Struggling with pre-op weight loss

[KarenLoh 128]

I have had a lot of difficulty losing weight during my "evaluation phase" and I also scored poorly on psychological tests in the area of projected ability to stick with the diet post-op. Has anyone else struggled with compliance before being scheduled for surgery? I am working very hard at it and seeing a therapist and feel I am making good progress but I occasionally mess up and the weight stays on.

Maybe I'm not ready for the surgery if I can't do this pre-op. I have been on strict liquid diets in the past (Optifast) and loved not eating at all and felt great but this has been difficult.

Any encouragement or suggestions welcome.

[saj54539@yahoo.com 8]

I also have not been able to loose weight pre-op. In fact, they postponed my surgery until I am able to loose some weight. I also see a therapist which helps, but for whatever reason, I can't seem to live without the comfort food. Somehow or another we will have to find a way to do this...I would welcome any suggestions as well.

[drmeow 323]

@@KarenLoh, are you required to lose a certain amount before your surgery? It all depends on both your doctor and your insurance company. Mine doesn't care if I don't lose, as long as I don't gain any more (in fact I can't lose very much or my insurance may not cover me, as my BMI was "only" 39.7 at the start but I do have some comorbidities)

My nutritionist at each appointment makes some goals for me to meet - mostly these deal with "how" I am eating, less so on what I eat. So, for example, I'm supposed to be working on stopping the grazing and eating only meals and a planned snack. Can you focus on something like that first, and not beat yourself up over what you're eating? I've been trying to break down my overeating into different habits and work on them one at a time

snacking, esp grazing all day long

eating while I'm on the computer, reading or driving

wanting something sweet right after I eat

grabbing candy when I'm out shopping.

I gave up candy for Lent, so that part is taken care of. I am hoping when Lent is over I will have broken that habit for good.

I am still working on the snacking but have made progress on not eating while on the computer or reading.

If I want something sweet after a meal, I either have a pickle (sour sort of counteracts the sweet craving) or part of an Atkins bar.

I have been successful at increasing my Water intake, but have not yet worked on not drinking with meals - next thing to do!

hth

[KarenLoh 128]

drmeow, I have to lose 10 pounds by a certain date to show them I can follow a regular eating plan after the surgery. I lost 6.5 pounds the first two weeks then gained back 5 the next two weeks. :::sigh:::

I am also doing what you are doing - cutting out the grazing and giving up sweets. I am trying really hard to only eat three meals a day but I get really hungry in the late morning and in the evening and last night I went to bed at 7:30pm because I couldn't stand it. On the sweets my rule is "no sweet binge sneaks" so if I'm with people and they are sharing a dessert I will have a bite or two because it's not sneaking and it's not a binge. I'm thinking this is more difficult than just going cold turkey but I'm trying it for now.

Today was a good day on the scale so I'm hopeful for the next two appointments that I will reach the 10 pound goal. Then I need my psychiatrist to be convinced that I'm ready and we can schedule the surgery. Fhew. It will be a year since I started this whole thing before those two things are done. The weight loss clinic mistakenly had me in the "no surgery" category for months before it was found out to be a mistake in their records so that really screwed me up. But maybe I needed that time after all.

Doing well on the eating now and feeling good about it.

[Monster 1]

I'm right here with you guys. My Nut want me to loose 10 pounds before surgery. I have cut all the breads out. No candy fried foods. And 2/3 soda consumption. Some days are harder than other. But I stay focused and don't let this diet rule me.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@drmeow Great advice! I needed to hear that. Thank you!

[Dee56 5]

Hi

I am at the same stage as you where l did Optifast for 2 weeks and lost 10lbs but for the last 2 weeks l have struggled with weight loss. Just keep in mind we want this surgery and have come this far in our journey to give up..... keep focused dont beat yourself up we can do this

[anaxila 501]

I didn't lose a thing during my 6 months of nutritional counseling. I only started to lose weight during the 2-week countdown to surgery. My surgeon wants all of his patients to lose 5% of their body weight prior to surgery: in my case, 15 pounds. I managed to burn off 13 pounds in a last-ditch effort in the 2 weeks pre-op diet, and then they didn't even weigh me that day. D'oh!

My nutritionist worked hard to motivate me, but at the end she shifted gears towards shoring up my resolve and plan for post-op rather than trying to get me to lose pre-op. The team told me repeatedly that there is absolutely zero relationship between pre-op weight loss and post-op success. The ability to lose weight during pre-op has no predictive value to how you will do post-op, according to the scientific literature.

@@KarenLoh, I'd dig a little deeper into the psych eval that concluded you would have low projected ability to stick with the program post-op. Were there any suggestions on how to address that, or any particular areas of concern you can deal with or education elements you could correct? It seems like that might be fertile ground for further investigation.

This is a great time to adjust your habits in small ways. Tackle one habit at a time, and take time to really nail it before moving on to the next one. My weakness is eating out, with particular risk of fast food drive-thru. I limited my stops to a certain number per week, then cut it lower and lower until it was gone. Same with Diet Coke (my kryptonite!). I switched to Diet Pepsi (blech!) to consume less diet soda right away, then limited it to certain times of the day, certain quantities overall, and then gone completely. Don't feel like you need to tackle every bad habit at the same time, or you will struggle like we all do with every other "cold turkey" approach to dieting.

Good luck!

Edited March 29, 2015 by anaxila

[KarenLoh 128]

there is absolutely zero relationship between pre-op weight loss and post-op success. The ability to lose weight during pre-op has no predictive value to how you will do post-op, according to the scientific literature.

Good luck!

That is so interesting and encouraging. I feel like I've got 90% of what I need to be successful post op and one of the missing pieces is the physical hunger I feel now that drives me to bed to keep from eating more at night.

They did NOT give me any suggestions about how to get that 10 pounds off other than the routine NUT stuff, avoid this, eat that. My work with my personal therapist has helped tremendously and I have lost a few pounds in the last two weeks. Hopefully will have a decent weigh-in tomorrow.

Keeping on.

[KarenLoh 128]

I did okay. Down 3 lbs of fat, 7 to go to "prove" I can lose 10 pounds. Have been consistently eating 1,500 calories and that has left me HUNGRY most of the day. The NUT agreed there's not much I can do - spreading out the calories to more smaller meals won't reduce the hunger really. My MD put me on Prilosec and Tums for the hunger but so far that has not reduced the hunger much. It's 9:45am right now and I had a good Breakfast and am HUNGRY again. Long time until lunch. My therapist recommends "dedicating the suffering" to someone else who is suffering more. Interesting psychological experiment I guess. Will have to work on that since nothing else seems to do it.

Thanks for the support and encouragement.

[Mswonderwoman22 2]

Honestly hun of course Loosing weight is not easy and you think to yourself I am setting weightloss goals for weight loss surgery? really so it is discouraging and I went through pre-op procedure over 4 times before I went completely completing the whole thing. I am now just waiting for my surgery date trust me it is no walk in the park I was also diagnosed with sleep apnea and I need to use my cpap mask for surgery so there are people who have more difficult time than other and still go through surgery. So I believe in you do not quit. I wish the best of luck I was supposed to loose 33 pounds and I lost a total 17lbs which was not easy but I did it. And now I am just waiting for my date. Good LUCK!!!

[RhiettaP 0]

My coordinator had me use It Works products (I'm 5 years out). I had to lose 25lbs pre-op and she had me use "Fat Fighter" and "Thermo Trim" on the occasion that I HAD (we all have our moments) to blow my diet. I also used a "cleanse" (it did NOT give me the runs) called Greens (8 full servings of fruits and vegetables...you just mix it with 8oz of Water....30 calories)...the greens helped the urge to snack (I'm a grazer).

I still drink the greens on a daily basis (I started drinking them with my Water right after surgery too). I use about 10 of their products...they sell Protein too, but I find it's over the top expensive and I can find comparable (if not better Protein shakes) elsewhere.

At the time I didn't know it was a DTS company, but the products worked and because my Dr.'s office were suggesting them...I used them.

I signed up to be a distributor so I could get wholesale pricing (about 3 years ago)....if you want to look at their products (you don't have to order from me) or want to use them (I suggest you become a distributor so all the money you spend goes back into your own pocket).

Anyways...if you want to look around .... www.miraclewrapswithrhietta.myitworks.com

[zanderman 41]

I, too, am having a difficult time dropping those pre surgery pounds. Honestly, if it weren't for MyFitnessPal, it would be even more difficult. I've fallen off the wagon, and there's something about seeing that calorie total that has kept me on the wagon in other moments of weakness. I highly recommend it - it's a free app, and it works if you use it.

Keep your head up - we're going to get through this!

[tanya131313 5]

I just started my 2 weeks liquid diet and my surgery is April 23rd. Question? My friend had bypass done in February and she told me that was ate hard boiled egg whites (no yolk) throughout the 2 week liquid diet. She said her surgery was fine and the doctor said everything looked good. Has anyone else tried egg whites or other alternatives?

[KarenLoh 128]

Well I had a really good weigh-in yesterday - down 3.5 total, 5.5 fat to 401 pounds. Still need 5 more pounds per the psychologist but the MD wants to over-ride her and send me on to the surgeon for a consult. I go back in three weeks to meet with both the MD and psychologist but the MD is going to start the insurance process now. I feel I have made huge strides in the last month and am ready for this transition now. I agree maybe I wasn't back in February but have done a lot of work with my therapist and read a lot on here that has gotten me motivated and on-track.

I also have been using "My Plate" on my phone to track everything I eat. It has been very motivating and my daily calories range from 1200 to 1800. I am also taking omeprazole and tums to fight hunger since my MD feels my extreme hunger is because of stomach acid - which since the meds take it from a 9 to a 5, I think it must be true.

So the tracking online and the meds are great but the therapy is the thing that has helped me stop the binges all together and plan on a life after the surgery that is healthy and safe. Things are moving forward!