Hey guys good afternoon. I was told to get the ball rolling with the diet and exercise before surgery. I will be honest, I tried and I failed. I joined the gym and have not been once. I do drink lots of Water though. However before I see the nutritionist how important is it to take in Protein and Vitamins before my surgery? I will most likely have my surgery in Dec or early Jan because I'm in school and want to finish that first. My nutritionist visit is Oct 4 2016. So Should I get the ball rolling now honestly or do I have a little time to play? I want some serious answers No Play here lol.

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Its all about forming new habits imo. Its what you will have to do after surgery to be successful.

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I know , I know. That's what I keep telling myself. I'm like ok Tanette you want this surgery but you haven't changed you eating habits yet.... Why Not? That's the hardest thing for me. That's why I'm fat now.

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It's definitely hard, but the more changes you make now as a pre op, the easier it will be for you as a post op. Best of luck!

I started making changes to the way I ate 6 months before my surgery but I made small changes over time not in one big swoop. I also allowed myself designated cheat days so as not to be overwhelmed. I lost 65 lbs before my surgery.

Should I get the ball rolling now honestly or do I have a little time to play? I want some serious answers No Play here lol.

It is for you to be serious. If you are serious about losing weight, you will begin now. If you want to play, go ahead and gain weight. The choice is yours. Your question implies that you think surgery is a magic cure. There is no magic.

Surgery is grown-up stuff.

Ok!!!! For the shade . I understand surgery is "Grown up Stuff" that's what you said right. Anyway I am asking questions because I didn't get Fat over night. I've always been fat. I have tried and failed several times at this. I don't think by any chance this surgery is magic but hell if you ask me it almost is. Give me one person that have lost over 100 plus pounds in 6 months just changing their eating habits..... I'll wait. No one. I really just wanted to know when to seriously get on the ball with this . I haven't gained any weight by the way. Thank you for your comment.

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Baby steps, sweetie, baby steps. You're right- it didn't happen overnight, so making changes won't either.

Don't beat yourself up- just make little promises to yourself now, and keep them.

"Today, I'm going to go for a walk"

"Today, I'm going to toss away that hamburger bun and just eat the insides"

"Today, I'm going to not have ..."

Making a promise to yourself and keeping it is HARD!! You'll possibly beat yourself up for breaking it, but you'll also let yourself off the hook easier than, say, if you promised to help a friend in need and blew them off. THEY would be less forgiving.

You've already decided to take a huge step in having the surgery. There will be learning curves, difficult choices, as well as easy ones!! That is what this time is for- preparing yourself.

So, learn to be good to YOU- a step at a time, and you will get there.

Here's a thought: buy a stack of post-it notes. Each morning, write out your "promise" or goal for the day, and stick it on the inside flap of your purse. Every time you go in there, you'll see it and be reminded of what you want to do.

Good Luck- and don't take people's comments that are "negative" too hard. I think, often times, they forget what it is like to be at the precipice of something this monumental- and that they, too, were in some version of your shoes once.

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You almost made me cry.... . That has been thee best advice I've had this whole journey. It will change my life. God Bless. I will remember to have a goal everyday. Thanks love. Awwww I'm really touched

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I understand what you are saying, but just as fast as it comes off, it comes back on if you dont have a major lifestyle change.

There are thousands that lost and kept it off, just like the thousands that put it back on just as fast.

The 6 months is the honeymoon stage. It doesnt last that long. You can eat around your new small stomach. And if you get gastric, your pouch can stretch out.

And I have lost about 100lbs in 6 months doing low carb several years ago. Kept it off for about a year, then hurt myself and couldnt work out, depression and pain, I put it back on just as fast.

Even though its "magic" for a time, time goes by quick and it will be a boomerang if you dont kiss your old eating habits goodbye forever. Otherwise, dont get surgery for a temporary weight reduction.

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@@Tanette

Well you asked for answers but you may not like them. The reality is, having WLS is much harder than diet and exercise and you have to be ready.

The surgery simply gives you a smaller stomach therefore helping to control quantity of food at any one given time. It doesnt stop you from grazing all day long nor does it control what you put into it. There are many many many people who have this surgery, dont change their habits and end up losing a little or losing alot but gaining it all back.

The period of time before surgery is best used building better habits that can be leveraged post surgery. You dont have to make all the changes at once but you should be focused on changing some of the bad habits you already know you have. There is a reason that most insurance companies require a pre op diet. It is to show that you are serious about changing the way you operate. Insurance companies and bariatric surgeons want successful outcomes.

So that being said, my response is, if you are serious about having WLS then its time you get serious about the pre work required to give you your best chance of success.

I hope that you are able to make some positive changes for your own health.

Best of luck!

Thank you guys. I know I sounded like I'm not sure about this. Honestly it is a huge change. I will take the hound ladies advice about everyday giving myself a goal. I believe that will help me. I tend to be an emotional eater and going through marriage separation is Not helping at all. I just have to pray and ask God to take my hand through this journey. I look at everyone's success and say that will be me one day . Once I get serious. I will I promise . It's like a drug addict Quitting Cold Turkey with No Help or support. It's funny because I have family members who have gone through this process and succeeded and I have a family member who have failed. I want a better life I just have to step away from bad food choices. I must say my 6 month doctor visits was nothing like some of you guys stories. It was a piece of cake. I lost , I gained, I lost, I gained. I didn't get in any trouble. We will see what the nutritionist says Oct 4th. Thank you guys again for your honesty.

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I know , I know. That's what I keep telling myself. I'm like ok Tanette you want this surgery but you haven't changed you eating habits yet.... Why Not? That's the hardest thing for me. That's why I'm fat now.

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I will be honest and tell you I am struggling to make changes too!! It's hard, that's why we're choosing to have WLS. If we could do it ourselves we would have already. Surgery can give you the boost to make the big changes. Just try to make some little changes up until then. More Water, cutting back here and there.

And I can speak from experience. I am a band to bypass. My band was successful for two years, then it slipped out of position. The clinic I went through went bankrupt a year after I got it. I've struggled with the band for two years and will be having conversion surgery on Oct 3.

I get into these details because I was not good with my pre-op diet the first time around either and still did very well.

I still have two weeks of pre-op diet and I vow to make more changes. Just try your best.

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Thank you guys. I know I sounded like I'm not sure about this. Honestly it is a huge change. I will take the hound ladies advice about everyday giving myself a goal.

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Hey!!! I'm a HOUND lady?. Jk!!

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Thank you.

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Tanette, I completely understand where you are at right now. I had a month and a half before my first appointment, and I knew how determined I was to make the necessary changes for the rest of my life, so I gave myself permission to have the last supper one too many times. I gained 13 lbs. I have been on my preop plan for 6 weeks now, and just got rid of those 13 pounds - in effect I screwed myself out of 6 weeks preop.

I have been told by my doctor that now is the time to learn about how to live after the honeymoon. Once we are postop we will be overwhelmed with the physical realities, so we need to have this preop stuff down pat. It sounds like you have about 100 days until you could be having surgery. It takes about 100 days to make a major lifestyle change made up of small changes each day. Hope I am making sense - this is my first post on bariatricpal.