change before surgery

How much did you all change before surgery eating wise

A lot.  I lost 35 pounds and it came off from cutting out pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, and cokes.  I thought a lot about the triggers that caused me to eat when I wasn't hungry.  I realized that much of it was when I needed more energy or was tired.  Frustrations with family and situations that resisted reason.  Mostly, my health was declining and I could feel it and see it in the mirror so I had to do something.  Stopping those bad habits was the easiest part.  Change has to come from the inside and you have to be ready to be responsible for how you control and make decisions.  You should find a doctor that has a good follow up system and nutritionists with support groups.  My surgeon was head of the bariatric's department of a major medical school. I can call them at any time if I have a question.   

please dont take this wrong but if you done so good before surgery why didn't you just keep doing what you were doing? I know that surgery gives a tool but not mentally... I'm just asking out of honesty because I am pre op and I am struggling severely with losing weight. it seems when I dont eat my normal way I am so hungry I get the shakes I get tons of protein in, potassium and fiber along with taking my vitamin...

Have you asked your doctor about these shakes? You may be experiencing a dip in blood sugar, I would talk to the doctor in your program about your symptoms so that you can get as comfortable as you can while losing preop weight. Wouldn't it be easier without that symptom? 

I CONSIDERED not having the surgery but my age was to the point that i was afraid if I put it off I would not qualify and due to diabetes getting worse, varicose veins, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and acid reflux, decided to have the surgery.  I did put it off for two years before coming to my senses.  But I don't think that it is for everybody.  I do think that research will progress to the point that surgery may be a lot different in the future.  People in their twenties and thirties may have better opportunities but i won't.  Even forty years ago there were not so many fast food restaurants and I don' think there were as many MO people.  There certainly wasn't the nutritional help that we have now.

I don't know what to tell you about your struggle. I hope you have really good medical tests before you go to surgery.  I wish you the best.

Hi there-

I didn't change my eating that much.  I just quit Cokes 1 month before surgery because I knew that couldn't continue.  I LOVED real Coke (not diet). I would drink 1 or 2 per day. I am glad that I made the change before surgery.

In response to the question as to why have surgery and not just continue eating right and lose the weight that way.   I have heard that 95% of traditional diets fail within a 2 year period. So that means that those people gain back their weight and often more.  Most of us who have chosen wls are tired of that yo-yoing. Furthermore, your body works AGAINST you when you are dieting (with a normal stomach). Your body is used to the feast/famine mentality of what our ancestors dealt with before there was such a readily available food supply.  So when you diet-you actually produce MORE ghrelin (the hunger hormone) so you literally ARE hungrier when you are dieting.  Weight loss surgery helps because it limits your capacity AND there is a reduction in ghrelin (ESPECIALLY with the sleeve but there is still a reduction with RNY for a while). So you have less of the hunger hormone AND a smaller capacity. Let me tell you-that is HUGE!! I am 4 weeks out and I am absolutely astounded at how little I eat and how satisfied I feel! I would NEVER have been able to eat this way with my normal stomach. I talk about this more in my youtube video (the 3 week post-op one) so feel free to check it out if you like ("bbearsmama"). So losing this weight is so different both physically and mentally.  Mentally-it is different because you know it will get better. I have been on liquids and some pureed foods for 5 weeks.  Now if I was trying to do this with a normal stomach-my thought would be, "I can't sustain this. I bet as soon as I start eating normally-I will gain it all back."  After surgery-you know it will get better and that you will continue to lose because of the diminished capacity and diminished hunger. Does that make sense?

Hope that helps! Good luck on your journey!

Sincerely,

Pam

 

You can't assume anything at 4 weeks.  You're still taking baby steps.  

I don't understand. What can I not assume? Of course I am taking baby steps. But what I wrote above is the reason that *I* opted for surgery over traditional dieting.

At 4 weeks your stomach hasn't healed and the nerves are not back to normal so you may not be able to hold much food now, hunger can return, and everyone isn't alike.  A lot of people do regain weight and there are a lot of successful dieters who do it on will power and exercise.  Everyone doesn't rely on WLS.  It is human nature to want to influence others to have the surgery if you/ I/ we decide to have it .  It really is a relative thing and sort of pointless to ask us what we think....   Reading through the threads today you will see several problems so no one should go through it unless it is a last resort.  That is my opinion.

Yes-it's definitely a last resort.  But the above reasons that I wrote are why I took this road. It's definitely my opinion and of course the original poster needs to make the choice on her own. I do expect hunger to return with RNY since ghrelin is still present. But for now-hunger is not there and I am loving it!