Gastric Sleeve - Your thoughts and opinions or your very own experience?
Replies
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aliciasmoreno wrote: »I am now going through the process of medical clearances, counseling, test and what have you needed to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery. Ten year ago I had the Lap Band Surgery, it did not work for me, I can't blame the lap Band, I blame me. I did not follow advice and learned to get around it's restrictions.
I find myself at age 72 , 5' 7", and 295 pounds. My weight gain started perimenopause and bloomed post menopausal. I have tried WW with great success with weight losses os 79, 108, 65, 50 pounds at different times. I also lost 65 recently under a nutritionist care to gain it back.
I can follow a portion control plan with proper nutrition for a period of time until a crisis knocks me off the wagon.
From this you may gather the strong emotional factor in my eating habits.
What is different this time? The awareness of needing emotional support, the fact that I have started to eat very similar to post surgery diet, everything is measured, logged in MFP, very small spoon and fork, small bites, long time chewing, 35 to 40 minutes per meal the most difficult so far is no water during meals. I have read everything that I could get my hand on. I AM AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE FAILURE if I don't keep up with the advise of the professionals. One thing I can't any longer do is to continue to carry this weight on a frame riddle with arthritis, on a body worn down by age and weight. I need to lighten the load on my body. Th surgery will be the cane I use to walk, I know that the walking depends on my two legs, the cane alone does not walk.
I am saying this from experience, if you realize you need to address the emotional issues, start NOW. I had therapy, before surgery, during the process, and I still continue therapy to help me stay on track. Do not underestimate the importance of this.7 -
JodehFoster wrote: »Try following the recommended post-surgery diet for a month and see how that goes. Plenty of published info out there if you google it.
I lost more than you have to lose in less than a year w/o a thought of surgery, and I'm also shorter than you. Just have to get your head in the game. I was barely 110# in my mid-twenties & ballooned to 230# by my mid-thirties. Surgery is invasive and not something I'd voluntarily put myself through unless it was life/death.
Good luck.
It's a VLCD usually 500-800 calories a day. I would not try it unless you are under a doctor's supervision. Post-surgery, this smaller amount of calories fills you up, and you likely won't be hungry. On that small number of calories now, you likely would be.
You can, as you food prep (or you could food prep just this) google it, and look at what the amount actually is. You'll need to be really intentional and disciplined about your food choices to make sure you're getting the nutrition you need. And that totally works for some folks! You and your doctor can talk about if it's right for you.1 -
I"m with the others - talk to those who've had it done several years ago to get a realistic view of what life is like post surgery.
I'm not completely against WLS, but I am against it being pushed as a first line solution. My brother and sister-in-law had it done 2 years ago. They've both kept the weight off mostly so far, but she's starting to gain it back because she can eat what she wants and is returning to her old habits. My brother has stalled out and regained some, so he's now trying a different diet plan. My cousin had the sleeve 2 years ago as well, and she too has stalled out and started regaining as her stomach healed and she could tolerate a wider variety of foods.
Neither my cousin nor my sister-in-law have had complications that I know of, but my brother is dealing with a sharp increase in the frequency of kidney stones. He already had a genetic tendency to getting them, but since he's had the surgery and can't get in the amount of liquid that he used to drink to keep his kidneys flushed, he's getting them a lot more often now and bigger in size.
Everyone is different, and some have different needs. If your weight is causing severe medical problems, I think its an option to be considered, but you've got to understand that you still have to learn to eat differently and break those old habits if you want any long term success.
My sister, at 265 lbs and 5 ft 1 would be a very good candidate for the surgery with all the medical problems she has, but I don't push because she has clearly stated that she has no intention of learning to limit her food intake. I had her here at MFP for about a month, and she lost 10 lbs, but would not stick to her deficit, claiming she was "starving" herself. She refuses to pay attention to portion sizes and wants to eat as much as she wants when she wants, so there is no point in her even considering the expense of the surgery because with that attitude, she's guaranteed to fail.4 -
My diary is public. Please feel free to look back and see what it's actually like. October 28th is when I started my dietician supervised diet. I started my pre-op liquid diet December 10th. Surgery December 24th. Currently 7 weeks post op.
Edited for incorrect date4 -
JodehFoster wrote: »Try following the recommended post-surgery diet for a month and see how that goes. Plenty of published info out there if you google it.
I lost more than you have to lose in less than a year w/o a thought of surgery, and I'm also shorter than you. Just have to get your head in the game. I was barely 110# in my mid-twenties & ballooned to 230# by my mid-thirties. Surgery is invasive and not something I'd voluntarily put myself through unless it was life/death.
Good luck.
^^This^^ I was Class II Obese on BMI and am now Normal Weight BMI all just by counting and logging calories at a deficit. I would never elect to do life altering surgery unless it came down to, "I was going to die without it." Proceed with caution.7 -
My aunt did this and ended up gaining most of the weight back. Why? Because she refused to change her unhealthy habits. Unless you change your mindset and learn good and healthy behavior then you’re doomed to fail. I will never understand why people would rather go through with surgery instead of just making healthy lifestyle changes but I wish you the best regardless.2
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A close friend did this. She did not have a good outcome.3
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Personally, I do not endorse WLS. There are too many changes to how your body needs to get nutrients. Risks of ulcer, osteoporosis, anemia, vitamin deficiency, protein malnutrition are some of the side effects that can be serious. I have two family members who had it, who suffered years of ill health.2
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Hi! I had a gastric sleeve in Tijuana Mexico! WWW.Weightlossagents.com it's only $3,500 and they have payment plans. Best decision of my life. Diabetes, goodbye is what the doctor told us, no more threats of it and no more chub rub lol!2
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I think it’s important to do whatever works for you.
That being said, for myself I can’t imagine wanting to endure the pain and suffering of a major surgery when I can achieve weight loss results by eating appropriately and exercising. I don’t like pain at all. I had to recover from a comparatively minor abdominal surgery when I lost an ovary, and it took me two months to feel human again. The three people I know who have had weight loss surgery had major complications; one almost died, and all of them had serious issues for a year following surgery. Compared to that, being a little bit hungry and tired is a no brainer.
In addition, two of the three friends regained all the weight. One actually died from diabetes related complications after regaining her weight. She got really creative when it came to consuming major calories with a tiny stomach - she would eat whole meals of nothing but alouette cheese spread, for example. I wish she had been able to overcome her demons and don’t know what could have helped her, but surgery did not help her. If you aren’t ready to do the work, surgery is not a magic fix.
If you yo-yo on regular diets you will yo-yo even with surgery, unless you decide to change your life. For some people, being miserable and vomiting every time they stuff themselves is enough reason to change lifestyle when nothing else is. But for me, I prefer to just not eat so much, log every day, and work out six times a week. So far so good, maintaining into my third year of normal BMI after 125 lb weight loss. It can be done. It’s not easy, but neither is getting drugged into unconsciousness and then cut up with knives.7 -
rheddmobile wrote: »I think it’s important to do whatever works for you.
That being said, for myself I can’t imagine wanting to endure the pain and suffering of a major surgery when I can achieve weight loss results by eating appropriately and exercising. I don’t like pain at all. I had to recover from a comparatively minor abdominal surgery when I lost an ovary, and it took me two months to feel human again. The three people I know who have had weight loss surgery had major complications; one almost died, and all of them had serious issues for a year following surgery. Compared to that, being a little bit hungry and tired is a no brainer.
In addition, two of the three friends regained all the weight. One actually died from diabetes related complications after regaining her weight. She got really creative when it came to consuming major calories with a tiny stomach - she would eat whole meals of nothing but alouette cheese spread, for example. I wish she had been able to overcome her demons and don’t know what could have helped her, but surgery did not help her. If you aren’t ready to do the work, surgery is not a magic fix.
If you yo-yo on regular diets you will yo-yo even with surgery, unless you decide to change your life. For some people, being miserable and vomiting every time they stuff themselves is enough reason to change lifestyle when nothing else is. But for me, I prefer to just not eat so much, log every day, and work out six times a week. So far so good, maintaining into my third year of normal BMI after 125 lb weight loss. It can be done. It’s not easy, but neither is getting drugged into unconsciousness and then cut up with knives.
I knew a woman who ate popcorn with a stick of melted butter every day after her surgery.
My cousin had it - never reached her goal and gained it all back plus more. Now at age 65, she’s given up - and she also turned to alcohol which is a common side effect too. Her hair is so thin and she so much less energy than she once did.
OP - this is an inspiring post and I hope you’ll read it very carefully - several times if needed. You don’t even have 100lbs to lose. You could do that in less than 2 years without carving up your stomach.
You have to change how you eat either way but without the surgery, you’ll retain nutrients and your long term health will most likely be much better.
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No_turning_back wrote: »Hello Everyone!
I've been reading a lot on gastric sleeve surgery. I know there's so much that goes into daily life post surgery as well as some who have gained the weight back unfortunately.
A little about myself. I am 5'2" and cw is 219. I've been overweight my entire adult life. Growing up I was always very slender. I met my husband and weighed 115lbs. After our first child I stayed around 155 but after our last child I've never gone below 165. Its been a yo-yo roller-coaster for the last 19 years.
I started a new job 9/2018 and had weighed 179 when I started here. In a little over a year I went from 179 to 225. I wont lie, its been depressing.
The well known place I work has many, many large people. Recently several associates have opted for sleeve surgery. I look at them and their results are just amazing.
I can't help feel this is something I should pursue. I'm curious about your own personal experience or perhaps someone you know?
I'm going to requote the OP as some seem to be confused by the numbers. Her goal weight is likely less than her "new job weight" of 179 pounds. At 5'2" and 225 pounds, losing 100 pounds would get her to a 22.9 BMI.
However, there are lots of people here who have lost 100 plus pounds without surgery.
I'm all for WLS surgery when it is needed to save lives, like for the people on "My 600 Pound Life." I don't know where I draw the line, though.2 -
No_turning_back wrote: »reddwarf63 wrote: »Having a gastric sleeve done is just a lazy way of saying that you cant do it by proper exercise and portion control. Losing weight is easy, just comes down to free will
I'm sorry I have to disagree. Not one ounce of me believes WLS is they easy/lazy way out. There are so many things you have to stay consistent on post op.
I wanted a safe place to ask this question without harsh judgement and I thank you all for being open and non-judgmental.
I was previous taking phentermine and was successful at losing 30lbs but I started to have tons of hair fall out and still today my hair is not long and thick. Its been the same length and is very very thin. I feel if I already had that issue with just taking the phentermine it may be worse after WLS.
My problem isn't emotional eating its that I'm hungry allllll the time even right after eating a meal packed with protein.
I'll definitely research further and again, I truly appreciate all of your comments.
Have you been tested for iron deficiencies and other conditions that cause hair loss? I'm anemic and have crazy hair loss (and crippling fatigue, split ends, brittle nails) when it's not treated well.
I can't manage my anemia with diet alone.2 -
InstepFitness wrote: »Hi! I had a gastric sleeve in Tijuana Mexico! WWW.Weightlossagents.com it's only $3,500 and they have payment plans. Best decision of my life. Diabetes, goodbye is what the doctor told us, no more threats of it and no more chub rub lol!
Explaining the disagree I clicked.
It is solely related to the marketing claims made by the doctor as detailed in the last sentence.5 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I don't know where I draw the line, though.
As someone who has had WLS, you don't know until you know. When I knew, I never turned back. But I weighed 400 pounds, not 225 and had co-morbidities working against me.
I'm sure no one here remembers me but I used to spend a lot of time on these boards in 2016/17. I lost 140 pounds "the natural way". That was the second time I'd lost over 100 pounds. Now with my WLS is the third. Currently down 125.
I spent months and months before surgery addressing the mental aspect of this decision. I am continuing therapy post op. I take this very seriously. I will not squander this opportunity I have been given to finally do this right.
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InstepFitness wrote: »Hi! I had a gastric sleeve in Tijuana Mexico! WWW.Weightlossagents.com it's only $3,500 and they have payment plans. Best decision of my life. Diabetes, goodbye is what the doctor told us, no more threats of it and no more chub rub lol!
Explaining the disagree I clicked.
It is solely related to the marketing claims made by the doctor as detailed in the last sentence.
So scary!1 -
alyssa0061 wrote: »
As someone who has had WLS, you don't know until you know.
Exactly. It was like one day I just knew it was time to do something, and WLS was what I needed. I was struggling to tie my shoelaces, I was struggling to do life. And my mother had just started her second bout of chemo (for her second cancer diagnosis) and I know I’m at risk due to heriditary reasons, I don’t want to be at risk due to being fat too.
I was 175cm and 145kg (5’9 and over 300 pounds). I’m now down 25kg (over 50 pounds) and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Previously I’d only been able to lose 15kg, and I gave up and gained 40kg back. I know I’ll have more success this time, I physically cannot eat as much as I used to. And if I need to, I can have my band adjusted and tightened.6 -
alyssa0061 wrote: »
As someone who has had WLS, you don't know until you know.
Exactly. It was like one day I just knew it was time to do something, and WLS was what I needed. I was struggling to tie my shoelaces, I was struggling to do life. And my mother had just started her second bout of chemo (for her second cancer diagnosis) and I know I’m at risk due to heriditary reasons, I don’t want to be at risk due to being fat too.
I was 175cm and 145kg (5’9 and over 300 pounds). I’m now down 25kg (over 50 pounds) and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Previously I’d only been able to lose 15kg, and I gave up and gained 40kg back. I know I’ll have more success this time, I physically cannot eat as much as I used to. And if I need to, I can have my band adjusted and tightened.
are you scared of falling back into old habits tho?
What did you do to counter that besides the surgery....
And to adjust the band would require more surgery????
I lost over 60lbs in a year just using a calorie deficit but I also addressed the issues at hand...
WLS is no guarantee....3 -
Anecdotes are not data. However... When I met my boyfriend he was 5'9 and 375. He has mental health issues and part of the weight went on due to the medication he was on, and part because he is an emotional eater. He had WLS in 2015, about six months after we met, and it was a good decision for him. He dropped to 180, and maintained there for a while. He had a mental health crisis this year, however, and is up to about 240 again. So when that settles down he'll have to lose that weight again.
Fair warning; after WLS he tried one beer and became so dependent on alcohol he had to detox under medical supervision. He is now an alcoholic. This was not an issue beforehand; he could take it or leave it.
My sister had WLS. It seems to have activated all the family autoimmune disorders, and she now has IBS and rheumatoid arthritis. So I would try everything else if you have that sort of thing in the extended family.
I don't intend to have surgery for that. I have a couple more foot surgeries in my future and an abdominoplasty with diastasis repair as well, so that's enough for me. I am going to drop my 150 with diet and exercise, but mostly diet.4 -
I haven't been on here in a few days. Been overwhelmed with work, planning my very first vacation and depressed about my weight. I guess I've been throwing a pity party.
I didn't want to login today but I did and I logged my breakfast and lunch. Then I peeked in on this thread and found so many incredible responses. Wow!! My heart is seriously tugged.
My husband is totally against WLS and says I can do this through exercise and diet. A very large part of me wanted to prove him wrong. Maybe because I don't feel he truly understands my struggle.
In total I have just about 100lbs to lose. I'm not an emotional eater, I just seem to graze alll day long. I hate the feeling of hunger but the more and more research I do, I think this stems from childhood.
Someone asked if I was anemic. I just did my blood work and found that my iron was quite low. My doctor hasn't mentioned supplements. But I've just started taking multi-vitamins, omega and B-12. Perhaps that's why I feel so sluggish?
I've never been the type of person to ask for help or want to bother anyone. I can't tell you enough how each and every one of your comments has helped me. Whether for or against WLS I'm taking each into account.14 -
I have the weird "luxury" of actually lifting at the same gym that a father and son that own a weight loss clinic. They have a strange fascination with me honestly. That is besides the point. Super nice guys BTW. They do it all except the Duodenal Switch because it is more complicated. This is from the "horses" mouths so to speak. They tell me the surgeries effect on weight loss only last about a year. At that point, people can then eat "around" the surgery. The more I have spoke to them, the more I am becoming convinced that the surgery gives people a tool, but the real magic is the diet. What is it? Its a less energy dense, high protein diet, that limits energy dense foods. As we know, protein in many studies is the most satiating macro per energy unit. They push fruits and vegetables that increase fiber and fill you up faster. When someone cuts out less filling foods I.E. many "junk" foods and instead fills the gap with less energy dense foods, many people spontaneously eat fewer calories. It had been speculated for a while that the surgeries might have had an effect on the BF settling range. I no longer believe it because we see the corresponding drops in Leptin in WLS and non WLS weight loss. I "think" you can do this without surgery as many people above have stated. That is going to be a cost vs benefit analysis you can run. Oh, BTW, no one likes being hungry. It is human though. A great person once told me a "little" hunger is not always a bad thing. Constant hunger is NOT a good thing. Whatever you decide OP, good luck and bless you.6
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No_turning_back wrote: »I haven't been on here in a few days. Been overwhelmed with work, planning my very first vacation and depressed about my weight. I guess I've been throwing a pity party.
I didn't want to login today but I did and I logged my breakfast and lunch. Then I peeked in on this thread and found so many incredible responses. Wow!! My heart is seriously tugged.
My husband is totally against WLS and says I can do this through exercise and diet. A very large part of me wanted to prove him wrong. Maybe because I don't feel he truly understands my struggle.
In total I have just about 100lbs to lose. I'm not an emotional eater, I just seem to graze alll day long. I hate the feeling of hunger but the more and more research I do, I think this stems from childhood.
Someone asked if I was anemic. I just did my blood work and found that my iron was quite low. My doctor hasn't mentioned supplements. But I've just started taking multi-vitamins, omega and B-12. Perhaps that's why I feel so sluggish?
I've never been the type of person to ask for help or want to bother anyone. I can't tell you enough how each and every one of your comments has helped me. Whether for or against WLS I'm taking each into account.
Also, what are you "grazing" on every day? If it is chips, cookies, candy, high energy dense foods ect.... I might make a suggestion. Maybe switch what you are grazing on to less energy dense foods... IE Plain fruits, veggies, and maybe some lean protein. I have been studying many different dietary styles over the last 2 years and made a mental note note that many suggest just making "one" change. Might I suggest this be your "change". See what happens. What do you have to lose? I mean you are talking about having your digestive system rearranged...
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A little hunger isn't terrible, but I'm talking about a relentless starving feeling. My snacks have been almonds, peanuts, oranges, strawberries, grapes and recently drinking Sparkling Ice + caffeine, green teas, carbonated water. But even with these I'm left feeling unsatisfied and want sugar. I want chips, I want cookies. Since coming back to MFP I've done pretty good at limiting those "foods." Valentines was hard, shopping for food with cookies and snacks around every corner. I did have a recess pink heart but limited it at one. That was tough.1
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No_turning_back wrote: »A little hunger isn't terrible, but I'm talking about a relentless starving feeling. My snacks have been almonds, peanuts, oranges, strawberries, grapes and recently drinking Sparkling Ice + caffeine, green teas, carbonated water. But even with these I'm left feeling unsatisfied and want sugar. I want chips, I want cookies. Since coming back to MFP I've done pretty good at limiting those "foods." Valentines was hard, shopping for food with cookies and snacks around every corner. I did have a recess pink heart but limited it at one. That was tough.
How is your protein intake? 1.6grams/ kg of healthy BW might be a good goal. Maybe lower the peanuts and almonds and add some lean protein. IE Low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, lean meats...ect. Oh course you "want" chips, cookies, ect...... Most of us do Though the research suggest that we can reprogram these old cravings over time. I would suggest what Dr. J.O. Hill suggest about shopping. Stay away from your problem isles. Keep a good food environment. Since you are a "grazer" maybe keep foods out on the counters that you won't be over tempted to eat unless you are hungry. Even better not to keep these "problem" foods in the house. Simply having a WLS will not stop the cravings. If you create effort barriers between problem foods, it can make it easier. If you have to get up, dressed, drive to the stop and get a single serving bag of chips, you might decide its not worth it.3 -
I would take @psychod787 's suggestions one step further.
First of all examine and log your main meals. How many calories are you taking in? How much of a gap does that leave? Anytime I am severely under for the day, I am hungrier and more prone to graze. The answer there is to *start* with a smaller deficit attempt.
I would lose the high calorie snack items. Almonds, peanuts definitely need to be portioned. Grapes can be frozen in hundred gram packages and taken out to be sucked on one at a time.
Are you grazing because you're hungry or because you're emotionally upset or involved or thinking and you're externalizing your inner turmoil? Do you have the option to get up and pace instead of eating for example?
When I first started, in the very very beginning, I pre-portioned all my "high value" snacks in 14, 20, + 28.5g packs. I then had "rules".
I would not grab a snack to have next to me. I wanted one I had to make a special trip to the kitchen to get it. And I could not eat it until I went back and logged it. Then I could eat it while not doing anything else.
If I wanted a second snack, I could repeat the above, but first I had to walk for at least 90 seconds around the house.
Third snack involved either 180 seconds of walking, or going out the front door and around the block.
Fourth snack in a row was allowed, only if I walked to Safeway and back, a12 minute round trip at the time, regardless of if I was getting the snack from there.
Same applied to chocolate and candy bars and ice cream in the beginning. Except that I would have to walk to Safeway starting from the first one to buy it. The rule which I never implemented was that after two Safeway trips if I wanted a third, I would have to walk to Walmart and back (Walmart being 35 minutes up the hill at the time)
Within a few months I stopped having as much trouble regulating the goodies and only kept to logging them in my diary before eating them. A good five years later at maintenance I log after I eat them.
Also the time I set out to to figure out which items we're more satiating for the calories for me.
I often snacked on apples and Greek yogurt. And the 50 to 60 calorie refrigerated Jell-O puddings.
Look. From 100lbs over you can't expect not to have to make any changes. However you can make many smaller cumulative changes that build on one another. And slowly tackle each sacred cow that's adding calories to your day
I used to absolutely believe that i was not an emotional eater. I would scoff and laugh at the idea that people were eating ice cream because of emotions. The only reason I was eating it was because it tasted good. Plus at only 1200 calories a tub this was nothing for my current weight and size.
6 years later I can absolutely report to you that anytime I'm agitated, thinking, or talking on the phone, I am absolutely prone to grazing. And if it's cookies and chocolate or chips so much the better. So I swap pacing and walking around, carrots, apples, at times the frozen grapes, sometimes protein bars instead of candy bars, more often than not coffee or decaf (both black) or teas, and occasionally yes, chocolate-covered almonds, or other chocolate. But I'm well aware that if I start gaining weight this may be an area that I will have to concentrate on again.
Anyway. My apologies because I sort of went off on a tangent.
I believe I would have been a bad candidate for WLS because I am averse to things that are imposed, so I would try to work around the limitations. The opposite may make someone a better candidate for the surgeries. Or if they perceive themselves as using it as their tool of choice.10 -
Its been 2 months since I've allowed any junk in the house. The biggest problem area is work. Weekly potlucks, break room filled with many, many unhealthy choices and our site passes out donuts/pizza etc. several times a month. Most people I work with have gained 20+lbs in the first couple months they work here.
I think you hit it on the nose with the protein. When I look at my pie chart on MFP it's mostly Carb and fat. =(
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I would take @psychod787 's suggestions one step further.
First of all examine and log your main meals. How many calories are you taking in? How much of a gap does that leave? Anytime I am severely under for the day, I am hungrier and more prone to graze. The answer there is to *start* with a smaller deficit attempt.
I would lose the high calorie snack items. Almonds, peanuts definitely need to be portioned. Grapes can be frozen in hundred gram packages and taken out to be sucked on one at a time.
Are you grazing because you're hungry or because you're emotionally upset or involved or thinking and you're externalizing your inner turmoil? Do you have the option to get up and pace instead of eating for example?
When I first started, in the very very beginning, I pre-portioned all my "high value" snacks in 14, 20, + 28.5g packs. I then had "rules".
I would not grab a snack to have next to me. I wanted one I had to make a special trip to the kitchen to get it. And I could not eat it until I went back and logged it. Then I could eat it while not doing anything else.
If I wanted a second snack, I could repeat the above, but first I had to walk for at least 90 seconds around the house.
Third snack involved either 180 seconds of walking, or going out the front door and around the block.
Fourth snack in a row was allowed, only if I walked to Safeway and back, a12 minute round trip at the time, regardless of if I was getting the snack from there.
Same applied to chocolate and candy bars and ice cream in the beginning. Except that I would have to walk to Safeway starting from the first one to buy it. The rule which I never implemented was that after two Safeway trips if I wanted a third, I would have to walk to Walmart and back (Walmart being 35 minutes up the hill at the time)
Within a few months I stopped having as much trouble regulating the goodies and only kept to logging them in my diary before eating them. A good five years later at maintenance I log after I eat them.
Also the time I set out to to figure out which items we're more satiating for the calories for me.
I often snacked on apples and Greek yogurt. And the 50 to 60 calorie refrigerated Jell-O puddings.
Look. From 100lbs over you can't expect not to have to make any changes. However you can make many smaller cumulative changes that build on one another. And slowly tackle each sacred cow that's adding calories to your day
I used to absolutely believe that i was not an emotional eater. I would scoff and laugh at the idea that people were eating ice cream because of emotions. The only reason I was eating it was because it tasted good. Plus at only 1200 calories a tub this was nothing for my current weight and size.
6 years later I can absolutely report to you that anytime I'm agitated, thinking, or talking on the phone, I am absolutely prone to grazing. And if it's cookies and chocolate or chips so much the better. So I swap pacing and walking around, carrots, apples, at times the frozen grapes, sometimes protein bars instead of candy bars, more often than not coffee or decaf (both black) or teas, and occasionally yes, chocolate-covered almonds, or other chocolate. But I'm well aware that if I start gaining weight this may be an area that I will have to concentrate on again.
Anyway. My apologies because I sort of went off on a tangent.
I believe I would have been a bad candidate for WLS because I am averse to things that are imposed, so I would try to work around the limitations. The opposite may make someone a better candidate for the surgeries. Or if they perceive themselves as using it as their tool of choice.
Zero apologies needed
I've never thought of freezing grapes, that's something I'll definitely be trying.
My calorie deficit is currently 500cal less then I was initially consuming. I've never thought of myself as an emotional eater. Usually I don't eat if I'm angry, sad, stressed. Perhaps I could be without noticing. it. I've started logging my foods before eating and that has helped me make better choices once I see how high in calories they are and how few it leaves me with for the rest of the day. I like the suggestion about pacing or going for a walk. These are things I must implement.5 -
No_turning_back wrote: »
Its been 2 months since I've allowed any junk in the house. The biggest problem area is work. Weekly potlucks, break room filled with many, many unhealthy choices and our site passes out donuts/pizza etc. several times a month. Most people I work with have gained 20+lbs in the first couple months they work here.
I think you hit it on the nose with the protein. When I look at my pie chart on MFP it's mostly Carb and fat. =(
We humans are often products of our environments. When free food, especially those of higher energy density, people will massive over eat. Studies on men left in a lab setting with free access to energy dense/highly palatable food, they over ate enough that they gained an average of 5lbs In under 2 weeks. Look into optimal forging theory. Animals will look for the best calorie returns on the least amount of energy spent. I will get woo'd for this, because on a calorie counting app the idea of good vs bad is frowned upon by many. Maybe look at things as food and "not" food. Yes folks, i know food is food. Maybe a better way of looking at things is nourishment vs fun. While some people can moderate, some can not. Don't let others at work dictate how YOU live. Its your life. Not theirs.5 -
Someone on my friend list reading this thread brought up that for someone against rules I have a lot of rules!
Thus I would like to clarify that we do learn, and change, as we go along!
The rules were in place when I was first starting out and before reading any of the forums or even fully realizing that what truly counted was total calories and caloric balance.
I mean at the time I was still eating nuts because they were healthy. Not because I liked them, or because they were satiating, or because they fit my calories. But just because it was an item that I was "supposed" to eat. One of my first decisions after logging on MFP was to reduce added olive oil in salads and replace it with an extra can of salmon. Because I was using more than 400 Cal of olive oil in my salads. Because HEALTHY!!!
So. One of the things that is evident to me in retrospect is that the larger the deficit the more rules and rigidity may be necessary to successfully apply such a large stressor. The problem, though, is when the rules and rigidity stop you from exploring *and evolving* as opposed to encouraging you to do so.
And the adjusting and evolving is what ultimately allows you to stay the course and develop the tools and new habits that will give you a fighting chance when it comes to maintenance.
About the only rules that in retrospect I would have applied to my past self are: "accurately account for what you're about to eat before you eat it". And: Don't try to over-do the deficit thing: apply a reasonable deficit for your current TDEE (up to 20-25% while obese, up to 15% to 20% otherwise) Anything beyond the top end... you're increasing the chance of making things more difficult than they have to be, which ultimately increases the risk of failure.
I would posit that with weight loss surgery you're going to hit much higher percent deficits (which explains the thin hair and similar sufficient nutrient absorption issues people have described). The risk of short and more importantly, long term complications is also higher. While I do believe the 5 years success rate with WLS is higher, it is far from an overwhelming guarantee of success.
Ultimately the extra risks, my belief that I would resent the restrictions, and the lack of an immediately overwhelming health concern are what made me dismiss WLS as my path.5 -
are you scared of falling back into old habits tho?
What did you do to counter that besides the surgery....
And to adjust the band would require more surgery????
I lost over 60lbs in a year just using a calorie deficit but I also addressed the issues at hand...
WLS is no guarantee....
No, I’m not scared of falling back into old habits because I haven’t changed all that much. I just eat less, and I snack less. I’m not mindlessly eating like I was before because I physically cannot fit the food in. And I’ve now lost enough weight that I can exercise easier, so I’m doing that again.
Adjusting the band does not require more surgery, it’s an injection of saline into my port. One needle.
Congrats on the weight loss, that’s great. Unfortunately that wasn’t working for me and I didn’t feel like dying any time soon.5
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