doingitforme18

9 hours ago, Herewego2018 said:

Hello! My surgery is scheduled for July 30 (eeeek! yay!!), and I'm starting my pre-surgery liquid diet/"liver reducing" diet on Monday!

As many of you know, it's a pretty limited list of what I can eat and how many calories I can eat. I go back and forth between feeling like I can do anything for two weeks and feeling daunted and nervous about actually sticking to it. I'm trying to do my grocery planning/shopping this weekend so I can really hit the ground running on Monday, so I wanted to check in with those more experienced than I to see if there were any tips/suggestions/etc. for how best to prepare and stay motivated throughout the two weeks!

Just curious if there was a product that was a "life saver" or essential for you in the pre-surgery period, or a habit or tool you used that made a big difference for you, or something you wish you'd done/known going into the pre-surgery diet and going into surgery in general!

Thank you in advance!

sugar free popscicles!!

I'm going into week 3 of no starches (we go 3 weeks before surgery with my doc) and leave for a cruise tomorrow!!! no drinking and no starches will test my willpower...and I'm vegan so my food choices will be limited

July 24th here!

On 6/10/2018 at 10:18 AM, IveGotThePower said:

I know this is not exactly a thing I could not live without after surgery. But at this stage in my journey, there was something I did that I am very glad I did. I made several before pictures in a certain outfit/location/poses so I could do more down the line for comparison. It is VERY cool to have these to pull out when I needed a little reminder of how far I've come. I also started a journal. I wrote about where I was mentally at that moment and how I felt. What my expectations were and what my fears were. I go back and read that sometimes and am very glad I did that as well. The very best to you in your journey.

I LOVE this idea!! I'm going to take pictures with the same outfit on!!

Does anyone drink Protein Water as part of your water intake? I drink it now (I'm a vegan so protein is a must for me while pre-op preparing and on starch free before surgery). I'm feeling like this is a no brainer way to get protein and water in...am I missing something?

Try Protein Water!! I found Protein20 is a great one with 15 g of protein, 0 g sugar and 60 calories. It's really helping me and is quite tasty. I found it on Amazon.

Talk to me about seeds...pumpkin seeds? sunflower seeds? Are these ok when on no starch?

My doc only requires 2 days of Clear Liquids pre-surgery but 3 weeks of no starches....I'm a dietary Vegan so it's challenging. I'm on day 1 of no starches

Hi all!! I am a July sleever!! My date is the 24th. I'm finished all my appointments and just need to do my pre-op.

I had a urine test for nicotine and was told to wait 4 weeks to test after the last time I smoked. Good luck!

Hello!! I'd love any and/or all of these items!!! It's really kind of you to offer!! I'm preparing for surgery now, I have my final appt. next week. If you still have it, I'd love to take it off your hand and would be happy to pay for shipping

Teacher here!! I'm waiting on my final appointment with my doc to schedule surgery right now.

Hi, I'm searching for non-dairy Protein bars and can't find any with this brand. Any other ideas?

Hello, I am trying to prepare for surgery and am having trouble finding Protein powders that are non-dairy and include isolates, which my nutritionist recommends. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hello, I am trying to prepare for surgery and am having trouble finding Protein powders that are non-dairy and include isolates, which my nutritionist recommends. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I do not eat meat or dairy and have been concerned about this since starting the process.. I"m really going ot have to change what I'm eating after surgery, I've been told not to eat many starches at all, which includes Beans I have found non-dairy Protein Shakes and bars but don't want to only eat this for the rest of my life lol

2 hours ago, AshAsh1 said:

Here's my top 10 tips!

1. Start altering your diet now. Cut out processed food, or at the very least processed sugar. Practice eating your Protein first and then focus on non-starchy veggies.
2. Find something that you like to drink that doesn't have calories. Try different caffeine free teas and Water additives. I still can't drink plain water....so you want to have something that you know you like.
3. Cut out caffeine. Most programs allow caffeine back in relatively quickly, but caffeine can hinder your body's ability to heal. You don't want to go through caffeine withdrawal along with the aches and pains of surgery.
4. Don't use Protein Shakes before you absolutely have to! I made the mistake of supplementing some of my meals with shakes to "prepare myself" for the pre-op diet. Big mistake. You will get to the point where they are DISGUSTING, and you don't want to increase the timeline of that by drinking them before you need to.
5. Start incorporating exercising (even if its just walking) somewhere in your daily routine. It will make it easier if its already a habit.
6. Practice chewing your food at least 20-30 times before swallowing. Muscle has memory and it will so much easier if you already have this habit. If you screw up and swallow too soon after surgery, you will pay the price.
7. Set timers and don't drink and eat at the same time.
8. I highly recommend having at least 1 visit with a therapist to establish with someone for after surgery. Its not required, but everyone seems to have some emotional struggles afterwards. Whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years.
9. I personally wouldn't share with people, unless you know they will be 100% supportive. It is nerve wracking already and you need nothing but positivity. Plus its a lot of pressure from people who know you've had WLS, versus people who think you are on the weight loss track. People think that the weight is going to melt off after surgery, and sometimes it doesn't. You don't want the extra judgment.
10. Come up with a reward system of sorts. You want to acknowledge your successes. For my 50lb mark, I went and got pedicures with my girlfriends. For my 75lb mark, I bought myself some new dresses. For my 100lb mark, (which I haven't reached yet, so I rewarded myself 7lbs early) I already bought myself a really nice full length mirror.

Thanks for sharing great ideas!!

On 5/11/2018 at 7:08 AM, cammarays said:

Hey ya’ll. Today is the first day of my liquid diet and I’m already weeping over my coffee maker. Lol. Anyone feel my pain? Welp, May 25th—I’m coming for you!

“I know that I’m in my own little world—but it’s ok, they like me here.”

I feel very fortunate to only have 2 days of liquid diet for pre-op....3 weeks of no starches, though.

Hang in there!!

I'm in the same boat as you...quit smoking at my first appointment and just had my nicotine test 8 weeks later...I'm cleared with everything else and just waiting...

I just received clearance from nutritionist on Tuesday and waiting on my final one on one with the doctor for the date!

On 5/12/2018 at 11:00 AM, browneyez42 said:

Went back to work and really feeling good. Went to my first support group meeting and met someone who said they will assist me with getting my insurance company to hopefully cover my Protein shakes! I'm excited

HW: 256
SW: 238(4/25/18)
CW: 228
GW: 165

Wow!! I'd love for this to happen!

On 5/5/2018 at 9:15 AM, DMomof3 said:

I am worried too about my taste preference after surgery. I got my low sodium broth, a couple cans of cream of chicken Soup, Tomato Soup, sugar free popsicles, my recommended Protein powder in 2 flavors, lots of crystal light singles of various flavors, fat free refried Beans, Decaf cold brew tea, decaf coffee k-cups, and low sodium tuna in Water packets. I had to get new chewable Multivitamins since I had the gummies and my surgeon said they are a no-no. Still have to get a Protein Water and some G2.

My doctor and nutritionist said we could take pill form Vitamins day 1.

On 10/1/2017 at 9:07 AM, Zane's Mom said:

I wasn't vegan right after surgery. However it is totally possible. You can change to vegan Protein Shakes and bars. My #1 app is food Monster. It is all vegan recipes. Also the Minimalist baker.

But for right after surgery, I would absolutely make sure you have and love your food processor. Then find your high Protein veggies, Beans, lentils, etc, and blend them if you need to. Also vegan tuna is the bomb.

You can make almost anything vegan. And I promise the weight will come off plus the surgery.

With the surgery I only recorded losses on my fitness pal. I never recorded a stall or a slight gain. That way everything was always going down. I was excited when I could make a new entry.

It's just what worked for me. I did have a shake in the morning for the first three years.

Please feel free to message me and I'll share any vegan info with anyone. I love my lifestyle and chose it for myself, my family, my earth, and the animals.

My nutritionist says to decrease starches post surgery, which is mainly what I eat as a vegan

On 9/6/2017 at 10:59 AM, Apple1 said:

At 3.5 months post-op I have found it pretty easy to transition. I am still eating some dairy, but have not consumed any meat in about 2 weeks now. I think until you are on solid foods it may be difficult, but I don't know.

I am happy if I get anywhere from 45-55g of Protein. I figure I am healed and that number is working for me. A Protein Shake for Breakfast helps a lot. I am eating salad almost everyday because the leafy greens are so healthy!! I usually have a serving of whole grain at dinner with some Beans, or tofu, veggies, ect... For a snack some times Peanut Butter on a couple of whole grain crackers, a serving of fruit, or a Protein Bar if I feel like I am running low.

I really want to eliminate cheese once and for all. I have only eaten it 2 times in 3 weeks so it is slowly leaving.

I am very interested in reading your post. I am a non-dairy/no meat eater so I'm trying to plan best for post-surgery. It's hard without Beans and rice, etc.

On 2/19/2018 at 1:59 AM, Little Green said:

I'm sorry you're dealing with the nut allergy! That's sooo frustrating. Definitely glad to hear that your NUT is open to a plant-based diet!

For whole food concentrated Protein, like you said, Beans are definitely the way to go. You can eat hummus or refried Beans as well, they are a bit smoother/less filling so you might be able to eat more that way. Another good option is soy, particular soy milk. Make a smoothie with soy milk or add it to your oatmeal and that's 8-12g of Protein just from the milk depending on how much you use. (Most other plant milks are low in protein.)

In terms of non-concentrated protein, you can get it from literally any whole food. Whole grain Pasta has a pretty good amount, about 4 grams in half a serving (1 oz dry). Most plant foods will have 1-3g in a serving and throughout the day that adds up.

For plant-based protein that's more processed, like a supplemental protein (which you will definitely need this early post-op) there are some really tasty Protein Bars I've found called Nugo which are vegan and made from soy protein. I believe many of the flavors do not contain nuts, but you'd have to check to be sure. You can buy them on Amazon or in the Protein Bar aisle at Whole Foods. (And maybe other places!) You can also look for protein powders made from pea protein, brown rice protein, etc. as well. Orgain is one common brand. I just found some ready-made vegan shakes (like premier protein) at Target that I believe are Evolve brand, but I haven't tried them yet. Hopefully they taste all right!

Probiotics... well that's a whole other discussion LOL (basically if you're not eating animal products you likely don't have a big need for Probiotics as the plants help your gut bacteria stay happy on their own) but to answer your direct question, there are some fermented plant options! Sauerkraut if you like it, and kombucha tea are two good places to start. You can also make yogurt and kefir from soy milk, although I haven't done it myself (yet!) so I can't give you specific guidance.

Good luck!!

I'm so excited to read your posts!! I am a non-dairy vegetarian and have been worried about protein consumption post-surgery. Now I get most from beans, quinoa, rice, and veggies. I have been searching for Protein powders that fit the nutritional guidance given by my nutritionist and it's tricky. What can you share about isolates?