Looking Forward to Surgery

Wow!    You've amazingly well.  Thanks for the advice.  I am going to call my nutritionist today and have them send me my pre & post op diets so I can get into the swing.  Recently, I have kept my "carb monster" in check by having one coconu****er and six squares of 85% Cocoa a day.  Although, I may have trouble on an upcoming cruise next week which was scheduled before I decided to pay for the surgery.  

Have fun on your cruise. Its nice that you'll have a little time to celebrate before your surgery.

The way I manage cruises is I try to stay on plan thru the day, eating high protein and healthy veggies. Then I let myself splurge in the evening, still eating dense protein first, but having bread, potatoes and deserts, in small quantities.  I found I could enjoy the delights of the wonderful cooking and avoid the weight gain that comes from "throwing caution to the wind".

Have a wonderful trip.  Is it a destination cruise?  I find I walk a lot when on a destination cruise and that helps balance the food.

Carol

My surgery is scheduled for June 28th.  I am also self pay.   Nice to meet some others who are at about the same stage on this process as I am.  I have been coming here every day for about a week and reading about other people's experiences and advice.  I think it will help me stay realistic when the time comes.  This is the 3rd time I have considered weight loss surgery but the first time I have gotten on the surgery schedule.  This time is different because I am now the mother of a 2 year old and need to be around and healthy for a long time yet.  Having more energy would also be a big help.  And my husband needs a lkidney transplant.  I would like to be able to donate to him and my biggest obstacle to that is my weight.  

I am trying to make a couple changes in advance of my surgery because I think it will make this transition a little smoother.  I have reduced my caffeine intake to one cup per day so I don't get a horrible withdrawal headache when I have to stop altogether.  I drink 1 protein shake/day in place of a meal-usually homemade but I am also trying a couple different brands of commercially available ones to find one I like since these will be needed "go to" meals and snacks for likely the rest of my life.  I have stopped drinking soda completely. I am trying to follow a lower carb diet (no refined sugar at all).  I have successfully followed a low carb diet before for over a year so I am pretty familiar with where I am going although I know I will have to be more conscious of fat content than I needed to be previously.  I am also planning a trip to the thrift store to buy a few smaller pieces of clothes to help me keep a visual goal of where I am going.  I would love to hear any other suggestions veterans have for changes to make during this time period they think would be helpful.