Heping mysef by helping him

I'm not sure if this thread is very active. I just registered today. I am a WLS spouse :) My husband and I were married this past October and around then he also started the evaluation and consultation process for WLS. He had RNY just this past Thursday, and I've been following his diet the whole time. Before this, I was the positive influence--he was a bachelor, ate a lot of fast food, never really cooked for himself. I'm a type 2 diabetic, and he took me out to eat a LOT when we started dating. But I told him I couldn't do that--my sugars were becoming hard to manage. I started grocery shopping and preparing dinners at home (I love cooking). He embraced it. Anyway, I ate the liquid diet too, and I'll be moving to soft proteins when he does. Has anyone else followed the diet along with their spouse? To me it just makes the most sense for several reasons. I'm also very overweight. We'll save money on the grocery bills. I don't have to cook two different meals. I'm doing less dishes. When he started talking about looking into WLS, I had a general idea. My mom had RNY 15 years ago, and I remembered the basics of her diet, her portions, her struggles.

I had RNY 9 years ago.

It is a very sweet of you to do the diet as he is. But have in mind that it may be difficult for you. His insides ha been changed - while yours are still as before. what, specially in the beginning - would be easy for him to follow - it may be a very hard time for you to do. in the first few months post op -2-3 oz of food made me full. Eating more than that was not only not possible - I rally did not want to eat more. RNY not only changed my insides but also my hormones, and the way my body dealt with hunger and food. I often was not hungry or if I did get hungry - eating just 2 oz-3 made me full. Even now - I often can't eat more than 6-8 oz total, if 4-5 of that are dense proteins.

In addition - eating sugary foods made me ill,very ill - getting sick a couple of times made me really not want desserts like cakes, cookies or ice cream.

Yes, I'm quite familiar with the portions, my mom had the same surgery when I was in high school, and several family members have had it since. I know I won't feel full the same way a person would had they had the surgery and the dumping Syndrome isn't something I'll have to deal with, though as a diabetic, I avoid sugar anyway.

I am measuring all of my food to what my husband theoretically eats. we're still on liquids right now, 4 oz per hour, but I know with solid food it might only take 2-3 for him to get full. Since I won't feel full, I'm planning on eating what I've measured out and no more. I also won't have the hormonal changes and the malabsorption that come with the surgery. I know it's not going to be exactly the same, and yes I could "cheat" at anytime with not nearly the consequences he would have, but I do have a lot of support from my doctor as well as his bariatric doctor, and I feel like my husband is happy that we're both doing this together

Wow! I am surprised your doctor "ok-ed" that! I hope you get routinely checked as I have heard sometimes a liquid diet has vitamin deficiencies :( Were you recommended to take a vitamin? I am curious. I have heard liquid diet thrown around for years for pre-surgery, post-surgery, etc. but it ALWAYS came with a HUGE price tag of "buy our shakes!" which I could never afford.

our "liquid diet" wasn't as restrictive as some. We did protein shakes, but also could have yogurt without fruit chunks, strained soups, sugar-free jello and pudding, broths, and all the water we could get in (all surgeons will have different requirements).

That was in May. My doctor was fine with it, and I have always taken a multivitamin anyway.

now I still follow a low-carb, high-protein approach with my husband. I do measure out my food still, but I am not eating the exact same portions he is, but mostly that's because I'm adding a lot more servings of vegetables in a day than he can fit in.

Im currently in pre-op evaluation to have my own surgery

Oh, also, there are literally hundreds of protein shakes on the market, we tried a lot and I'm still trying more in preparation for my own surgery