Hello everyone. I have been following the forum now for about 5 months when I started the process of this surgery. I wanted to make sure I was a canidate and that my insurance covered it (It does!! 100%!! no deductible even). I have been approved and my surgery is scheduled for June 24th.

I am excited, but at the same time very scared. I think because I have failed so many times at this battle my mind has a hard time believing this is it...make sense? I have to start my pre-op liquid died the day I go in for teaching on the 11th, but I am going to start a pre pre-op diet today. My hope is to go through the withdrawls from sugar and cokes now rather than post op. I fear that if I do not do this now I will associate the withdrawl from food with my surgery and mistake it for a problem post surgery. I worry about the complications of surgery and if I am having terrible withdrawl from food I will assume something is wrong. Do I sound like a fool?? I just want to eat clean and healthy with no sugar, cokes, or gluten until the 11th when my liquid diet starts.

Any advice or thoughts on this from someone with experience? I do not want to "eat while I can" I want to get my head in the game now so that I am not stuggling as bad mentally once the time comes.

Thanks for your help!

Sounds to me like youre taking the right steps. Coming off the sodas is hard and you dont want to make yourself more miserable by having to be on nothing but a liquid diet and going thru those sort of withdrawls! Cutting out the carbonation now will be a great step in starting a healthy diet...start drinking a lot of water!!

I'd also get into the habit of not drinking anything 30 mins before or after you eat. After surgey, your ability to "hold" food is going to be so limited, you dont want that "space" being taken up by water, but by your proteins instead...but.. getting into the habit of drinking water is good now because eventually after surgery you want to work your way up to drinking 64 oz a day..and that can seem like a hard task post op especially after the first week.

Best of luck to you, sounds to me like this time isnt going to be a "failure" for you as you seem to really be making healthy, consious choices!

For a few weeks after I was sleeved I had vivid dreams about food, so believe me you're not the only one who has gone through food withdrawal. Even a few years out I still feel "nostalgia" about certain junk foods, but the desire to eat them quickly fades.

Once I started my pre-op diet something in me changed, I stuck to that diet religiously because I knew that that time is was for real, and getting my liver the right size could literally mean life or death for me.

You're stronger than you think you are, you'll come out of this on the other side. I guarantee it.

startingtolivenow, this is the same approach I took as well. I started working on the eating thing from the time I went to the NUT and really took her advice to heart. I actually felt like I was eating more becasue I started taking in 5-7 meals a day but they were really small and healthy (like greek yogurt, grilled chicken, Protein shakes, etc....). I also drank a lot of water!!!! If I felt hungry between meals, I would drink Water. The MIO water flavoring is great to help with the sweet tooth too.... I waited between 4-5 months from that initial meeting with the NUT but lost 30 lbs prior to my 2 weeks of pre-op diet. Once I got to the pre-op diet, there was no real transition because I was used to eating lots of small meals. But, regardless, the Optifast diet they had me on allowed me to lose another 20 lbs in those two weeks. In all I lost 50 before surgery just by changing eating habits because I think it really kickstarted my metabolism. This in turn carried over to post-op weight loss and I dropped 120 lbs or so in 6 month. I attribute it mostly to starting my body early!

I highly recommend starting now before you start the actual pre-op diet. Sounds like you are mentally on your way, good job!

Eazye. do u have before and after.pictures.on here?

Hello everyone. I have been following the forum now for about 5 months when I started the process of this surgery. I wanted to make sure I was a canidate and that my insurance covered it (It does!! 100%!! no deductible even). I have been approved and my surgery is scheduled for June 24th.

I am excited' date=' but at the same time very scared. I think because I have failed so many times at this battle my mind has a hard time believing this is it...make sense? I have to start my pre-op liquid died the day I go in for teaching on the 11th, but I am going to start a pre pre-op diet today. My hope is to go through the withdrawls from sugar and cokes now rather than post op. I fear that if I do not do this now I will associate the withdrawl from food with my surgery and mistake it for a problem post surgery. I worry about the complications of surgery and if I am having terrible withdrawl from food I will assume something is wrong. Do I sound like a fool?? I just want to eat clean and healthy with no sugar, cokes, or gluten until the 11th when my liquid diet starts.

Any advice or thoughts on this from someone with experience? I do not want to "eat while I can" I want to get my head in the game now so that I am not stuggling as bad mentally once the time comes.

Thanks for your help![/quote']

Hello, I'm new to this forum. I also get sleeved on the 24th and start my liquid diet on the tenth. My birthday and sons 8th grade graduation is on like you the 17, a wedding I'm attending is on the 14, my Sis in law college masters degree grad on the 15 &I can't eat anything so I'm gonna be in a struggle. But Im keeping my date so, oh well I have to deal with it but like you I'm excited and scared at the same time. I just can't wait to start my new venture on life, a more healthy life. I pray that everyone who is getting this done comes out safe and you you help this to work for you. Good luck

I am also scheduled for the 24th... I have been practicing smaller bites and drinks and chewing at least 30 times... Wow it is really hard... I will start my pre op diet the 12th... Good luck everyone! Failure is not an option

I did a pre-preop diet for three months prior to starting the actual preop.. I am so happy I did.. Not only did I lose a lot of weight, I really got a handle on my emotional eating during that time and it gave me a great deal of confidence that I could be successful with the surgery.

My pre-pre op diet was 800ish calories a day. 2-3 low carb high Protein shakes, one lean and green meal, and optional Snacks of half a piece of fruit, an egg, an ounce of nuts. I chose to drink juiced kale and ginger on most days in order to gain the anti-inflamatory benefits of these foods. Getting off the grains and sugars completely prior to surgery was AWESOME.

I am also scheduled for the 24th... I have been practicing smaller bites and drinks and chewing at least 30 times... Wow it is really hard... I will start my pre op diet the 12th... Good luck everyone! Failure is not an option

Lol I was doing that yesterday, the practicing of chewing. I was like omg and to do this forever it'll be s I'll worth it though. Good luck also

It's great that you're getting your head in the game! I dieted for 8 months prior to surgery and lost so much weight! About 2 months before surgery I started doing Meal Replacements with shakes until I was on liquids prior to surgery. I didn't have a food funeral or anything, but I did allow myself to indulge when the urge hit - which wasn't often. It sounds like you are serious about making a change, and I honestly think that's the most important part!! People who aren't fully committed are more likely to make mistakes, cheat, feel bad about it, and continue the cycle of abusing yourself with food! Good for you that you're wanting to commit to it now, not just after you have the surgery!

As far as bite sizes - Yes, it's important to practice, but I haven't had any issues with taking too big of a bite. My bites are smaller now than before, but not by a whole lot. Some people use baby spoons and such, but I just haven't had that issue with swallowing/digesting that others do. it's nice to practice these things and be aware of them, but the surgery affects people differently. It's fantastic to be as aware of what you might need to do, but I don't think a ton of practice as far as that goes is necessary (unless your prior habits included shoveling food in and swallowing without chewing, lol).

Good luck!

I had surgery 5/2/13, down 32lbs!

Hello everyone. I have been following the forum now for about 5 months when I started the process of this surgery. I wanted to make sure I was a canidate and that my insurance covered it (It does!! 100%!! no deductible even). I have been approved and my surgery is scheduled for June 24th.

I am excited' date=' but at the same time very scared. I think because I have failed so many times at this battle my mind has a hard time believing this is it...make sense? I have to start my pre-op liquid died the day I go in for teaching on the 11th, but I am going to start a pre pre-op diet today. My hope is to go through the withdrawls from sugar and cokes now rather than post op. I fear that if I do not do this now I will associate the withdrawl from food with my surgery and mistake it for a problem post surgery. I worry about the complications of surgery and if I am having terrible withdrawl from food I will assume something is wrong. Do I sound like a fool?? I just want to eat clean and healthy with no sugar, cokes, or gluten until the 11th when my liquid diet starts.

Any advice or thoughts on this from someone with experience? I do not want to "eat while I can" I want to get my head in the game now so that I am not stuggling as bad mentally once the time comes.

Thanks for your help![/quote']

Hi I am Tammy I am June 17 th. I'm on the protein already too. I hate it. I seem to never get full on this stuff. Plus I guess I'm just ready. I been waiting almost a year. Getting a little nervous. I just want this part over. We all are thinking the same thing. Yeah I agree with the feelings of failure and worry. Keep your head up it will be fine .we will all be fine.it won't be long now.

The pre op diet is great if you take it to heart. It really can prepare you for many of the changes that lie ahead.

I tried to eat like I'd already had surgery. I drank 3 cups of milk a day with fiber, drank lots of water, and gave up eating/drinking at the same time, etc. I also substituted my fast food habit with Wendy's chili. I ate that a lot!! I lost 45 lbs prior to surgery.

I also felt mentally prepared when I came hope from the hospital. It's been smooth so far, 3 weeks post op.

P.S. the doc shortened my liquid diet prior to surgery to 1 week since I'd done so well on the diet. That was a huge victory.