marksr

For me, the pre-op diet was the hardest because it was a dramatic change and I was hungry and craving food. But, I followed my plan exactly and did not cheat even once because I wanted the best chance at a complication-free surgery, which I had. After surgery, you will not be hungry, so it is so much easier to follow the post-op diet. So my advice is just stick with your plan and focus on the reason you are having the surgery when you are having a rough moment- this is the first big step in taking back the control that food and obesity have over you! You can do this!

On top of the things you mentioned. Get used to drinking Water, a lot of Water. If you don't like water, start to like it. Being dehydrated after surgery is the worst. Another tip that I truly believe in is getting your butt into gear and working out. If you aren't, start right now. By surgery be able to walk no less than a half mile non stop and without being winded. The more you can do, the better you will be on the back side. Take this time to figure out your relationship with food and eating. The surgery is only one step of many. The biggest issue that I see on this board is that people have the expectation that the weight will just simply go away with very little effort. They want to hide behind the "everything is okay in moderation" meme. That is a huge myth, if we could do moderation, would we be here? You have to work at it every day. I am working off weight that I have lost at least 3 times in the past, and this way is a lot tougher than the other 3 times. Some people have a hard time reconciling that permanent lifestyle changes are necessary in order to achieve the goal that I think you are seeking. Have patience in yourself and in the process. If your Dr. or nutritionist says don't do something (like drink soda or booze) then follow their plan. Everybody's Dr does it differently so coming to the internet boards and asking permission or absolution might make one feel better, but in the long term, we are all just bunch of fat asses so what do we know?
Good luck to you. It sounds like you are going in with your eyes wide open. You'll do fine!

I start pre-op liquid diet today. This really puts it all into perspective for me. I've made the choice to make a major life change in two weeks, and I know things will never be the same. It's so exciting, yet it's very intimidating. I'm nervous about the surgery, I'm nervous about the changes to the way I approach food (and drink), but I can't wait to get back to the activities of old (being able to really workout; getting back into running; getting back into hiking; fitting into my waders to go fly fishing, etc.). Something tells me this is going to be an emotional rolling-coaster (uh oh, I used the e word; can I even say that word in the forum).
I had someone ask me the other day why I'm doing this. She wasn't being nosy or unsupportive, she just wanted to know my reasoning. I told her it was a very easy decision to make when I boiled it down to numbers. How many cokes are worth taking a picure with my family on my son's graduation day? How many beers are worth walking my daughter down the aisle? How many Cookies are worth making it to my 50th wedding anniversary with my wife? When I looked at the decision like that, it's a fairly easy answer.
I have to admit that I've been very nervous about the operation itself. I'm 34 and I have a 2 and 1/2 year old son and a 6 week old daughter that mean the world to me, and I know that this is a major surgery. At the same time, if I don't go through with this, I will be shorting them on life, and likely won't live as long as I should. In order to keep my eye on the prize, I've come up with some NSGs (non scale goals; can I just come up with an abbreviation like that, or does it have to be approved first). Here are a few;
1. No longer having to shop online or at specialty stores to buy clothes;
2. Wearing my wedding ring again;
3. Running a mile w/o stopping;
4. Running in my first 5k in 9 years;
5. Being able to coach my son's/daughter's soccer team;
6. Going to Disney World with my family and being able to ride all of the rides;
7. Not having to request a table at every restaurant I go to (i.e. being able to sit in a booth again);
8. Not having to request the extendor when I get on an airplane;
9. Being able to sit in a chair w/ arms and not feel like I'm trapped;
10. Weighing what it says on my drivers license.
These are just a few NSGs I have, and along the way I'm sure I'll have many more NSVs thay I'm not even thinking about right now. I'm ready to start this journey; I'm ready to start living again. I'm ready to live a life not shackled by fad diets and fast food. I want to thank everyone on this forum, because without it, I'm not sure I would have made this decision. It's scary, but I know I'm doing the right thing.

Hello everyone I'm new to this site and this is my first post. I'm scheduled for August 28th and i just had my pre-op class. I'm going through all emotions as well, happy, excited, very nervous, scared. Working on a mantra to keep me calm.

Hello everyone I'm new to this site and this is my first post. I'm scheduled for August 28th and i just had my pre-op class. I'm going through all emotions as well, happy, excited, very nervous, scared. Working on a mantra to keep me calm.