On my list of things to do before I can get a surgery date is lose 10% of my body weight, or 36 pounds. My question is...how did you do it before your surgery? Any help is appreciated: meal ideas, carb/calorie info, etc. Thank you! (I'm self-pay; the weight loss is doctor's order, not a requirement from an insurance company.)

I have a few suggestions based on things I've done in the past. 1. Medifast (check it out at medifast1.com) I did well on it, and the weight loss is fast. 2. Go to a clinic and get the weight loss shots and the prescription appetite suppressant, it is fast and effective (but not for long term). 3. Atkins, or South Beach or any other low carb diet. Low carb melts weight very fast.

Stop drinking soft drinks, if you do. Even diet drinks. Eliminate carbs as much as possible (potatoes, rice, Pasta, bread, etc.) Up your Protein and try to replace one or two meals with Protein shakes. Look up diet plans for Atkins or South Beach (as SophiaJaneB recommended).

Basically, try to change your diet to what it will be after surgery. You can do this. Good luck!

It Medifast is too pricey, the Atkins shakes with scoop of flax powder will do the job. The flax adds bulk for a feeling of fullness, plus it cleanses your digestive tract. Also I added Milk thistle tea to my diet (at least one cup per day with regular green tea and honey & lemon) Milk thistle is supposedly good for your liver (do your own research on this as always), but I found it very helpful.

I only had to lose 15 lbs for my pre-op and that was not 10% of my body weight. Each doc is so different, but my doctor said a minimum of 15 lbs, but he wanted me to get as much off as I could prior to surgery.

One piece of advice from me (I dropped 25 pounds before my surgery) is to use MyFitnessPal.com. It is (to me) the best way to keep track of what you eat, and how much you eat. I honestly did not realize how many calories and related items (carbs, Proteins, etc) I was taking in a day until I started recording everything I ate and drank. This one thing really was a huge help to me.

Just to let you know, I did NOT do any fancy diet plans. I ate what I wanted to watching portions (portion control) and making sure I did not go over my calories. If you want to start having a support system, click the link in my signature.

Once you're on it, try to stick to the calories it recommends. As you lose weight you will be asked to adjust your calorie intake.

Another bit of advice: Exercise. I don't care if you simply take a stroll around the block or do what I did and build yourself up to walking 5 miles or biking 10 miles at a time. Simply start moving. This will help tremendously.

You CAN do this, if you WANT to. I wanted to and did.

Eric

The liquid diets work but they are, of course, difficult to maintain for extended amounts of time. I managed to lose 20+ lbs a month on liquid diets in the past. One time, I only drank wonderslim shakes and another time, I lived on juiced fruits and vegetables. The Atkins and Scarsdale diets are also effective.

I managed to drop 25 in two weeksand I didn't think I could.

What I did:

No "last meals" just hit start and go.

Use my fitness pal, set your goal at 1000 calories.

Drink a slim fast for breakfast and for lunch, do not skip!

Give your fridge and pantry inventory away. All of it!

Go shopping, spend 100 bucks on slim fast, chicken brest, lean pork frozen veggies etc.

Eat a 500 calorie dinner. Protein first. ( if you research 500 calories meals you will be surprised what you can actually eat on 500 calories!)

Exercise 1 hr a day, I swam laps.

First four days will be suicidal. By day 10 you'll be satisfied with a 500 calorie dinner. Best of luck! If I can manage this anyone can!

This sounds like a great plan

Atkins is actually very effective for quick and dramatic weight loss. You can get all the info on their website. You'll do 2 weeks of induction for maximum loss and then what they call ongoing weight loss. This diet works well for many men, as you can still have enough food to stay full...as you probably know, this is a very low carb diet.

Good Luck!

I managed to drop 25 in two weeksand I didn't think I could.

What I did:

No "last meals" just hit start and go.

Use my fitness pal' date=' set your goal at 1000 calories.

Drink a slim fast for breakfast and for lunch, do not skip!

Give your fridge and pantry inventory away. All of it!

Go shopping, spend 100 bucks on slim fast, chicken brest, lean pork frozen veggies etc.

Eat a 500 calorie dinner. Protein first. ( if you research 500 calories meals you will be surprised what you can actually eat on 500 calories!)

Exercise 1 hr a day, I swam laps.

First four days will be suicidal. By day 10 you'll be satisfied with a 500 calorie dinner. Best of luck! If I can manage this anyone can![/quote']

This sounds doable. Thanks!

Thank you all for your help!

It Medifast is too pricey' date=' the Atkins shakes with scoop of flax powder will do the job. The flax adds bulk for a feeling of fullness, plus it cleanses your digestive tract. Also I added Milk thistle tea to my diet (at least one cup per day with regular green tea and honey & lemon) Milk thistle is supposedly good for your liver (do your own research on this as always), but I found it very helpful.

I only had to lose 15 lbs for my pre-op and that was not 10% of my body weight. Each doc is so different, but my doctor said a minimum of 15 lbs, but he wanted me to get as much off as I could prior to surgery.[/quote']

My doc said that men with a BMI approaching 50 or higher are the highest risk patients, which is why I have to lose 10%. I'm willing to do ANYTHING to make sure this process is as safe as possible. Thanks for the Atkins shake/flax seed hint! :-)

Definitely Atkins is a good choice. I was successful the first time losing 50 lbs in 2.5 mo!! Of coarse then I got prego and here I am. But for u the weight will come off fast and fairly easy. Take the time to read about the diet and follow it. The first week is kinda hard , getting those carb cravings out but you will find u will start to feel better and there are so many other things to eat and you WONt be hungry. Good luck!!

Another question. I do great all day, but once 9:00 hits, I feel like I'll die if I don't eat something bad! What do you do for nighttime hunger?

I found just a SMALL handful of peanuts to work for me. High in Protein and some of the fats you actually need, so it satisfies. Just be mindful of the quantities and don't graze. I have lost 47 pounds since February, so mine's been a little slower than what you might be looking for, but I did look for opportunities at every meal. We have a little grill/cafe at work and one thing I did when I couldn't take something from home was order a grilled chicken breast with mushrooms and onions, and asked the chef to use only enough oil to actually sautee the veggies. No sides. I was trying to A) limit the size of my meals, get in plenty of protein, C) shrink my stomach, and D) get my mind used to the idea of smaller meals.

Lifelong habits to unlearn:

A) you do NOT have to clear your plate

you do NOT have to eat anytime someone offers you food

C) that blasted food pyramid we were taught as kids

Other suggestions here were excellent as well. For Protein Bars, I prefer the Pure Protein versions (available at Wal-Mart) to the Adkins, but that's just a taste issue. I agree STRONGLY on the soda issue. Even diet sodas have been shown to screw with your blood sugar and appetite. I do not drink iced tea either, because I don't like it unsweet. I do thankfully like black coffee. I know that after surgery I cannot eat and drink at the same time, but for now Water is your friend. Drink plenty, because it helps you to feel fuller and will help flush the toxins out of your system as you burn the fat.

Good luck, my friend, you (WE) can do this!