W Watchers and WLS

After being on these forums endless for the last two days while being home sick... I've received a ton of great advice! One great piece of advice I received is to not have that "Binge before surgery, perfect after surgery" mentality. A lot of people said they did that... ate as much of the food they love before surgery and assumed that the day after surgery they could just be perfect eaters...

I, too, had this mentality. I am so mad at weight loss attempts that I didn't want to do sh*t until surgery. My idea was to get surgery, then go back on Weigh****chers (which I like) to help me eat smaller, healthier portions and track my food. BUT, now, after reading everyone's comments, I think I will start back on WW NOW. I am about a month to two months away from surgery and I guess everyone's right.... I should start getting in the habit now. Thoughts?

The earlier you start the good eating habits the better off you will be in the long run.  That way surgery won't seem like a cure, just another part of your life long eating plan.  I started eating healthy about 6 weeks before surgery and lost quite a bit of weight prior to surgery.  Now I eat out of habit, it just seems natural now.  Do I ever eat anything I know I shouldn't?  Yes.  I am human and I make mistakes.  Do I ever binge like I used to?  No.  I may take a bite or two of a dessert on a rare occasion, but I am able to limit it now. Good luck to you!!! Debi

I agree!!  Another thing I've learned is to load up on protein - it'll help you heal faster!!  GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

I followed the dietitian's suggestion during the whole pre-op process (what to eat, when, how, etc.) and found that after surgery it was pretty much ingrained in my head to keep eating that way.  As Debi said, it becomes "habit" to eat that way now.  I also lost 30lbs following their pre-op "diet".

I did WW during the 6-month supervised diet time required by my insurance. I lost about 30 lbs. during that time and felt I was just that much ahead. It did help me start eating in a much healthier way even before surgery. It's also a good idea to practice taking smaller bites and chewing well. And, try not to drink with your meals or for 1/2 - 1 hour afterwards. Those are things that will be necessary after surgery and it's good to have those habits well in place. Good luck with everything. Jean B.

I was bad and eat like everyday was my last meal. I really don't miss eating like that anymore. But I agree with everyone that it helps to get the protien in first and start healthy habits.

I should probably keep my thoughts on this to myself, but it was recently shoved in my face by my daughter's new doctor, so I'm going to share. I'm not here to flame WW, I know plenty of people that have had great success with one of their plans or another.  But I don't know that their "diet" plans are really in sync with a WLS patient's needs.  If you can start to practice the new habits your surgeon's plan recommends, you'll be giving yourself a great head start!  Stop drinking carbonated beverages.  Chew all your food to the consistancy of applesauce.  Eat your protein first, then veggies and fruits, with carbs being minimal in your diet.  Limit fats and sugars.  Drink 64 oz of water and/or sugar free beverages (Crystal Light, etc...) every day, but not within 30 minutes of a meal, and certainly not WITH your meals.  When you think you feel hungry, try drinking something instead - lots of times, thirst is mistaken for hunger. The doctor that rubbed me wrong was talking with my daughter about losing weight, she really does need to.  I can't remember just what made me bring it up, but I did mention that I'd had WLS and lost a mess of weight so far.  She looked me up & down, and proceeded to tell me that we should BOTH join Weigh****chers, as it would be great for BOTH of us!  This woman knew nothing of my history, and I do still have somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 pounds to lose.  But she spoke as though she was on the WW payroll, the way she pushed their program.  I almost took it as a teaching moment to throw a bit of water on the whole "diet mentality" thing, but decided to let my daughter take the lead.   I just hate that her life is so closely mirroring my own.  I want BETTER for her!!

You have gotten some really good advice here. They are tright the sooner you can start good eating habits the better. When I think about how I used to eat it makes me ill. You should eat what your body needs not what your head wants. Good for you for researching this and making an effort to help yourself have a better and healthier lifestyle. You are on the right track now!! Follow your surgeons orders and you will do an awesome job. This shouldn't feel like a diet....it is just a healthy way of eating. I do not feel deprived of food in any way. Drink your water and exercise, take your vitamins and calcium everyday!  Good Luck! Hugs, connie d