I'm trying to start changing how I eat before surgery, my first consult is approaching. I just turned all my new patient information and I feel defeated already! I feel like I'm never going to change how I'm eating, please help me. How did some of you all make changes and fight the temptation?

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@shalterDog64 I'm glad to see your here!

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Thanks! I hope we can help you figure out how to get a head start on your surgery

Did you change anything before the surgery?

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Not really. I had an easy 3 day pre-op diet. I had a headache from no caffeine for one day but it passed. I am now allowed one cup of coffee with caffeine per day but haven't added it back. Your taste buds change. Every taste and smell is amplified. I can't stand sweet (used to love it) so finding Protein shakes I can handle has been hard.

So you changed most of your behavior after the surgery because of how it changed you?

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@@ShelterDog64 I love Mountain Dew. That's my biggest problem. I have only 2 cans a day. One in the morning and one at night. I was looking for a councilor for eating disorders. I've died 3 times and I've had 38 surgeries so far. While I was in the nursing home for a year they wouldn't feed me for 6 months and I starved. I panic when I get hungry. I'm learning to calm down.

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I hated being hungry too, that's why I was never a successful dieter. It's also why I chose to have 85% of my stomach removed. Even when I do feel a little hungry a couple of ounces fills me up.

Try to get off the soda, I was never a fan anyway. It all tastes like chemicals to me. I guess I always wanted to eat healthy but I was always too hungry. I really feel like now I can do it.

That person surviving on junk isn't going to keep the weight off, plenty of people who have WLS gain the weight back. We always have to eat the healthy, Protein rich foods first. For life!

Did you change anything before the surgery?

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Not really. I had an easy 3 day pre-op diet. I had a headache from no caffeine for one day but it passed. I am now allowed one cup of coffee with caffeine per day but haven't added it back. Your taste buds change. Every taste and smell is amplified. I can't stand sweet (used to love it) so finding Protein shakes I can handle has been hard.

So you changed most of your behavior after the surgery because of how it changed you?

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For me, yes. I would say I always tried to eat healthy before. I just ate too much and too many carbs. I have never liked soda often, but I would clean my plate at dinner and go back for more. We rarely had fast food but we sure did eat out every now and then, and those portions are huge. If I ate a bowl of somewhat healthy Cereal I ate twice the serving size. I wouldn't just eat an apple, I would eat an apple with way too much cheese. I ate nuts but the handful, good for you but I had way too much. I could easily eat a whole avocado, stuff like that.

Did you change anything before the surgery?

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Not really. I had an easy 3 day pre-op diet. I had a headache from no caffeine for one day but it passed. I am now allowed one cup of coffee with caffeine per day but haven't added it back. Your taste buds change. Every taste and smell is amplified. I can't stand sweet (used to love it) so finding Protein shakes I can handle has been hard.

So you changed most of your behavior after the surgery because of how it changed you?

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For me, yes. I would say I always tried to eat healthy before. I just ate too much and too many carbs. I have never liked soda often, but I would clean my plate at dinner and go back for more. We rarely had fast food but we sure did eat out every now and then, and those portions are huge. If I ate a bowl of somewhat healthy Cereal I ate twice the serving size. I wouldn't just eat an apple, I would eat an apple with way too much cheese. I ate nuts but the handful, good for you but I had way too much. I could easily eat a whole avocado, stuff like that.

This is SO me before surgery. I love to cook and I love to eat what I cook! I have always cooked healthy, high quality food for my family, I raised 2 boys and didn't want them to eat much food from boxes and cans. We've only used organic dairy and meat for years and I barely shopped the aisles of the grocery, mostly the edges. But I can make a carrot cake that would make you cry, and I loved to bake bread and make homemade Pasta and on and on...and I ate like a teenaged boy right along with them My portions were ridiculous, looking back! Well, and all those carbs

Where do you live? I'm in Arizona. I know a girl that lost 250 pounds and she eats junk just in smaller portions.

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That is not remotely typical. She likely won the genetic lottery. She did not have the "fat" gene...those people are typical a small minority in the results curve. Most of us will always have to be vigilant to lose as much as we want and keep it off in the long term. Not to say I'll never be able to have a handful of popcorn but I know I won't be able to include junk as part of my regular diet

Where do you live? I'm in Arizona. I know a girl that lost 250 pounds and she eats junk just in smaller portions.

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Too bad she's not going to keep it off.

@@ShelterDog64 I love Mountain Dew. That's my biggest problem. I have only 2 cans a day. One in the morning and one at night. I was looking for a councilor for eating disorders. I've died 3 times and I've had 38 surgeries so far. While I was in the nursing home for a year they wouldn't feed me for 6 months and I starved. I panic when I get hungry. I'm learning to calm down.

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I hated being hungry too, that's why I was never a successful dieter. It's also why I chose to have 85% of my stomach removed. Even when I do feel a little hungry a couple of ounces fills me up.

Try to get off the soda, I was never a fan anyway. It all tastes like chemicals to me. I guess I always wanted to eat healthy but I was always too hungry. I really feel like now I can do it.

That person surviving on junk isn't going to keep the weight off, plenty of people who have WLS gain the weight back. We always have to eat the healthy, Protein rich foods first. For life!

I'm a junk food junkie, but I'm trying. I love ice cream and I could eat it 3 times a day. I have taken to eating clean and removing 2 foods from my diet. It's hard eating food because I'm not used to eating real food but again I'm trying. I guess I have to try harder. This is helping me, because I realize I'm not the only one struggling.

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I have 3 1/2 months to turn it around so, I will make a change I'm tired of not living!

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I have 3 1/2 months to turn it around so, I will make a change I'm tired of not living!

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Yes!! ^^^^ THIS ^^^^ is the attitude that will make you a success at this!

At first for me it was also hard but it became easier in the house when I go grocery shopping I get healthy stuff I stay clear of "the candy, chip and soda isle" whats not in the house you can't see and won't eat and i'll go reward myself with a decaf coffee from starbucks or something that I do like and am able to have i replaced my soda with crystal light lemonade and pink lemonade and all the other flavors which taste amazing! I get high Protein foods, low carbs, sugar free pudding and Jello and popsicles, things that still taste great! It makes you not miss the other stuff as much and if you are a drive thru fast food eater like me, every time I would wanna go I would stand my ground and whatever money I knew id be spending there I put to the side and set a goal of a none food related item I wanna buy and when I save enough I reward myself with my goal, it stops me from going thru the lines but also shows me how much I actually use to go thru them/want to go thru them! The amount of money I use to spend at these places is crazy to just be putting that junk in your body! you have to find something that will work for you just give it time you will figure it out and change, your body will start to not crave things just do it at your own pace, reward yourself for it with things you like and know even if you mess up here and there your still doing a great job! Most of it is head hunger and craving it goes away! The sooner you learn this before surgery the better you will be for you pre op diet and of course after surgery

Edited November 16, 20169 yr by OhHeyMarina

I've cheated a few times because I let boredom take over. Thankfully, the cheats were so small, that I haven't gained any weight; I'm still losing weight. I noticed that food just does not taste the same. It's not as enjoyable as it used to be, and I'm glad.

I made all the necessary changes in advance and I am so grateful! The key was to make a list of the specific habits, choose one at a time and give myself two weeks to change the habit. It made me confident I'd be successful post op. And 1 change at a time is way less intimidating.

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Don't make anything cauliflower. I tried to make cauliflower pizza and OMG!!! It's horrible. I can't get the smell out of my nose or the house. I'm terrified I can't change. They said get Baritastic Surgery for dummies.

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Cauliflower is the hot food right now. I feel like I see it everywhere.

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I'm trying to start changing how I eat before surgery, my first consult is approaching. I just turned all my new patient information and I feel defeated already! I feel like I'm never going to change how I'm eating, please help me. How did some of you all make changes and fight the temptation?

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The sleeve forces a LOT of this. Don't stress about it, just make one small change a week and commit to sticking with it. Then add to that.

What *I* did was I started ramping down my eating as soon as I booked my surgery. I started cutting out flour, sugar, wheat, starch. I cut my portions and stopped eating just because the food was there. I stopped eating around 8PM each night. I increased my Water intake. I dedicated one day a week to liquids, just to get a feel for it. Then I upped it to two days a week, then three.

You can list out the habits you have that you want to change and then list how you'll actively change them. The mind game is the hardest part of weight loss surgery. As much as you KNOW you should not and cannot eat something, that doesn't stop your brain from wanting it. Practice avoiding things you know you're not going to be able to eat post op.

This might be controversial but I don't believe in will power. Will Power is some kinda magical skill that people think comes automatically installed with the sleeve. THERE IS NO MAGIC. It's all YOU. And for me, deciding to say no is like working a muscle. That NO muscle gets stronger every time you use it.

But again... post op, the sleeve does a lot of this for you. You will not have capacity to eat much of anything, let alone anything junky. Anything sweet you might ingest will probably make you sick. Just hang in there until your surgery date and then........ everything changes.