Surgeon wants me to lose 55 pounds before surgery

[Heidela71 18]

My surgeon wants me to lose 55 pounds before surgery. I have already lost about half, but I am struggling. She wants me on a liquid pre-op diet until my surgery (which should be in Feb. or Mar.) I am struggling so much right now. It was easy at first, but after 8 weeks of Premier Protein shakes, the idea of drinking them is enough to make me gag. I am extremely heavy, so I understand that it will make my surgery go easier if she has room to move her tools (I have chosen laproscopic RNY,) and that requires a significant weight loss so my belly area will not be so tightly packed with fat around my organs. On the other hand, I feel that if I could lose such a significant amount of weight on my own, I wouldn't need to have surgery.

Has anyone else had a significant weight loss required of them before surgery? How do you handle head hunger? I had some recent stressful events occur recently, and I never thought I was an emotional eater but after this liquid diet I realize I do eat to stuff my emotions down. I'm doing my best to deal with my emotions instead, especially anger, but I still find myself searching for something to eat.

Thank you for any input or advice you all can give me.

Heide

[CharlotteWebb 275]

All of your efforts will pay off soon enough. Don't give up! You've got this!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Wow that is a lot of weight pre-op. I wish I had some miracle response but I don't. This is called "white knuckling" it. Yours is lasting a lot longer than others are. Mine were only a week at a time.

You might need to find a hobby to occupy your mind for the next few months. What do you like to do? Is there something you have been thinking about starting up?

As far as if you could do this on your own why do you need surgery, well losing weight and keeping it off post op is easier than if you never had surgery. It's never EASY but it is easiER ... The first few months you will see weight literally melt off with minimal effort, however you will still need to stay on track because this will change over time and you won't want to have to get back on track just to keep losing weight.

Best of luck to you.

[Heidela71 18]

Thank you for your responses. I have been looking for a forum for bariatric patients, and there seems to be quite a few, but none as active and supportive as this one. I truly appreciate that there is also a place here for people who have not yet had surgery, but are preparing for it.

I'm scared I won't get this weight off before my surgery because the endocrinologist at the Oregon Weight Loss Surgery clinic told me that in six years they have had to close up two people without performing the surgery because the surgeon could not get to the areas she needed due how tightly packed with fat all of the organs were. She needs room to move her tools in a laproscopic surgery. I don't want to be the third person.

I also need to get back to moving/ exercising. Even as heavy as I am, I've had an active job and I think that has kept away most co-morbidities that people my size experience. I do have high blood pressure, and bad joints, but up until I injured my knee, I was mobile. My weight is hindering my recovery and I've been doing more sitting than I have ever in my life I think. It scares me to death that I won't be able to walk around, and that's what has kept me going so far. I'm afraid I'm getting used to the reduced activity. I need to remember that fear, and also perhaps make a physical list of the reasons why I'm doing this, that I can look to when I'm struggling like I am.

"White Knuckling" is a pretty apt description. It's frustrating that I'm being asked to lose more than 10% of my weight before surgery. What's more frustrating is that I only had 21 pounds to go, and now it is probably more than 30 because I fell off the wagon. I only know one person who knows what it's like to be this heavy, and not one person who knows what this process is like. Thank you again for being here.

PS I just reread my post, and I'm sorry if it seems erratic an all over the place, but that's where my head is at the moment.

[Mommabird 367]

With your knee injury, you might consider Water aerobics. I have arthritis and had to quit conventional exercise. I've been taking Water aerobics classes for over three years. I move so much better now than when I started. You will definitely burn some calories without putting stress on your knee. I go to the YMCA for my classes but I know many health clubs offer water classes.

Good luck and stay positive!!!