I am new and just had my first appts for my surgery last week. I am looking for any advice for the process til my surgery. My homework is just a blood test, mammogram, and an EKG. I don’t have to lose any weight either. I already posted my nutritional question on another post. I have increased my activity. Anything would be great. Thanks for this website. Love love love

Get your head in the right place. Start working through why you are doing this and what your goals are. Use the time before your surgery to get your head in the right place - protein first. Water always. Make peace with the things you won't be able to eat frequently going forward. (I'm 3+ years post op - I can pretty much eat anything, but I pay a price for it. For example, I had a submarine sandwich from a place I loved after a fencing tournament this weekend and my stomach was upset for three days.) If you need to see a therapist about your relationship with food, do it now. Surgery is a tool to jumpstart your weight loss. The hard work will be up to you after the honeymoon phase. Best wishes.

Welcome Tilli13! This site is a treasure trove of both good information but more importantly emotional support. Your picture shows you are a beautiful lady at any weight, but just imagine how much better you'll feel without having to carry all that excess weight around.

My doctor also doesn't require any weight loss. It doesn't really make sense to have to put off our surgery for 3-6 months if they aren't going to make us lose any weight. Think about how much closer we'd be to a healthier weight if we didn't have to wait. I know that rule is insurance driven, but it still doesn't make any sense to me...

Thanks for the advice. I am taking this very seriously and a life long thing. This is for my health (both physical and mental) not for looks. I am 54 and have stretch marks and cellulite. As I say, my badges of honor. So I am not looking to try and get into that bikini in a 20 year old body. I’m way past that. Looking forward to finding more support here.

The best thing I ever did preop was to give up the addictive substances. I knew I couldn't have them after surgery, and getting past the withdrawal and cravings beforehand made recovery much easier. So, I gave up caffeine, all alcohol, all sugar, all soda, all artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors. I hadn't eaten wheat (gluten) for years, so that was not an issue. By the time surgery came around, I felt clean and detoxed. I did not eat the jello or popsicles in the hospital. I brought my own broth, herbal tea, and protein drink. Turned out they did have some great tasting gluten free broth that was fine.

6 hours ago, AZhiker said:

The best thing I ever did preop was to give up the addictive substances. I knew I couldn't have them after surgery, and getting past the withdrawal and cravings beforehand made recovery much easier. So, I gave up caffeine, all alcohol, all sugar, all soda, all artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors. I hadn't eaten wheat (gluten) for years, so that was not an issue. By the time surgery came around, I felt clean and detoxed. I did not eat the Jello or popsicles in the hospital. I brought my own broth, herbal tea, and Protein Drink. Turned out they did have some great tasting gluten free broth that was fine.

This a million percent as well as what @Diana_in_philly said.

16 hours ago, Diana_in_Philly said:

Get your head in the right place. S

This is the key - You are changing your life for the better - The Head Games are a b***h

The other thing is to develop some little mantras to get you through sticky times and temptations. The most important one is "I AM NEVER GOING BACK!" This determination is a strong indicator of who will be successful long term. It means you are done playing games will will do whatever it takes.

Another is "I can't have that (food) right now, but I will have it later." (Delayed gratification is a good tool to develop.)

Another: "It's just not worth it." (When confronted with temptation of some stupid food that will undermine your progress.