Pre-op diet questions

Hi guys.  I have some questions about pre-surgery diet.  I had my first meeting with the dietitian last week and she went over the food journal, and give me the guidelines for the new diet.

I'm not really having problems with the food choices, but the portion size is another story.  I'm really struggling with that. Are patients expected to be able to follow the food choices and portion sizes successfully?   people having weight loss surgery R the people who have the most problems with food addiction or self control, I am really motivated and sticking to the food choices, but not the amounts. I'm having a hard time believing that many obese people would be able to follow the diet they want for so long; we're the size we are because we are really bad at it. So the first question is, how well  are we expected to do with the diet change after the first dietitian meeting? 

Also -  they do want a sleep study, and right now they are booking into November for those. Are we expected to be able to do this new diet for the entire pre op period? I mean realistically, f me or other obese people could make such drastic diet changes overnight for that long, we wouldn't need weight loss surgery. I'm really concerned about whether I could sustain this diet, especially portion size, for 6, 7, 8 or more months pre op.

Which leads me to question 3. I was just barely 40 BMI at the start of this. I've already asked them what if I drop to below 40  before being approved, and they said its fine, they go by the start weight. But realistically, if I were able to do the dieticians recommendations religiously for 8 or more months, I think I would lose quite a bit. Does anybody know at what point pre op weight loss could threaten  your chance of being approved?   I also didn't realize it was going to be sudden, not gradual, after the dietitian. So I have things in the cupboard and fridge that I'm not allowed. For financial and ethical reasons, I really hate the idea of wasting food. It's mostly things like flavored Greek yogurt instead of plain, etc.  But I do have a  little Diet Pepsi and other no no's. Would it jeopardize my chance of being approved if I incorporated things like this immediately after the  dietician meeting, if they were clearly in moderation and only being used up?

I'm struggling with the pre-op diet Not because of all the things I can't have ( surprisingly!) But for these reasons, and I can't imagine that I can be the only one who is concerned about her ability to be able to follow the choices and portions for many months... If I has that good control, I wouldn't be at the bariatric center; is be doing it on my own, or would've done it years ago.

Thanksin advance for any insight or feedback!

Wow it's like you were in my head. I would like to see the answers to this.

Good luck with your journey! 

Hi there, as for the pre-op diet, I'm not sure what portion sizes you were given.  Usually until you get to Optifast as long as you are following the guidelines and trying to make your portions smaller you should be alright.  Most centres are looking for balanced meals.  I'm not sure what the portion sizes you were given to.  Take her suggestions and try eliminating one food at a time.  Once you no longer need it, go on to the next.  As for flavored Greek yogurt, you can still have flavored, bu****ch the sugar that is in it.  Some have more sugar than others.

Once you have an appointment booked with the sleep clinic, contact them and get put on a waiting list.  They have a lot of cancellations and you will probably get in before November.  I had mine within a few days of calling, but I might have gotten lucky.

Good luck on your journey.

Cathy

What the dietician is looking for is whether you can make some important changes, like making sure your approach to meals is balanced, having enough protein, and starting to eliminate some bad foods (like soda, other carbonated beverages, juices high in sugar, caffeine, other foods high in sugar, etc.)  I don't think they expect you to be perfect or eat portion sizes that are not realistic for you, but they are probably looking for some reduction in portion sizes.  When you bring your journal back in, they will probably randomly select certain days to review.  You need to be able to show progress, and explain your progress, so that you can demonstrate that you understand those changes.  At least, that's my sense of it, based on my experience.  When I went back in, I had, over the course of a couple of months, eliminated carbonated beverages, switched to decaf, and re-balanced some of my meals, as per the dieticians suggestions (more protein for breakfast, and slightly more balance at lunch and dinner -- veggies, starch, protein).  And that was it.  I did not lose a ton of weight, but was able to stabilize and lose a handful of pounds...and that's all they were looking for in my case.  But each Centre is a bit different...

Good luck!

DD

Hey ! 

OK so I do understand where you are coming from with this. And I agree to some extent , that , yes , of course if we were all so good at making these changes and sticking to them , then we would not be in our current situations . However , in my opinion,  we reach the point of going through with WLS because we have exhausted all other avenues in order to lose our weight and keep it off . For me , this was a huge decision , and I was completely ready to do something major to change my life for the better . Therefore , I was ready to give it my all and do whatever was asked of me , if it meant that at the end of the pre op process , I was given an extra tool to get me over the ' hump ' that I've always stumbled at during prior attempts with things like Weigh****chers and so on .

Not everyone sucks at dieting or losing weight . I had been very successful while doing some of those other attempts , it's the keeping it off part that I sucked at . And in my mind , the RNY was the thing that was gonna get me through that block on this attempt . So with that tool , waiting for me and shining brightly at the end of that long tunnel , I was motivated to keep going with the changes I had to make . Also , I don't think that the dietician expects you to just completely stop and be perfect the next day and continue to be perfect all the way to surgery . They are really just looking for your commitment to change some things , and are there to support you through it too . Let's face it , WLS is a huge change of lifestyle , so they need to see that you are ready to embrace that change . Making small changes to your diet and eating habits prior to the surgery definitely prepare you for when you come out on the other side . 

I say really ask yourself if this is what you want to do , and if your are really and truly ready to do it at this time . It's not easy , before or after , but it is so completely worth it . 

I struggled with portion sizes too , I could eat any man under the table !! And I'll be honest , that was one thing that was very hard for me during pre op . When you are so used to eating huge amounts of food , trying to eat a cup of this and a half cup of that in one sitting just seems ridiculous ! So small ! But if you really want this , give it an honest shot . It is hard on the other side , but some things are very easy . Portion control for me now , is very very easy !! I simply cannot eat a lot of food anymore , and ( maybe naive of me at 6 months out ) I really don't think I ever will again . 

Gradually change little things over the next few weeks , with your Surgery as the prize at the end . Those little things quickly become normal . That's what kept me going , the appointments throughout , the thought of what life would be like afterwards with my new tool to help me stay on track . 

I'll be honest and tell you I did have a couple of food funerals during the pre op time , but I did for the most part , change a lot . And it got easier . Plus , time really flies ...and these next few months are marked on your calender with appointments which for me were like hurdles , to jump over in order to get to the finish line ( not really a finish line at all ,more like the start !) So I was continously spurred on throughout . And like I said before , your team are there to support you , so use them if you feel you are struggling . No one is perfect , but if you are ready for this , you will try very very hard . And I believe that's what they want to see . 

This forum is a huge support system too , stay and read , search the search box at the top when you have any questions , big or small , no question is too silly to be asked. And know that we are all in this together , for the same reasons , it helped me big time . Seeing people who had the same issues as me , were roughly the same weight or had battled the same length of time as I have , and had come out swinging and rocking it , getting to goal and staying there for years , is a HUGE motivation for me . If they can do it , then so can I !! 

Anyway , I wish you well  and really hope you stick around and keep us company ☺ You CAN do this , and life is so good and worth every single minute of the struggles and tougher times you have to get through . 

Good luck 

Jax x

It has been almost 4 years since I had surgery but I suspect it is a similar process.

To be successful in the long run you must change you're eating habits and lifestyle, do this before you're surgery because if you don't you may be rejected - you haven't been able to prove that you can actually do it. 

Use livestrong, track you're calories and just try to cut them in half. Get rid of breads and most refined carbs (bread was really hard to eat post surgery anyway). Pre-surgery I lived on greek yogurt, fruit, salads and stir fries... I did eat larger volume of food but it was the right kind of food. I started working out everyday - just a half hour on the elliptical. I lost over 30 pounds in the 3 months before surgery and my physician had every confidence that I could do it on my own - and I was going to use weight loss surgery as a tool to help me maintain control over the long run (harder than I anticipated). 

I am still a food addict so it is work EVERYDAY to make the right choices.... 

Good luck! 

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies!  Much appreciated.  I have been considering this for a long time, and only took the plunge when I was sure.  I'm not having problems eating what I'm supposed to - have barely had any breads, doing the 3 meals/snacks a day (sometimes an extra snack), and taking the choices from the suggestion list the dietician gave me.  I am really ready to kiss the bad foods goodbye...I know I'll miss them, but I look at it like a really hot boyfriend who's a bit of an ass, who I've decided to break up with...but am going to just enjoy a last weekend with or something.  :P  I actually had Chicken Pad Thai the night before the dietician appointment, and called it the Good Bye Thai.  I love that stuff, but it's like that boyfriend that I don't like liking, and while I know I'm giving up things that make me feel good, I know that ultimately they're not, and weird as it sounds, I have almost this relief type feeling, that I CAN'T have these things anymore.

The issue is portions...at the end of the appt, the dietician asked me how confident I felt from 1 to 10 that I'd be able to follow her directions.  I told her I didn't know how to answer, because luckily I love vegetables and almost everything on the list of suggested meals/snacks - so I feel a solid 9 there - but I am concerned about the portions.  Some of the meal suggestions are things I could easily scarf down while making dinner LOL.  She did comment that "the surgery will help with portion sise" (my last letter of the alphabet key isn't working!) so I got the impression they're more concerned about whether you can drop the bad stuff and add the good - to know that if they do the surgery, are you going to be willing/able to follow their directions.  But I also got the impression that she expected no mistakes.  I realise I have/(had?) a sugar addiction, and am surprised that I've not been struggling with that near as much as I thought I would.  It's only day 5 though - days one and two weren't really hard bc I am so motivated.  Day 3 and after, I'm really noticing things like how damn good the milkshakes etc on the flyers in my mailbox look...I've been pretty good so far, but not sure I can make it months with no mistakes at all.  Like, when PM****s, and I crave chocolate insanely, or a real ****ty day and I have a moment of weakness.  Ironically, I work as a courier, and am in and out of restaurants all day long...and delivering delicious food.  If there is a problem with a delivery, often the restaurant will tell us to just keep the food.  Can you believe that I ended up with a custom cake in my car the day after the dietician appt, they'd forgotten to get the buss code, and I wasn't able to make it back to the bakery by close...well I have not touched it or even opened the box to look at it.  :)

Oh and as for exactly what sise portions - she's got me following the Canada Food Guide - so those proportions (the diet for a 15-40 yo woman if I recall?).  Their definitions of a portion (my definition of a warmup).

I can't imagine many people can execute the new diet with sero mistakes and proper portions for months pre-op...curious how many people lie.  I'm surprised that going from crap to protein for snacks, actually does fill you up for longer.  Would be nice to lose a bit of weight pre-op!