eaglesoar

That's something good about educating yourself. You go from blissful ignorance to thoughtful uncertainty to firm resolve. a And you base your decision on what you have learned and also what you feel within your heart and soul. And if you are true to yourself, nothing false will have a chance in your life.

I'm actually glad that I found the website, because I learned a lot of things that my surgeon (and surgical team) didn't even tell me.

MikeII, I understand what you are saying--I had certainly not heard about many of the issues that can arise after surgery. (My gastric bypass is scheduled for February 2019.) However, it hasn't caused me to have any doubts. I'm grateful I've found this forum because it will make me better informed about the process and I can hopefully avoid some problems as a result. It's also incredibly reassuring to know that so many people have been through this and are doing well, in spite of a few bumps in the road. I no longer feel so alone!

I think it is good to keep in mind that even if you get a complication it will more than likely be just one and not the whole list of possible bad outcomes. And you can deal with it if it happens. I told myself I wouldn't worry about dumping unless it happened to me and then I would figure it out. And your surgeon has dealt with probably all possible complications so there will be a game plan. Just look at any complication as a hurdle. One you can jump with the right tools and support. So if you wind up being prone to dumping you figure out what triggers you and you stay away from it. And most hurdles get smaller as you heal. It gets easier to drink Water. You figure out the best way for you to get Protein in. Everyone is so different so there will be lots of advice available if you need it.

Are we just drinking Water or anything liquid and how much a day

Are we just drinking Water or anything liquid and how much a day

Hello I’m new here I would love if you would accept my invitation on MFP my name there is jeannette7194

Hello I’m new here I would love if you would accept my invitation on MFP my name there is jeannette7194

Hello I’m new here I would love if you would accept my invitation on MFP my name there is jeannette7194

Welcome eaglesoar, hope you'll enjoy being with us. The farthest out I had heard until you was November 2018, but don't worry, a lot of new people are starting in and maybe having surgery this winter, depending on insurances. But please hang aound, you'll learn a lot from these,forums and if you have any questions, please ask. If I myself don't have the answer someone else will. Most of us remember how it was when we were brand-new. Although your doctor will be your ultimate go-to, we have walked the walk and will give you practical advice. I will be having my surgery in September but will hang around afterwards, so many have helped me and I DO like to help others. So pull up a virtual chair and get comfy!😛☕

Hello I’m somewhat new, I have seen a nutritionist, now I have to do group nutrition I have to go to I think 4. I’ve seen psychology twice, I’m also scheduled for all the other things I have to do before surgery. I may not get my surgery date until the first of the year. Are there any others on here that is scheduled around that time

Today was hard. I have surgery this Friday 20th. I've been eating the pre-op "envelope meal" diet almost 2 weeks and today the office ordered Cheesecake Factory. It's not their fault that I made the decision to do the surgery, but I still wanted to kick their chairs out from underneath them. It's literally all I can do to keep myself from saying "Eff it" and going for a steak and beer. I know I know, I am so close to surgery; I wont sabotage myself.
One other thing that has been on my mind is how some people I have told have reacted to my news. I honestly didn't tell people for a long time about what I was doing because I didn't want to listen to everyone's opinions. I've worked in the medical field for 20 years and if I have questions I know who to ask.
It doesn't stop people from saying things that are seriously discouraging:
- "Oh wow. Can't you lose it on your own without having surgery?"
- "I could NEVER do a liquid diet for that long."
- "Haven't people died getting that done?"
- "Awwww! Your surgery is the day of my party?? That sucks! We were having a Mexican food buffet too! I know that's your favorite. Well, at least you are missing for a good reason."
- "I'm fat too, but there is no way I would have surgery."
- "Let's go to {insert restaurant/bar here} before you have surgery since you wont be able to do it after that."
- "You know you can't have carbonated beverages the rest of your life, right?"
- "Don't people gain their weight back most of the time anyway?"
It's hard to tell if people are trying to make me feel bad about my decision because they don't understand it, or it they are jealous or just being downright hateful. I don't get it. I just needed to vent. Today was the hardest day I've had so far and I needed to get that off my chest. I keep telling myself that by this weekend it will all be over and I can start focusing on living a normal life again, just healthier this time.

I look forward to the holidays every year, just so I can drink my SF peppermint mocha coffees! Now lemme warn ya upfront...if you're a purist, then leave this thread--I mean it! Runaway! Runaway! This is choc full of craptastic chemicals that brings new meaning to "better living through chemistry." Hahaha! But they make me sooo very happy and my tummy warm and toasty!
Decaff SF Peppermint Mocha Protein Coffee
1 serving
8-10floz brewed decaff (your fave--my surgeon lets me have decaff from Day 1 after surgery)
4floz Premier Protein Drink RTD (either mocha or vanilla)
1floz SF Peppermint DaVinci Syrup
16g SF Hershey's chocolate Syrup
3g Benefiber or 5g whole psyllium husks (optional)
Mix it all together and enjoy. Great warm or cold!
Nutritionals: 81cals; 11g protein; 1g fat; 6g carbs; 4g fiber; 2g net carbs (if you don't want to use Fiber, subtract out 18 cals, 4g of the carbs and 4g of the fiber)

I’m interested

As I did my meal prep for this week, I thought to myself, this is what has changed the most for me. I shop weekly for the freshest fruits and veggies. I meal prep every Sunday and some Wednesday/Thursday’s.
Would it help to start a challenge for those who want to develop good habits before surgery? We could do a running post and share our food prep victories. I get so much pride looking at my island with all my tupperware and baggies filled with nutritional foods for the week.
Let me know if anyone’s interested! Next Sunday I’ll take my pic of my food prep in all its glory!

@Herewego2018 Congratulations! I remember how excited/terrified I was when I finally got the call to start my two week pre op. I too had a very limited diet that consisted mostly of Protein Shakes with a few sugar free additions, like Jello and popsicles. Shopping this weekend is a great plan!
Drinking more Water can definitely help. I blended my Premier Protein shakes with a few cubes of ice to make it thicker. I set times for when I would eat to make sure it was spaced throughout the day so I was not super hungry at night. I did not go out to restaurants during the two weeks and tried to leave the room if my husband had any super yummy smelling food. I also tried to find other activities to help fill my time, like chores, video games, boardgames, puzzles, short walks, naps, etc. If you are doing mostly Protein shakes, you may want check and see if you can take Colace or something similar for Constipation. Not everyone has that issue though.
My want to cheat did not go away, but I made a commitment to myself to just make it through this meal, make it through today, make it through tomorrow, make it through this week, and so on. It can be difficult at times, so stay strong, YOU GOT THIS!! Everyone says it, but it really does go by faster than you think.

I will be the first to chime in with numbers. This came from the nutritionists within my surgeon’s practice. You should expect to lose 8-12 pounds a month for the first 6 months. Then 6-8 pounds for the next 6 months.
That being said everyone is different and if you are coming in with only 50 pounds to lose it’s going to go much slower. Try not to compare. It will drive you crazy.

I'm with @LaLaDee. My goals are more about eating on plan and exercising regularly and just let the weight fall where it will. What happens if I miss my "number" but drop a pant size? Do I Celebrate or sulk? I think we should set goals that are within our power to accomplish. None of us can control the weird-a$$ fluctuations of the demented scale!

I'm going to be the really mean one here. Don't try to force the surgery just because of the insurance window. They approved you once, they'll approve you again.
It sounds like you're not sufficiently prepared for the surgery. This process is only 20% stomach, 80% HEAD! Your head isn't in the game yet. One slip-up is a cheat. One week of binging is self-sabotage. You're looking for an excuse to cancel because you're afraid. If you've read these boards, you've seen people who have totally wasted the opportunity provided by their surgery with self-defeating behavior.
You need to spend the time to get your priorities set, imo. Because after the surgery you will have cravings, you will want comfort foods, you will want to gnaw off your own fingers sometimes with hunger. And you may very well resent others being able to indulge. Don't think that because binging will cause you to throw up right after surgery that you are "cured". There are many ways of "eating around" restrictions and you will have to be constantly on your guard.
Please understand that I'm not trying to be hateful. I want you to succeed. But right now, I think you need to spend time with a therapist, not a surgeon. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

Yes people have had their surgeries cancelled for not following the diet. Most don't, but you've stated you've got a fatty liver that needs to be shrunk. If they get in there and the liver is too big or in the way... they will close you up and not continue the surgery.

The bigger issue is (and I'm sorry if this comes off as callous, but it's a reason why we all have to do psych evals before hand because not being able to control what we eat past surgery can cause *MAJOR* complications), what's going to happen after your surgery? Yes the pre-op is hard. But post op is just as hard for a while too.

Why do you want the surgery? Don't answer here, but you need to ask yourself this.
When you feel like cheating, you need to ask yourself what's more important, that piece of pizza, or your life.

Honestly, only you have to answer to you and your actions. But it doesn't seem like you are taking stock of how important this change is... that's a lot of food, that's not "cheating".... cheating is "oh I had a bite of something" not, "I haven't been following the diet for a week+". Sorry for being blunt, but, what you posted here is a major problem, and you **NEED** to come clean with your surgeon, surgical staff, nutritionist and psych.

Odds are post bypass there are going to be plenty of things you can't eat... what are you going to do then?
None of your choices were even smart "cheats"... pre-op is when you need to start figuring out the better choices to make,
Yes we are all human and we all make mistakes, but how many mistakes does it take to realize you need to stop? Normal stomachs can take over 15 mins to realize you've eaten, pounding half a pizza and then 2 donuts 2 hours later... IS.NOT.HUNGER. That's compulsion / addiction / "head hunger".

You should be nervous. These actions are major red flags. You need to make the hard choices for yourself and your health. No one else is going to do it for you. Even post surgery, it's not going to be some magic wand that gets waved and you never get real or "head" hungry. Doesn't happen. Cravings are still going to happen. Desire to eat that pizza is still going to happen. But ***YOU*** need to say "no". YOU need to decide to eat something better. YOU need to decide that you don't want to be fat anymore and only YOU can decide that you want to live.

So here's what you do. Stop. All of it. Stop all of the excuses. Stop all of the disappointment in yourself. Stop giving in. Stop giving up. Stop caving in.

Now, today.
Start following that diet to the letter. Start making better choices. Start exercising. Start getting in 64-128oz of waver. Start realizing that food does not control you. Start realizing that if you don't change, your health is not going to improve. Start changing into a better you.

Each day, you should look in the mirror before bed and be honest with yourself. Did you do what you were supposed to? Did you do the right thing?

You **CAN** do this. You just have to MAKE yourself do this.
Stay Strong.

Like everyone's said... what's done is done. Time to move on. You seem to have an all or nothing thing happening. Either you're on the diet or you're way way off. If you can, maybe figure out ahead of time some acceptable cheats that will get you over the hump. I'm not advocating cheating, but if it's gonna happen then let's try not to undo all your good work. You seem to have a fondness for cheeseburgers (so do I LOL), let's definitely leave off the bread. Protein is good... carbs not so much. An even better step in the right direction is just a piece of chicken breast. When you're on a liquid diet sometimes it's the act of chewing that you need or just a little something heavier in your stomach. You can get that without going overboard. Maybe plan ahead... you're on the liquid diet, but if you hit the wall what are a couple of reasonable things you will allow yourself.

Okay so here is the entire story here. I have posted in bits and pieces in replies to others.
So I started my pre diet liquid only mind you. At three weeks prior to my June 13th surgery date.
I have NASH or severe fatty liver or whatever they are calling it now a days
5/24th I started it. I did really good I was doing my Liquid Protein and broth, sf Jello and popsicles and a cup of yogurt.
Then on the 30th and 31st I fell off it because I had found out I couldn’t have broth nor yogurt. The surgeons office said the sodium in broth would not release the fat around the liver. And the yogurt was too much milk products since I’m using premier shakes.
So that sat me back and it was a lot to lose I tried it and was so hungry I gave in and had a blue cheese burger at a restaurant on the 30th. Then my coworkers brought in my favorite pizza they thought it had not started yet so I had like 4 slices and doughnuts(2) a couple hours later.
On June 1st I started again this time no broth or yogurt and it’s much harder. I made it through Friday, Saturday and Sunday then failed as the following this week starting on Monday
Monday- 2 fried burgers with tons of cheese and on bread.
Tuesday- large movie popcorn and butter
Wednesday- small cheeseburger and beef with veggies
Thursday- beef with veggies and chicken with veggies and cheese
My dear hubby is freaking out about it and has me worried that I’m going to get to surgery and they will cancel it or open me up and cancel it.
I started it at the weight of 311 or 314 and I’m now at 291 so I have lost some weight.
So im just curious if I can follow the all liquid till surgery if I stand a chance of it happening any thoughts? Has anyone ever failed this badly this close and made it?
or has anyone had surgery they went in and closed without doing it? Because they cheated.
I know I did it to myself and well I own that fully. I couldn’t control my actions I will have to work on that a lot.
But I’m torn as to if I should just call the surgeon office and tell them to cancel it because my liver is most likely not shrunken enough. If I do that I know he’s heading out a week after the 13th for three weeks and my insurance only approved the surgery window up till July 3rd
or just be strict till the 13th and hope all is well. As well as doing a murelax bowel cleanse the day before.

Oh how I wish I could have been stronger and not cheated

Don't give in to self sabotaging yourself...YOU are worthy and beautiful and deserve this surgery! Take all the steps seriously this is your life...no one can make you lose weight once you have surgery after a year...it all changes temptation and sweets and those foods are always going to be around to tempt you...Figure out why you are wanting to hold onto that horrible self and start fresh and let go, pray, take walks , get yourself a friend who can support you through this....you are not alone in a dark corner we are all here for you!!!

Hey all, I am going on my 4th month of dieting for my per-surgery. I have finished all the blood work, EKG, Upper Endoscopy, X-Ray... then I had the sleep study a few days ago... today I was contacted that I do indeed have sleep apnea. I have to now have the second step to get the Cpap machine. I was told by my doctor I need to wear the machine for at least 3 weeks prior to surgery. I am looking at an October surgery date. I so far have went from 352 lbs to 336 lbs. I need to lose 32lbs.

Any sleep apnea friends? October surgery buddies?

I have several friends that were sleeved in Mexico without incident. If you want the surgery you are going to have to pay out of pocket with your BMI. My comment was meant to be helpful.
If you do your research you could end up pleased with your results.
You will be hard pressed to find any insurance here that will pay for your surgery with a BMI of less than 35.
Good luck to you though.