ShanRN

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.
Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.
It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.
Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!
So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.
But I didn't break my diet.
Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owning my future.
The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.
Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.
Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:
- Confidence
- Emotional and physical self-control
- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles
- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best
Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.
It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!
Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.
Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

I am scheduled for August 13th! And I am soooo ready for this new life I am new to this site and look forward to meeting people on this same journey as mine!

I have taken the word 'only' out of my vocabulary.. all to often I found myself saying "I have only lost two pounds" or "I only get to have a protien shake for dinner" I have realized that by saying 'only' it is making me not Celebrate the small wins that I have.. because in the end two pounds is two pounds gone.. and in this process those small wins are the ones that I need to celebrate.

Not only that, my surgery is the day before yours!

I can totally relate. I am a Peds RN as well

I'm an RN on a busy pediatric unit and I'm taking 7 weeks off. Partly for the lifting restriction (you'd be amazed how many kids launch themselves at you and just assume you'll catch them lol) and partly so I can have an eating/drinking routine in place before going back. I suspect I will be sneaking dixie cups of Water between patients to ensure I'm drinking enough.

I'm an RN on a busy pediatric unit and I'm taking 7 weeks off. Partly for the lifting restriction (you'd be amazed how many kids launch themselves at you and just assume you'll catch them lol) and partly so I can have an eating/drinking routine in place before going back. I suspect I will be sneaking dixie cups of Water between patients to ensure I'm drinking enough.

Me.....and it sucks lol 11 more days....ugh. My surgery is the 13th so we'll be suffering together!

Me.....and it sucks lol 11 more days....ugh. My surgery is the 13th so we'll be suffering together!

I have all my Vitamins and Protein powders. I'm ordering my food scale and ninja from Amazon. I start my preop diet in 10 days! Eeeks.
And....I am the exact same way about my appearance now. I cringe when I see recent pictures of myself =( It only started happening recently and it's annoying me! Maybe I was so in denial about how unhappy my weight made me that it's taking a major change to make me realize it. I dunno. i also feel like I'm counting down till my punishment starts. I've been working on this since December and kept getting more excited as I ticked things off the checklist. Now that everything is in place and now it's a waiting game, my nerves are getting the best of me.
I need to kick my own butt and stop with the head games. it's starting to tick me off lol

I have all my Vitamins and Protein powders. I'm ordering my food scale and ninja from Amazon. I start my preop diet in 10 days! Eeeks.
And....I am the exact same way about my appearance now. I cringe when I see recent pictures of myself =( It only started happening recently and it's annoying me! Maybe I was so in denial about how unhappy my weight made me that it's taking a major change to make me realize it. I dunno. i also feel like I'm counting down till my punishment starts. I've been working on this since December and kept getting more excited as I ticked things off the checklist. Now that everything is in place and now it's a waiting game, my nerves are getting the best of me.
I need to kick my own butt and stop with the head games. it's starting to tick me off lol

August 13th! Now let's just hope my insurance company plays nicely....

I have all my Vitamins and Protein powders. I'm ordering my food scale and ninja from Amazon. I start my preop diet in 10 days! Eeeks.
And....I am the exact same way about my appearance now. I cringe when I see recent pictures of myself =( It only started happening recently and it's annoying me! Maybe I was so in denial about how unhappy my weight made me that it's taking a major change to make me realize it. I dunno. i also feel like I'm counting down till my punishment starts. I've been working on this since December and kept getting more excited as I ticked things off the checklist. Now that everything is in place and now it's a waiting game, my nerves are getting the best of me.
I need to kick my own butt and stop with the head games. it's starting to tick me off lol

Hey everyone =) Glad I found this forum. I'm having surgery on Aug 13th and my biggest worry is about my hair lol How messed up is that?

August 13th! Now let's just hope my insurance company plays nicely....

Oh I know, Ballermom.....I'm counting down the visits instead of the months because that seems like less time! I planned on taking 3 weeks to recover but I might do 4. I get 3 weeks of liquids and I'd like to have a good start on my soft diet before going back to work. If I'm going to have a bad time with food I'd like it to be at home and not while on the clock. I have enough problems finding time to eat so it will be one less thing to worry about.

Funny isn't it. We always take care of ourselves last. I work in pediatrics and often have to speak with obese kids. I always wonder what good I am doing when I... myself...am obese? Who would listen to me? I am scared, but I am far more scared about developing diabetes.... watching my BP continue to go up. I am hoping we can all support each other until we are healthy and on our way to the life we all deserve.

I'm glad you bumped this thread up. I definitely needed to read it First step is admitting you have a problem, right?
Also, Cheri.....I love reading your posts! It's encouraging to read the thoughts of someone that's had a few years dealing with all this. It gives me a light at the end of the tunnel on those nights when this whole thing feels overwhelming.

I started this and loved it.....till I broke my leg Stress fracture in my distal femur. 6 months later I'm still healing. It was so odd because I never got the slightest twinge while running/walking. I felt great! 3 days later I could barely walk lol
I'm hoping once I have surgery and my weight goes down I can restart this. I love running.

I'm glad you bumped this thread up. I definitely needed to read it First step is admitting you have a problem, right?
Also, Cheri.....I love reading your posts! It's encouraging to read the thoughts of someone that's had a few years dealing with all this. It gives me a light at the end of the tunnel on those nights when this whole thing feels overwhelming.

Funny that you asked this because for the past 2-3 years I was waiting for "the moment" and it never came. I was content being depressed and depressed being content so i guess it worked at least for awhile. Then a friend of mine about a year ago suggested that if i was so unhappy why didn't I look into the lap band. I shunned the idea off because I felt like that was admitting i was a failure. Well in the last year I have prayed to God to make me more discipline and help me with my desire to be healthier and smaller. Once again there was no defining moment, and then all of a sudden I got hit with a plethera of moments that seem to last weeks.. just a few examples: um my grandson told me I wouldn't be able to fit in the back seat with him because I was too fat, (he's 6 mind you), my guy friend whom i had developed feeling for but wasn't sure if he felt the same told me indirectly that he could never be with someone of my weight because he wouldn't be able to stay faithful. (Couldn't be mad but I so want to get fine so i can show him what he'll be missing.) , never have energy to play with my grand babies and i used to be the life of the party!!!
Felt like if don't do something soon I will end up dying at an early age as my great grandmother who raised me died at age 74 at 400lbs.
Not going to be me, not if i can help it! I want to break the cycle and start the healthy trend in my family and perhaps serve a purpose bigger than me by helping others obtain knowledge to achieve their goals and become happier and healthier too!!
Thanks for letting me talk your ear off.. lol

Look at pictures of surgical complications due to smoking....that's all the incentive you need. I quit for a breast reduction in 2006. Nicotine might leave your body in 3 days but the physical effects of smoking take a while to heal. Wound dehiscence, infections, longer recovery time, more anesthesia complications - that was all I needed to hear before I quit cold turkey.
It sucked. I used two pieces of nicotine gum in the first 24 hours because I woke up and had a panic attack. No matter how you quit, it's going to suck. I didn't pick up a cigarette because I reminded myself if I caved, I'd have to go through all the misery all over again.
I quit in 2006. My surgery was in 2007 and I had no complications Haven't touched the stuff since. Think of it this way: even if you gain weight from quitting, you're in the process of getting weight reduction surgery. Perfect timing!

We're on the same time frame! My first consultation is the day after yours I have to do a 6 month diet before I can get surgery so by this summer I should be on my way. I'm gonna try to be brave and post pics of my journey. Your video inspired me!