Please help me. I am pre-surgery and so discouraged and depressed.

Thank you so much for the encouraging words and taking the time to answer my post!

Becky

I am 3 weeks post-op VSG.  I have lost 26lbs so far since my consultation mid November. On the day of my surgery I had already lost 13lbs with the liver shrinking diet I started the day I saw the doctor for the first time.  It went as follows - 2 protein shakes one for breakfast and one for lunch and for dinner I could eat a piece of lean meat chicken, pork or beef and a vegetable (no corn, peas, potatoes, or winter squashes)  I understand what you mean about the cost I started out with a huge container of whey protein mixed with skim milk.  I don't think it would have been so bad if I had a blender to mix it better.  After one week I went to walmart and bought some of the special k and equate shakes.  They were than most but I thought about it like this $6 for 4 meals.  I have spent more for fast food in one meal.  That is 2 days breakfast and lunch.

  I did also exercise for the 10 months prior to surgery and I continued that up until the day before surgery.  Don't get caught up in the amount of calories burning.  That will come eventually. Try to work on cardio first it did help in my surgical recovery.  The nurse at my preadmission testing to me that she could tell from my lung capacity that I was telling the truth about exercising.  It decreases the chances of post-op pneumonia.  I can't wait until I can exercise again.

I hope this helped.  I know I am kind of long winded at times but if you want to you can message me. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. You aren't long winded...it was very encouraging. I'm going to try to start using protein powder in January. I got some Unjury samples to try. If I like them, I might have to push my budget to use that brand. I've heard wonderful things about it.

I just need to start moving period. What keeps me from doing that is my arthritic knee and walking with a cane. But those are probably just excuses. I live in a small apartment complex and just walking to the clubhouse to get my mail makes me short of breath when I get back to my apartment. But I need to do it. I have to lose at least 20 lbs. and I lost 9 but gained back 2. Grrrr. Hopefully I can get on the right track now that the holidays are over!

Thanks,

Becky 

It sounds like you're getting there.  Even if you push yourself to walk to the mailbox everyday or every other day eventually you won't be winded.  I know it is difficult when you have pain.  I had plantar fasciitis in my right foot for 3 months. It was quite a set back but the doctor said I had to walk on it to make it get better.  Eventually it did.  When you lose some weight your arthritis will probably get better.  Even 7lbs is great you are over 1/3 of the way there.  

I wanted to ask you about the Unjury samples.  Are they shakes?  And where did you get them?  I never heard of the brand but I am still kind of new to this too.

I ordered the Unjury protein powder samples from the Unjury website. They have shakes, chicken soup flavor and unflavored. You can get a sample in any flavor. You do have to pay for them though. Unjury isn't cheap. I looked it up because so many people here recommended it for protein and taste.

those stats are crap. i don't know how much weight you will lose, but you will lose. i was super / malignantly obese  and the weight came off and stays off without effort. i cannot promise you the same results, and exercise is part of the weight loss at the tail end of things. or was / is for me. but imo wls puts YOU in the drivers seat. where you go with it in the end so far as your final goal weight is up to you in some ways. faster / slower weight loss, stalled weight loss, etc. you will be more in charge. so far as gaining weight? i have a very hard time gaining weight once its gone. i have a fairly restrictive surgery and would have to be very abusive to myself to gain weight, speaking for myself. i can't even imagine what it would take to gain a lot of weight, muchless put it all back on. or close

 you can do this! stand up for yourself, do as told, and do not be denied! i had my surgery somewhat before doctors started with all this pre-op weight loss requirement business. is it insurance related? who knows? but i feel 'ya. if i could have lost weight on my own, i would have. i was pretty bad off. so much so i gained 40lbs BEFORE my surgery. in three months! but i did all else i was told and required of me, and the consensus was i needed the surgery to help save my life. my weight gain was not used against me, but rather as evidence of how bad off i was, and on my way to death. a very real thing. so, they operated and today i am a changed person, for good.

i wish you all the best. hang in there, and happy new year :)