I was wondering if anyone has some advice for a newbie? I struggle with being hungry all the time and I try to ignore it or drink water but if I drink too much water I end up with acid reflux. I sometimes will drink a protein shake but that doesn't really help right now. I am only 2 weeks into getting started on the road of getting better off. Does the hunger pains get better?

Your surgery was 2 weeks ago?

1 minute ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Your surgery was 2 weeks ago?

Ah no, I meant that I have started working towards the surgery. Consulting with the surgeons office and starting the steps before insurance submittal. Sorry for the confusion.

4 minutes ago, aisuru113 said:

Ah no, I meant that I have started working towards the surgery. Consulting with the surgeons office and starting the steps before insurance submittal. Sorry for the confusion.

Relief from hunger pain is mixed. Some people feel no true hunger (but can still have wicked cravings) and others feel the same hunger as before. I don't think there's any way to know which side you'll fall on until after surgery.

You're doing the right thing in preparing now, well before surgery. You don't want to wait until surgery to wean off sugars and caffeine. Follow up with the surgeon's office. Usually they have some sort of diet that they want you on now. Good luck!

Cut back on carbs as much as possible. If you can cut them out entirely. Eat a lot of protein. At this point you don't have to limit yourself like after surgery so don't worry about consuming a lot of it (protein). It's supposed to keep you full for longer so that will help. Eat veggies and some fruit. I say some fruit because you want to keep your sugar intake at a lower level as well. When you meet with your NUT they'll give you guidelines for the program you'll be on. Good luck to you and enjoy the journey.

Edited August 29, 20187 yr by J San

I wouldn’t focus on a bunch of protein shakes right now. A regular sized stomach needs regular sized meals to feel satiated.

Try to make some immediate easy changes first. If you are eating the following stop: fast food, pastries, sugary sodas or drinks, chips or other snack type foods. Once you have eliminated those foods move on to the next phase.

Focus on a protein dense diet with lots of vegetables, some whole grains, fresh fruit, and dairy if tolerated. Incorporate a bit of activity into your day.

Realistically if your diet has been unhealthy you don’t need to starve yourself to drop a few pounds before surgery. Following a reasonable diet without a bunch of processed garbage will net you reasonable results. If you are able to keep your carbs less than 100g a day, even better.

If you keep the changes reasonable and sustainable you are more likely to stick with it during the pre op phase rather than rebelling and eating junk due to being deprived.

Good luck!