So I'm scheduled up for surgery on Nov 12 and sat thru the dietician class this afternoon. There was so much information and honestly I'm overwhelmed and nervous. Any real world advice or guidance would be great.

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Congrats on your upcoming surgery. Whoo hoo!

Yep, the information overload can be alarming but it will be ok. Sorry there’s a lot to read ahead here too.

Take some time to go back over all the information you’ve been given then break it down into what you can have at your liquid, purée, soft then solid food stages. Once you’ve done that you can focus on the stage you’re on or about to begin. Personally, I did a lot of reading before surgery & then cherry picked the information I needed & worked for me as I moved along the way.

It’s a lot of trial & error for the first couple of months about what you can & can’t eat. Your tummy will be sensitive & your senses of taste & smell may change. You may not be able to tolerate things you previously enjoyed & some things just smell disgusting. But don’t worry it does return to what it was. What others who’ve had surgery can’t eat may be a breeze for you. A lot of people struggle with eggs, chicken & steak to begin but they were no problem for me. Listen to your body. If it says no, avoid that food for a while. It may be fine to eat in a couple of weeks.

For me, I cut out as much sugar (& artificial sweeteners) & processed carbs as I could. I did my own cooking from scratch (I always cooked so not much of a change). That way I had control of what was in the food I was eating & how it was prepared. Make spray oil & non stick pans your friend. Eat from small bowls & plates. I used teaspoons & sporks as cutlery. And I froze a lot of food - in single serve snap lock bags & small storage containers. Avoids waste & makes for quick meals on those days you just can’t face cooking.

The eat slowly rule & don’t drink before, with or after eating are there for a reason. You don’t want to cause discomfort (sometimes pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, etc.). Don’t eat till you are full for the same reason. Stick to your plan, measure/weigh your food & work at meeting your daily protein & water goals each day (water includes all liquids: tea, soup, shakes, ... so yippee). Some people log their food every day. I was a random checker especially if I changed my diet. I still eat very much to a routine of when & what I eat.

The head work is important. Working out what are your triggers - why you eat, why you crave, are you really hungry or are you eating from habit will be invaluable to your success.

There’s a lot of great info on this forum too. Even if you think if you have some random issue, search for it & you’ll be amazed by the responses.

It’s not easy but it is sooooo worth it.

You can do this & it will be amazing.

Good luck.

5 hours ago, Arabesque said:

the head work is important. Working out what are your triggers - why you eat, why you crave, are you really hungry or are you eating from habit will be invaluable to your success.

Above is the key! One simple statement i have said a million times

You are about to be given a Tool ............. But it is up to you to get the workshop in order and use the tool correctly

1. Learn and set a healthy eating schedule

2. Focus on getting healthy Not stuffing yourself with food. Focus has to be changed to other things

3. Became a Shake/Smoothie queen, Learn to make your own loaded with Vits.Minerals and Protein KEY

5. Enjoy the journey and make it about you! You do not give a F#$ck about peoples views or opionions.

6. Really lean on this place there are great people here that are paying it forward, like myself Use as as we used the ones before us to help. Your turn is coming in about 6 months