Rainbow_Warrior

I disagree.
While your cover story is partially true, you have done well to think about it.
Practise some answer scenarios and you should go well.

My four week pre-op shakes and food is supposed to start Thursday Sept 14th ready for surgery Thursday October 12th. I actually kicked it off 15 days ago just to familiarise my adaption.
I did have a "blowout" for my sister-in-law's 60th 9/9/17 ... beer, smorgasbord, cake, etc.
Already down 6.9kg (16-17 lbs) ... caused my surgeon and dietitian much pleasure.

And don't forget about insurance companies!

Bill, Barack and Hillary have been trying to convince Americans for 25+ years to have a Universal National Heath Scheme like Canada, the UK, nearly all of Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
I can't believe Americans are frightened of "free" universal health care paid for by their taxes ... like the rest of the world.
You must have powerful doctors' lobby groups!

1. My GP gave me a bariatric surgeon referral to Mark Gately. (July 5)
2. Mark Gately's staff said I have to attend a full disclosure information night run by Mark and his partner doctor. (July 12)
3. After the info night, I had a half hour interview with Mark. (July 17)
4. Three days later I met the managing dietitian who spent almost an hour telling all and finding out about my food history etc. She gave me a four-week pre-surgery plan and a one-year post-surgery plan in a folder. (July 27)
5. The following fortnight I was examined in detail by the anaesthetist. (Aug 14)
6. Mark Gately had me back to offer a surgery date of Oct 12. (Sept 4)
Six visits counting my GP and the "mandatory" info night. Out of pocket expenses in paying for these visits was upfront about $630. My health insurance refunded about $140 and the Australian national health scheme refunded about $335. So, in reality, $155 of my ready cash.

Well, here in AUS, nearly every surgeon says stay off fizzy soft-drinks (sodas).
It is one of the clearest problems for people who do poorly with their gastric sleeving.
If I had my life over again, I'd never eat a factory-produced breakfast-cereal or any fizzy soda drink ... not even Coke Zero or Pepsi Max or other 'diet' varieties. These products are just %^&*ing enemies of bodies.
So, for me, my doctor's advice will be heeded ... Water, tea, unsweetened drinks for the future.

Take a year off.
Tell them you have a flour allergy! <GRIN>

Yes I'm going to enjoy my last one this Friday than that's that tear lol good riddance

I have someone to drop me off for the surgery on the Thursday and my wife will bring me home on the Saturday afternoon or before noon on the Sunday.
I don't want a procession of dumbstruck hospital visitors.

They are the real "rusted on" friends who back you whatever you do/decide.
The other sort of people are mere acquaintances or passers-by in your life, not true friends.

I have someone to drop me off for the surgery on the Thursday and my wife will bring me home on the Saturday afternoon or before noon on the Sunday.
I don't want a procession of dumbstruck hospital visitors.

I understand. So much negativity from random commentators that it's better to choose carefully who to tell. (I have replied to others here if you wish to read my 'fine print'.)

I'm telling most family, a few selected friends and just two trusted colleagues.
There has been discussion amongst friends and workmates and, inevitably, many people including some long-term fat/obese people who go on about 'cheating'.
I don't want their negativity and 5h1t. Surgery is my considered choice after over 20 years of losing every dieting battle (about which I used to feel too much shame).
We are, after all, fighting fast food, advertising, mass-produced high-sugar, low-nutrient cr@p and I was too slow off the mark.

Just accept that this is the surgeon that YOU CHOSE and that you thought would change your life for the better. Have faith in your original judgement.

Try to get the sublingual Vitamins. They melt under your tongue in a few seconds.
A couple of the major Vitamin suppliers have applied the term RAPI-MELTS to the vitamin name when it is a sublingual rapid-melting kind.
My Men's Over 50 Multivitamin and my B12 are rapi-melts.

Luckily, that dingo eating people myth is down to Meryl Streep, Sam Neill and the film "Evil Angels".
No self-respecting dingo would consider me to be food. (More likely, a playmate!)

There are so many variations of recipes to use with them. That's why I enjoy it more. If it were just one recipe that I did and didn't adventure off to try anything new, I'd probably grow sick of them.
i guess you can say that with any food, but since I went wfpb, I've been more adventurous. 😊

Good for you!!! That's what I was hoping you would say. I say this again, YOU GOT THIS! You're not going to die, you'll live in a much healthier manner! Do not let your anxiety own you. You are a strong man who is taking charge of his life.
I've never been thin. I always say that I was born a size 16 and stayed that way. You can yo-yo the rest of your life or stand up and say NO MORE! I WILL NOT LIVE THIS WAY FOR ONE MORE MOMENT! I will be thin, healthy and fit! I will not cave or capitulate, I will take charge of this weight!
Perhaps you can look at this as if your fat is making you anxious right now because it doesn't want to go away and visualize yourself picking up that scalpel and sending it on it's merry way!!!

I'm allergic to dairy so I use one sold at Whole Foods called Vega One (I use soy milk). When you add half of an avocado the shakes come out very creamy. I add a banana, too. Lifetime Fitness sells a couple of dairy free ones but I find Vega One to be smoother--not at all gritty.

Yes, lentil meals are not normal in Australia but I started adding lentils to Soups and stockpots years ago. They are great value as good filler and very good nutrition.
My wife and her mother have a few dishes that are centred on lentils.
I must aim to incorporate more post-surgery.

Makes sense. I used both my ideal weight and goal weight times 2/3 and then 4/5 and kept coming up with figures in the range 49g to 62g ... so your 60g for men seems about on par!
Thanks.

Pleased to see that you're excited!
Best wishes.

Eight months anniversary from surgery today. First photo is December 2016, the day before I started the preop diet and the last one is 10 days ago. It is a new life...

Makes sense. I used both my ideal weight and goal weight times 2/3 and then 4/5 and kept coming up with figures in the range 49g to 62g ... so your 60g for men seems about on par!
Thanks.

Out of all the foods and drinks one might eat/swallow, Protein Shakes are always a bottom choice.
Personally, I'm not that impressed with the flavours either but I do the 'mindset' thing. They are, I tell myself, a choice that has worked short-term for over 75% of dieters and for just over 35% of the long-term dieters. Compared to Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, keeping a diary etc, they are relatively successful.
So, I make up my mind to just take them and think of the goal ahead ... the weight-loss.
I remember the less satisfactory flavours and skip buying them next time.
In saying all that, my son-in-law's surgeon (in 2015) recommended ISOWHEY which comes in either individual sachets per meal OR three TUB sizes of bulk powder (14, 21 or 40 doses). The bulk stuff saves 25% to 45% of your cash. It's low in sugar. The IVORY COAST chocolate is good (in my opinion) and MADAGASCAN VANILLA is fairly nice.
The ALDI Slim & Trim shakes are overly sweet but they are pretty much the same nutrients as Nestles Optifast and the generic OPTISLIM.
ALDI is good in that individual sachets are always $AUD1.99 which is barely half of the Optifast price ($AUD3.30 to $AUD3.85).
Optislim (at pharmacies and drugstores) is almost always two boxes for $AUD55 to $AUD65 ... i.e. 42 sachets at about $AUD1.35 to $AUD1.65 each.
Because of its low sugar, ISOWHEY comes in at 108-110 calories, way less than the 205-212 calories of all the other brands.
- - -
One lady I met says she stirs in a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee and a couple of artificial sweeteners to each shake.
As I said, I just psyche myself up and tolerate it for the greater good. Mind you, the ISOWHEY is okay by me and the ALDI is good for a sweet 'hit' every other day.