....is awesome! I was so so so nervous...after all, going to a nutritionist was like my worst nightmare. I pictured being scolded for a decade of poor choices, failed diets and lack of enough exercise. I was afraid I would just be looked at as lazy for not losing the weight on my own. It was beyond the exact opposite of what I'd envisioned. She was sweet, caring, understanding, and encouraging. We wrote down my goals, and she said she can see me losing my first 100 pounds in the first year after surgery! She seemed to know exactly how to explain how my quality of life will change after surgery as it applied to ME (being able to ride roller coasters, keeping up with my daughter, fitting into a theater seat comfortably, etc.) She brought me to tears with her words of hope and her faith in me. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I am now more convinced than ever that it will be worth it. I am SO excited for this journey to begin!!!

You are lucky - all I get is one GROUP consult before and one after. I don't agree with that, but I guess I'll go and see if it is as ineffective as it sounds. Maybe it will be a really small group! Fingers crossed!

You are lucky - all I get is one GROUP consult before and one after. I don't agree with that, but I guess I'll go and see if it is as ineffective as it sounds. Maybe it will be a really small group! Fingers crossed!

My doctor requires that I see the nutritionist once prior to surgery, 2 weeks post op, then once a month for a year after surgery. I was a little annoyed at first about that, but now I'm happy and can't wait to share my progress with her each time I go in. None of the nutritionist's fees are accepted by insurance so I have to pay out of pocket ($550 covers the year), but it already seems like it's worth it.

Good luck at your group meeting. You never know, you might like it and meet some interesting people. I was not thrilled about the nutritionist, either. Hopefully it turns out well for you! Let us know how it goes!

I was fortunate to have a great team at the Kaiser Options program beginning last September 2011 - classes once a week with a group, 6 sessions with the nutritionist and 6 with a behavioral therapist to help us uncover the emotional components of our eating habits and getting us ready to deal with many life situations and life after surgery. The nutritionist guided each of us in our pre-op weight loss (10% loss expected prior to surgical approval) I was started on 1400-1600 calories for 4 weeks, 1200-1400 for the next 4 weeks, and then 1200 from that point forward. It helped alot to do the tracking and at that time keeping a manual log, eventually I moved over to myfitnesspal.com, it's easy and the database has tons of values already there for you to just click the button.

Today I'm six weeks out from surgery and from last Fall, I am down 60 pounds. The weight has come off slow but steady, even after surgery, but I am making subtle changes that I hope will increase the rate of my loss, mainly cutting carbs and increasing physical activity. Mostly I was doing daily walks on my breaks, and I bought some resistance bands to use at home, and a couple of exercise DVD's including Richard Simmons - Sweatin to the Oldies. Anything to get that heart pumping and burn some extra calories.

You sound like you have a good attitude. Keep that up and try hard to follow any plans your medical team has for you. Good Luck!

Im grateful for my skilled surgeon but I am blessed that he teams with an AMAZING nut! With my surgery we have 2 years of access to a NUT via email or appointments. Pretty darn handy when you are transitioning foods or want to verify your diet.

Keep in mind that if your program doesnt have the nutritional support you want, you can always hire an outside NUT through your gym or even craigslist. After the surgery and the physical healing, proper nutrition is the most importaint thing we have to do & learn about.

Hurray for good aftercare & support!