All signs point to NO SURGERY

AArgh!! I am SO OVERWHELMED!! I hate where I am right now. I feel a sense of desperation, that I HAVE to LOSE weight because if I am at this size a year from now, I don't think I can survive! But then I look at my future post sleeve and I fear that I may not be able to stick to the diet. It seems so extreme...90g of protien? Really? So many people succeed. What is the secret? How can you change your eating routine so DRASTICALLY and do you think you could have done it without the surgery? If you put as much energy into the diet without surgery,would it be as much a success?

What made you decide that surgery is the answer? I met with my surgeon and I left his office with the same questions. It's so hard for me to decide.

Sorry you are overwhelmed but this is a tough thing to go through. It is good you are thinking things through.

Honestly, i thought the surgery would be harder to adapt to than I thought. But I am only 3 weeks out. So I could be wrong lol.

I don't get in nearly 90 g of protein. Hell I barely get innmy required 60g, but I get close. I think it is possible and if I need to add powder to my soup, baked goods or drink a shake once a day, I am ok with it.

I thoughtt eatingnwould be more difficult because pre-op, I would eat til I was stuffed!! But now, I eat til I am satisfied or feel slightly full...after 4 bites! Weird, but it works. I know physically I cannot eat anymore, but I am ok with that. Change will come, because you WILL discover the strength you have to succeed. I had no other option after surgery but to make it work. My mind set is different, I ammno longer thinking like the fat person I was.

I know I wouldn't have success w/o the surgery because when I ate, I never truly felt full; only after heaping seconds of meat and carbs did I feel full. That wasn't healthy. I needed this surgery to tell my brain to stop eating. It's a sad reality, but it works for me.

I hope you find peace with your decision and opt for what you want. Much luck to you dear

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate you for sharing your story with me. I can only hope and pray that my mind will no longer think like the fat person. Thank you again.

 I don't find it to be nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. The rule is to eat protein first. Think about how many calories you are eating in a day now to maintain your current weight. Replacing a huge majority of those calories with good, filling, protein isn't difficult. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always easy...I have to make an effort to eat right. But, I have found that my cravings are really minimized since the surgery so it is easier to eat healthy than ever before. And, staying away from carbs as much as possible helps to reduce my triggers. Could I have changed my eating habits before surgery? No, not for very long anyway. I have tried it way too many times. The surgery allows me to really limit my portions so that if I follow the rule of eating protein first, I really don't have much room or desire for the foods I shouldn't eat (or I eat just a very small amount of those foods.) I love having the restriction...I don't necessarily shy away from the full-fat foods since I don't eat much and enjoy those so much more. I eat Ranch on my salad...but it is such a limited amount that it isn't a problem. I love cheese, eggs, and other higher fat foods. But, again, one cheesestick can satisfy for for a while. It would not have before the surgery. And, as you get used to focusing on proteins, it becomes more of a habit. The first month or two after surgery can be difficult getting used to your tummy, but, for me, the benefits of weight loss and a healthier me is SO worth the effort. Now I feel that I control the food instead of food controlling me...and THAT is a good feeling!

Thank you for your honesty. I have feared that I would have to stop eating certain foods forever. But it appears that you have been able to find the satisfaction with the same foods, just smaller portion. Good luck on the rest of your journey!

Becky, what good questions!  All I can say is that the surgery changed me.  It changed the way I look at food, it created the success that keeps building on itself, and it removed the hunger hormone.  I suppose one could attain the same weight loss going low carb and pushing fluids and protein.  I suppose so, but then, none of us ever do.  We get caught up again in the narcotic carbohydrate cycle and cannot extricate ourselves from it.  But the surgery does something to you and it does it pretty fast---just look at the people that come off their blood pressure meds the first few weeks, and the bad diabetics that have near reversal the first few weeks too-----the speed with which those things happen just do not correlate with common sense----there is something else going on that is just not well understood yet.  I read a research article the other day that said removing one's stomach got rid of the long chain amino acids that cause metabolic disease, diabetes, etc.  And WLS patients no longer have to deal with the long chain amino acids.  They put people that had not had WLS on the SAME food that VSGers were eating, and they did NOT have reduction in their long chain amino acids and could not come off their insulin and other meds.  They still had metabolic problems, diseases, and they were eating the same regimen the VSG people were.  So, there is a mystery still, I believe, how and why we are so successful, and how we have such motivation and determination to make it work for us.  There is some mind-stomach connection.  But I know a little success just keeps building on itself and VSGers experience wonderful, almost daily, "little successes."

Thank you! That's definitely something to think about!

I  love, love love your answer I was wondering if the diabetes would go away with just eating in the same way vsgers do and now I have my answer thank you.  I have read alot of replies saying you still have to try which I get but it has to be easier now or why do the surgery.  Thanks this one really hit home with me.

I know that if I continued on the same path as pre surgery, I would be in a wheelchair, or in bed permanently or worse. My life/weight was out of control. I'm happy with my 1 year loss but still have a long way to go.

First, I would recommend that you not look at this as a diet. If you have WLS of any type, I think you are committing to a lifestyle change.

I won't lie to you.... Could I have lost 135 pounds in 1 year without WLS?---yes, I did it more than once     If I put as much energy into the diet w/o surgery, would it be a success?--yes, did it before   I did some very successful extreme dieting prior to my decision for VSG and lost a lot of weight.   But, the important thing is...I didn't change 1 thing about my life or eating after losing that weight. Like 97% of folks losing weight, I put it all back on and more.

The strange thing is, in my opinion, this is not that drastic...not even as drastic as some of those diets I did previously. Once you get past the post op weeks and start eating regular foods, there are very few (if anything) you can't have. There are things you shouldn't have but those are decisions to be made with you and your NUT/surgeon.

It does take commitment to get used to meeting your surgeon's food requirements (protein, carbs, fluid, etc). But once you've got a handle on it, I think it becomes routine.

But this is a decision only you can make. Research and talk to lots of people here.

Good luck.

It's weird. I was at a dinner party, and there was plenty of things I could eat (my best friend in the world was the hostess, and made sure that I was accomidated) I ate chicken, some yummy baked stuffed potato (a couple bites) and some vegies. I was overwhelmed by the amount of food that people consumed. I had never noticed before how much food people eat, but now I notice. And I think back to what I used to put on my plate, and I am grossed out by it.

Sure, there are moments when I wish I could eat a bit more...when I'm loving eating something...but for the most part, I don't miss it at all.