Here's my advice for pre-op - follow what your doctor says, it'll be helpful in the long run. Mine put me on a 1200 calorie diet. It was hard at first, but I got used to it. I use MyFitnessPal to track everything. I like seeing what I eat, how many calories I can burn with exercise, etc. You become more conscious of what is going into your body. I originally had a 90 day wait for insurance, but turned into 6 mos because my surgeon had a baby and took extra time off. My surgery is scheduled for May 6th. Gotta keep strong!