Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Prepping for surgery but worried I'm not doing enough...



Recommended Posts

Hi all!

So I'm in the middle of doing my prep work for surgery - initially my insurance wanted 6 months with a nutritionist but recently swapped it to 3. I'm doing it at the Cleveland Clinic and they also have you meet with a psychologist to walk through best start guide of all the things I can work on ahead of time.

Some of those have been:

  • Vitamins - I'm currently on the ProCare Now barbaric Multivitamin, Calcium chew and Biotin everyday (I think the last is me hoping it helps the tiniest bit)
  • Water - 64 oz a day (bought a water bottle to help with this)
  • Daily food diary (where I track what I eat, how I feel when eating, what my thoughts are, and where I'm eating)
  • Walking for at least 30 mins a day (now shooting for 45 mins +) - I'd go to the gym but COVID 😐
  • Drinking a shake for Breakfast and lunch with a small snack in the middle, and then a Protein focused meal
  • Buying healthier snack food just so I don't make bad choices if I'm making the choice to eat something extra during the day
  • Losing weight - 18lb goal, I'm down 5 so far
  • Focusing on trying to eat more mindfully and eat when I'm actually hungry (which is probably the biggest struggle - I feel like this is such a mind game)
  • EKG, Ultrasound, and chest x-ray are this Friday

Is there anything else that I should be doing that I'm missing? I guess when they said I could now submit to the insurance (even though my weight loss isn't quite there yet) it freaked me out a bit... I think I felt like I'd have more time to prepare. But now that I've found the forums and I see how excited you all are and thankful that you've done this it's easing my worries a bit. I just want this to be successful and I don't end up going right into my bad habits - so I want to be as proactive as possible.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I went from never even considering surgery to surgery in 3 weeks pretty much on a whim. Self pay so no psych evaluation or anything like that. Once you get to post op there’s not much you can do but ride the wave for the first year. I’d think you’d have to put in some serious effort to fail that fast. You’re leaning good habits and whatnot now, and those will carry over post op, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to develop them into lifetime changes after. That’s the major benefit of surgery. Anyone can eat exactly what I’m eating everyday and have the same results without surgery, it just is a tool to pretty much force it. It’s up to us to keep it going in the long term. Keep up with your requirements, they are there to help and I’m sure they’re doing just that. You got this, but I do think it’s got to be something YOU really want, forever.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for this. It’s such a big decision it was just kind of hard to wrap my head around. I also have parents who’ve had a bypass and a sleeve and have gained a lot of their weight back (they both lost a ton initially) so it’s probably more of I don’t want to be my parents. 😂

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh gosh! My head is spinning just reading this. This is exactly why I went to Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas. We didn’t have to do that crap and
they still file with your insurance.

I can say that for me, I do not snack at all anymore. They will be removing the hunger hormone during the surgery, so you will not feel very hungry at all, especially in the beginning. I am almost 2 months out and I still struggle to force myself to eat.

Good luck on your journey!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, riverwaters said:

Thanks for this. It’s such a big decision it was just kind of hard to wrap my head around. I also have parents who’ve had a bypass and a sleeve and have gained a lot of their weight back (they both lost a ton initially) so it’s probably more of I don’t want to be my parents. 😂

some people do gain most/all of their weight back, but I think that's because they expect the surgery to do most/all of the work. And it does - for the most part - at first. But you really have to put a lot of effort into it - and once you hit your goal, you have to put even MORE effort in to stay there. The difference is, your efforts will actually work (for a change!!) - but only if you follow the rules.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks all. Yeah I think that’s what I need to work on the most. Just not eating for comfort. My physiologist gave me some book recommendations that I’ve been meaning to check out and read. I think overall I’ve been doing better but night time is tough when I’m not busy.

I also have a pretty fit husband who says he’s on board with this but also has terrible eating habits which make it hard for me sometimes and when I do comment about them he gets offended so it’s like I can’t win there. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My hope is that during my liquid diet phase he gets on board more and is more conscience of what I need to do to be successful.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×