Getting ready for RNY

Hi! I've been lurking on this site for a while and have been so grateful for the information and experience being shared in these posts. I have my second individual nutrition appointment mid-July and if it goes well, the next step is meeting with the surgeon and then.... surgery (augh!)

As this starts to get real, I'm already getting nostalgic about some of my favorite foods (many of which are on the no-no list either nutritionally or because they are a huge trigger for a binge). I'm fighting the urge to have the "last whatever" type cheats, but it's tough. I usually try to drink water or go outside for some fresh air. Any other things that have worked for you?

Also- is there such a thing as posting too often or asking too many questions? I don't know anyone personally who's had bariatric surgery and I have so many questions for people who have actually experienced it. I just don't want to alienate anyone and have never really used a discussion board before (aside from just reading existing posts).

Honestly, I had every imaginable food funeral before surgery, because, like you, I was thinking "I will never be able to have this again!". The truth is, in the weight loss phase after surgery, once you are cleared for solid food, you can have similar items. For example, I was soooooo sad at the thought of never eating pizza again. But I found Flat Out light high protein wraps and I used to crisp it a bit in the toaster oven and then put on sauce, cheese, and turkey pepperoni or chicken breast. I was soooooo sad at the thought of not having Mexican food (a fave of mine!) but I would make ground turkey with taco seasoning and then add shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole. Italian food? Make a big pot of spaghetti sauce with meat, and mix it with ricotta cheese. Crackers? Make cheese crackers by baking a tbsp of cheese on parchment paper.

Now that I am almost 4 years out, I can eat pizza - but I eat a piece, not a pizza! I can eat tacos, but I eat 2, not 4, and not a basket of chips alongside it. A few items don't sit well with my pouch - falafel and rice are a no-no. But overall, I don't feel deprived. If anything, I have so much energy and such a full life, I wonder why I didn't have RNY years earlier!

You're doing well visiting the site and learning before surgery. As everyone will tell you, surgery fixes the size of your stomach, and not your head. Now is a good time to start the habit of not drinking with meals or for 30 minutes after (something I follow religiously), and I highly recommend a food scale. Obese people are not very good at estimating the size of a portion, and to this day, I sometimes pull it out and measure out 4 oz of meat so I can make sure my portion sizes are ok.

Good luck!

Thank you for your experience before and after... I'm definitely in that "am I really doing this" phase and that is reassuring. In regards to the not drinking before, after, and at meals- I am a kidney stone former so have been a water all the time girl for as long as I can remember. (Urologist gave me the go ahead with the instruction- keep aiming for my gallon of H2O each day). I've been eating a serving of natural applesauce with many of my meals as my fruit and a "substitute" for water. Any other tricks or is it a just do it kind of thing :)

Applesauce is definitely a no-no after surgery for most of us. It's far too much sugar.

The great majority of successful vets eat protein forward. That means dense protein first -- in fact, fruit and veggies are at a minimum. Additionally, applesauce or foods like that are considered sliders --- they will not satiate you and contribute to regain/not reaching goal.

We all absolutely must drink a ton of fluids -- kidney stones or not. I drink at minimum 80 oz a day -- usually closer to 120 oz. However, it is contraindicated to eat with meals and for 30 minutes afterwards. If you have an RNY, you will stretch your stoma where the pyloric valve was removed -- and with the sleeve/DS you will force food in the intestine at a rapid pace that is not good. This is one of the non-negotiable rules of WLS.

This is the kind of info I'm looking for clarification on! My first post and I am already feeling more educated about preparation and execution. The nutritionist had ok'd natural applesauce but I totally see what you mean. And I want to get myself in gear so that after surgery it's more like second nature. I really appreciate these replies!

My nutritionist weighed 120 lbs soaking wet. She would ok things like applesauce, mashed potatoes, and well-chewed crackers as "soft food". Find any successful vet (veteran) on here and they will tell you what Kat said - dense protein first!!! Ignore all nutrition advice that advocates anything other than protein with a bit of veggies/fruit for fiber and health benefits. No one got obese eating chicken breast...but 100% of us ate too many crackers, chips, cookies, donuts, cakes, noodles, pizzas...

ETA: You can get some food ideas here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/6022640/Dazzle-me-with-your-favourite-post-op-meals/#50277139

The "food plan" I got had low sugar applesauce on it but I wasn't an applesauce person before and I'm sure as heck not one now. It's truly a pointless food IMO. Especially for RNYers.

I like applesauce and have bought the single serving unsweetened containers. I ate a few of them in the fluids stages, but I would say after that I maybe eat one or two a month. More often I will end up using them in a recipe or forcing DH to use them up ;)

I also use Flat Outs to make pizza. Yum!!

1. I think it's pretty typical to have food-funerals when contemplating WLS. I know that I would justify eating things I shouldn't in the months preparing for surgery, because "it might be the last time" I could have it. I think this speaks to my addiction to food, as well as my relationship with it. While it's typical, so is the fact that we all started out as obese, morbidly obese or super morbidly obese. My best advice to you, pre surgery, is to set up an emotional support system now. That means, find a counselor who specializes in eating disorders to start working with you on your relationship with food. The head-part is the most difficult to navigate -- and even more so in the early months post-surgery when your "old friend" and often coping device is removed from your life.
2. I don't think a person can post too much, per se. However, it is always a good idea to use the search feature before posting a question to see if it's asked and answered multiple times already. There are some posts that do get old for those of us who have been here for years and try to "pay it forward" by coming and answering questions. Some of those include the infamous Three Week Stall, Am I Getting too Thin!?, and my personal favorite, What's Your Favorite Protein Shake.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. You are in for an amazing ride!!