losing weight pre-op

hi everyone, i'm joni your neighborhood lurker.i'm pre-op and i'm still trying to lose weight.i need to get rid of ten more lbs.and i'm bouncing between up 3 down 3. it's like i'm stuck or something. any suggestions out there? i feel as if i'm alone with this problem and it's getting on my last nerve.helppppppp......

joni, did you try the ketone diet? where you eat nothing but protein and tons of water (or non carb beverages). we have to do that pre-op for the st raphael's group and I dropped 15 pounds in a week....also, the ketones made me not hungry at all.......just an idea...smile!!! (and yes, you do get that nasty ketone breath, but hey, I kept extra toothpaste and brush at work...helped to kill my appetite as well) good luck!!!!! I did manage to drop from 340 to 308(day of surgery) on this liquids only...and it REALLY helped my morale....look forward to seeing you on the losing side!!!.Drea

I like having the cabbage soup when dieting. Its filling, tastes good and is low in calories. Let me know if you want the recipe.

You could try the all liquid diet of 1,000 calories a day - 4 boosts and all the water, sugar free pops, sugar free jello, and broth you can stand. Good luck Joni! Best Regards, Tammy Count Down: 8 days!

Hiya Joni! I'm also a Dr. Aranow pre-op trying to lose the required 10 lbs. I have lost 7 so far.. 3 more to go. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! It seems to take forever!! I know for awhile I was getting into the "last supper" mentality.. as if I will not be able to eat again after surgery so I better eat everything in sight that doesnt move now! Have you found yourself doing this??? Once I came to terms with the fact that I will still be able to eat after surgery..and why not start making healthier choices now, the scale is starting to move in the right direction again! Another area I am trying to focus on is exercise. You might also want to start or increase your exercise activity level. I have gone to CURVES for almost 3 years now but the last couple of weeks I started going to jazZercise classes and love it! Even if the scale is taking its sweet time going down..exercising makes you feel so much better! Good luck in your journey and look forward to seeing you on the losing side! Angie

Hi Folks! I used the Keytone Diet. It was pretty simple. Just 3oz's of protien( I used sliced Turkey, Sliced Roast Beef, and Cooked shrimp), mixed with a cup of low fat chicken or beef broth. 3 times a day. Get a small scale and weigh your protien. Its good training as after a while, you can tell what 3oz's look like. That an alot of fluids, be they water crystal light, suger free ice pops, as long as it's wet, non caffinated and suger free, is fine. This should not be used long term but should get those 10 pounds off in a week or so! Take care and good luck! Julio

two words- SOUTH BEACH - I lost an amazing 30 pounds pre op on South Beach. AND because it is similar (high protein, low carb moderate fat) to the POST op diet mentality you need to embrace it is a good habit to learn. You need to let go of the "last supper" mentality and embrace your new lifestyle now. The more weight you lose pre-op the less risks of complications (liver getting nicked is just one- the others are pneumonia, blood clots, incision infection to name a few) and the easier your recovery. It's the diet option Dr Aranow reccomends for all the above reasons. Get the book or even easier just go to the South Beach website and join. You won't be hungry on South Beach like you are on those horrid ketone and liquid diets some of the other surgeons insist on- diets shouldn't be torture. You can fill up on veggies and lean meants and feel satisfied. Let me tell you kick those nasty sugar cravings now, and post op is a lot easier- I haven't had any problems adjusting to life after surgery and I think a lot has to do with the adopting a new lifestyle pre-op. Remember he'll fix your stomach- you have to fix your head. Good luck!!!!!

Not to engender the typical debate about our various bariatric surgical programs, but if you can't lose the required weight, can't you talk to your surgeon. After all, if we could lose weight on command, I don't any of us would need surgery. And, pre-surgery weight loss is not necessarily determinative of long-term success. So, perhaps if you are struggling, you could speak with your surgeon and discuss modifying this pre-operative requirement. Good luck.

The pre-op weight loss is not used as an indicator of how one can do after surgery- Dr Aranow requires it in order to shrink the liver pre-op- it's pretty much a non negotiable requirement. I have heard from several people who took months to do it and surgery ahd to wait til they did. 10 pounds compared to the 100 or more excess pounds we have/had pre-op is not a lot- in my humble opinion, yes for some it's harder than for others- but it must be done and it can be done. I was never as commited to a diet as I was the pre-op one. and not only did I exceed the requirement three fold, but I believe it trained and conditioned me physically and emotionally to adapt to post op life. I have had very little to NO head hunger, no mood swings/depression and no major desire to eat inappropriate foods. (three of four children have had their birthdays since the surgery and each I had a bite of cake- on small bite) Compared to those awful liquid diets some of the other surgeons require- it's a piece of cake (no pun intended) Dr A has a new dietician coming on board soon, so hopefully she can be of help if you are still struggling with the ten pound loss.

Actually, the issue of shrinking the liver so that it can be easily retracted is achieved by reducing fat intake and by restricting alcohol in the weeks prior to surgery. If a pre-operative patient can lose weight in the process, while reducing fat intake, then that is an added bonus. However, liver disorders that afflict the obese will doubtful be reduced by the modest 10 pound weight loss. I do, however, agree, that helping people to focus on making healthy choices prior to surgery can assist them in the transitions that come post-operatively. However, as many of us have found, post-operative sustained success is something that none of us could have ever imagined.