Worried ~ Pre-op/Post-op Diet

 Frazzeled!! Yup that sums it up for me!! So, I started my pre-op diet for sure Sunday and so far so good.  Well sort of.  I am sure there are others out there who have been in my shoes and now the feeling.  But I am feeling slightly panicked!! My surgery is in 10 days and the panic is beginning to really set in!! For so long I have grown used to going through a drive-thru for dinners at home and then if at the store just shopping at Super Target/Super Wal-mart or even the grocery store just zooming by their kitchen area and grabbing some grub and taking it home to eat. So, with this being said.....it's not that I can't "avoid" that food....it's that I am scared that I don't really know how I am going to go about not only feeding myself but my family. Luckily my spouse was so kind and patient w/me this past weekend as we shopped for groceries and we looked at every label and made sure what we were buying was healthy, sugar free, and high protein/low carbs.  So I know I have the support to do this!! I'm not exactly a chef and looking at some cook books for later use is like reading a statistics/probability calculator manual!! I am used to being in the kitchen and cooking like my mother. Some of you ladies know exactly what I mean with this.....a pinch of this and a pinch of that a dab of this a dab of that.  LICK the spoon..yup needs a little more salt and pepper and wah-lah!!  Well, cooking like that really isn't an option anymore!! So I am panicking and not sure what I'm going to do!! Another one of my concerns is that while finding protein shakes and supplements to use I am going to grossed out at the flavors to have to choose from.  Not wanting to drink or eat things that taste like plastic or cardboard. I come from a family where all our cooking in our house was super spicy w/lots of flavor.  So right now I am eating so bland like a diabetic diet per se that my poor little taste buds are wanting to go on strike!! Well, if anybody has any suggestions on what they ate prior to and after the surgery the weeks following their lap band and all....please hit me up and tell me what made you cope. I will say that I am a HUGE pepsi/coke caffeine addict and would always have to have my "breakfast" diet pepsi in the morning.  Well, I am going on 2 weeks on no POP!!The first week was pure misery as I went through withdrawls but this week I am doing really good and I am so proud of myself. Heck I walked into our cafeteria at work and as I walked by the donuts and they taunted and mocked me - Well, I just kept walking by and I blew them some raspberries!! BBBLLLLTTHHHRRPPP!! and sais to them "not this time losers, not gonna happen!!"

I had a huge craving for spicy food after surgery so when I could eat mushies I had a lot of FF refried beans with salsa. I probably ate them every day for a while. I used yogurt or FF sour cream too with them or string cheese melted. 

I always have cooked with a pinch of this or that and I still do that most of the time. I am not a recipe follower, but now I make healthier choices, using spices instead of fats. 

I ordered a lot of samples of protein drinks and liked the unflavored unjury with crystal light best, but your tastes will change after surgery and what tastes icky now, but be OK then. I liked the nectar flavors too because they were fruity. Another help was LF chicken broth with garlic which is made by Swanson. Or you probably could put garlic in plain chicken broth. That helped me a lot.

Prior to the surgery I used sugar free carnation instant breakfast 5 times a day plus broth and one glass of fruit juice, plus sugar free jello which I made into cubes so I could chew them. I didn't have much trouble with this because it took away the hunger to have 5 servings of protein.

Good luck, you'll do OK

Connie 

Hi There again! BREATHE!!!!!    Take a BIG DEEP Breath and BREATHE!!!!! It is perfectly natural what you are going through.  We all go through this at some point. Are you using broths in your liquid diet?  I hear that there is ready made broth flavored with garlic that is really good.  If you can't find that, add your own seasonings to the broth.

The protein should not be much of a problem either.  Order a bunch of samples and go down the list.  Your new best friend can be the sugar free DaVinci (or other brand) syrups that you get in the coffee isle.  I flavor my protein with SF syrups, pudding, diet hot chocolate (25 cals), International coffee flavors that are SF and caffeine free (25 cal), Crystal Light (or similar), even flat diet soda can be mixed with protein (flat diet root beer or orange mixed with vanilla......)!  There are endless possibilities! As for eating from the deli, you can still do that, just get sliced meats and cheeses for a quick wrap.  Your diet will only be limited for a (relatively) short time.  Eventually, you will be able to eat most foods, just smaller amounts.  You will need to continue to make good choices to maximize your weight loss, but no food will be entirely forbidden if eaten in moderation. Congratulations on defeating the soda demon.  That is a great first step.  Take things one step at a time and you will be amazed at how different your life will be in 6 months. I post a recipe each day that I have collected throughout my journey.  I get inspriation from www.BariatricEating.com, Cooking Light magazine, and even www.recipezaar.com.   Most recipes can be adjusted by substituting Splenda (Wal-Mart now has this in generic!) for sugar and applesauce for fat in baking. You will be fine and you are doing a great job by coming here for support!

Don't stress out over this. It will past faster then you think. You will do find.  you will find that you will save time by not having to go for carry out every night. So, you will have time to make something. I usually cook on weekends, and have leftovers for during the week. Chili, stews, soups work for me, as well as Healty Choice. WW, and lean cushine. Good Luck.