Hey there! So after meeting with the nutritionist for the first time, she gave me tips and recommendations for cleaning up my diet pre surgery. Just to clarify I am not pre op- just pre surgery in the 6 months insurance approval process. My question is....did anyone strictly change their diet right away after the nutritionists suggestions or did it take you a while to clean up your diet before pre op?

the dietitian I worked with during the six-month supervised diet had me make changes gradually. I gradually had to give up caffeine - and gradually increased my protein intake and decreased my "bad" carb intake. I kept adding more fruits and vegetables as time went on. And I gradually brought my average calorie intake down to about 2000/day. So yes - I followed her suggestions - but she had me ease into everything gradually. I think it made the whole thing easier.

I removed additional sugar. Naturally sweet things like fruit I ate occasional but I gave up any sugar that I had to add my myself and switched over to a substitute (stevia).

It was tough at first but it helped to practice it for a longer period instead of fighting against it because it was too sudden.

I am still doing the nutrition classes and jumping through insurance hoops (the classes are a joke!). I have cut out diet soda/carbonation, significantly reduced carbs (not keto, just reduced carbs), counting calories (about 1400 a day), increased exercise, cut sweets dramatically, and I'm trying to eat more slowly and not drink 30 minutes after meals. I'm doing well with everything except eating slowly.

I have lost 32 lbs in 4 months and I find I'm less hungry and don't crave sweets now that I'm eating fewer carbs and sweets. I used to be addicted to diet soda but I tried one a month ago and it didn't even taste good. Fruit and vegetables were always something I ate plenty of but now they taste even better! I'm eating more protein and I think that helps me stay more full.

I figure any weight I lose now is weight I don't have to lose after surgery. And if I get used to living the lifestyle now, it will be much better than throwing "food funerals"!

I switched to using a smaller plate. Since my surgeon's office recommends a more plant based approach, I did 1/2 plate veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 good carbs when I was preparing for surgery. I also worked on chewing slowly and taking small bites. Changing the plate really helped!

I made dietary changes gradually as I feel that method is more sustainable. But you know yourself best in that regard. I immediately started using a food tracking app (I use LoseIt) and paying attention to portion sizes and macros. I also started weighing food. I went into my preparation classes with a closed mind and bad attitude. I swore I was never going to weigh/measure/track food. And yet, here I am, doing just that ?. While there was not a tremendous amount I learned about nutrition, I really did learn how to change and more importantly, to sustain the changes. I'm still a work in progress but I am making progress and it will always require attention and effort from me. I also started gradually walking--even if it was only 5 min. I wanted to lay the groundwork for it becoming a habit. In hindsight, I wish I had also incorporated eating slowly and waiting 30 minutes after eating to drink. I thought those 2 things would be easy to do. In fact, they have been, and still are, difficult for me and have caused my only real physical discomfort from surgery.

3 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

I am still doing the nutrition classes and jumping through insurance hoops (the classes are a joke!). I have cut out diet soda/carbonation, significantly reduced carbs (not Keto, just reduced carbs), counting calories (about 1400 a day), increased exercise, cut sweets dramatically, and I'm trying to eat more slowly and not drink 30 minutes after meals. I'm doing well with everything except eating slowly.

I have lost 32 lbs in 4 months and I find I'm less hungry and don't crave sweets now that I'm eating fewer carbs and sweets. I used to be addicted to diet soda but I tried one a month ago and it didn't even taste good. fruit and vegetables were always something I ate plenty of but now they taste even better! I'm eating more Protein and I think that helps me stay more full.

I figure any weight I lose now is weight I don't have to lose after surgery. And if I get used to living the lifestyle now, it will be much better than throwing "food funerals"!

I am happy to hear that im not alone in the insurance/ diet classes phase! Good job you for trying to reduce carbs and sweets its hard! My nutritionist wants me to lose about 25 - 30 lbs by month 4 so thats why i feel that i have to hurry up and clean up my diet ASAP. Also my insurance says I cant gain any weight which is a little nervewrecking. The only way i know that ill not gain weight and reach that 30lb weightloss is starting my diet full force. Mainly protien, mainly vegetables, and gold carbs like brown rice, oatmeal etc..

1 hour ago, Maisey said:

I made dietary changes gradually as I feel that method is more sustainable. But you know yourself best in that regard. I immediately started using a food tracking app (I use LoseIt) and paying attention to portion sizes and macros. I also started weighing food. I went into my preparation classes with a closed mind and bad attitude. I swore I was never going to weigh/measure/track food. And yet, here I am, doing just that ?. While there was not a tremendous amount I learned about nutrition, I really did learn how to change and more importantly, to sustain the changes. I'm still a work in progress but I am making progress and it will always require attention and effort from me. I also started gradually walking--even if it was only 5 min. I wanted to lay the groundwork for it becoming a habit. In hindsight, I wish I had also incorporated eating slowly and waiting 30 minutes after eating to drink. I thought those 2 things would be easy to do. In fact, they have been, and still are, difficult for me and have caused my only real physical discomfort from surgery.

I never use to weigh food either LOL and i thought it was a little OCD. But I do sometimes weigh things when and if its calorie dense or like meat. I like to be sure i that i get the right portions of those. Maybe as i get closer to surgery i will track more/ be more precise.

Oooo... I also specifically asked for a nutrition session about reading nutrition labels. That was really helpful too.

27 minutes ago, DareMightyThings said:

I never use to weigh food either LOL and i thought it was a little OCD. But I do sometimes weigh things when and if its calorie dense or like meat. I like to be sure i that i get the right portions of those. Maybe as i get closer to surgery i will track more/ be more precise.

I weigh all my food. It takes just a few seconds and it really makes a huge difference in your calorie counts. If you're off by one tablespoon (15g) on your salad dressing that's 70 calories. An extra oz of cheese is 115 calories. It's adds up so quickly! I also agree with a previous poster about using smaller plates. I have heard though that after surgery we're supposed to be using volume measurements, not weight, because of the size of the stomach. That's going to give me serious anxiety!

9 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

I have heard though that after surgery we're supposed to be using volume measurements, not weight, because of the size of the stomach. That's going to give me serious anxiety!

I remember reading a post like that, but I use both - it depends on what I'm measuring.

Just now, catwoman7 said:

I remember reading a post like that, but I use both - it depends on what I'm measuring.

I think it was for the time immediately after surgery, not for the rest of your life.

4 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

I weigh all my food. It takes just a few seconds and it really makes a huge difference in your calorie counts. If you're off by one tablespoon (15g) on your Salad Dressing that's 70 calories. An extra oz of cheese is 115 calories. It's adds up so quickly! I also agree with a previous poster about using smaller plates. I have heard though that after surgery we're supposed to be using volume measurements, not weight, because of the size of the stomach. That's going to give me serious anxiety!

38 minutes ago, DareMightyThings said:

I never use to weigh food either LOL and i thought it was a little OCD. But I do sometimes weigh things when and if its calorie dense or like meat. I like to be sure i that i get the right portions of those. Maybe as i get closer to surgery i will track more/ be more precise.

I thought all the weighing and measuring what a bit "too much" also, blah, blah, blah. What I finally had to come to terms with was that I needed to do something different. Now, having done it for months, it is easier to recognize what a true portion or amount I am eating if I am not at home.

I can't say that I've heard about using volume measurements rather than weight. But Lizonaplane makes a very good point about calorie-dense foods like cheese and sauces. I am a sauce-o-holic. Measuring dressing or any kind of sauce keeps me accountable. It doesn't mean I am totally choosing to not have any, it just means I am not mindlessly bathing my food in it.

I also use a smaller plate and a small salad fork and baby spoons (my old baby spoons have been repurposed at 55 years old). The smaller utensils help me remember to take smaller bites.

I'm still in pre-surgery phase, waiting to schedule a surgery date at this point. I've been seeing a bariatric therapist for a few months now after initially failing my psyche eval. I have made some choices to start eating better gradually. This hasn't included calorie counting or anything yet. It's just things like choosing not to eat out as often, using smaller plates, or keeping healthier snacks on hand that I know will still be friendly after surgery. Through therapy I've also been working on cooking more and making sure the meals have a portion of protein and a good bit of veggies. We're also focusing on addressing the mental desire to overeat, where that stems from, and alternate coping mechanisms. This has all resulted in sort of gradual change that is focusing on improving behaviors, but not in a way that feels like a "diet", and I have lost some weight while doing so. Not nearly as much as I know I'd drop via calorie counting and all, but what I'm doing now feels more sustainable.

7 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

I think it was for the time immediately after surgery, not for the rest of your life.

true. I don't weigh and measure pretty much everything like I did the first few months, but I still do weigh/measure occasionally - depends on what it is.

1 hour ago, DareMightyThings said:

I am happy to hear that im not alone in the insurance/ diet classes phase! Good job you for trying to reduce carbs and sweets its hard! My nutritionist wants me to lose about 25 - 30 lbs by month 4 so thats why i feel that i have to hurry up and clean up my diet ASAP. Also my insurance says I cant gain any weight which is a little nervewrecking. The only way i know that ill not gain weight and reach that 30lb weightloss is starting my diet full force. Mainly protien, mainly vegetables, and gold carbs like brown rice, oatmeal etc..

I initially thought I had to lose weight for my insurance and I was really freaked out, but it turns out they don't require it; but I'm still going to lose as much as I can now, because then it's just less I have to lose after surgery.

I'm not totally carb-phobic - I often eat steel-cut oatmeal with a banana and unflavored protein powder for breakfast. I'm not a big rice, pasta, or potato fan, except for risotto and french fries, which I don't eat too often now. I used to make dishes that were low in protein and higher in carbs, and I've just reversed it, and honestly, it was a lot easier than I expected.

One thing that has helped me is to have veggies (cucumbers, red/orange/yellow bell peppers, etc) washed and chopped ready for snacking in the fridge so I don't eat something higher in calories like cheese or chocolate or chips (I don't have much chips or chocolate in the house, but I have a little bit left). I often eat the veggies plain, but sometimes I get bored with plain veggies and add tzatziki (you could use hummus too!).

Also, I found that adding artificially sweetened drinks like Starburst No Sugar Packets (found at walgreens, walmart, and dollar stores - basically Crystal LIght) satisfy my sweet tooth. It also helps me when I THINK I'm hungry but I'm really thirsty and I am sick to death of water.