Need help before the surgery

I'm 6 weeks away from surgery date and need to shrink...fast... When I meet my surgeon 5 weeks ago, he told me that I would have to "earn" my surgery and that I would need to lower my weight by 30-40 pounds before surgery day.

After the first week I was way on track with 10 pounds down. Well, I think there is a little guy inside of me trying to sabotage me because I'm still at the same more than a month later (Yes, I know that I'm the one to blame)...

I need some advices... I'm at the gym in the morning and I'm doing 1 hour on the elliptical machine. I have reduced my food intake replacing a few meals with protein shakes. Fruits & veggies portions are also part of my meal plan (not cheating....).

I need to do more... but I'm not sure where to start... I know that if I would do weights, it would help me burn fat but I'm not sure if I'll be able to drop more but doing cardio only or by mixing it with some weight training.

Suggestions ??

Just keep in mind - that you need to burn more calories than you take in.  I was on a 3 week pre-op diet that consisted of 2 Slim Fast High Protein shakes (breakfast and lunch), and a "Healthy Choice" frozen entree for dinner. I lost 25 pounds in the 3 weeks prior to my surgery, and even at a surgery weight of 522 pounds, I was able to have RNY laproscopically due to the fact that I had lost that weight, and shrunk my liver. If you think you are sabotaging, maybe you need to look at any emotional or psychological barriers that in your way.  There are lots of great guys on here with a lot of advice to offer - but, look at what is going on internally that is leading to your sabotaging. Good Luck, Chuck

Admitting you need help is a giant step in the right direction.  Now, my advice is to reduce, no-no let me re-phrase that, get as close to completely eliminating carbs from your diet as possible. Low carb diets work great to quickly reduce your weight by 30-40 pounds. The key to low carb is not to cheat though. If you want to lose the weight, and want the surgery so you can lose LOTS more, then don't cheat yourself out of the chance.  How it works; simply: Keep your carbs below 20 grams per day. Watch all your labels!  This diet will be continued to your WLS afterlife as well. A low carb diet, along with the changes WLS makes on your system are the keys to significant weight loss. The results will be life changing, to say the least. I look forward to hearing about your future progress! See ya round, Ron

Make sure your protein drink is no carb..... Russ

Hey Sigoman, I'm with the others, if I was you I'd eliminate all carbs from your diet.  If you've ever read the Adkins diet book, start it immediately.  If not, get it and do it.  It's basically the same diet I follow even now, almost 17 months post-op, and trust me, it works.  That, and get as much exercise as physically possible.  An elliptical machine is perfect, I use one 4 times a week prior to weight training.  I suggest if you have access to a pool or water to swim as much as you can as well, less stress on the joints.  Remember, that surgery is not the magic pill, simply a tool that goes hand in hand with the emotional changes you need to make to succeed.  If you cant even attempt that now, your gonna have big time problems afterward.  Good luck and keep us up on your progress.  6 weeks is still alot of time to put a major dent in your weight.  You can do it bud!!

Sig, Thank heavens my Cardiologist didn’t make me "Earn" the new Heart Valve. Maybe your doc is just "couching it" in those terms To encompass both – 1.) a check to see that you are in fact a ‘compliant’ patient, And – 2.) to help shrink your liver prior to surgery. Both are very valuable things To have done before surgery. When I was "pre-op" the easiest way for me to drop weight For short terms was low carb. It allowed me to eat larger quantities of filling foods And still drop the pounds. If you keep you total carb intake below 20gms a day You can’t help but lose. It throws your metabolism into a state of Ketosis. Extra, extra water while doing that. Also extra fiber from crisp, low (or No) Carb veggies. The Low-Carb Diet tends to bring on Killer constipation if there’s not enough fiber in the diet. Hope all works out for you. Best Wishes- Dx

If you are a soft drink man............ get rid of them.  (Yes the Diet Coke too) If you are drinking ANY alcohol............... get rid of it. Cut the carbs.  Up the protein.  And drink so much water that you think you are going to burst your bladder! This is a lifestyle that you will need to adjust to in the initial post-op life anyway, so start it now.  This may be another way of your surgeon subconsciously evaluating your compliance.  However, I don't agree with the terminology of "earning" your surgery.   Whatever you do....despite your frustrations, DON"T GIVE UP!!! Keep yourself in check and be your first critic of what your intake really is.

Take A walk.  Exercise doesn't have to be overly strenous.  At the end of the day talk a 1 or 2 mile walk just to keep your heart pumping.  Don't let the end of the day go buy without soing something.  You are doing good but add a little something like a walk at the end of the day to keep the weight loss going and also drink tons of water. Good Luck.  I'm still waiting to hear back from my Dr on insurance issues but hope to be where you are by October and hope to have the surgury in November.

Thanks for the advices.

I will focus on getting the carbs numbers bellow 20g/day and staying active enough to create some calory deficits.

The Slim Fast High protein shakes aren't available in Canada so I got a different kind that doesn't have carbs...But milk does... I guess I'll have to change to soy milk or to dilute it with water because a cup of milk is around 11g of carbs,

I will keep you posted on my progress!

Thanks