If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Planning to win at pre-op and recovery and life after weight loss. I have learned so much from so many of you posting here about your daily intake, how you made it through recovery, tips and tricks, Belga Hag has a very thorough story of her recovery and i ready every.single.word. As i have read many of yours.

I had a chance to putter around the kitchen today and set up my protein only pantry shelf,  all diff kinds of grassfed  whey protein powders, chocolate, strawberry, coconut, vanilla, unflavored, chicken broth flavored, low sodium chicken broth, jello shot cups, (2oz) silicone Popsicle holders so i can make my own sugar free ice pops and  a SCALE! So many of you have said weigh everything. I have our garage fridge full of premier protein ready to go.

I start my pre op diet tomorrow - 60-80 grams protein, one regular meal of lowfat protein and veg. .Wed i have my preop with surgeon, and anesthesiologist, Thursday is Nutritionist, Friday my regular therapist and surgery on the 16th.

Reading here about making the shift away from and staying off sugar and white flour, empty carbs post surgery makes tremendous sense. I gave up alcohol a long time ago and have done non addictive eating plans in the past.  I embrace this way of eating. Its how I ate on my lap band, and was successful until I  couldnt eat regular food and switched to mushy higher calorie food. 

Really looking
forward to the surgery, the process and the success.  Thanks to all of you who share so openly and are so vulnerable. 

Happy Saturday. Here is a pic of my WLS protein pantry :) i cant figure out how to upload the pic so it may be later today...

Hi Shauna,

Thank you for posting.  I LOVE your "protein shelf!"  Smart cookie you are to set that up now!  Great job on planning, reading, researching and getting ready for surgery.  Its a huge life change.  Physically is the obvious change, but please don't forget about how much you have to change mentally and emotionally.  Not sure who to credit for the saying (and I am paraphrasing): "they operate on our inside's not our brains." Never has a truer statement been made. 

Happy to support and help newbies.  I hope you will come back and keep us posted on how you do on surgery day and don't hesitate to post any questions you may have. Feel free to join us on the "What's on the menu today RNYers" even new post ops are welcome, its a wonderful bunch of ladies and gentlemen that post there and we are all in different stages of our journeys.  

I wish you the best of luck, although you seem to have "planned" it all quite well.  Good luck tomorrow on the pre op diet, you can do this!

All the best,

Daisy 

Hi shauna,  

Great job on getting organized. My surgery is the same day as yours .

I see you have small ounce cups to drink your water. Are those the types of cups we're supposed to have? If so,  where do I get them from?

Thanks, 

Jen

Hey Jen 

those little cups are to portion out the 2 oz of protein shake   My nutritionist or case manager told me to do it in the morning , leave it in the fridge or freezer. So that I know I will have the X amount of protein per day.  She said to  freeze some to change up the texture or to being frozen ones into whatever room so I do t have to get up every hour. 

I got them on Amazon but you can oget them at a part store they are for jello shots!!!

i am also going to put the sugar free jello in them. That will count at 2 oz of liquid.  Going to use a regular water bottle 

Oh that's great. I should look into those to help myself too 

This isn't criticizing , it makes me smile. Preop I was just like you. I couldn't stop thinking about what I would be eating post op . I stocked up so much protein powder etc etc. It's our FOOD' obsession. OMG what will we EAT, trust me some day you will understand. First thing that happened to my plan was surgeon said , NO protein drinks. My taste changed on almost everything and now 13 years down the road, food is just a pain. I am blessed as I have same restriction I had early on. I can not eat more than several ounces tops so I have to make sure I get my protein in so I can remain healthy. My B12 after 12 years of shots is suddenly doing fine. My vitamin D is a big problem but life is good . I am an activity director , 66 years old and my first priority is riding my bike. I am pretty hard to keep up with. Not bad for someone who used to use a walker 

You have done so well! I am not taking it as a criticism at all. My doctors orders were to stock up and find protein powders that I liked because of the liquids stage of the post op and obvs the liquid pre op. After I move off liquids to soft /puréed I am expected to move to real foods as you suggested and move off the protein shakes. You are exactly right. You have to get into real food. For the first 3 weeks post op I am to be on liquid proteins. I sure hope I will be like you and have the same restrictions years out. You obviously have taken care great care of your pouch and have made all the necessary changes to be successful. I hope to/ plan to as well!

Welcome Shauna!  I am happy to see you are making good plans for your revision and I am touched to know that my story has helped you in some small way.  This is a fantastic journey and worth all the efforts required.  

I hope your surgery is uneventful and that you love your upgrade to RNY as much as I do!

Best advice I can offer is stay connected to a WL community - it really helps, even more during maintenance than in the beginning. Hope to see you around the boards.

Ashley - The Belga Hag

"What??!!???  No Pepsi...No Sees Candy...No Girl Scout Cookies...It's almost unpatriotic!!  What happens when a birthday party comes...Or a holiday?  I know you want to take this weighloss seriously...But maybe you're going a little too far!!"  Good planning...Brian