Cleaning up diet Pre Surgery

[lizonaplane 1,604]

On 5/23/2021 at 3:35 AM, Starwarsandcupcakes said:

I found it much easier to do a complete overhaul than gradually change things because I wouldn’t have stuck with gradual changes. I wrote everything down in a journal the office gave me and tracked with the SparkPeople app as well. I still use SparkPeople to track most days and I’m 9months post VSG to RNY revision.

I also made all the changes at once. I always do everything whole hog. I'm not a gradual person!

[blackcatsandbaddecisions 844]

I didn’t do it gradually, but about 4 months preop I did a low carb/low calorie diet. It was born out of fear that I would have gained during a pre-op period that could have disqualified me from the program. It was intended to be short term but I stuck with it for 4 months and lost 57 lbs with it.

I really feel like it helped some of the changes during surgery be less jarring. The liquid diet was no problem at all, because I was already eating small portions and low carb. I don’t deal well with huge changes and I think I could have had some real problems giving up sugar/carbs/huge portions at the same time as I was recovering from surgery. Also I have a huge amount of weight to lose (started at 339, goal of 165) so I was also trying to get a head start. So far so good, I’ve lost 137 of the total 174 lbs I need to lose at almost 7 months post op.

[LizzLosingIt 49]

On 5/21/2021 at 1:53 PM, SunnyinSC said:

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.

I've read about some people failing the psych eval and it's always baffled me. What is this psychologist looking for as a "pass/fail" sort of patient? Most, if not all, people who have struggled with weight maintenance and weight loss have an emotional attachment to food, yet it feels like that's what they're on the look-out for. What is it that "fails" someone at the eval, if you don't mind me asking?

Edited June 7, 2021 by LizzLosingIt
needed to clarify my confusion.

[LizzLosingIt 49]

Two days from now will be one month until my surgery, July 9th. My insurance process was relatively easy, with almost exactly one month between my initial consultation with my surgeon (April 21st) to insurance approval (May 20th.) I have Cigna, so no six-month diet/nutrition evaluation required.

But I do find myself having those "food funerals" mentioned above, partly because I need to eat through the food I bought prior to realizing how quickly the process would go for me, and also as a way to have my "last hurrah" with foods I won't eat again for a long time, or probably ever. So though I'm grateful my insurance process was relatively short, I think I would have found some value in having had more time to adjust my eating habits before surgery.

My nutritionist wants me to lose 10-15 lbs before surgery, and only put me on a two-week pre-op diet of replacing two meals a day with Protein Shakes, and one meal must be light, protein-focused, and have little to no carbs/starchy vegetables. I'm going to do it for three weeks instead to make sure I actually lose those 10-15 lbs. Right now, I'm preparing a grocery list for pre- and post-op shopping trips I'll have to make, so that I have most of everything I need for the pre-op diet and not find myself wandering the aisles in the grocery store, longingly looking at my favorite snack foods before surgery.

[SunnyinSC 137]

7 hours ago, LizzLosingIt said:

I've read about some people failing the psych eval and it's always baffled me. What is this psychologist looking for as a "pass/fail" sort of patient? Most, if not all, people who have struggled with weight maintenance and weight loss have an emotional attachment to food, yet it feels like that's what they're on the look-out for. What is it that "fails" someone at the eval, if you don't mind me asking?

I imagine it's not the same for everyone, but for me it was a combination of a few things. First, I had stopped taking depression medication a few years back, and my psychiatrist was concerned that based on the evaluation, I had been eating my emotions and that my depression would spiral once food was taken away as a coping mechanism. So one of the things she recommended was getting back on medication. Second, while she didn't think I had binge eating disorder exactly, she did want me to first address some of my eating behaviors, specifically I would eat until over-stuffed and uncomfortable around lunch time and then not eat for the rest of the day. That habit in particular would be pretty detrimental post-surgery. I got put on a 3 month hold while I got back on medication and continued work on my eating habits (I had been working on them prior to the psyche eval anyway, so had a jump start). I continued following up with a psychologist throughout the 3 months, and later got approved. My surgery date is actually tomorrow

[DareMightyThings 9]

On 5/23/2021 at 3:35 AM, Starwarsandcupcakes said:

When I started my 6 months pre-op with the nutritionist I went all in. 1200 calories a day with 60g Protein minimum. For a while during pre-op I was drinking around a gallon of Water on top of other liquids as well. I lost 20lbs the first month and a total of 60lbs including the 15lbs for the 2 week liquid diet right before surgery. I found it much easier to do a complete overhaul than gradually change things because I wouldn’t have stuck with gradual changes. I wrote everything down in a journal the office gave me and tracked with the SparkPeople app as well. I still use SparkPeople to track most days and I’m 9months post VSG to RNY revision.

Girl this is so GOALS ☝Thats what im striving for is to go all in and build those healthy habits early on. Some days are harder but we're getting there lol. And i will def check out that app!

[Starwarsandcupcakes 1,893]

3 hours ago, DareMightyThings said:

Girl this is so GOALS ☝Thats what im striving for is to go all in and build those healthy habits early on. Some days are harder but we're getting there lol. And i will def check out that app!

Apparently they’re discontinuing the app after almost 20 years with the app/website and designing a new one called SparkAmerica that also lets you complete for prizes for stuff. I’m bummed about the change but excited to see what the new app will bring and how it will motivate people to stay on track.