I've often pined for weight loss surgery, truth be told. My sister had the gastric sleeve (8 years ago or so), and she still struggles. It's merely a tool. In the end, it is about what you choose to put in your mouth. You may not be able to eat as much, but with a smaller pouch, there are issues that we non-WLS people cannot fathom. I've visited a lot of WLS forums. Listening to their struggles breaks my heart. One thing that stood out recently was when I read some women chatting back and forth about their frustrations in not being able to drink a full glass of water (without pain). Ice water is something I truly love. One of life's cheapest pleasures in life! They do have other problems, but this last example shut the door on my regretting of not being "allowed" to have a smaller pouch.
Next month marks my 3rd year of maintenance. I'm a work in progress. It is a struggle, some times feeling like a battle. I'm finally fully comprehending that I just cannot do a simple CICO formula. I've been experimenting with levels of protein, fiber, and maybe a bit of fat, with carbohydrates falling where they may. That's how I started out, and that's where I will go out into eternity.
So I have been putting thought into the types of food I put into my mouth and found that protein and fiber are key as to how content I am with my calories.
One thing I've heard WLS doctors state, time after time, "You will not be able to lose weight on your own because of the size of your stomach." Really? Okay, yes, I agree that may be for super morbidly obese patients.
But for Larry Goldberg, the Spike Guy, Dr. Rachael Heller, and me, all of whom were 300+ lbs, we have defied the odds. Specifically, Larry and the Spike guy (and now me), we've found the magic key is spike days (aka cheat days). Are our stomach's actually shrinking? Somehow I do believe they may, in time. Our bodies do have some elasticity; however, the key may be more in WHAT (and when) we're eating that's causing our leptin levels to be more stable.
Eating a stable amount, day after day, leaves me so dissatisfied. Whereas, taking that same amount, average it among 3-7 days to get in the desired total calories for the week (the choice is up to you), figuring in Spike days, it releases the leptin necessary for satiety. Again, I am not into the science. I just know that the up and dn pattern work for Larry and the Spike guy and me! (The "Spike Guy" can describe it more in specific terms than I can. He's all into the science behind why it works.)
