Support

I just joined the site and need some support, I am planning to have my sleeve gastric surgery in October, and I am trying to get the pre-surgery weight off and it has gotten hard, Leaving soda behind was nothing compared to leaving sweets and telling people no for offering me food. I know the only way I'm going to survive is to have this surgery and I really just need support. And people to talk to.

I topped my highest weight this year at 460, I am down to 454 but its not going down. I have been more active, I have been eating smaller meals, and I have been eating Greek yogurt for snacks. the doctor keeps telling me to start protein powder because I need to find one that works for me and I bought a mixed berry flavor one and just a vanilla one and I can't tolerate either of them and actually the berry one gave me bad stomach cramps.

I just feel lost and lonely in my journey to a new life

Hi tukkutukk,

I've been in the same boat you are, and let me add, this is the hardest part. I had signed up for surgery on June 3rd, and my insurance was very willing to let me go. I was 547 at my heaviest (with lots of lymphedema fluid). In my first meeting with my nutritionist, we discussed getting enough protein down. But what I didn't understand was that I was supposed to give up all the things on "the list" as well. It wasn't until July 7th when I met with her again and then realized everything she was saying. No bread, pasta, rice or starchy veggies from then on. So it hit me kinda hard. From that day on, I focused so much on the details of my diet, and kept a food log. I was down to 504 the day before surgery, and that's no great increase in exercise, just cutting out the starches.

I completely agree with you that giving up the things we hold onto hurts. I still feel like Pavlov's dog every time I smell french fries. Or see pizza. If you live with someone, try (even beg) them to help you. Hide the bad things. Ignore your cabinets and bread box. They are full of starch.

But somewhere along the way you have to make the choices to give those things up. Food has to be focused on fueling your body, not for pleasure. And for me that's the hardest thing, giving up the thing I love. I think of trips, special events, etc by the food I had. I keep those memories with me, but I force myself to see food as the thing that's holding me back in life as well.

You can do this. You have the motivation to get healthier, or you wouldn't have signed up for the surgery to begin with. And your new life started that day too, not when you get your surgery. Find a few foods that you love that are not starches. Every meal where you eat the right things is a small victory. Focus on the food first, because ultimately, that has to change once you have surgery.

What kind of things are you eating now? What's a typical meal?

Thank you for your story it helps to know someone else has been where I am. as of today I have eaten a cherry greek yogurt for breckfast, some granola for lunch and while dinner was cooking I had another greek yogurt (blueberry lemon) and for dinner we had homemade mashed potatoes without butter, and chicken breast and mixed steamed veggies.

First and foremost, you stay strong. You've made a commitment and you can see it through. I really would suggest keeping a food log for at least a week, then trying to get an appointment with your nutritionist to go over what you are doing. I bought a food scale for that portion of my pre-op diet. I don't think I weighed everything, but close to it. Also, please don't starve yourself. Have some high protein, low fat, low carb stuff around like deli meat. It can be less than satisfying chomping down on sliced turkey breast, but it gets the job done with very little guilt added on.

I do wish you the best of luck. Keep us updated with your progress.

My highest weight was 449, but was about 430 for about a year.  My legs were also always hard from so much water retention.  My doctor referred me to a bariatric clinic at the end of April and I'm on the waitlist to start their program in order to get the sleeve.  I decided to get a head start since I'll need to lose at least 10% of my weight in order to qualify for surgery.

What's worked best for me is to count calories, using MyFitnessPal.  I limit myself to 1600 calories a day, and track everything including protein, fibre, sugar, sodium, and water.  By sticking to these goals I've been losing about 15lbs a month without exercise. It's honestly been really easy, because I'm in complete control of what I eat now.  It really changes how you look at food and the choices you make.  

My downfall with previous diets was always having to give up certain foods...  but now if I want a small ice cream cone then it's okay as long as I have enough calories left for it.  My husband and I go out for breakfast or lunch once a week, and in order to make that work we have salad for dinner. I rarely eat bread or rice anymore simply because they take up too many of my calories for the day!  I've also found that carbs (excluding fruit/vegetables) really affect my weight the next day, as they cause me to retain water.  

I really like the Premier Protein Chocolate drinks you can get at Costco, they have 30g of protein and only 130 calories.  The only way I can drink the powder type protein is if I mix it with other things.  For breakfast I make a smoothie with spinach, kale, frozen fruit, vanilla Premier Protein powder, and water with a squirt of Mio.  Not only does it have over 30g of protein, but all the nutrients give me such a great boost for the day!  Quest bars are also really good, and they have a lot of protein and fibre so they keep you full.

It really comes down to whatever works best for you.  I recommend using MyFitnessPal or something similar to break down your meals to see exactly what you're getting out of your smaller meals.  It's pretty crazy when you start tracking, as you start realizing just how many calories certain foods have. It will help you determine what foods are good choices and which ones to find alternatives for.   It will also be very helpful to your nutritionist/doctor if they know exactly how much protein and water you're getting as these will be extremely important to track after surgery.

Best of luck!

I bought a Fitbit at the beginning of this process, I love using that app to see what I eat and how it affects my intake only downside about it is that I can't manually put in my allowed calories, my doctor only wants me on 1400 calories a day with 101 protein I'm struggling with just the yogurt and stuff, that's why I asked about the protein powder, and I want to try the Premier Chocolate I wonder if Walgreens has it, We don't have a Costco in our town

I've seen the Premier Protein shakes at a few places now that I have been looking. If your town doesn't have a Costco, do they have an equivalent? Here in Texas we have Sam's Club. I've also seem them at Walmart.

We do have a Walmart, and Walgreens as our main stores here

You've come to the right place for support.  Most of us have had the same experience.  I had withdrawls (like a drug addict) when coming off of soda, carbs (pasta, potatoes, rice & wheat), my nutritionist called it the white stuff.  I didn't think I could do it, but stay strong, set your mind on your goal and it gets easier to do.  Especially once you see the changes!  and how much better you will feel and the feeling of accomplishment.  Its important to set small attainable goals, and when you get there you check it off your list.  This website has a health tracker where you can set goals, take your measurements and see how you change (shrink).  Take pictures, it's all about you now!  Stay strong and focused.  We are all here for you. 

Thank you for your kind words, I needed them, I have been taking pictures but have yet to measure myself. So I think im going to do that tonight.