that because I had much more to lose, I'll never be thin.  I may have led some people askew with the liquid diet comment.  How I really felt was that the liquid part was ok for me because I realized that I would be having surgery and would in fact, be losing massive amounts of weight quickly.  I'm in the same boat as Brenda in that my appetite has returned with a vengeance.  I thought I was off the hook since I didn't really feel hunger for the first 9 months but let me tell you, it's tough when it comes back.  Great topic!

This a great thread!  Being in the honeymoon process I know that I'm still loving the fact that I can get out and exercise.  And yeah, the 2 degree weather sucked but it makes the 15-20 degree weather feel all the better when running outside.   The thing I've told people is that this surgery has basically given me a reset button to help undo the bad habbits that I've had.  I did enjoy 2 weeks ago having a potato chip, yes 'a' as in 1 chip!  I wanted to taste it but wanted nothing to do with them.  As far as refined sugar I figure the longer I'm in fear of dumping (haven't done that yet) the better.  I have found that with care I'm able to eat lots of things, mac-n-cheese, pizza, rice, ect.  I just find that when I eat those things 2 things happen: 1 I can't eat much of them and 2) when I exercise it catches up to me!   We were the way we were because we struggle with food and eating habits.  The surgery doesn't fix the head, only gives us a tool to combat our demons.  I know it's going to be a life long stuggle, just glad to know that I'm not in this one alone. Just my $.02 on the topic.  Keep the comments coming though. --Sax

Hmmm, so much to say here.  But mostly it mirrors what you've all said so far.  I know that some people would frown at the fact that I have had to do the 5 day pouch test 2x now.  And I am only 8 months out.  This is the honeymoon stage I suppose is what they would say to me.  But I dont eat carbs.  I exercise 4x per week.  And I am insulin dependant.  Who knows why its hard for me to lose now.  It does really remind me of a diet from the disappointment stand point.  Yes, I said it.  So. There it is.  My take on this subject. and I heart you guys.  You are my support group.  thank you. belinda