2018Pammy

I started my preop diet on Monday, July 9th. My surgery is Monday, July 23rd. My diet consists of a Protein Shake for Breakfast no more than 160 calories and the same for lunch. Then i have a lean cuisine for dinner. I'll tell you what...a frozen meal never tasted so good. I think i even licked the container! I am down 8 lbs so far. During my rough times I have had a side salad with very little dressing or some string cheese. The most difficult part for me is that i have been really constipated (sorry if that is TMI) My doctor told me to start on a stool softener and that has helped. Good luck on your preop diet. Stay busy if you get hungry and it helps to take your mind off of it.

I’m 6 months post op. I just wanted to do something that could help pre ops waiting for a date or even for post ops who want to get better at food prep.

Thank you for sharing... I too plan to stay busy... At the pool Hoping the fun and activity helps with some weight loss.

I started my preop diet on Monday, July 9th. My surgery is Monday, July 23rd. My diet consists of a Protein Shake for Breakfast no more than 160 calories and the same for lunch. Then i have a lean cuisine for dinner. I'll tell you what...a frozen meal never tasted so good. I think i even licked the container! I am down 8 lbs so far. During my rough times I have had a side salad with very little dressing or some string cheese. The most difficult part for me is that i have been really constipated (sorry if that is TMI) My doctor told me to start on a stool softener and that has helped. Good luck on your preop diet. Stay busy if you get hungry and it helps to take your mind off of it.

Congrats! And good luck.
Ask for a scopolamine patch for nausea before surgery - works amazing.
For pain, ask for paracetamol in an IV 1000mg - also works great. If pain breaks through that they will give you a narcotic like dilaudid, but likely you won't need it. You will be incredibly thirsty and have a dry mouth from the surgery, ask for biotene swabs, ice chips if allowed.
Yes, you will mourn some food loss, and food volume - you will adjust and be fine. If not - seek counseling, seriously we all have food issues. But you WANT this surgery, NEED this surgery, and you will be successful - follow the surgeon's plan. Good luck.

I cooked mine with broth in the Instapot, basically poached. Moist, and you can add flavor as well, add salsa, or harrissa or thai chili paste, anything really!

Backtrack a bit and finely chop your foods , very small, them chew very well.
Make everything super moist (with broth or dressings) , if cheese hurts also go back to yogurt, cottage cheese etc.
Don't rush especially if it hurts and as always, let your team know of any changes

Soak it in broth.

I was 332 when I started the preop diet. I’m 4 mons post op, and I’ve lost over 90lbs. The challenges are that it takes awhile for you to really see a difference. I was nearly 80lbs before I started getting compliments. My stomach is holding on for dear life. My legs, arms, and chest went right away.

I need to whack my husband with a 2x4 to get him to leave me alone. He's all about the thinner me.
But yeah, I know these issues do come up for people.
Something you might not be considering...is that it might not be physical. As we lose weight and hit our goals, it can make us feel more confident, more outspoke, more assertive and in control of our lives...more interested in pursuing ideas and dreams our partners weren't completely aware of. You're changing, and not just physically. That might scare the hell out of him.
Go to therapy. There's a reason they call it divorce surgery.

Well I would rather give you why I personally chose RnY as opposed to the sleeve. But here is a great site that breaks it down. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-complete-patients-guide-to-bariatric-surgery/
I chose RnY for several reasons. For one, I wanted the most restrictive procedure possible. RnY gives you a smaller pouch than the sleeve. This part will sound insane, but I also wanted the “dumping” reaction. I just believe that it will more than keep me on the right track if experiencing dumping is possible for eating the wrong thing. RnY has also been around for decades. For someone like me who has never had a major surgery, I wanted to go with the “golden seal”. And lastly, I had “fire” GERD when I was pregnant. I didn’t even want that as a remote possibility. Do your research and really see which is best for you. The website is organized well so you can figure it all out. Both procedures Are great options for weight loss. Best of luck!

Sadly, I already have about 4 sizes of clothes in my closet. No need to buy for a while.

So I read everyday on this site. 90% of what I read is negative, for most people things are going to be ok.
I had major hernia surgery the same time I had my by pass surgery. I had to stay in the hospital five days. So my struggles are maybe not the same as others but I do have them.
I feel great, I’m able to walk everyday, get all my required Protein and Water down each day. Everyday seems better for me.
I feel my life is under control and moving in a positive direction. Life is not always fair, but when your given a second chance, you better grab hold and fight like hell to overcome your obstacles.

Hi ChooseHope
No sleeve for me! Because I WAS an insulin-dependent diabetic, by-pass was my best option. Also, I suffered from GERD for years and years and the sleeve, again, was a no go.
The biggest advantage of having this surgery after 50. Hmmm....besides having maturity and wisdom? Well, we've had 50+ years of eating behind us. Been there, done that. Also, my diabetes is in remission, I won't be having those knees replaced, and I feel good. As I inched closer to the retirement age, I secretly knew that with all my health issues, I wouldn't be around. If I was lucky enough to be around for retirement, I probably wouldn't have feet because of diabetes. What a fun retirement I had to look forward too. Dead or an amputee. Can I have more motivation than that?
Biggest disadvantage: My mental demons. But the demons are there, if I had surgery or not. I just have to apply everything I learned through the years and from my five years of therapy I am strong. I am worth this. And the biggest one: My wit and intelligence are my shield, not my fat.
Biggest struggle: Not getting discouraged when the honeymoon period is over. I am working on healthy habits now so that when that time comes, I will be mentally and physically ready. Struggles are opportunities to overcome and prove you can do it. I love the feeling of accomplishment over a challenge.
I'm glad you started this thread. We aren't the majority, but we can relate to each other.

But your life isn’t over. You are only 30. As frustrating as it is with surgery there are potential complications, that’s why we sign consents to let surgeons operate on us. There are no guarantees that each of us will tolerate the operation the same. You cannot predict what will happen to you after surgery.
There are many risks to remaining obese as well.
The only thing you can do now is focus on healing and following your diet guidelines. Not all people that have complications have them forever, so don’t get stuck in a negative way of thinking that what you are experiencing now will last the rest of your life.
Start on Miralax for the Constipation. Not pooping can make you miserable. Work on meeting the fluid goals. One day at a time.
If you continue to have issues maybe it is prudent to have a second opinion.

The PA in my surgeons office explained stalls in a way I had never heard before and it really helps.
Our bodies rely on the fat and the sugars that we intake through our diet, and our muscles absorb a lot of the crap because it's a quick and easy fuel. When we diet, our bodies aren't getting all of the junk and we are able to drop pounds at a pretty steady weight. But as our bodies get used to the new amounts of fuel, it slows down the weight loss a little in order for it to properly adjust how much the body absorbs vs how much we expel when we use the bathroom.
Usually this shouldn't last for too long, maybe a few weeks. And while it can be very aggravating, one suggestion we were given in my support group is to buy a spool of yarn, and once a week, measure your waist line, cut the yarn and tape it to the wall. Over the next few weeks, while the scale might not be moving, the yarn should be still getting shorter every week.

Do you know the phrase, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" Anyway, yes, there can always be complications with surgery. On the other hand, these are statistically safe surgeries with low rates of complications. You face much greater health risks by remaining obese.
As far as keeping it off long-term, you have a much better chance with surgery than just doing it on your own, where the success rate is dismal (something like 5 percent, I think). The surgery isn't magic, it just gives you a fighting chance to lose a significant amount of weight AND time to change your eating habits for long-term success.
Good luck!

As canned items they will be super high in sodium though. Are you able to look at the nutrition facts? Don’t forget on purée you can usually eat yogurt, very thin grits, and items puréed in a blender. I have a nutri ninja.
Consider buying a nutri ninja blender for prep. You can make smoothies like a champ.
I think a few of these will be ok, but after that they will taste like highly processed garbage. I would start now working on learning how to prepare healthy food choices and meals. That’s part of what a healthy lifestyle is about.

Tell youself you are way better than normal---you have been revised. What you gave up does not hold a candle to what you're getting. You'll live longer, thinner and fitter. You are going to look good and feel good. Buck up Buckaroo!

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liquid is the worst. I cried because I didn’t feel like I was a normal person.

I was just saying the other day how I can still be in the grocery store and think oh this looks good or that looks good but then I really don’t crave it or even if we buy it or make it, I don’t eat much of it, if any.

Regarding the hunger, I thought I was hungery at that stage too but I think it was just an upset stomach like gassy. I know this now because I will sometimes still get that feeling and I’m like, oh wow, I’m hungry! And then I feel the air in my gut move, maybe burp and the feeling goes away.

Dajoko it does get easier when you get past the liquid diet portion.
Please remember that from now forward its more the metal game than the physical one.
the surgery delt with so much but the mental aspec is all post op and can be hard as hell.
develop your distraction strategies early and use them often. The habits you develop in the next 6 months will be the deciding factor for where you end up on the weight loss percentage.
always remember the avg VSG patient looses 60 percent off excess weight. So those that dont win the mental game are the ones that end up under the avg.
Hang in there and good luck and if you havent done a Sudoku puzzle give them a try they are very distracting and help me get my mind off of things when i start to obsess.

Use a version of one of my late mamma's habits and it used to drive me bonkers. She would hold her medications in her hand and talk to them. She would say" if I take you what will you do to or for me?" So say to the food " if I eat you, what will you do to me?" if it is going to just make you fatter, make you sick to your stomach, break out in hives or give you diarrhea or Constipation, just pass on by, don't stop to reach out for it! You're bigger than it, smarter than it, stop listening if it calls out to you or whispers your name. You have a new goal in life, you do not want swerve from it. Oh it will try to seduce you back into,its web, you have been a friend for years. Like a controlling boyfriend it doesn't want to break up the relationship. Divorce MickyD's,abandon KFC, and tell Church's Fried chicken you're no longer worshiping there! Buck up, Bucky Beaver, you KNOW what to do, I believe in you and given the chance you'll do the correct thing! We are here for you Every step of the way, we've been tempted and we've overcame. You can too.
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It got better for me at day 5. The first 4 days, I thought I was going to eat my children !!!