I started the journey for my weight loss surgery almost a year ago. What a long process! But I finally have my VSG surgery scheduled. I will begin my liver reduction diet in 2 weeks. I know that will be difficult but I am thinking of it as just one step closer to surgery.....and (hopefully) one step closer to my "new life"! I struggled losing weight during the 6 months required by insurance, only 11 pounds, and have fluctuated up and down 5-7 since then. I am a little worried that the weight won't come off even after the surgery. Has anyone else experienced this?
Welcome.
First of all you got me. What is VSG surgery? Is that the sleeve?
I understand your struggle. Assuming it is the sleeve, you will lose. Of course, you must follow the program completely. Given that you do there is success ahead for you.
There are also people for one reason or another go through the surgery only to go back to their old habits of eating the wrong things, not enough protein, too much food and expand their stomachs back to where they were. I wonder why these folks even attempted the surgery to begin with.
Today, the gastric surgeon's team is doing a much better job of screening for people and making sure they are fully committed to a new lifestyle.
Food will no longer be your center of focus.
So, this is a mind thing as well as a physical thing.
In the early go the surgery truly prevents you from eating a lot. For me my gastric bypass changed everything. I couldn't have more then 3 ounces of food at any one sitting. I focused on making sure I got my 80 grams of protein. I focused on consuming enough liquids.
I am never hungry and that is terrific.
I am now 10 months post op, at goal and maintaining.
I still cannot eat too much at any one sitting, why? Well, I followed the rules. I don't try to eat more. I am eating more than the first couple of months. However, I work with 6 mini meals. I know when I am reaching my limit. This is something you learn along the way. For me and many others, if I start belching way too much I know now this is a signal that I have either eaten too quickly (always fighting this one) and/or I am just about full. I stop if the belching starts. It works for me.
So, are you ready. Food is no longer the center of your life. You must be able to make that transition from living to eat to eating to live.
You don't have to deny yourself anything in the long term. However, your portions will be dramatically smaller.
I still cannot do sausage for example. It gets to me very quickly. So, if I have sausage it is one bite; like I said I don't deny myself a treat a taste of something I love, but if it can only be one bite then that is the new rule for that food.
I even had chicken and mozzarella ravioli. How many? Well, 5 made for a complete meal; not 20 or 25!
So, I wish you well and do keep coming back.
We are here to help and answer any questions you have.
Ralph
