Advice and Support Needed!

[specialkron 32]

Hi there!

I have scheduled my surgery for October 19th with Dr. Illan. Even though it's a quarter of the amount cheaper than what it would be here in Utah, my husband and I still want to save up the whole amount before we get there to not acquire any debt.

I'm so excited but October seems so far away and I seem to be slightly creeping up on the scale. I know I need to take more control of it now and get into habits that I will have for the rest of my life. But it's hard to know where to start and as bad as it is I put it in my head that it's in October, I have time, even though I'm sure it's going to come faster than I expect.

Any advice from you pro-sleevers or pre-oppers like me? Are there any things that are helpful to get into the habit of before the sleeve? Is it good to lose a chunk of weight before the sleeve? I'm on the Facebook support group but am not on Facebook too often and would love some buddies and maybe some advice.

Thanks so much in advance!

[Introversion 1,876]

It makes things easier when you lose weight prior to getting sleeved. Firstly, your liver is less congested when you lose weight, so it is more apt to be out of the way and less likely to be inadvertently nicked or scraped by the surgeon during the procedure.

Finally, losing weight before surgery gets you that much closer to your goal weight. Do not be like me: I actually gained 25 pounds while waiting to be sleeved due to maladaptive food funerals (a.k.a. overeating all my favorite foods one last time before saying "goodbye"). My initial consultation weight was 200 pounds and I was up to 225 pounds one week before the surgery. Thank goodness my surgeon and insurance company had no issues with my substantial weight gain.

I did reach my goal weight, but the weight gain prior to the sleeve was a setback. If I could do it all over again, I would have ensured my head was into the right mindset earlier in the process. Good luck to you.

[Newme17 3,444]

Learn to not drink with your meals. Wait at least 30-45 mins after eating to drink. Probably the hardest thing after sipping everything ever. I'm still pre-op and having a hard time doing it (for the past three months), I met someone who is post op and she's still having a hard time. If you can get that pat down then that's one great habit to have by the time of your surgery.

[blizair09 3,250]

My insurance required me to do a six month doctor supervised diet program before they would pay for the surgery. I decided that since I had to do the diet program anyway, I might as well really apply myself and see how much I could lose pre-op. I lost 99 pounds (from 397 to 298) by the day of surgery. It was the best thing that I could have done for myself. I redefined my relationship with food, purged myself of carbs, and got into a positive mindset regarding eating and drinking before I had to deal with the realities of the surgery and the subsequent recovery. And it made the stalls that come along post-op SO MUCH EASIER to handle emotionally. (When my 3 week stall hit -- and it hits everyone -- I had lost 120 pounds, not just 20 pounds, and that made dealing with the stall much, much easier.)

As of today, I have lost 193 pounds total. Without all my pre-op work, that total would only be 94 pounds. I am on the verge of my goal; without the pre-op work I did, I'd still have a long, long way to go.

Good luck!

[Moving Mountains. 119]

I caught myself saying oh I'm never going to eat this anymore and put on a few pounds indulging myself. I have started to change the way I think about food and that has helped. The wait for the surgery seems like forever but you'll get there. Good luck!

[specialkron 32]

Thank you so much everyone!

I'm definitely going to try and stick on something for the rest of the time I'll be waiting for my surgery and get as much off as possible before the surgery! Also the sipping thing is a really good idea!

Follow up question- what lifestyle changes (not a diet, right? ) have worked for you? Going off carbs was mentioned- I am gluten free and dairy free. Something I do struggle with is sugar so I'll try to take that out too. Are paleo guidelines best for this?

Or I hear a lot about the ketogenic diet.

I'd love some input!

[teacupnosaucer 445]

Before surgery I got into the habit of food journalling, started and maintained an exercise routine, and worked on other unhealthy habits like eating out too often, eating in front of a screen, and drinking my calories. I made a LOT of changes, small and large, to my lifestyle, which I think greatly contributed to how well I'm adjusting to my post-surgery life. And hey, getting my sleeve at 196 lbs versus at my highest weight of 227 lbs means I'm ahead of the game and my goals are that much closer!

Unlike others, I haven't cut any food groups entirely out of my diet other than carbonated and sweetened drinks. (Oh and Oreos, I don't have those anywhere near me because they are a trigger food for binging!) I still eat sugar and carbs... but my goal for this surgery was to maintain as "normal" a diet as possible while still leading a healthier life than I was living. Everyone strikes their own balance on that front, I think. There are people who go absolutely zero carbs post surgery, people who strictly limit their carbs, and people who still eat carbs but are choosy about where they come from or how often they eat them.

One thing that pretty much everyone post bariatric has in common, though, is focusing on Protein intake. "Protein first" is my program's motto. You eat your protein, then your vegetables, and THEN a limited amount of carbs with whatever room you have left (which in my case is gently waving a piece of potato in front of my nose and then putting it down on the plate again LOL). We pretty much all get some kind of protein goal to hit post surgery, since protein is important for your healing and for maintaining muscle mass as you lose the weight. So that might be something to work on now, finding out what in your diet is a good source of protein and what isn't, finding higher protein alternatives for your standby foods, and basically just being more aware of the protein value in everything you eat. And since you're dairy free, as well, now would be a good time to try out various vegan protein powders/supplements so you can find one you like or can at least tolerate, since in the early days post surgery it's hard to reach your protein goals without some form of supplementation.

Do you see a dietician? It might be a good idea, especially with you not doing dairy. Just so you're prepared with a plan of how to get protein in when a lot of the typical post op suggestions for boosting protein intake (milk, cheese, whey supplements, yogurt) are all dairy dairy dairy dairy dairy haha. In later stages when you're back on solid foods I'm sure you can manage it with nuts and legumes and meats, but in that early stage some research on non-dairy Liquid Protein options can't go amiss.

Good luck to you, and good for you on being so proactive! You won't regret getting started early, I promise!

[Diana_in_Philly 1,426]

My team gave me the following instructions in my pre-op phase - 90 grams of Protein daily and 1200 calories a day. 64 ounces of Water minimum. Stop drinking diet sodas. Cut back caffeine. Journal all my food. I used (and still use) MyFitnessPal for my food logging. Exercise 30 minutes at least 3 times a week - even if it means just walking up and down your street.

HW 271.5 (4/16) SW 246.9 (8/16) CW 185.2 (today) - I'm 8 months out and lost 72% of my excess body weight. If you start good habits now, it will be easier when you are post op.

[MarinaGirl 608]

4 months before surgery I gave up the following:

1. Alcohol

2. Carbonated beverages

3. Sweets/desserts

4. coffee (caf & decaf) and caffeinated drinks

5. Artificial sweeteners, which don't help you lose weight, just the opposite in fact

I focused on high quality Protein and vegetables. I did not have any "food funerals" as I've eaten lots of yummy things throughout my life so I haven't been deprived. And in the future I may be able to eat some of those things again in much smaller portion sizes, assuming they don't cause me to binge or get off track.

I lost 30 lbs pre-op and 8 lbs since surgery on 4/10/17. I'm so happy I did this as it has curbed cravings and I had no withdrawal headaches after surgery.

Good luck!

[Judymo 33]

I am having GS tomorrow morning, nervous but excited here! I have learned so much from these forums so far! I believe that reading everyone's experiences will help me to be better at adjusting post-surgery. I stopped drinking pop/soda last September and I do not miss it. I find that my body craves Water and I can tell when I haven't had enough in a day. My issue will be all the junk I used to enjoy. I want to look and feel better, so I know I need to make changes. Thanks to everyone for your great posts and tips

[specialkron 32]

Sweet! I feel like I have a starting point now. Thanks so much everyone and congrats on all the weight loss! I'm so excited to get started and to finally get healthy!

@teacupnosaucer I do not see a dietitian, but I have a nutritionist I can consult with. I think it might be a little hard with the Protein sources coming from dairy because I am very much so lactose intolerant. So thanks for suggesting that! I hadn't really thought about it and I'll ask her about it. Thanks for your awesome response.

Also congrats @Judymo! That's so exciting I hope everything goes awesome! Looks like you've already done great so far (from your weight lost row)!

[Judymo 33]

Thank you @specialkron! Good luck to you on this journey! I hope the best for you

[k-athy 10]

On 4/24/2017 at 4:11 PM, specialkron said:

Hi there!

I have scheduled my surgery for October 19th with Dr. Illan. Even though it's a quarter of the amount cheaper than what it would be here in Utah, my husband and I still want to save up the whole amount before we get there to not acquire any debt.

I'm so excited but October seems so far away and I seem to be slightly creeping up on the scale. I know I need to take more control of it now and get into habits that I will have for the rest of my life. But it's hard to know where to start and as bad as it is I put it in my head that it's in October, I have time, even though I'm sure it's going to come faster than I expect.

Any advice from you pro-sleevers or pre-oppers like me? Are there any things that are helpful to get into the habit of before the sleeve? Is it good to lose a chunk of weight before the sleeve? I'm on the Facebook support group but am not on Facebook too often and would love some buddies and maybe some advice.

Thanks so much in advance!

Why is your surgery until October? Did they not have any availability before that?

[specialkron 32]

Oh it's first just because we would like to save up all the money and second because my husband is in school and october would be fall break so we were thinking then but now I'm almost feeling like I would like to do it earlier. :/ But I think if i can be patient and try and lose weight before as well it will be beneficial!

[Shariberry 28]

On 4/24/2017 at 5:11 PM, specialkron said:

Hi there!

I have scheduled my surgery for October 19th with Dr. Illan. Even though it's a quarter of the amount cheaper than what it would be here in Utah, my husband and I still want to save up the whole amount before we get there to not acquire any debt.

I'm so excited but October seems so far away and I seem to be slightly creeping up on the scale. I know I need to take more control of it now and get into habits that I will have for the rest of my life. But it's hard to know where to start and as bad as it is I put it in my head that it's in October, I have time, even though I'm sure it's going to come faster than I expect.

Any advice from you pro-sleevers or pre-oppers like me? Are there any things that are helpful to get into the habit of before the sleeve? Is it good to lose a chunk of weight before the sleeve? I'm on the Facebook support group but am not on Facebook too often and would love some buddies and maybe some advice.

Thanks so much in advance!

How has your summer been going so far? I too live in Utah, and will be going to Mexico for the surgery. My surgery date is August 21 with Dr. Lopez Corvala. I started a completely whole foods diet about 2 months ago, and ditching the regular beer I'd have after work with Water, or on occasion wine. I have tried to cut out all carbonation, because I knew it would be difficult for me, so I thought I might as well as get a start on it. Reading lots of forums, and hearing others experience has really helped me, and shown me more areas to research, or additional questions I should ask my doctor. I'm really trying to change the way I view food. For me, I'd tend to over eat, even when i was full because 1) I was stressed out 2) I felt I "needed" something to snack on 3)the food just tasted so good. Identifying these issues has really helped me. I often ask myself "Why am I eating this?" If its because I'm hungry, than great. If it is because Im stressed, or snaky, or it tastes good- I acknowledge the reason and try to deal with it. If its tastes good, great-have a bite and put the fork down, if Im stressed-take a 5 minute walk, if I'm snacky-I try to avoid Snacks, but I try to keep healthier snacks around because this one si tough for me. I'll snack on veggies with hummus, or pumpkin seeds, or occasionally corn nuts. Good luck to, these next few months are your time to focus on getting ready for the surgery. Please let me know how it goes.