Getting ready for surgery!!

Hi everyone, How do you prepare yourself for surgery. What are some of the things you do in the months prior to surgery. I haven't been testing any of the protein shakes out there, and I havent been able to eat slowly. How many people started getting into the habit of eating slowly and chewing properly weeks or months before the surgery. How many people that "weren't" required to start on shakes actually started. How many people gained weight before the surgery instead of losing? Attended support groups ...and overall did things apart from come to this site to get them ready for this life changing procedure.

Hey BIGCHYCK, when is your surgery i would like to know all the above too but right now i am waiting for approval i hate this wait there's gotta be a better way i have gained an additional 6lbs in the last week although i have my surgery date (January 20) and all my pre ops scheduled for January 6 i cant concentrate on no damn weightloss right now i am losing it i keep saying once they approve me i will start my diet because i would like to lose some weight before surgery and start to eat the right way chew chew chew but until my approval all i do is gobble gobble gulp gulp ...... the only thing that keeps me same sane now is logging on to this site as much as possible it does help and believe me you you will get all the ansers you need.... Good Luck

Hi I am also waiting to be approved. I want to start getting in the groove, but the more stressed I am about the insurance is the more I tend to want to eat. I attended one support group for post-ops and a few nutritionist class to learn about the procedure and life afterwards. After I get approved, I will go in for a refresher. Goodluck....with your approval, mine is pure hell.

BiGChyck: Dr. Nusbaum is my surgeon too - he's the best! I did test some protein shakes, but didn't stock up because I had heard - and it was true - my tastes would change after surgery. I think one of the easiest & best sources of protein early out is Carnation Sugar Free Instant Breakfast. You can use Carb Countdown milk for added protein. Absolutely use this pre-op time to: 1. start chewing slowly & according to post-op instructions 2 wean yourself off of soda 3. go easy on "last meals". It's not like you won't be able to ever eat again - gaining weight before surgery is foolhardy in my opinion. 4. attend support groups - ABSOLUTELY! Good luck on your journey! P~ "Life is too short to wear sensible shoes!" "WWCHD?"

Great questions! I did not stock up on protein drinks, though I did try a few. You absolutely should attend support groups - great to meet those who can become a network for you after, and hear the various issues that people are facing as they progress at differrent stages. My suggestions: 1) Get in the habit of drinking LOTS of water now. You'll have to start very slowly after surgery of course, but make water a part of your life now. 2) Same for vitamins - take all your supplements daily, and start now. Even if it's a while before your approval (hope not) the better nutrition can only help! 3) Start exercising now. I know it's hard, I think almost none of us exercised before losing weight...but the stronger you can make your body to undergo this major surgery, the better! Just try to do *something* each day, even if it's only 5 minutes! 4) Since protein is the "building blocks" of the body, I recommend eating high quality lower-fat proteins leading up to your surgery. I also asked my nutritionist about this before surgery. She said if she was headed for any kind of surgery, she would be eating lots of fish, including omega-3 dense fish, such as salmon - this will help your body in the healing process immensely. 5) Try to avoid the "last supper" thing as much as possible. As someone else said, it's no like you're never going to eat again! Maybe just pick your favorite and make it a point to have that some time before surgery. But getting really caught up and obsessing about foods you can't have again is probably not doing yourself any favors. And I'm talking about mentally as much as physically! I know for me an important part of all of this has been to let go of the importance of food in my life. Not placing such a focus on all those delicious - but really bad for us - foods and snacks is a big thing. I can't think of anything else right now...hope this is helpful. Also, I did all of these things but wasn't religious about it or anything. I feel preparing with the vitamins and healthier food choices was a big help for me to get me in the right mind-set going in. Good luck! Marie 297/185/ goal 150-ish

I would definitely attempt a protein drink, I hated all of them at first, and it took a lot of research and about 2 months before I found one that I could tolerate!