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

Upcoming Surgery



Recommended Posts

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.

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

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

    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 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

    ×