Support versus Enabling

I belong to several Facebook support groups for WLS.  I have to say, I think that number is going to decrease.  I think that people join these groups so someone can say, oh it's okay that you aren't following the plan, hey don't beat yourself up because your surgery didn't work. 

JUST STOP IT!  It is not okay at 3 months to be eating chips and bread.  It is not okay at 3 months to eat without measuring your food.  You have to measure, so you can learn what 3 oz looks like.  Let's face it people.  I didn't get to be morbidly obese because I ate like a naturally thin person!

 It is one thing to say, hey you fell off the wagon, wipe off the dirt and climb back on.  But that is not what I am reading in these groups.  I am not sure if it is because my surgery center is AMAZING, and I took the 6 month prep seriously and others did not have a surgery group that was dedicated to their patient's entire journey, but the crap I continue to see is frustrating.  I have said it before, but it is because people choose not to stick to the plan, that gives WLS a bad rap.

Guess what, we ruined our metabolism and hunger signals once.  WLS is our 2nd chance at life.  It is a reset.  Our last chance to treat our bodies right.  I am not naive to think I will NEVER eat the foods I love again.  BUT I need to be strong enough, and love myself enough to not eat them until after I am maintaining. 

If we put chips, pizza, delicious warm bread (okay, clearly that is my weakness) into our new stomachs, of course we will still feel hungry, these are slider foods.  They are not going to sustain us.  We are supposed to eat lean protein, then non-starchy veggies and then fruits or starchy veggies IF we are still hungry.  Let's face it, we didn't do a great job prior to surgery listening to our hunger ques. 

I am sure I will stumble, but I don't want or NEED a group of people telling me my behavior is okay.  I need people to tell me to get real and knock it off.  If the journey was easy, wouldn't everyone take it?  I sort of wish that there was ongoing counseling through the approval process.  I really believe most people don't make the changes necessary to be successful.  You don't wake up from surgery with your head changed, just your stomach.

Okay.......enough ranting!