I am thinking about getting the surgery since I struggle alot with terrible eating habits and anxiety. Im just worried about one thing. Whenever I research online about people's experiences post op, a common thing I see is people getting full after two fries and maybe like 2-3 tiny boneless wings. As much as I want to improve my eating habits, I also want days in which I can enjoy a meal without feeling sick afterwards or like I wasted my money? Does anyone have any insights, same experiences, or ideas?
for me the risk of not getting it done is worse than doing it . Food loyalty and addiction is what stops folks from getting it. you have to think of your stomach like that of a new born , remember a baby has to work their way up to certain food and eventually they are eating spaghetti like an adult with the rest of the family. i have 5 people i know that got it done( mine pending) and they ALL eat normal. its temporary . The food isn't going anywhere and you will be able to enjoy it again just with way better portion control
Thank you! This is super reassuring:)
It severely limits how much you can eat, and that's the point. You can eventually eat larger portions, but if you're looking to still have an occasional binge, do not have any surgery. You need to address that issue first.
Good point, thank you!
Your meals become smaller. You can still enjoy it. Instead of living to eat, eat to live.
This is something I struggled with for the first couple of months as well. Now that i’m 4 months post op it has gotten easier. I don’t feel like the food is stuck in my throat anymore but what you read about getting full fast is true. You’ll likely only eat about 2-3oz at a time. I still enjoy my meals they’re just a lot smaller now. Your meal doesn’t have to be big to be enjoyable. I think that’s more mental than anything and has been a challenge for me too but you do get used to it over time.
Thank you! I feel a bit better now acter hearing this 💪🏽
I'm like 3.5 months out right now, and a binge eater/food addict. I had struggled with it my entire life but had done a lot of extensive therapy by the time I got surgery and my binges had improved/changed dramatically.
I sometimes have meals/times where I wish that I could engage in a binge again, or even just eat an actual portion of something delicious. I have struggled with overeating and figuring out my satiety point these past months.
Because you referenced fries and wings, I'll stick to that kind of food (more indulgence-type). For a meal where I'm having the urge to binge and I push myself more than I should**, my intake might look like- 1 wing, 1 or 2 onion rings or a few fries, and half of a small slice of pizza (like a 1/4 of a NYC style slice).
More standardized, I can eat 4 McDonald's chicken nuggets and maybe 5 or 6 French fries. This puts me just past my satiety point and I'm not totally comfortable here.
I would say, without hesitation, that the surgery is totally worth this. Agreed, leftovers are my new thing and sharing food with my partner. I spend way less money too 🤣 and way less time and energy thinking about food.
**Don't do this!!! I just want to acknowledge that you don't have to wait to be "cured" before having surgery, which was an anxiety of mine. Overeating or poor choices might still happen 🤷🏻♀️ I put the surgery off for over a year waiting to be perfect and just getting worse. I'm doing overwhelmingly better than I was.
Trust me when I say if you overeat once you won’t do it again (deliberately at least!).
You learn very quickly to stop when you feel satisfied because the alternative is extremely unpleasant. I’ve never vomited from it - a lot of people do - but the two or three times it’s happened it sits right in the middle of your chest. Your eyes and nose stream, you get hiccups, saliva fills your mouth to the point you think you’re going to throw up…
It’s horrible. But it passes, and you learn that it’s not something you want or need to experience any more. Your tastes change and evolve, you enjoy eating a little of something and have the joy of knowing you are losing weight you never thought you’d lose.
I don’t deny myself anything but instead of an entire bar of chocolate I’ll have one or two little Lindt truffles for example. I still get to have the food I enjoy, I get to try new things and I don’t feel guilty and I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything.
3 months out and I am happier and healthier than I have ever been.
Thank you so much! The getting sick part was one of my main worries but your story is very reassuring!
This is very misleading. Our stomachs can still stretch post surgery, which is why gastric sleeves fail often. At some point, despite your ability to overeat (which you may with time), you have to learn how to deal with your new stomach and how to eat moving forward. You may still be able to enjoy the foods you like, but if your focus is to continue to eat all the things you like, then this surgery may not be for you. It's not easy, and it really does change your life. It's a commitment to a lifestyle change, so the suggestions you've received to deal with your eating habits now before you get the surgery will aid in your success immensely.
Our stomachs won’t stretch to any meaningful degree. People just revert back to old unhealthy habits like eating to the point of discomfort or grazing all day on high calorie stuff. It’s still possible to eat a ton of calories if you’re not careful and it doesn’t have anything to do with stretching your stomach.
I never said they will stretch to a meaningful degree, but people can force themselves to eat past the point of discomfort. Our stomach will still stretch regardless if it's meaningful or not, that's why over time we are able to eat more.
What point was misleading? This is someone who hasn’t yet had surgery and was asking for other people’s views.
It’s disingenuous to call someone else’s opinion misleading just because it doesn’t align to your own. Do better.
I'm 3 weeks post op and have no regrets. Yes the portions are smaller, yes it has changed the way I eat, but that's the point. I had no control once I started eating, I didn't feel full, and that's scary. Now my stomach is the size of a chicken egg. I have slowed down my intake, chew my food thoroughly and enjoy it. I pick the quality of food over quantity. I have upped my ability to drink liquids, and feel more normal. I'm tolerating more foods than I did 3 weeks ago. I've moved from liquids (thin then thickened) to pureed. In the coming weeks I will introduce more foods and get back to eating a "normal" diet. The whole process is only a few months. Many people I know that have had the surgery are able to eat normal meals, and drink with meals, and live normal lives. But you need to be mentally ready because it is a big change.
I had my surgery also three weeks ago! June 4.
Lovely! I'm the 10th June
I would recommend getting some therapy before you go for surgery. If you don’t address it before surgery, and then continue to work on it through your life, later down the line the impulse to binge could turn into grazing on slider foods. Simply because we can’t really binge like we used to but we can put down and pick up the same meal or bag of chips etc all day long. My theory is that this is how many people pile weight back on 1.5-2+ years post op. By grazing constantly though the day on too many small meal, all those calories do add up over time. It’s something I’m hugely aware of and fight on a daily basis. I try not to snack too much and if I do it’s something protein based. I can now eat more than previous (if we’re talking junk food - 5 chicken nuggets and a couple of fries) but I still wouldn’t be able to have a proper binge personally without vomiting and I hate being sick!
Honestly I felt the same, and still miss it. There's days when I desperately crave a pizza and chips washed down with wine/beer and followed by sweet treats...but that's why I got the surgery, cause that's not healthy.
I can manage bigger quantities of healthy food than I can unhealthy. I order starters or children's portions if I go out to eat, and split things over several meals. It's just an adjustment but you can totally do it
Hello! I am 3 weeks post op, and I have struggled with binge eating disorder and diabetes most of my adult life with a peak around 2021 due to being stuck at home with 3 children with high special needs. Counseling, therapy, and tackling my ED before surgery helps. Medication has helped with urges. It took me two years, and tons of small habits changed to start.
Some of the habits I have changed: I only drink water. I do not eat in the car at all. I have learned to tell my kids there's food at home. If I have a chocolate craving I drink a protein shake (or eat a clio, or quest bar). Try premier protein peanut butter chocolate it's like liquid Reese 😋 and quests has these chocolate peanut butter cups that after one the urge is able to be handled! I started taking vitamins before surgery. I do not drink water during meals I deleted most the food apps on my phone (I still have zupa, because soup!) I bought toddler plates, bowls and silverware. I quit having sweets in the house. If I wanted it, I had to go get it and pay cash. 😤 nothing like feeling like an addict when counting pennies for a blizzard at dairy queen.
The hardest part for me was helping my special needs family adjust to my new eating habits. My husband has a brain injury and Autism and long-term covid. So we always went out to eat on dates. I still have not been able to break him of this. I have been scheduling my doctors appointments during this time. My hope is to get him to the YMCA for dates. I should point out I didn't drop any weight pre surgery, I did drop myA1c from 8 to 6.5 and cut my insulin in half.
Post surger, the hardest part (beyond the complications) has been the wanting to try new foods too soon, and when my cycle hit the chocolate craving, where off the chart!!! O, and I miss nuts.
Feel free to ask questions I am happy to help.
Thanks for this thoughtful commit. Now info I’ve come away with is : (1) To not eat in my car. This is genius since so much car food is ultra processed and in large quantities. (2) Pay cash for treats. I never have cash or change on me. And, (3) it does get better. Thank you.
I admit I sometimes miss eating a full meal but also leftovers are amazing and you save a lot of $. I still enjoy eating and one entree can last me 2-3 days.
Leftovers. Leftovers are Life.