For the post-oppers to help us pre-oppers

[tesmaralda]

listen to your body

follow the advice of your surgical team

and

don't give into that what if I just try 1 piece of choclate or 1 biscuit as its the start of that slippery slope

 

[poo bear]

Thanks for your bits of advice very interesting.

 

[tiarasandtantrums]

I think Wendy's advice is extremely sound.

My additions would be; don't think that it's going to be a walk in the park, because it is still going to take determination and will power, no matter which op you go for; don't cheat! Silly, but it really does make a difference if you follow the rules as set by your provider.

Make sure you exercise. I reckon it's just as important as eating healthily.

Enjoy! Not everyone get's this chance, so make the most of it xx

 

[jaynefrances]

I agree with everything that has been said so far and i thought i would add three things that i have found worked for me via trial and error !

1. To help with portion control i used a very small bowl (it just holds 20g of cornflakes and is "pouch sized"). When i tried to move on from this back to a normal tea plate i found i started eating that one spoon too much so i reverted back to my little bowl.

2. Avoid getting weighed all the time. You will have stalls in your weightloss which can get disheartening, so only getting weighed once or twice a month has helped me.

3. Don't be too hard on yourself. You will go through a rollercoaster of emotions post surgery and its easy to have bad eating days that then lead to self loathing. Don't dwell on it too much, but as others have said - identify your triggers and learn from the experience. I have accepted now that i will never live on lettuce leaves, if i could i would never have needed the op, but even when i have a bad day its not half as bad as the days i would have had before the op.

 

[CCPM]

I would add get ready for the long haul. Its very different as you get passed 9-12 months out. Not everyone reaches their goal and many start to really struggle around this point. Losses slow or even stop. Its also when hunger returns and people lapse into old habits.

Also for me it would be to stay posting on this site its not just for the bad times once you're post op. For long termers it can be a really useful place to see how you're doing and compare notes etc with others. Most people drift away but it would be great if some more didn't.

M

 

[phatmomma]

I'm agree wholeheartedly with all of the above so i'm going to try to add something not said already as well...

1. When you can eat again, enjoy the little portions you can manage, savour every flavour and texture.

2. Wind with a bypass can be very painful, make sure you have some deflatine or wind remedy handy.

3. Enjoy the changes your weight losses will make to your body and your inner self, but take heed ''lbs lost forever is not strictly true, it is not impossible to regain the weight if you are not vigilant''...