My GB date is getting near!
- Thread starter DavidL
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3momchaos
Member
Depression is something that a lot of people have after surgery. Sometimes it’s FOMO (fear of missing out), sometime it’s food mourning, sometimes it’s simply missing the old reliable and go to security that food has brought so much of us. But for me, remember a few things about each of those situations has helped me get through feeling down quickly. 1.I was already missing out BECAUSE of food. Food is wonderful, I love food and still enjoy eating but now it’s about savoring the moment and who I am spending those moments with. 2. I cannot mourn something that has done me so wrong! Obviously those cookies and ice cream didn’t shove themselves into my mouth and force themselves to be eaten. I did this to me, but turning my health around shouldn’t be a time for mourning, it’s a time to celebrate! 3. There are better and more reliable coping mechanisms than food, and to become mentally healthier with this process, I have to find what works best for me. Hope this helps a little.
Hi David. Congrats on coming this far in your weight loss journey as you work toward becoming a healthier version of the real David.
I had gastric bypass on July 12th. I ate some of my favorite meals before WLS, and had a "last supper" the evening before my pre-surgery liquid diet (only for 2 days).
Honestly I was so darn excited about getting the surgery after 10 months of insurance & bariatric requirements that I didn't feel very much sadness. I already had said goodbye to many of my favorite foods. Once the scale reflected my initial rapid post surgery weight loss, I really didn't miss the foods/drinks that got me to need WLS in the 1st place.
Making a few small changes now might help you feel more positive as the countdown begins. This is not to be used as medical advice. One good habit that you could try is increasing your daily water intake to 64 oz while weaning yourself off of sodas, including diet drinks, juices, and any other similar drinks. If plain water isn't your thing, try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (I sometimes add generic ReaLemon or ReaLime.)
If your dr. gives you permission, you might try taking short walks, gradually increasing your endurance. I did a lot of alternating leg lifts while watching tv.
Having mixed emotions before & after surgery is very common, as you will discover if you read past threads from other members. Of course we may not have the same experiences, but you will probably find you have a lot in common with many of our journeys.
Best of luck as you continue this process. ❤
I had gastric bypass on July 12th. I ate some of my favorite meals before WLS, and had a "last supper" the evening before my pre-surgery liquid diet (only for 2 days).
Honestly I was so darn excited about getting the surgery after 10 months of insurance & bariatric requirements that I didn't feel very much sadness. I already had said goodbye to many of my favorite foods. Once the scale reflected my initial rapid post surgery weight loss, I really didn't miss the foods/drinks that got me to need WLS in the 1st place.
Making a few small changes now might help you feel more positive as the countdown begins. This is not to be used as medical advice. One good habit that you could try is increasing your daily water intake to 64 oz while weaning yourself off of sodas, including diet drinks, juices, and any other similar drinks. If plain water isn't your thing, try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (I sometimes add generic ReaLemon or ReaLime.)
If your dr. gives you permission, you might try taking short walks, gradually increasing your endurance. I did a lot of alternating leg lifts while watching tv.
Having mixed emotions before & after surgery is very common, as you will discover if you read past threads from other members. Of course we may not have the same experiences, but you will probably find you have a lot in common with many of our journeys.
Best of luck as you continue this process. ❤
DavidL
Member
Thank you!
DavidL
Member
Looking forward to a new relationship with food.
DavidL
Member
Gotcha. that helps. I have gotten over FOMO, in general, so this eases my mind a bit.
dianeseattle
Member
David, welcome to the group. I suffer major depression so having the surgery actually cheered me up quite a lot. My joy lasted for years. 14 years, so far.
I remember vividly thinking that there were going to be some foods I would miss. I'm not sure what they were because I don't miss them.
You will be on a liquid diet for at least two weeks and that is a hard one for a lot of people. But I had major surgery when I had my RYGB, so I really didn't feel like eating that much and I stayed in bed for 3 days, plus the two days I was in the hospital. I had an open procedure. Laparoscopy was not available then.
I always say the procedure is no worse than going to the dentist. Although I don't have first-hand knowledge of that, I have that impression from reading hundreds of posts here from people who were back at work the next day.
Once I healed, I ate anything that felt good. You can't eat more than a couple tablespoons at first, but you don't want to, either. The staged diet leads you painlessly from the first meal until you begin solid food.
You won't ever have a big meal again without discomfort. But when I went to Thanksgiving with relatives years after my surgery, I just put a tablespoon of everything on my plate and picked at it. See, I hadn't told anyone I had the surgery. It was none of their business.
Privacy is probably the most difficult thing to handle, not the loss of food. However, you will probably miss your favorites that are full of fat and sugar and salt. We all revise our diets to limit these items.
But here's the good thing. By sticking to the exact post-op diet I was given, I lost 35 lbs with no effort the first month, 25 lb the second month and 15 the third. Then I plateaued for a few months. I was so excited about the weight loss that I started hiking. And from there on I lost a total of 115 lb in 14 months.
It's definitely a shift. Your lifestyle changes along with your wardrobe and your ability to climb stairs or hike mountains or swim or even just to go for a walk. There may be some desire to complain, but you'll probably be too happy to do that.
If you're hundreds of pounds overweight, you may encounter some physical difficulties that surface as you lose weight. So make sure you stay in touch with your doctor regularly. Your surgeon will want you to follow up, but your doctor will take all your numbers down.
I hope you'll be as happy as the rest of us are. Please stick around and let us know how you're doing.
Greensleeves
Member
My surgery is the 13th. I have the same fear, David! You're not alone.
missyinacage
Member
Hi, David. Welcome to the group. I'll be honest, there are times that I eat something that tastes so good I wish I could have more. However, I just remind myself I can have it again .. it's not disappearing from the earth forever lol Once that settled into my head, I found it easier to turn down foods. So it becomes about choices. Do I want to have a bit of dessert or do I want to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner? Both are options for tomorrow or next week as well, so I'm not missing out on anything.
