lauraellen80

@@Veronica Page, it's the standard pre-op diet my surgeon requires to shrink your liver for surgery. They didn't give me any specific goals or how much to lose, but I'm just worried that if I'm not losing very much with this diet, I won't have any success after surgery, especially when I go back to solid foods. And it's frustrating to be so hungry and miserable without having anything to show for it.

I'm on day 7 of my 2-week pre-op diet (3-5 Protein shakes, plus broth, SF Jello, SF popsicles, and non-starchy veggies). I've been getting about 650-800 calories a day, about 100 g of protein, and getting all my Water in. But I've only lost 3 or 4 pounds so far. I see on these boards that most people lose 1-2 pounds a day on the pre-op diet, and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I have not cheated at all, but I will admit that I skipped water aerobics twice this past week because I've felt tired, weak, and dizzy with activity. I'm worried that this doesn't bode well for my weight loss post-surgery. Is a negligible pre-op weight loss indicative that surgery won't work for me, either? Or is there something that I'm screwing up?

I'm getting sleeved on June 15th, too. I'm on Day 600 6 of the pre-op diet. 3-5 Protein shakes per day, plus Clear liquids (broth, sugar-free Jello, sugar-free popsicles, etc.) and non-starchy veggies. And because the universe is cruel and unfeeling, I'm on my period this week as well.

@@thinner-me, I also have depression and am on meds (and unlike you, I went thru a really rough patch about a year and a half ago and had a lot of suicidal thinking). The psychologist at my bariatric surgeon's office didn't clear me immediately, but had me start on some regular sessions with a therapist. After meeting with her a second time a month later, and her talking to my therapist, she cleared me for surgery. She just wanted to make sure that I had a good support system and could continue working on my issues throughout the process and after surgery. If you are stable on meds, it shouldn't be a problem. Good luck!

Try Walmart--that's the only place around me that I could find the infused broths.

I'm June 15th, too!

I haven't had surgery yet (10 days!!), but my surgeon requires an evaluation by their onsite psychologist in addition to meeting with their dietitian, and then blood work, etc. I would be wary of a surgeon who doesn't seem concerned about the mental and behavioral components of weight loss surgery. The surgery will help get the weight off, but like everyone says, they just operate on your stomach, not your brain. If you have other issues that you never deal with, you may end up gaining back the weight. I think it's very important to address the mental components--not just dealing with emotional eating, but navigating the emotional ups and downs of the process, finding health ways of dealing with stress, working on getting rid of negative self-talk and the distorted view we have of ourselves. My therapist agrees that you don't necessarily have to figure out the "why" behind your issues, but you do have to figure out how to move past them.

So far I've told my husband, my parents, my mother-in-law, one of my staff, and my therapist. My two other staff people and my boss know I'm having surgery, but not what it's for. I'm still not sure whether I will tell them. I plan to tell some of our close friends, as we'll be at a shore house over the 4th of July weekend with them, and I'll still be on soft foods then.

Yup, I just had a meltdown in the bathroom at work, complete with sobbing and hyperventilating. But I'm also on my period plus on the pre-op liquid diet, so I'm all over the place mentally and emotionally right now. :/

@able2cope--I weaned myself off of caffeine a couple weeks before starting the pre-op diet. I don't have a pounding headache, just a nagging one. For me, it's more feeling shaky, weak, and a little dizzy.

My surgery is June 15th. I've seen veterans on here mention that day 4 of the pre-op diet is the turning point, and you start to feel better--for both of our sake, I hope that's true!

I'm on day 3, also, and I'm getting more in the 700-800 calorie range. I felt crabby and kinda weak today and had a dizzy spell after getting out of the pool after Water aerobics, so I had an extra Protein shake this evening. What are you allowed to have? Here's what I ate yesterday: http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b491/ladie110/mfp_zpszieefewh.jpg

I'm a June 15th sleever, too, @@Java91! Exciting and scary, isn't it? Good luck to you!

2 weeks, my surgery is June 15th.

So today went okay. I had a dentist appointment this morning, then therapy, but after that I spent most of the day on the couch with a heating pad and my bottle of water. I had a cup of the Mexican flavor broth for supper and thought it was pretty good. I have my pre-admission appointment with my surgeon tomorrow. $h!t's gettin' real now!

Thanks, @@Djmohr! I have the boxed kind of broth on hand, which seems less gross to me than canned, including some of the Swanson flavor-infused broths (Mexican Tortilla and Chinese Hot and Sour). But I think I also have a package of Mrs. Grass soup in the cupboard (always keep it on hand for when I'm sick). I also have a packet of Unjury's chicken soup flavored Protein powder. I just have no idea what I did in a past life to deserve having my first day of my liquid diet coincide with the second (read: worst) day of my period. Blergh.

...and period day 2. Are you freakin' kidding me, universe?!?! ... ... ...

I'm scheduled for June 15th. I weaned myself off coffee and other caffeine sources over the last few weeks. I didn't think combining the liquid pre-op diet and caffeine withdrawal would be good for anyone who had to be around me during that time. But what I did was slowly decrease how much coffee I had--from two big travel mugs a day, to one, to a large regular mug, to a medium mug, to a small mug, then none. Other people seem to have had good luck cutting their regular coffee with decaf, adjusting the ratio until they were on all decaf.

Looking good!

I was doing a lot of "food funerals" between being cleared by the NUT and getting my lab work done... but I realized I was just making it harder on myself and got back on track. Today is my last day of "real" food before I start the pre-op liquid diet, so the past week I have worked some of my favorite meals into my eating plan, but still tracked them on My Fitness Pal. And I've found that some things--when I'm really paying attention while I'm eating them--aren't as good as I think they are. It's more the anticipation, maybe? Except nachos. Nachos are almost always amazing.

Damn that Little Debbie--for me, it's her Nutty Bars. Those things are like crack to me. I could polish off a box of those without blinking.

Welcome, @margied804--I'm having surgery the same day, but at Einstein in East Norriton! I start my pre-op diet Monday, too--I weaned myself off caffeine over the past month, and I've been trying to incorporate protein shakes into my diet so it's not a huge shock to my system. My nerves are starting to get to me, too, but I've found that reading these boards had been a huge help in knowing what to expect from the surgery. Good luck!

I'm also interested to hear people's thoughts on this. I'm considering purchasing a Garmin Vivosmart band as a "reward" after surgery.

Wow, @AngelJoyD... I think we share a brain! I have developed a very specific face that I make when someone is taking a picture of me (chin out, mouth open, eyebrows up--charming) and panic when I get a "so-and-so has tagged a photo of you" notification on FB. I know that for me, it took my aunt dying of complications from diabetes at 53 to get me to realize that my weight problems are not going to go away on their own and will continue to escalate and ruin my life if I don't deal with them now. I'm getting sleeved on 6/15. Good luck in your travels and surgery!

Congrats! On both the degree and the weight loss!