Hi, everyone!

I'm pre-op for Dr. Barry Greene and feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's odd how tiny 900 calories looks on a plate, I'm missing sweets and cake and pizza, and I'm just feeling low. Any upcheering would be gratefully received.

Life can get anxious as a pre-op. Your perception of food will change after surgery. In my pre-op days, food was a big motivator and reward for many things. I placed a lot of importance on it. As a post-op, you find that food takes much less a focus. Believe me, there will be times when you have to force yourself to eat.

What you should be doing now is preparing for long-term success. Many people do not change their lifestyle and habits. This has to happen. You need to be more active. Rewards need to come in other ways other than food. Set some good goals and don't be afraid to make them somewhat lofty. You will need to stretch yourself. 

I also started exercising as a pre-op. I never did before and was determined to change. I am now an avid cyclist. I love hiking, snowshoeing and run (although I suck at it.) Hey, it is OK to suck at stuff. You get satisfaction just knowing you tried it and can do it.

You will hear this a lot - WLS is only a tool for weight loss and not a solution. You and the changes in your life are the solutions to maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a healthy life.

Good luck!

Tom

Thanks, Tom, I really appreciated that. 

I'm taking the need to change my lifestyle very seriously and have begun (a month early) to replace one meal a day with a shake, and to cut out all junk. Exercising isn't so easy as I have utterly destroyed my knees and not by being down on them in back alleys with a string of excited gents stretching around the corner.