How to get through the six month wait for surgery: A To-Do List

[Creekimp13 5,838]

You're about to commit to a lifetime change to your anatomy, and a lifetime of lifestyle changes.

This is a HUGE, DIFFICULT undertaking.

Use your six months to get drop dead serious about your diet and fitness. LOSE WEIGHT. If you can't lose weight before surgery....surgery probably won't help you. Behavior changes are critical. Without them, the surgery won't work.

Fat people can be fit, or at least more fit......you can start walking and exercising and get your resting heart rate down to improve your cardiovascular fitness....this will make surgery that much safer for you. Even if you have to start really slow, challenge yourself to a few more steps each day. Wear a pedometer/Fitbit/Other fitness step counter.

Losing weight will improve your blood sugar....which will help you to heal after surgery.

Use this six months to get the junk food out of your house, develop strategies for non-dieting household members to continue their preferred diet, start your Vitamins, get the work done...of adapting to changes you need to make after surgery.

Put together a list of 200 calorie foods you can take with you or pick up on the run. Have a strategy for fast food places you might end up at with friends or family. (For McDonalds, I get an egg McMuffin and eat half. 150 calories, 9g Protein. I also get a large Decaf coffee.)

Use this six months to quit nicotine for good. Quit or severely reduce caffeine. Quit carbonated beverages. These are really HARD habits to break...and you don't need to be struggling with them on top of the other challenges you'll be facing when the time comes. Tackle these tasks ahead of time.

Keep in mind that the average sleeve patient loses only 60% or so of their excess weight (bypass patients do a little better). The less you weigh on the day of surgery...the closer you are likely to get to your goal weight in the 18 months after surgery.

Research. Research. Research. Research. Do the benefits outweigh the risks in your particular case? Do you understand what your diet will be like after surgery and for the rest of your life? Do you have strategies to deal with the temptations that will still be there after surgery? Have you read dozens of stories of people who have had surgery and succeeded AND dozens of stories of those who have failed? Do you have an idea of what kinds of exercise you want to do? Have you looked at food lists for each eating stage after surgery? Have you researched possible complications? Do you feel comfortable that you're extremely well informed about what you're getting yourself into? If not...now is the time:)

Have you tried drinking one ounce of liquid in ten little sips over 15 minutes? Get out a medicine cup, or shot glass, and give it a try. You will have to do this four times an hour after surgery...every hour that you are awake.

Try one day of drinking only Protein Drinks and Clear Liquids. See how you tolerate being off solid food and carbs. Counting the pre-surgical diet, many people are consuming only protein drinks and clear liquids.... for three weeks.

Use the six months to build a data base of healthy recipes that you actually like and will use the rest of your life.

Become a calorie and Protein counting savant. Learn to journal everything that goes into your mouth.

Learn to recognize food potions. Test yourself with a scale and measuring cups. Can you spoon out 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes with accuracy? How about half a cup of cottage cheese? What does 3 ounces of chicken breast look like?

There is a TON of work you need to do be well prepared for what you're getting yourself into:) If you do this....the six months will fly by. Attend required appointments, seminars, support groups, do medical tests, see therapist, communicate with health insurance. You're going to be busy!

Use your six months wisely. And very best wishes on a safe and effective procedure:)

Edited January 16, 2018 by Creekimp13

[Apple203 1,314]

Great post!

[BabettesFeast 17]

Stella post! May I send it to my surgeon and nutritionist? I can credit you with you user name here or you can pm me with your real name. Thanks again for such great ways of structuring our days leading up to ...

[Creekimp13 5,838]

No worries:) Make note that each surgical group does things a little different. Some groups will have you on a two week liquid diet presurgically, some will do only a week...still others will do shorter or longer presurgical diets.

Different groups will move you through the post surgical diet differently, too...and will approve foods differently for reintroduction.

Different groups will require different things of you before surgery, too. Some will want a full Upper GI endoscopy, some will accept a normal barium x-ray study of the upper GI. Any abnormal results will likely require more tests so appropriate measures can be taken to keep you safe.

Having just gone through these months June to December....the things on my list are just what's fresh in my mind. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff.

Best wishes on your weight loss journey!