I'm eating 1k calories and 80 carbs, laced with these sugar filled SlimFast shakes and bars. Working out 5x per week for an hour per shot.

AND NOT LOSING ANY WEIGHT

I know my body quite well - it's gone into starvation mode and holding on to whatever it can.

I joined up with the neighborhood 12-week Weight Loss Challenge, and I'll certainly be the laughing stock next week for my first weigh in.

But note: I'm following my pre-op diet to the letter.

I'm assuming this will continue after surgery for my 3-week liquid diet, too.

Instead of SlimFast try Boost, it is formulated for diabetics and has considerably less sugar.

The "myth" of "starvation mode" is popular, but the truth is that the body cannot reduce its metabolic rate low enough to offset caloric reduction - IF the caloric reduction is great enough, say 700-1000 calories. Take a real close look at your total caloric intake, it is probably higher than you think.

After surgery your food intake should be drastically reduced and therefor the caloric intake lower. I was getting only 300-400 calories for a few weeks. We typically have enough fat stores to make this a non-issue for a good while.

Slim fast is too many carbs and sugar crap. Go to Atkins bars/shakes if you want to stay in Shake/Bar mode. Bites of things will get add up. One goldfish cracker is 1 gram of carbs for example. Starvation mode happens later, and IMHO, can be broken by a day or two of higher calories, carbs, getting outta ketosis and then back to what you were doing before. (i haven't had surgery, it's just what I know)

Take a real close look at your total caloric intake, it is probably higher than you think.

Everything that goes into my mouth is recorded in my FatSecret journal. My calories/carbs are on track with the prescribed pre-op diet.

Slim fast is too many carbs and sugar crap. Go to Atkins bars/shakes if you want to stay in Shake/Bar mode.

My pre-op diet text:

1200 calories, 120 gm carbs -> lose 5% of starting weight

Use Slim Fast High Protein drinks or meal bars. You need to eat 3 meals and Snacks everyday.

You can have shakes/bars for any meal or snack when you are hungry.

Once per day you can allowed to have an actual meal within the guidelines provided.

Choose up to 5 Slim Fast High Protein shakes or meal bars per day. Always have a shake or bar for Breakfast when you wake up. Do not skip meals.

I ordered Atkins shakes to sub in for dinner. Plus I'm upping my protein with some Isopure zero carb soon. Hopefully this helps.

Guess I'll up my exercise too. A lot.

Kaiser does NOT recommend the following as Protein drinks

Slim Fast

Atkins

Special K Protein Water

Glucerna

Boost

Ensure

They DO recmmend others and I will list a few here:

unjury

EAS Premium Protein

Pro complex

Isopure powder (Zero or Low Carb)

Jay Robb

Premier Protein shakes (Costco_)

Those are just a few. Very important to cut carbs and sugars down. Hope it all works out.

I think you are doing great. I looked at your food journal, and it fits your docs plans to a tee. I know how frustrating it is to work so hard and not lose or even gain with no sense. Look at my weight chart on fat secret. It goes up and down wildly. Even after surgery, I stall and sputter my weight loss like an old run down car, BUT it is down. I am at my lowest weight in 12 years. Your body may not work like others before or after the surgery. stick it out, follow the plan, and your own ideals. The surgery will work. My heart ges out to you.

You also have to remember. The point of the pre-op diet is not to lose weight. It is to shrink the liver. Weight loss can just be a side effect of it. My doctor does not really like the slimfast shakes either.

Well I've lost 21 lbs in 21 days, so I can safely say that this pre-op diet works quite well. I just needed to be a little more patient for it to get ramped up.

Way to go Doug! I'm so happy for you. Keep up the good work and hang in there.

I have lost 9 lbs in 9 days. I bought the Protein shakes from the grocery store whey Protein 32 grams of protein 3 grams of carbs and make my own protein shakes. I have protein for breakfast, apple for snack, Atkins bar with 12 grams of protein for lunch, apple for afternnon snack and fish or chicken with green vegatable for dinner. 3 oz of meat and cup of vegatable. Basically I can eat anything that is on adkins as long as not fatty because it's supposed to be a liver shrinking diet. If hunger in the evening I will eat another bar. or a Protein Drink mixed with Water instead of skim milk. Oh yeah my morning one is mixed with skim milk. I feel great and the weight is falling off. Also, this may be TMI but my bowel movevements only happen every few days but I know on those days I am going to lose weight if you know I mean. I have alwasy suffered from irritable bowel but not on this diet. Hope that helps.

Tara

I am currently on a 2 week pre-op, full liquid diet that I will also be on 2 days after surgery for another 2 weeks. I decided (and told the nutritionist) that I would not be living on Protein shakes or powders. I will use them in a pinch, but choose to get my protein from puree meats.

At noon today I put some split pea Soup in my Magic Bullet along with some shredded chicken and a little Water. I heated this in the microwave and then pureed it. It was great and very satifying!

The other day I opened a can of Campbells Chunky Sirloin Burger soup (didn't have any homemade) and I added some shredded beef, heated it and then pureed it (yummy).

As for Protein Shakes I'll use Muscle Milk (ick) or Atkins (ick) when I have no place to heat soup or can't make on of my Carnation Instant Breakfast Shakes (yum). I add 2 Tbl of Non-fat dry milk flakes and 8 oz of milk. This is 18 grams of protein and it tastes really good for breakfast. You can also add egg beaters (1/2 c) to get 12 grams of protein.

I get the scoots if I try to just drink all protein shakes and I got sick of all the sweetness really fast!