How much did you "get your head in the game" before being sleeved?

[MonarchCat]

I have gone through my six month insurance required diet and am scheduled for surgery April 27th. I am SO excited. I am fully committed to having the surgery and I fully understand the huge changes involved, etc. Having said that I really haven't fully invested myself in the "before" diet. I started at 265 and am now at 254.5 for a loss of 10.5 lbs over the past 5 months. Pretty unimpressive, but at least it's moving in the right direction!

I am reading a book that someone here recommended called The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery and I really like it. Great advice, great strategies for dealing with issues, etc. But one of the things she talks about is really committing to the lifestyle changes BEFORE surgery so that it is not as big an adjustment afterward. She claims that people who do this are more successful long term. While I believe that may be true, there is a part of me that says, "Well, things are going to be so different when I have the surgery, I should still be able to enjoy myself now while I have the chance." I also didn't go crazy on the 6 month diet because I couldn't let myself drop below 252 or my BMI would go below 40 and I would risk insurance denial.

I am wondering how you guys did on your diet before surgery.... did you lose? Gain? Stay the same? Did you find it hard to incorporate the changes necessary before surgery?

And if you didn't diet hard-core before surgery, how did you find the transition after surgery?

[Dawnc87]

I didn't hardcore diet, but I started changing my eating habits because I knew I was going to have to and I was trying to change my body and myself mentally. but, I also prepared a list of like "must haves" before my surgery and started ticking them off a couple months out because I knew I couldn't have them again and I was happy I did that. My husband didn't do this and I think he struggled a little bit more when it came time to change his habits.

[thirdnkeeton]

I think I will do that also. Make a list of the "Must Have" things and have them one last time before the surgery. I have a while yet, though, 5.5 months unless BCBS-AL changes their policy!

[N2DVN]

4 months pre-op, I started drinking shakes 1 -2 times a day and really cutting back on everything that I put in my mouth + exercising twice a week. It allowed me to decrease my appetite and adjust to not eating as much as I used to. It also allowed me to cut out caffeine and carbonated drinks. How much did I lose? not enough to even mention. It did make the 3 day pre-op diet a breeze for me. I was never hungry.

[grammargirl0309]

I only did a three-day liquid diet (all that was assigned), and I stuck to it and lost four pounds. It was not hard to stick to liquids post-op as I didn't feel like eating anything else.

[Steve Demko]

Well I have made most of the changes and track everything on my fittness pal . I figured if I was going to do this why wait? I'm having surgery on the 28th . The only thing I strugle with is the 5 to 10 minutes between bites. As for my diet Im eating a lot but it's what I'm eating that's the key. I eat out for 95% of my lunch and dinner meals. For me it's easy I just plug it in my fittness pal and the weight falls off. Plus I walk 2 miles a day takes 35 min .. I've lost 47 lbs and feel great . No drinking with meals, no more soda, tracking protein intake ,the list go's on. I know after surgery all these foods I'm eating now will be out. The hardest part is telling friends NO I can't go out to eat, no I don't drink with meals, I plan every step of the day out so I'm not caught off gard . When in dought I eat fruit and a protein drink, some days protein drinks twice a day. Yes this sucks but to me it's worth it. I think of food as fuel, eat to live, not live to eat. My fittness pal is the key to my success plus my will power. I quit smoking last year, I quit drinking beer jan 1st, drop kicked the girl friend out the door she was holding me back so I quit sex, I guess you can see I'm out of my mind with this but won't be denied. My surgeon moved my surgery up one month due to my commitment.

I know not all are going to agree keep your negative comments to your self ! You asked I commented ! Good luck if you want to PM I will break it down for you.

[Skye]

Wow!!! Go you!! I wish I had that kind of commitment. I look forward to see how well you do.

[5DogMa]

Old habits die hard and the longer you've had the food addiction most likely the longer to get past it. This is post along the lines of what you're talking about. I think most of us will struggle on and off for the rest or our lives. I stopped smoking 20 years ago and still get the urge to smoke. I don't have to smoke but I have to eat which makes it all the harder.
http://www.gastricsleeve.com/forum/a...lp-please.html

[Cattitude]

Great post OP. I have a week to go and have not done as well as I wanted to pre-op. I've lost about 12 lbs and made some minor changes though. I still feel confident that I will have good success.

[angela zinck]

I super researched for a month or so before booking my surgery and then I bought Dr. Alvarezs book (not who did my surgery but an excellent read) and then I talked to a ton of people on here who had it done by Dr. Almanza and then I read everything they gave me. I felt totally prepared.

[savvyshamrock]

My answer to: How much did you "get your head in the game" before being sleeved? = NOT AT ALL! =)

I had alot going on right before surgery that I posted about. I lost a family member, had to fly cross country for the second time in a month. In the beginning of January I did my last ditch and took in everything that I wouldn't be able to get for awhile (booze and coke mostly, but alot of breads too =) and then I was going to start a more sensible plan. When my Grandmother passed (thanks everyone for your condolences!) I went home to the South where food=love and I never gave another thought to diet or food and focused on getting through that. I did do all my required pre-op stuff for the week before (I was self pay so no 6 month wait).

I was worried about how it would effect me after surgery once I was in Mexico and it was too late to have second thoughts. =) For me though, the eating and food wasn't the transition I thought it would be. But I don't have the same philosophy that alot of people on this forum have. I didn't do this to myself with the intent of never having a french fry again or never eating a cookie for the rest of my life.

I'm pretty much eating anything I want as long as I chew chew chew and I feel great. I can only have about 2 tablespoons of food though and I eat three meals a day of regular foods and then drink a protein shake as a snack and have a second high protein snack such as nuts or a protein supplement of some sort. Since my meals must focus on protein it's easier than I thought it would be. It's hard to explain. It's not like a diet. I don't feel deprived physically or mentally. If I want a french fry from my husbands meal, I grab a french fry, take a bite and I'm done. Where as before I'd eat a whole plate. I wanted a cookie last night, I took a bite and gave the rest to my son who has an ungodly metabolism, but I didn't sit down with the whole bag. And trust me, it wasn't my will power that stopped it, because I don't have any left at this point. =)

I think no matter how hard you try to prepare that it's just weird afterwards. It's not what you thought it would be. I know that doesn't make alot of sense, but it's hard to explain. I thought I'd be having all the same tendencies and cravings just like before and I do, but they are just different now. They are sated easier. Food isn't as important when it comes down to it. For me it's just... Weird. lol =) If I want chocolate cake, I snag a tiny bite of someone elses and then when I go to take another I just kinda feel... Like... "Huh, I don't really want another. I'm good"

I know alot of people will freak knowing that I had a french fry and such. And alot of other people beat themselves up when they do stuff like that, but I don't. I enjoyed that bite of cookie, it was absolutely excellent. But the bite was all I needed and I even added the whole cookie to my tracker and was still good on my daily intake. =)

[tempred]

My journey went faster than most, but I had already made the commitment to myself that this was my year. I have to get healthier for me, I knew there were going to be changes that needed to be made. I didn't go buck wild with eating prior to, it made no sense to me. I knew those things would be there for me later, just in smaller amounts. I understand that for some emotional eaters, it is hard (I have never been an emotional eater) I just made poor choices and it caught up with me. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing that gets between me and my Mexican food, LOL.

I look at this as a pause in my life to restart living, there will be a day when I can get my Mexican fix again. Just not today. I want to do good, get to a healthy weight and then I can have some of the things that I have given up. JUst in smaller quantities. I can live with that.

Of course, this is just my opinion for what it is worth. Good luck to you all

[Lynda]

My surgery is tomorrow, both excited and nervous about this. I changed my thinking and diet over 12 months ago, and throughout the process lost 17kgs. In the last few weeks I have stuck to the preop diet to a T, have lost 4kgs. Why spend all this money, and time preparing for same to only sabotage it? I am so prepared for tomorrow.

[~BookDiva~]

My surgery is the 27th...the place I'm going through for my surgery requires a certain amount of weight loss, so I kinda had to start preparing early...I have been low carb, high protein for 3 months now. I gave up pop, bread, starchies, and sugar already and I hope this helps keep me on track after. (Saying no to bread damn near killed me at first... )But I haven't given up my coffee yet...I know I need to, but seriously...lives literally might be in danger at both home and office when I do...I'd take my coffee through an IV if I could.

[dankrick]

During my 6 month required diet, I quit smoking, gave up sodas, and fast food. I was put on a 2 wk liquid diet before surgery, which I think helped me post op by giving a glimpse of what life would be after surgery. Not only that, but I was able to deal w/the emotional aspects of letting go of foods that we simply cannot have right after surgery. Watching someone enjoy a pizza, etc, etc.. while you sit and watch is tough, but having already gone through that has really helped. For me anyways It's a definitely a roller coaster ride, so it's better to try and deal w/some issues now, so you can concentrate on recovery and your new lifestyle afterward.