Hi guys, Im new to the site but really glad I found it. Maybe some of you can relate to the madness as well.

I've pretty much met all the insurance requirements for the surgery. The only hurdle in my way at this point is losing the 30lbs my surgeon wants me to lose:( Been on a supervised liquid diet for 3wks now and have not stuck with it the whole time.

I've been inconsistent. I'll have shakes for most of the day but always find myself getting Mickey Ds or take out. Bottom line, Im a CHEATER! As an admitted food addict and binge eater, I knew the whole diet wouldnt be a breeze.

But Im beyond stressed about this whole thing, reading stories of ppl who went under thinking they'd come out with a sucessful surgery only to find out that the surgeon scrapped the procedure cause the liver was still too fatty.

Breaking up with food has been harder then I thought. The emotional attachment of it all is so strong, sometimes I think its stronger then my will to get through to the othe side of surgery.

Anyone else having emo issues sticking to the diet?? Please share your thoughts, good or bad.

PEACE and BLESSINGS

From your pretty avatar picture, you look like a human, not a robot.

Humans make mistakes, we learn from them.

Must you be on a full liquid diet this long or could a modified diet work to lose weight to give the surgeon more room to work, shrink your liver, prove to the surgeons you can lose weight, etc., with using a liquid diet the last week or two? That needs to be discussed with your surgeon & PCP.

Speaking only for the VSG, which is what I had, most of the Ghrelin (hunger hormone) is gone with the ~75% of the stomach that is removed, but hunger will start to return after the honeymoon period post WLS is over.

The surgery can't change bad eating habits, we need to. I have confidence you can too. Post surgery requires eating differently (although we can enjoy all foods (at the appropriate phases), just some less frequently and for all, in smaller quantities) making sure we get the proper nutrition, Protein and hydration, and exercise.

If there are any issues why you turn to food to deal with stress, etc., you should address those because they may not go away after surgery.

Congratulations on the effort you have been making so far!

Edited November 1, 201510 yr by 4MRB4PHOTO

I do not start my liquid diet untill nov 16 th. One thing i have learned thru all this is that i have a strong will. I had to quit smoking thru this and have already got rid of my clothes. So i can not give advice on the fast food issue because i have not got there yet. But i can say keeping busy, talking about things i have been thru this far. And sometimes even just taking a nap if me telling myself that i really didnt want that cig or could never wear those clothes again. That would help. Another hard thing i have been thru was when i got my surgery date all of a sudden i craved several reateraunts, along with ice cream from baskin robins and cheeaecake from cheesecake factory. I have passed these places by and just told myself i really did not need to go there cus it was on the other side of the road or oops i missed the driveway or just simply cus i want to be well again. The hardest time was when my grandbaby said she wanted ice cream. I passed it and told her that the doctor said nanny cant have ice cream. She said why nanny? I said well remember nanny has to go to the doctor and get those big shots and she said yes. I said well its so nanny dont have to go to the doctor and get a bunch of shots anymore. She said nanny after your big shots you dont have to have shots no more? I told her not very many. She said good you dont get ice cream. I want to see my granbabies grow up. By the way my big shots is my surgery. She would not understand it any other way but big shots. ???? so maybe use excuses as we all did when we justified something bad for us. Maybe turn them around to be something good for us. Good luck and pass that mickey ds up u can do this.

This may be a very fortunate thing that you are finding out how difficult of a time you are having emotionally. I would start researching ways to cope with stressors and emotions without food. If possible, I would also talk with a therapist as well. Make sure that you are truly ready for the changes that this surgery is going to require for you to be successful in the long term. Even if you aren't truly ready right now (I can't make a judgement on that at all), that doesn't mean that it won't happen. I would just encourage you to take an honest look and evaluate if you are going to get the most mileage out of your surgery- most people only have one shot at the "honeymoon phase." It can also be dangerous if you are not able to adhere to the post-op diet as your new tummy heals.

There are a lot of changes (diet, behaviors, attitudes, emotions, physical changes, etc.) that are taking place all at one time and it is going to be to your benefit if you can sort out your emotional stuff soon. By the time I went on my 4 week preop diet, I had already been working on a 6 month supervised diet where I had begun to make some of the changes like cutting down on carbs, meeting Protein goals, getting my Water in, chewing like crazy, etc. That made it much easier when the liquid diet did roll around (no cheats! and I'm still proud about that, lol). It is not easy to change and I remember wondering how I would ever be able to stop eating the foods I loved and how I could make it through stress and the other feelings without ever caving into my reliance on food to help me through those things, but it did happen once I was sleeved. I still worry about how maintenance will be- for me it helps to be in a regular food routine- without it I struggle/stress over it too much. Anyway, best of luck to you. You can and will do it- just take your time and don't rush the process.

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement:) Running kind of short on it for myself lately.

So, I was on a low fat no carb diet for a couple months and the bariatric coordinator and nutritionist decided to get me on all liquid because I wasnt losing too much on it.

They and I thought liquid would be a little easier and would help me to lose more not having to worry about portions or what I'd eat every day.

Im down 14lbs so I know Im doing something right at least. Still trying to get my appetite in check but from time to time it gets the best of me. Im not at Mickey Ds EVERY day or even every week but the fact that I indulge at all always sets my progress off track. But Im certainly working on it. May I ask, how much did you have to lose pre-op if any? Did u struggle much?

Thanks again for your kindness. YOUR avatar pic gave me a good laugh btw:)

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement Running kind of short on it for myself lately.

So, I was on a low fat no carb diet for a couple months and the bariatric coordinator and nutritionist decided to get me on all liquid because I wasnt losing too much on it.

They and I thought liquid would be a little easier and would help me to lose more not having to worry about portions or what I'd eat every day.

Im down 14lbs so I know Im doing something right at least. Still trying to get my appetite in check but from time to time it gets the best of me. Im not at Mickey Ds EVERY day or even every week but the fact that I indulge at all always sets my progress off track. But Im certainly working on it. May I ask, how much did you have to lose pre-op if any? Did u struggle much?

Thanks again for your kindness. YOUR avatar pic gave me a good laugh btw

You are absolutely right Sweetie. I've been in deep thought about continuing right now because of the food issues and I just cant give up now. I've done EVERYTHING else I needed to do. I have a therapist but unfortunately she's not experienced in handling food addictions or disorders but she tries. In the mean time, I am seeking a professional for help geared toward that. Because I know that if I dont get a handle on it now things are not going to happen the way they should post op.

Thank you for sharing! Im happy for you!

Thank you Jangy for sharing! WOW you gave up smoking? Congrats on that! Thats an amazing feat in and of itself, well done!

I dont know why but I've been wanting a cig some kind of bad cause of my nerves and havent smoked since my early 20s smh. Cant swap one bad habit for another I have to keep telling myself.

If you can quit smoking you can definitey get through this, you have a will made of iron.

I will definitely put your mind trick into practice. I have a young son, so I know what it's like when your grandbaby wants goodies, its tough. Hang in there with me and good luck on the next phase!

Peace and Blessings, indeed.

You will find much/many of each in your future. It is assured.

The pre-op liquid diet sucks.

There is no way to make it seem like some wonderful deal. It sucks.

It's no fun.

Mickey D's used to be a near daily stop for me. I get ya loud and clear on that.

Here's the deal, though.......I was told to lose 50 pounds prior to surgery. It was a mandate from my surgeon. It had nothing to do with helping my comorbities, allowing my herniated T12 disc to heal better, help my knee arthritis.....none of that. It had nothing to do with reasons that my primary care doctor wanted me to lose weight.

It have everything to do with having a safer surgery.

I lost those pre-op 50 pounds and my surgeon commented on it during his post-op visits. He said he could see the internal fat around my intestines had begun to melt. He said the surgery went great and my sleeve is "textbook". I've had zero complications since.

It's all about your safety. Find a way to grind it out....dig deep.....give yourself some non-food rewards.....buy some cool items you've wanted......heck....start looking at fashion magazines and envision the smaller/leaner you rocking the clothes you've wanted.

Know that no matter how bad the pre-op diet sucks........it gets so much easier the moment you recover from surgery. Hunger is usually gone after sleeve surgeries.....the same liquid diet is a breeze for me to adhere to now. Heck, I forget to get all my shakes in.

The scale is a daily friend and shows a lower weight every single day (once you past that first week and lose the normal Fluid gain from the IV's and inflammation).

Do it for your safety during the surgery. That is no joke. It's a real concern.

Know that post-op, things are much easier to handle.

Hang in there. I'm at on day 7 preop liquids and it is extremely hard to remain as strict as I need to be. I woke up this morning and walked by 2 giant bowls of Halloween candy. Then went right into the bathroom where in the first time in 3 years I was able to weigh myself on my bathroom scale.

You have the willpower to do this! Forget your mistakes and move forward!

Edited November 1, 201510 yr by chuck415

Late afternoon to early evening can be a tough time for me, too. I think it's partly that I get hungry - it's usually twice as long between lunch and dinner as it is between Breakfast and lunch. Add to that trying to muscle through the last part of my workday and my commute, and it's a time of day when I'm most likely to deviate from my plan.

I learned something by accident the other day, though. I got the 3PM munchies, and I really wanted to stay out of the Snacks that are always around at the office. I had some vanilla Protein powder with me, and I put it in a cup of decaf coffee. 25 gm of protein totally did away with my munchies until dinnertime! Now I bring some in my lunch bag every day.

Working on your relationship with food (and with yourself) is a must-do for success. While you're doing that, something like a protein-heavy snack at your vulnerable times may help you.

I'm pre-pre op, but I figured I may as well spend the time between now and the next stage learning a few things. I wish you success!

Thanks for sharing Chuck! It's nice to know Im not alone and that so many of you guys can relate and share ur wins. Bathroom scale weigh in is a good win! Thats great, plus you bypassed Halloween candy lol, double win for the day lol.

Thank you for your encouragement, good luck to you!

Early afternoon is usually when I get the munchies too GoldenGirl. Vanilla protein in coffee is good idea rather then raiding the office goodies.

I use Unjury chocolate splendor and make an ice coffee in the morning. Not the best tasting thing but its something different.

Keep up the good work, stick with it. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for your post Dub:) Everything you said really resonated with me. You lost 50lbs and here grappling with the fact that I only have to lose 30.

I feel a little silly lol. . . I think I may be making this harder on myself my not submitting completely to the process. Its just hard for me.

Took a while for me to wrap my head around the fact that I gotta lose weight to get a weight loss surgery but I accepted it and understand better now.

Now I just have to work harder to execute it.

Thank you so much for sharing, congrats on everything:)

Okay, you have a goal. The next step is identify the obstacles, and then plan how you can conquer them.

If you go through a fast-food drive thru on your way home from work, put your purse in the trunk of your car. Put a big sign on top of your purse that says something like NO! DON'T DO IT! MAKE THE CHOICE TO SUCCEED! That way, if you do stop at a fast food place, it's not as easy as it was. You have to stop and get out of the car to get your purse out of the trunk. Then you have to see that sign you put there. All of that gives you more time to rethink your CHOICE.

Good luck!

Thank you for your post Dub:) Everything you said really resonated with me. You lost 50lbs and here grappling with the fact that I only have to lose 30.

I feel a little silly lol. . . I think I may be making this harder on myself my not submitting completely to the process. Its just hard for me.

Took a while for me to wrap my head around the fact that I gotta lose weight to get a weight loss surgery but I accepted it and understand better now.

Now I just have to work harder to execute it.

Thank you so much for sharing, congrats on everything:)

I almost never make promises......but I'll promise you this:

It gets easier post-op. You just have to grind it out and reach that point.

You can do it. It's within your grasp.

There are no food "goodbyes". Anything that you enjoyed before.....you can enjoy again once you are post-op from your sleeve. Some foods make take a while before they are safe to sample.....but you'll be able to have stuff. There is no reason now to try to sample all the stuff you like to say goodbye to it. I think that is one of the biggest pre-op follies that sleeve patients engage in. You'll still be able to have some of your birthday cake, or holiday meal favorites.......but in time.

Short term goals are awesome right now. Set them for yourself and go after them hardcore. Reward yourself with non-food prizes.

You are going to dominate and thrive on the new lean you. Small steps make these next few weeks tolerable. Small steps and rewards.