2nd visit with my surgeon and need some advice.

[J San 1,072]

My surgeon said all was looking good. I need a CPAP thingy, never wanted to do sleep study but had to now and turns out I probably should have had one for a few years now. He also wants me to obviously lose some weight. He wants me to get as close as I can to a 50 BMI. He gave me a tentative surgery date of July 12 and said I should try to lose 20 pounds which would bring me down to 52 or 53 I think. I don't see my nutritionist until next week but I don't want to wait for her to give me a diet. What are some of your guys suggestions? I've gotten a bunch of Protein Shake recipes from Pinterest and have been substituting 1 meal most days. My other two meals I am mostly not eating any carbs but not always, some type of Protein and vegies. Avacado is usually on my plate or a salad with bell pepper, Tomato, corn or peas ( dressing is usually olive oil and red wine vinegar ). I have yet to give up coffee completely but had my 1st cup in 3 days today. That's from 3 big mugs of Cuban espresso daily. Not really having issues giving it up. Trying to drink 64oz of Water per day but hardly do, not because it's hard but because I forget. Not going to lie and say I don't cheat but plan on getting really strict after today. Exercise has been non existent due to mobility issues because of back problems but did get on my stationary bike today for 15 minutes (ouch) and plan on doing more. Alright pros, lay it on me. And Thanx

J

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,004]

Your actions sound damned near ideal!

One idea - track your food on an app like myfitnesspal - be scrupulously honest, weigh your food and track your calories. After surgery you might be 550-70 calories a day until things settle, and the weight drops off - see if you can do that by yourself, for a fixed period - for same result... hard without the surgery though!

I wish you all the best...

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

Agree with above except calories. You should be able to lose on 1200-1800 calories easily at your weight. Especially if it is nutritious food.

Any activity is helpful. Keep your carbs low, ideally less than 50g per day is what my surgeon wants me at. Track your meals and nutrients.

You should be successful with your plan.

I wouldn’t worry about coffee, just stay away from high calorie sweeteners or Creamers. I drink tea every day and my surgeon is ok with tea and coffee, just no soda.

Edited April 25, 2018 by KimTriesRNY
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[Sosewsue61 3,185]

Baritastic is another free app you can use or Lose It. Also if you are able add a 20 minute walk (beyond your normal daily activities) try making it a new habit. Just reduce your caffeine gradually so you won't get a withdrawal headache. Up the vegetable intake, stay away from starchier ones or at least limit it to one per day - go for green veggies as much as you want - lower carb like broccoli, gren Beans, asparagus, zucchini, salad greens, kale, etc. , if you must do grains stick to one serving of whole grains daily. Journal your feelings about your journey and your relationship to food - you don't have to like what you are feeling but just notice what is going on with it. Develop a hobby to ease the anxiety over changing your life - word puzzles, woodworking, crafting, fishing, window box gardening, anything to keep your mind occupied. Good luck.

[jenbugwi 23]

I started in a similar situation to yours, with a BMI over 50.

Honestly, just starting to track my food made a big difference right off the bat. I used MyFitnessPal, and based on the information I put in, it had me on 2300 calories a day, and I was losing weight sticking to that. It then adjusts as you lose weight and record it.

My nutritionist worked with me to just work on gradually making changes that would make life after surgery easier. First thing was to stop drinking pop, next was to make sure I had Protein and produce at every meal, then I gradually moved on to limiting sweets and fried foods.

I managed to lose almost 60 lbs. on my own before my VSG two weeks ago, and my recovery has been quite easy. I feel great, and I'm moving through the stages very well. Had my follow-up with the nutritionist yesterday and she says I'm right on track---lost 17 lbs. since the pre-op diet!

Long story longer---work on steps to improve the quality of what you eat, then the reduction in quantities will come. I didn't really "miss" anything that way.

Good luck to you!

[J San 1,072]

20 minutes ago, jenbugwi said:

it had me on 2300 calories a day, and I was losing weight sticking to that

Really? My Fitness Pal has me at 2500 but the days I've tracked I've been between 1500 to 2000. More days closer to 1500 than 2000. Gotta work on tracking everyday and like I said gonna be STRICT on the cheating. Any ideas on activities that put minimal strain on the back, hips and knees? Walking is out for sure unless I get a walker or steal a shopping cart. Walking 15 yards and 8 steps to the rest room is extremely painful most days. Had a really hard time finding a comfortable position on the stationary bike yesterday. Thought I'd be good but it really killed my mid and upper back, also my knees. Had to constantly shift in order to relieve the pain from one area or another. Gonna stick with it as it's not as bad as walking and I'm hoping the more I do it the more accustomed to it I become.

Thank you guys for the guidance and well wishes.

[jenbugwi 23]

40 minutes ago, J San said:

Really? My Fitness Pal has me at 2500 but the days I've tracked I've been between 1500 to 2000. More days closer to 1500 than 2000. Gotta work on tracking everyday and like I said gonna be STRICT on the cheating. Any ideas on activities that put minimal strain on the back, hips and knees?

Yes, that is where I started. When I realized how many calories I was packing on with fast food lunches almost daily, even this many calories had an impact :-)

Keep going on your bike. Your body isn't used to the activity and will need to adjust. You could also do some "lifting" with cans of food, etc. you might have around, or other light weights. Try leg lifts from your chair, etc. And, keep walking, even if it's just across the room. I'm sure you'll find that it will get easier!