Jnfinney

Before my boyfriend was supportive of my decision, he told me that I had been watching too much My 600 LB Life.....

My why is pretty complex. I’ve been overweight since I was about 9. At 11 years old I was diagnosed with hashimotos disease and hypothyroidism. I was bullied physically, verbally, and emotionally for years in school due to my weight. As I entered my 20s my cholesterol and blood pressure were creeping up to borderline needing medication. I suffer from horrible depression and anxiety and my poor self image doesn’t help with that at all. Last summer, I reached my highest weight ever of 235 despite regular exercise and attempts to eat healthier. I have just had it with my weight and decided I needed surgical intervention.

@Arabesque that sounds like what I am experiencing. Thank you for sharing.

@Hop_Scotch I am allowed to have juice, Gatorade, Powerade, etc. I usually do 1 12 ounce bottle of Gatorade Zero a day and a Propel water along with my other liquids. I'm not really sure how much I'd need to drink to replenish electrolytes, though.

Wow your face is so much slimmer! You look very tired though?

I am on day 11 of my pre-op diet and am having surgery Monday. The past 3 days I've been experiencing dizzy/lightheaded spells. They come on suddenly and only last a second or two and typically occur when I am standing or walking. Has anyone else experienced this or know what could be causing it? I have attributed it to the fact that I've been on a liquid diet for over a week, but I'm not totally sure.

I am having the sleeve. The bypass was a little too invasive for me. Good luck to you!!!

I have been doing Fairlife nutrition plan shakes... and I had never thought of doing that! I think I might try it!

Well, I am on the pre-op diet and the mental hunger is real. I try to stay busy doing things to keep my mind off of food. Things like cleaning, walking my dogs, reading a book, doing work from home, etc. have helped distract me from my head hunger.

@victoriaciminelli111 I am actually really scared to be on liquids for another 2 weeks after surgery because I'm already so over it. I honestly just miss having anything solid at a meal time... I am actually counting down the days until I can have pureed food at this point. I would eat the most bland, unappetizing foods just to have something solid if I could.

@HeatherE Wow that is amazing! Great work! My surgery is this Monday, March 15th. I'm really scared about all the changes and adjustments, but I know 1000% that I want to do this. My dietician told me an ideal weight for my height (5'3") is around 140 pounds... I can't even imagine myself that small! I've fluctuated between 190 and 220 for the past 6 years and I'm just over it.

Thank you, that makes me feel better!

I am on day 11 of my pre-op diet. It has been tough for sure. My recommendations are to get a variety of protein shake flavors, depending on what you like. Also get some savory options; I am SOOO tired of sweet things so broth has really helped. I'm also allowed to have tomato juice, so I have a serving of that everyday. I would say I mostly live on actual liquids - I eat about 1 serving of jello a day and I don't really eat many popsicles (mostly because I'm tired of everything sweet). I would also recommend getting some unflavored protein powder to add to your broth. I use Genepro. I also haven't minded the Unjury chicken soup flavor.

@Slownstedy I've lost about 7 pounds in the 10 days I've been on it, I do feel a little down about it, but I started at what is considered a lower weight (226 lbs).

I am not allowed to have any solids, so blending fruit with mine was not an option. I got really tired of sweet stuff, so I've started having broth throughout the day and a serving of tomato juice. However, I would check with your doctor/dietician to see what you are allowed per your plan. I'm on day 10 of my pre-op.... it definitely has been a struggle but we can do this!

@DoodlesMom I think I waited 1 and a half to 2 months for my initial consult with the surgeon. However, he is the only surgeon who does bariatric surgeries where I am going, so I assumed he had a lot of other patients and appointments, so I was okay with the wait.

My surgeons office states to absolutely not advance your diet without clearance. Maybe you could get ahold of your dietician for some advice or ideas? I was thinking the same thing @chiquitatummy said above - try adding different flavorings to your drinks. I had to start doing that because I'm beginning to struggle with the pre-op diet. @Glows my surgeon said it was okay to add Metamucil to my liquids, but maybe you'd want to ask yours about that.

I am about to have surgery (in 5 days) and I have had some of the same thoughts as you. However, I always go back and think to myself, "all my efforts to maintain a healthy weight on my own have failed, and I have been acquiring more and more weight-related health issues." Overall, I decided to view this almost as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' because of these reasons.

@OAGBPal I appreciate the humor in your response! I had a good laugh, which cheered me up. My only concerns are that I want to be as successful as possible because I've worked really hard to get here, so I want to follow my surgeon's plan as well as I can. Do I think a single cup of coffee will derail my progress and approval? No, but I am trying to make lifestyle changes and it is so hard. @chiquitatummy Thank you for your response, that does make a lot of sense now that you say it. Overall, I guess I will try a cup of hot herbal tea and see if that tricks my brain ?

Quick question... I understand all surgeons are different as are their plans. My surgeon is not allowing me to have caffeine on my pre-op diet. I am a teacher trying to make it through parent/teacher conference week on a liquid diet, little sleep, and no coffee. Does anyone know the reason for not having coffee/caffeine on the pre-op diet? I could use a hot cup right about now... ?

I am on day 8 of my pre-op liquid diet. I have done well...until yesterday. I'm not sure what came over me, but I ate an entire handful of almonds and immediately experienced immense regret. I know I need to follow this diet to shrink my liver, I have no excuses for what I did. I just feel ashamed and needed to get it off my chest!

@catwoman7 I just had my pre-op with my surgeon last week - I am fairly sure he said the fatality rate of the gastric sleeve is also 0.3%.

Congratulations!! My surgery is in a week, but I have to follow my liquid diet for 2 weeks after surgery keep us posted and good luck!

@PuraVida37 and @Cyt thanks for sharing your experiences. I have taken 2 weeks off so far and I will see how I’m feeling at my 1 week post op with my surgeon. Being a high school teacher, it is kind of nice because I can stay stationed in one area of my room and have my kids come to me for stuff or help me pass things out. I have been fibbing to some colleagues as well; I’ve told people I’m having a ulcer removed and they seem to believe it.

@Lahela my headache has gone, and I have a little bit of head hunger. However, that’s the least of my worries. I definitely thought fighting off head hunger would be the worst, but I am so exhausted. I really can’t remember the last time I was this tired. All I want to do is sleep. I’m starting to struggle with protein drinks - I get nauseous drinking them, probably because I’m so sick of them. My surgery is a week from Monday and I lost 5 pounds since this past Monday. I hope everything gets better for you as well!