Opting out of surgery - tell the nutritionist??

I have an appt. this morning with the nutritionist at Highland Hospital (appt is this morning). I haven't yet told them I've decided not to do the surgery and I'm hoping I don't slip and say something to that effect. I do need to continue seeing a nutritionist! And since I have this morning's appt and another one scheduled in Sept. ... Actually this posting is my attempt to "practice" saying what I need to say to the nutritionist - I don't want to lie. I know I need the follow-ups with a nutritionist while I learn to stick with my lifestyle changes. They provide some "control" for me. I also know that I need the WLS support group meetings. Hearing how people are doing both pre-op and post-op is very helpful to my motivation! When I started this journey I began with a plan A and a plan B - plan A was losing the weight myself with plan B being the WLS surgery. How do others on this board keep up with their food plan? Do you see a nutritionist? Are your Primary Care Physician visits sufficient? Where are you getting your motiviation from? Thanks! Shirley

i believe (and the research also shows) that support, in whatever form, is a key ingredient in long term success. whether this is getting factual knowledge from a nutritionist, going to a psychologist or peer support group or having accountability by weighing in with your primary doc, its whatever you feel like you need to keep you on track. personally, in my first few years when i was actually still in weight loss mode, i kept in touch with nutritionists and trainers from the weight loss program i attended. i also got a lot of support from participating in a email group of alums from my program. now, i mainly just have my trainer i meet with twice a week (normally, but right now she's on maternity leave). i have a nutritionist that i met with a few months ago when i was feeling frustrated by some issues i was having. i wanted some input from a professional on what she thought was going on with some weight gain. i also routinely return to my diet program when i feel like i need a boost or recharge. anyway, is this nutritionist specifically affliated with a WLS program? is there a reason you can't see her if you aren't scheduled for surgery? i think its better to be honest if possible. if you feel comfortable attending the WLS support groups, then i don't see anything wrong with you. maybe it will further encourage you to do the lifestyle change even more since you may hear some about the negative stuff that results from surgery as well. and we're all really pre-op aren't we? that just means you haven't had the surgery yet. you may also be able to find other community support groups that are weight related but not necessarily WLS related. anyhoo, just my thoughts...

Thanks Andrea - yes the nutritionist is affiliated with the WLS surgery staff. And I did ask her about my options to continue appts with their staff while I continue to work through the pre-op process. I am aware that the reason I'm thinking of not doing the surgery is because of all the behavior changes that are required. And the nice thing is that when I asked "if I still feel I haven't mastered the behavior changes, will my appointments end with my Sept. appt?" The answer was "NO". I can extend my time up to perhaps an additional 4 - 5 months in making a decision and if I opt to not do the surgery they will transfer my case to the Outpatient Nutritionist!!! Great! So I have more time to consider this decision and work at changing my behaviors. What a relief! So I'm now again indecisive about the surgery. However, I'm setting that aside while I focus on changing my food behaviors and taking it one month at a time. Shirley

hi Shirley, I wish I could tell you where I got my motivation from. I think that part of it will always be a mystery to me. I don't know where it came from, all I know is that I am definitely not taking it for granted. When I started my journey I just knew that I needed to keep up with it. The results were there fairly quickly and I felt great. I had to lose about 60 pounds before I could even see a change. It was 80 before people starting saying anything to me. Once I was able to fit into clothing smaller than 30/32 or 26/28, I was on my way. My incentive was to get into smaller sizes. I think if I had to be pressed for an answer I would say that my motivation had to be the absence of pain. If you read my profile you'll understand. I know that coming to the OH site has definitely helped me keep on track. That and using fitday.com. No matter the journey it's all a matter of ending up at the same place, with the same issues with food, the same struggles along the way. Good luck!!!! I hope you find your way. You are using your head, and your heart. You can't go wrong. Donna

Hi Shirley... I met with a nutritionist/personal trainer who outlined a whole new form of eating habits for me. Together me made it work for MY tastes/lifestlye. I met with her twice... total! My motivation was keeping up with the WLS discussion groups here on OH. Hearing about what others are doing DEFINATELY helps motivate. Convince yourself that you've had the surgery...and really immerse yourself in the WLS community. Once doing that, you'll trick your brain into beleiving that you've had it, and you'll find yourself growing scared of eating too much of the wrong things for fear of "dumping". Sounds corny, but it WORKS. It's all about little mind tricks... and if you can find a way to trick the food-demons, then it will all work out for you! Good luck!! Let us know what YOU are doing, and keep us updated on your progress!! ~CJ 250/153/140