I had my first meeting with my NUT on Tuesday which also officialy marked day 1 of 90 to be approved by my insurance.

I expected to be given a TON of information, including a program to follow during the next 90 days, I was underwhelmed and honestly a bit disappointed. I answered questions I'd already answered at the original consult with the surgeon and was not provided with anything more than generic information I'd already learned on my own with the help of Google. I had to straight up ask her what I need to be doing the next 90 days and how much they'd like me to lose. I was told that as long as I don't gain anything I'm good, and if I see I'm up a pound or 2 soon before the 90 day appointment, to give her a call and she'll guide me through a Protein diet for a day or so to shed those few pounds.

I have been on Weight Watchers for a while but "fell of the wagon" in the last few weeks since I thought starting Tuesday, I'd be really getting into this new program. She said I should just get back on track with that, which I guess I'll do, but I also want to start incorporating post-op routines so it isn't a total shock to my system.

I want to start trying Protein shakes to get a feel for what I may like. I also have a hard time getting lunch in, so I was thinking I could use them as a Meal Replacement of sorts for the time being.

Any advice on protein? Brands? Flavored vs. unflavored to add to yogurt? What other things should I start focusing on?

mine had me give up carbonated drinks, gradually wean myself off caffeine so I'd be off of it completely before I had surgery, gradually increase my Protein and decrease my carbs, and practice chewing 30 times before swallowing. She also wanted me to practice not eating and drinking at the same time. I was already eating pretty healthy food (sounds like maybe you were as well), so she seemed to be focusing more on behavioral things to get me used to what I'd be doing post-surgery.

Things to do:

* Start attending Bariatric Surgery Support Group meetings. They are generally monthly and free.

* Experiment with various Protein shakes. I found "Muscle Milk Light" Protein powder (vanilla Creme) to be good. I also recommend getting a blender (Ninja with single serving size mixing cup) to mix the powder. Realize that your taste buds may dramatically change right after surgery so this initial research may need further experimentation after surgery.

* Give up caffeine. When I went cold turkey, I suffered a week of withdrawal syndrome (severe headaches, body aches). You do not want to compound the effects of surgery with the affects of this withdrawal.

* Give up all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds on this change alone during pre-op.

* Walk 30 minutes every day. It will make the recovery process go a lot smoother and you will feel a lot less pain and soreness.

* A few weeks before surgery, they should give you a day long class that will include vast amounts of detail on program requirements. It is very overwhelming.

* After surgery the most critical requirements of the program are meeting the daily protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary. Your body will be converting stored fat into the energy that drives your body - thus you will lose weight. I had RNY surgery and one of the surprises was that after surgery I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to lost the weight when hunger was not constantly, continuously gnawing at my bones.

Your NUTS instructions sound very similar to mine.

Here are some of the things I did pre-op to prepare.

-weaned myself off of caffeine and carbonation gradually

-increased my Water consumption

-practiced slowing down and eating mindfully

-tried some Protein shakes (you can order sample packs from various manufacturers -- some free and some for a small price)

-started gathering supplies (food scale, measuring implements, small dishes and storage containers)

-took a Multivitamin, D3, and Iron supplement as instructed by my doctor and surgeon

-exercised at least an hour every day. I had mobility issues so I got an exercise pedaler to pedal with my hands while watching tv. I also got some exercise bands and light-weight Dumbbells

and

-read and learned as much as I could about the surgery

You have plenty of things you can do without following a strict diet before surgery. Your pre-op diet will get here soon enough.

Only a 3 month pre-op diet - you're lucky! I had to do mine for 6 months.

My NUT essentially put me on the Atkins diet, with the main factor just keeping carbs below 20g/day, and eat mostly Protein. She told me not to track other nutritional stats other than the carbs since that is what shrinks the liver. And, like you, I was told that while they wanted to see me lose about 15lbs, as long as I didn't gain weight from my initial weigh-in I was good.

I did Inspire whey protein (favorites being Peanut Butter chocolate, Double Chocolate, and the latte one). After that, I just simply at steak, chicken, seafood, etc.

Good luck with the diet and the approval!

Congratulations on taking steps to get healthier! I think your plan to add more Protein is a good one especially as the meal replacement.

Protein drinks are tricky because everyone has their own taste and that can change drastically after this surgery so I would not invest a fortune in powders and such.

Also if you are a busy person and do not want to fool around with blender cups or actual blenders I would recommend giving Premier Protein ready made shakes a try. They are excellent for post surgery as well. There is no grit, no nasty taste, in fact they are actually very good. They have 30 grams of protein in 1 shake, 1 gram of sugar and are 160 calories.

I turned to them post surgery when I could not tolerate most of the whey protein powders. My nut suggested them and I am thrilled she did.

You can get them in smaller packs at Walmart and Walgreens or you can buy them at a higher discounted rate and larger quantities at Sam's and costco.

Some of the others that are more tolerable is the syntax nectars. These are a powder and you need to use a blender cup to ensure you don't end up with that grit.

Leverage things like yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds to help boost your protein as well.

Focus your meals on lower carb, high protein. Leverage good carbs like fruit and vegetables. Stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, white potatoes.

Leverage Beans, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, cauliflower.....pretty much any vegetables you love. Salads with some protein make an excellent well balanced meal, just watch your dressing to make sure it is not loaded with too much sugar.

The goal is to remove as much sugar and bad carbs from your diet.

Remove all processed foods from your house. They are not something you will be able to eat after surgery. Honestly they are so very bad for us.

If you drink caffeine or alcohol you might want to stop that now because you will be required to at pre op diet and beyond.

My nut had me practicing mindful eating, getting my Water intake up to 64oz. Per day, eating slowly, not drinking anything when you eat and removing all distractions.

I hope some of this is helpful to you! Please keep us posted on your progress!