I began pursuing WLS the end of June. Although I do not have an exact surgry date yet, we (my doc and I) are aiming for the end of December.
I have been counting calories, eating high protien, low carb meals. I track what I eat and drink every day. I wish I could say I have been exercising regularly, but that has been hit n miss. To date I have lost 42 pounds.
Now I am freaking out! Part of me is wondering if I can do this "on my own", I am scared I will not be able to live within the eating guidelines after surgery. Part of that thinking comes from wondering...will I be able to eat this or that after surgery. A couple examples would be...Healthy Choice frozen greek yogurt. It is a 100 calorie cup and love it!! I used to be an ice cream fanatic. This has been a saving grace for me. I don't eat it every day, and when I have it I only have one. Or what about other low calorie items. Example: Weight Watcher Smart OOne Strawberry Short Cake. I know I won't be able to habe these things right after sugery, but eventually.
Then I take a step back take a deep breath and remember that I have lost weight in the past, large amounts of weight...I just can't keep it off. That was my motivation for WLS. I do feel it is my best chance to keep the weight off. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea and am pre-diabetic. I know surgery will help improve these conditions. I know that I have THE MOSY AMAZING grandson on the planet (just ask me!) and i want to be able to keep up with him and run and play in the park and be ble to be a part of him growing up...not just watch on the sidelines. I want to take belly dncing classes and feel comfortable wearing a belly dancing costume to the Renaissance Festival. ( I have never admitted that little fantasy before.)
So has anybody else who has already gone through surgery had these presurgery mini-panic attacks? Are they normal? I am definately keep moving forward with surgery plans, I certainly don't want to start from square one again. But I would like to calm this little voice in my head.
kate - I'm not gonna lie to you - the first three months after surgery are NOT EASY. It'll be trial and error, with some foods working well [sometimes] and others won't. And then it'll switch. and it'll be a challenge to meet the nutrition requirements that'll keep you healthy.
BUT
IT GETS EASIER
I promise you. it will. And eventually [within a year or so], you'll be able to have SMALL AMOUNTS of whatever you want.
the best advice i can give you is to take it one meal at a time [or, maybe i should say one EATING EVENT at a time!!!], and don't think about what you can/can't eat, or should/shouldn't eat during that time.
you WILL get everything back. I promise. even ice cream [small amounts]. And those 100 calorie greek yogurts? read the labels - if there's less than 15 grams of carbs and more than 15 grams of protein [or at least more protein than carbs in it], you MIGHT be able to eat them after you move from clear liquids - which generally happens a week or two after surgery.
check with your surgeon - and BTW, it's a good idea to get into the habit of reading labels NOW - you'll be armed with knowledge.
I would be concerned if you weren't having second thoughts. You are about to make a significant change to your digestive track. Only you can decide if this choice is the right one for you.
Lots of people, who haven't had the surgery, will try to talk you out of it, saying you can do it on your own.
Lots of people, who have had the surgery, will tell you it is the right choice to make, as it turned their life around. I'm one of those folks.
I'm almost 40 and struggled with my weight my entire life. It is still a struggle, but a manageable one right now. This tool has given me a life, one that I never really had. It is not easy, but the struggles as a preop are not nearly the same as they are now.
I don't have the same level of hunger: before I thought about food all the time. Even when I was eating a meal, I was planning out my next one. Now, I get hungry, but it is not the ravenous, "must eat now" feeling. In fact, I can feel hunger, but then it will go away, hours will pass before I realize I had forgotten to eat and probably should.
Certain foods are no longer appealing and I do not crave them at all (like ice cream...I was an addict before). Plus, some foods (like ice cream) make me really sick now, so I avoid them for that reason as well.
Now I can eat 4-8 ounces and be completely satisfied, whereas before I would eat an entire container (or two) of a food and still desire something else.
Plus, my PCOS and blood sugar issues changed overnight.
Just look at my 3FC join date. I've been around here for a long time, albeit under a different name for awhile. I tried just about every diet on here and I tried them with gusto, enthusiasm, and dedication. And they worked...for awhile. The difference with surgery, is that I no longer (in my brain) have a choice to follow my diet. I feel the effects immediately and I know the consequences if I don't follow the rules. Plus, when you take out the hormonal aspect, I don't have the same desires to break the rules. When you are not hungry and you don't have bizarre food cravings, it is much easier to follow the plan.
Absolutely I think it is normal to have doubts about the surgery. I think it would be unusual not to have some second thoughts. It is a major change in your life. Remember you pretty much have until the second they put you under to change your mind. You are quite right in that it is the long term success you are looking at. Congrats for losing those 42 lbs! I'll bet that feels amazing and I can see why you'd be having 2nd thoughts. I barely told anyone I was having the surgery, I didn't want anyone telling me what to do or not do, this is my body, my health, my future. You've still got a lot of time before the surgery to do more thinking.
Long term is that they can fix your stomach, they aren't going to fix whatever is going on in your head that has caused you to gain weight. Yes WLS is an amazing tool in your weight loss arsenal but it is only 1 thing. You are still going to have to do significant amounts of work after the surgery.
I don't for a minute regret having the surgery, it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I haven't lost the weight as quickly as I would have liked but I've let some bad behaviours take over my life. Not so much that I've gained weight back but I've pretty much been stuck for quite awhile. Doesn't matter because I know that eventually I will make my goal weight.
You will have doubts after suregy aswell. This is normal. If you're gonna feel like sh** you will be asking yourself if this was really the best option and what if the surgery won't work and you will realize there is no turning back. It's hard. I can tell you about first month..it is really a struggle. I have cried many times, doubted my self and the surgery and still can't say if it's gonna work or not. My mind is telling me one thing...it's racional, though my emotions are a mess.
But, if you are anything like the rest of us, you have struggle with weight all your life and you see where you are now. Do you realy think this time it's gonna work? How often did you think that in the past? And has it ever work? Only you can answer to these questions.
But if you are thinking about WLS then I'm sure it's the best option for your life, no matter how difficult it is going to be
I am getting scared, is this normal?
