Opinion Wanted

Hey all, I have my orientation at the end of January so because its a new year so I am just taking a poll.

Should I start weigh****chers or Keto?, the reason I ask is because i want tp start eating properly as in 3 meals a day etc...

What do you think of this programs and what did you do before and after the surgery to show yout effort and dedication.

I hope this makes sence.

All the best

Katrina

I would recommend that you start shifting your way of eating to a post-WLS way of eating. No time like the present to start working on building good habits.

If you aren't already, start measuring and tracking everything you put into your mouth using something like MyFitnessPal. From there, work on your basics. Here are mine, yours might be slightly different.

1. Prioritize protein and water
2. Deprioritize carbs, especially the refined and processed ones
3. Make the most of healthy fats
4. Eat three meals a day with no snacks
5. Avoid liquid calories (protein shake for breakfast is my exception since I've never liked putting solid food in my stomach first thing in the morning)
a. Don't drink with meals or for 30 minutes after eating
6. Weigh portions and track/log what you consume
7. Eat mindfully and with no distractions aside from real live people
a. Try to eat at a table
b. Eat with utensils
8. Move as much as possible
9. Weigh yourself daily
a. But focus on the trend of your weight, not the day to day fluctuations
10. Be kind to yourself
a. Take your vitamins every day
b. Track your own lab results - you're your own best advocate
c. Get a yearly DEXA scan to be sure your bones are healthy

It would also be worthwhile to find a therapist to help you work through the brain stuff!

Thank you so much for all the information, Have a Happy New Year.

Gwen crafted a beautiful response there and I agree with everything she said. I would certainly recommend moving more toward a post WLS diet as opposed to strictly weigh****chers or keto, though most find a near keto diet to be their best option after surgery.

Someone shared a really interesting article on here recently about an AARP study where it was found that a lower carb diet resulted in more weight loss in addition to more weight kept off. I vehemently opposed the idea that there was any correlation between weight loss and fewer carbs pre-op because I LOVE CARBS SO MUCH!!!

Anyways, I hope you have a successful surgery and a Happy New Year

Thank you for the information, Have a Happy New Year.

If you think having some meeting structure would help, you could use WW and still eat in a post-WLS style as suggested by Gwen. I had monthly meetings with a nurtritionist and followed her guidance pre-surgery, so was eating more carbs then I do now, but I did lose 34 pounds in the pre-op period.

Thanks for the reply, Have a Happy New Year.

I would also follow Gwen's advice and focus more on building good habits rather than following a specific diet. A diet for "normal" (non-WLS) people, whether low fat or low carb, will require significant adaptation once you have your surgery, so I don't think it's worth the effort to focus on a particular regime.

For the first couple of months, your focus will be on foods that your new stomach tolerates well. That may include things like oatmeal or SF pudding, and since they don't provide much protein, you'll want to reduce your consumption of them in the long run. After that, your focus will be protein, protein, protein. It was easy to get enough protein when you were on that 1200 calorie diet before surgery, but now that you're struggling to get in 700 calories, so you need to make every bite count. Eventually you'll be able to eat enough that you can follow a more "normal" diet plan, but it does take time. And even then, you may need to adapt it.

In addition to the things on Gwen's list, I'd like to suggest that you start noticing when you want to eat, and why. Develop a plan for how you will cope when you encounter one of your food triggers, like boredom or stress, once you've had your surgery. Experiment with it now. For example, if you want to eat because you're upset, try having a cup of special fancy tea that you've bought for this type of occasion.

All great points I will definatly do that. I am starting to have protien powder everyday to start and I will figure something else out to do next week.

One thought I have is what is your current BMI? Also, have you started a medically supervised diet yet.

If your BMI is near 35-40, you may want to hold off on actually losing weight, because you want to be sure to meet the insurer's criteria (35 BMI with co-morbidities, or 40 BMI). If your way over that, then go ahead. Also, your insurer may require a 3, 6, or 12 month medically supervised diet. Luckily, I had been seeing my PCP monthly for over a year and was weighed in at every visit, and we always touched on my weight, so I was able to use those office visits as my "medically supervised diet".

Don't know how familiar you are with the hoops you have to jump through to get your approval....so keep asking questions!

Good luck.