PixelToph

Thank you! We do seem to have a similar journey. It's good to see another person who started at a higher weight, since it seems RNY is more common for people with as much to lose as us. My surgeon actually had to verify my starting weight when I met with him right before surgery. He thought it might have been a typo since it's pretty uncommon to lose that much before surgery lol. When I told him it was right, he was delighted and said it really bodes well for my post-surgery success. I also didn't have to do the 2-week liquid pre-op diet, he said with the weight I lost my liver was already smaller, so it wouldn't make much difference. I just had to increase to 2 Protein shakes a day, and only a light meal the day before surgery. I don't like cooking much, so I didn't do anything special. I mostly took meals I already ate and made them keto-friendly. I'm hispanic, and tacos/burritos were a common meal, so I make taco salad instead of having tortillas and skipped the rice completely. I also switched to hand seasoning instead of using those seasoning packets. They can be surprisingly carby (cornstarch added, sometimes sugar too). I saute Morningstar crumbles with ground chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion. Serve over some lettuce and top with cheese. We also enjoy a good Indian curry, so I just made sure to check the sauces for sugar. Quorn makes a great veggie-chicken and you can get it either in pieces or cutlets, just make sure it's not the breaded version. Paneer cheese, diced "chicken" and spinach simmered in curry sauce is really tasty and a one-pan dish. Now that I'm post surgery I don't have room for sides, but pre-surgery mashed cauliflower makes a decent substitution for mashed potatoes.

For me, getting started is the hardest part, so I make a deal with myself. Normally I try to get 40 minutes of cardio in every day (Stationary bike with programmed routine). On days I am not feeling up to it, I tell myself "Just do 15 minutes, then you can quit if you want." Probably 99% of the time, I end up doing the whole 40 minutes, since once I am up and going, it's not so bad. It's just getting over that initial hurdle. When I am feeling low energy, 15 minutes sounds so much more do-able than 40, which can seem daunting. And, if I really am tired and stop at 15 minutes, hey, it's better than no exercise at all! I don't know why I have such a hard time starting my workouts. Once I get going, I actually enjoy it. I get to jam out to my favorite tunes, and I always feel better after I am done. Yet every morning I find myself putting it off again lol!