How did you start your pre-op weight loss..

I just finished talking to my doctor and he said he wants me to lose 30 pounds before he secludes me for the surgery. My question to y'all is.. How did you lose your weight. What did you eat when did you eat.. I'm not sure how to even start. Any help or suggestions are appreciated.  (He did talk to me about using shakes but I have no clue as to what shakes to use and how to go about them.)

You can buy premier protein shakes (already mixed and ready to drink) at WalMart or just about anywhere. I also use the Nectar and Matrix protein shakes from syntrax.com (that link should take you right to the online store, if not, just go to syntrax.com and choose "enter medical site" and then go to the store). Their Chocolate Truffle flavor is so yummy. They're also having a sale on their Nectar brand variety sampler (which is their fruity flavors). For $16.99 you can get 15 different flavors to sample. That's how I got my first protein drinks and decided that Strawberry Kiwi is the one for me.

As for the losing weight, the veterans on here will probably have better advice than I, since I'm sorta a newbie around here. But, I might suggest maybe starting to live like you've already had the surgery. Ask your doctor what he requires of post-op patients and eat the way we do. Limit your meals to 1 cup of food per meal (which will be what my surgeons says I will be able to hold at 1 year post-op). Go ahead and go off of the caffeine and soft drinks (not all surgeons require this, but mine does), dump the bread and nearly all of the carbs. Protein first, then veggies, then fruits.

Exercise at least 3 days a week, even if it's just walking.

Good luck on your journey!

I gave up everything white.  No bread, potatoes, flour, rolls, rice, noodles, pasta, sugar, cookies, doughnuts, soda, or candy.

I ate only solid protein and a few non-starchy vegetables.  A meal might have been a pork chop with mashed cauliflower, a tossed salad, and sugar-free Jello for dessert.  After surgery, I ate the same but much smaller portions.

I started to eat like a post op to some extent.

i threw out all of the processed carbs and stocked up on lean protein and veggies.

i ate protein first, cut my food small, ate off a small plate, ate several ounces of dense protein (chicken, fish, beef, pork) and a few bites of veg for lunch and dinner.   Greek yogurt for breakfast.

i stopped drinking WITH my meals, and I drank lots of water between meals.

It took a few days for the sugar and carb cravings to subside, but once they were gone, I had very little hunger on this plan.

Since losing the 30 pounds is a pre-condition for your surgery, you do not want to flail around on your own. 

I am surprised that your doctor just sent you off to lose on your own!!!!!!  Does he have a practice that is devoted to WLS????   My doctor, and most others who treat bariatric patients full-time have some sort of pre-surgery supervised diet.  My doctor does a supervised Optifast program for patients in your position.  If your doctor's practice is not devoted solely to WLS (then find one), at least check his post-op support program.  That is a key component of post-surg progress for me (I am almost a year out).  At my doctor's office, pre-op patients also come to our post-op support groups.  In fact, you have to attend at least one support group meeting before WLS. 

Sorry to express concerns so early about your doctor, but I believe you should have left his office knowing EXACTLY what to do. (Did you check out several doctors, if not, it's not too late to find one who understands more of the facets of weight-related issues.)   Did he tell you WHY he wanted you to lose the 30 pounds - do you have some specific risk that he is worried about, is it a condition for insurance approval??  I ask because there is little medical evidence that pre-surgery weight loss makes a difference, it is just more torture for WLS patients.  But the healthier you go into surgery, the healthier you will come out of it. 

That being said:  Have you ever lost weight in the past? It doesn't sound like you have much experience, so you might want to check out some reasonable diet programs and follow one.  Atkins, which is a high-protein diet. Not exactly like post-WLS, but similar.  Personally before WLS, I never lost weight on my own.  Weigh****chers was not my thing, but I have friends who did well on the program.  The last 'conventional' diet I did, which worked was at a University.  I could not keep it off without the WLS, but I was able to lose. 

Having WLS will allow you to follow a post-WLS diet.  I would never have been able to eat that way before I had the surgery - I would have been hungry all the time, and WLS changes what you want to eat, so it will be so much easier after WLS.

I was not given a specific pound goal before surgery, but just told to lose weight.  I was such a diet failure - lose it, gain it back.  However, the PROMISE of WLS helped me make good decisions during the pre-surgery period.  I lost 15 pounds in about 6 weeks.  If I could do it, so you can do it. 

I started very simply. I cut out all sugary beverages, no soda, juice, iced tea etc. Then I tracked calories, aiming for 1500 a day. Once I got the hang of that I tracked where my calories were coming from-- too many calories came from carbs so I ended up reducing my carbs- and allowed myself 1 carb per meal. 

As I got closer to surgery I started using protein shakes in lieu of snacks, then eventually in lieu of a meals. I worked at increasing my steps but really wasn't doing regular exercise. 

Good luck!

This is actually the rubber meeting the road for your new normal. Your new normal means that an entire lifestyle change has to be embraced. The best indicator for success is how you adapt to this new request.

I had no such request for some reason. Most likely because I was already walking daily when I started my inquiry into my RNY.

But, since my surgery, I now completely understand how important it is to understand the mindset needed for this to work. It also takes alot of organization and self discipline. The actual surgery is nothing but a starting point, not the miracle. I believe the miracle occurs when a person whose entire life has been spent one way, suddenly alters their mindset and use the tools now available to them and change their lives.

Best of luck on this all encompassing trip.

The only way I lost weight preop was by tracking everything in myfitnesspal and reducing my calorie intake. I eventually realized that limiting carbs made it easier. Focus on protein because it keeps you full longer.

If you want specifics, you should try the low glycerin index diet for diabetics.  I cut out simple Carbs and tried to limit myself to 1200 calories a day.  Then after failing at 1200, I raised it to 1600. I still lost weight because I hag been eating way more than that.  

Log everything you put into your north with my fitness pal. 

Wishing you success!