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jcfelbi
jcfelbi Posts: 19 Member
in Social Groups
Hi! I just had the sleeve on Dec. 1st of 2014, so am fairly new to this whole thing. Just wanted to say how great it is that there is a group of people on this site who've gone through the same experience. The biggest "wow" factor to me is how instantly this took food "out of my head." I feel like I've been given the mind of a thin person! (No cravings; no thinking about junk food - instead, I have to focus on getting enough IN and following my doctor's plan, etc.) My doctor says this does not last....but I plan on using whatever time I have to switch up eating habits and get into a new lifestyle. Did you all experience this same thing? How long did it last? Also, I'm not weighing myself for a while -- and am hoping to switch to only weighing myself once a week at most. (would love to reach a point in life where I don't fixate at all on the number on the scale...) Good idea/bad idea? Would love any input. THANKS!

Replies

  • loriloftness
    loriloftness Posts: 476 Member
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    Welcome! The first month for me was this way. At almost 7 weeks out now, the temptation to make poor food choices is there. Generally it is more of my mind wanting the food than my stomach wanting it. Everyday I think about what choices I need to make to get my fluid and my protein in, and stay within the calorie guidelines I was given. I chose to weigh myself in only weekly for the first 4-5 weeks. Now I weigh only once per day. The thing about weighing weekly for me was that your body can fluctuate per day so on one day you may think you haven't lost anything, (or in my case gained weight) and then the next day you will be down pounds. I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but it helps keep my mind positive. Best wishes to you. Keep posting so we know how you are doing.
  • weeziebeth
    weeziebeth Posts: 168 Member
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    I'm literally right behind you on December 2. Eating is work right now. It is odd not being hungry and not really having any cravings…some things are more appetizing than others but not very much on the craving front. I know this lasts different lengths of time for different people and I will ride it as long as I can. Working on not weighing every day as I think it has just served to discourage me right now-would like to get to once/week but right now I do good to go a couple of days without the blasted thing.
  • klcovington
    klcovington Posts: 381 Member
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    Hi and welcome! Best wishes on your journey. :smile:

    I weigh myself daily but I also track measurements and use clothes to assist with assessing progress. I just had labs done too and they are showing improvements (normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol, etc.) I definitely think it is wise to use your time now to focus on getting in enough nutrients and following your doctor's plan as this will give you the ability to make it a habit before hunger and cravings return.
  • ac7nj
    ac7nj Posts: 266 Member
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    I don't weight daily, not even weekly in fact not at home at all. Weight is a poor measure of success and is not always a true indication of progress. Inches is a lot more accurate measure of success but not perfect either. Adding muscles will make measuring a error in true results.
    The best thing to measure is the body fat ratio ask your Dr. About measuring body fat and metabolism. These are the best milestone figures
  • Thaeda
    Thaeda Posts: 834 Member
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    I do not know when non-plan items started to be "tempting".... I want to say around 3-4 months as I found I was able to get more "adventurous" in my eating without having stomach upset. What I have found as a good approach is to be with each phase as I am in it-- instead of thinking ahead to what is next. For the present, you do not have cravings, you have "thin person" brain and that is wonderful--- maybe it will never end-- who knows? For me, making good decisions one day at a time is what has been helpful. Staying focused on what I need to do today keeps me on track and helps me avoid overwhelm. Enjoy your journey!
  • jcfelbi
    jcfelbi Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for the encouragement! It's great seeing people on here succeed in this whole endeavour...very motivating to me to see others making such great progress. Right now, I'm just taking it day by day and trying to eat enough calories so MFP stops posting that warning at the end of each day ; )
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
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    I'm 3.5 years out and frankly never got my "hunger" back. What I do have is "head hunger", that need to eat, sometimes even if still full from a meal. If I am busy, I still have that "thin person" brain and have to prompt myself or try and remember to eat. Boredom seems to really bring out my head hunger a lot. As you progress on this journey try and maintain being mindfull of what you're eating, be in the moment. You will find that if you do that you will tend to overeat less and find that something you might have really wanted doesn't taste as good as you thought and you don't finish it or you are satisfied with one bite.
  • Thaeda
    Thaeda Posts: 834 Member
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    pawoodhull wrote: »
    As you progress on this journey try and maintain being mindfull of what you're eating, be in the moment. You will find that if you do that you will tend to overeat less and find that something you might have really wanted doesn't taste as good as you thought and you don't finish it or you are satisfied with one bite.

    THIS!!! ^^^^^^^^
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
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    I am about 15 months out from VSG surgery, and while I have gotten my appetite back slightly, I haven't really had any cravings for anything. It's true that something you really thought you wanted just won't do it for you any more. I have been really good about sticking with the plan, but I decided that at Hanukkah, I was going to have a latke. I love latkes. After less than half of one, I was done. It was good, I had my taste of it, but a little bit went a long way for me. Like others have said, eating mindfully is one of the most important things you can do. At first I only weighed myself at doctor's appointments, and now I weigh myself every 2 or three weeks. I can get a little scale obsessed so more than that can make me a little crazy!
  • readallday
    readallday Posts: 173 Member
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    I am 4 months out and I haven't gotten back the urge to eat yet. I'm with you in being so thrilled that my obsession with eating is gone now. I am one of those people who forgets to eat now which is hilarious to me because I never missed a meal (or snack) before. For me though, the best thing about this is the way my head and my stomach are on speaking terms now when they really weren't before. I am so much more aware of fullness now than I have ever been.
  • jcfelbi
    jcfelbi Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for all the input! My surgeon is dedicated to researching this exact topic: Why does bariatric surgery seem to (at least temporarily) take food "out of your head." I told her if she figures this all out, she'll be a millionaire : )

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