overwhelmed by food planning

Oh, absolutely.  Thanks again!

I'm in Toronto and started going to the Wharton Medical Clinic in February 2015. They referred me for surgery.

anyway, they gave me a ton of nutrition education (and it is ongoing). I found the use of the MyFitnessPal app very helpful with meal planning. I can digitally add half a banana and see if that makes my sugar for the day insane. If so, I delete and do not eat it. 

I did did ask them if there is a real cutoff time for eating and they said it depends on the individual. I have long days (I only sleep about 6 hr per night). So, I can eat a snack at 9pm and make sure it's not high carb.

hope this helps a wee bit.

It does! Thanks. :D

congrats on the earlier appointment.  Its okay to have an evening snack if you are indeed hungry, learning to tell the difference between habit and true hunger in the evening is something you'll learn as time goes on.  Stop and think am i truly hungry is it just a habit to eat a snack at night.  I always drink more at night and if i still feel as though im hungry i will go for raw veggies for the crunch something light because at night you sleep on those calories and have no opportunity to burn the calories off.  Good luck with everything

Thank you!

I have my dietician appointment in July and I am wondering the same thing. Thanks for posting the question and to everyone for your comments. I wasn't sure what to change or how to eat.

Happy to help!

Food planning and tracking was, and still is essential for me. I need to be accountable. The goal pre-surgery for you're medical team is to ensure that you will make "lifestyle changes". If you don't and use the surgery as the only means to control you're weight long term you will rebound. The pre-surgery diet will set you up for successes but I would be more concerned about the overall calorie intake and the water. 

In the prep time before surgery I started using livestrong my plate to track everything and dropped my calorie intake from over 3000 to 1200-1400, and get this - I got rid of all bread and refined carb products! Yup that's right, no bread, (white) pasta, (white) rice, bagels, muffins - anything with flour basically. Oh my - that was hard! But that, combined with fitness (and I mean sweat fitness) each day I dropped over 30 pounds before my surgery date. My surgeon said my operation was pretty easy for him because I had a nice little liver and he could tell my body had really responded to the new healthy lifestyle. 

I shopped on the "outside" of the grocery store (fresh whole foods) and although it was pretty tough (because let's face it you don't get to be 300 plus pounds by eating "healthy"). I was so motivated to get that weight off - nothing was going to get in my way! Including my grumpy belly which was screaming for a peanut butter sandwich! 

I had similar food each day pre-surgery; 

B: oatmeal or Greek yogurt with high protein cereal and a few berries

L: tuna on big salad with balsamic (no oil) 

D: stir fry 

S: protein shakes or a few almonds counted out in between 

Drinks: only coffee (one in the morning), tea's, water with lemon and crystal light (even though I shouldn't have had that) 

I suggest to eat pre-surgery like you will eat post surgery. Although the volume will be considerably less post surgery. 

It is so worth it - this new lifestyle you build now will carry you through the surgery and beyond and when that scale drops 5-15 pounds a month and you have to keep exorcising you're fat clothes from you're closet you feel well accomplished. 

Good luck! 

Thank you!