Question:
Pre-op Overeating? Binging?

I am due for surgery in a little over a month or so. Lately I've found myself eating excessive foods. Candy, Cake, Ice Cream, Sweet things mainly. Regular food I eat normally. But when it comes to sweets I've found myself eating a _LOT_ of them. Prior to this past month I was limiting my sweet cravings to sugar free things. My husband thinks I'm trying to 'compensate' for a life without the sweet things I am addicted to by getting them in before surgery. IS this common? I've gained 3-4 pounds in the pat month or so after I lost 30 pounds to get surgery at my former doc's request.    — Renee V. (posted on October 6, 2001)

October 6, 2001
I gained 10 pounds before my surgery trying to compensate for my future life without all that good stuff there. Many of us experience the "last meals" syndrome. Great news is you really don't have to give up anything after surgery. You just have to monitor your consumption.. A bite of this or that won't make you sick or compromise weight loss. (At least it doesn't make me or anyone else I know sick) I don't think it was a good idea to gain 10 pounds in a month, but it's done and I didn't suffer any complications from it. Getting back to your question, yea, I think it's normal. Best of luck to you!
   — Jeannet

October 6, 2001
As a new postie, I have to tell you how glad I was that I ate all my favorite foods prior to surgery. I have been lucky...I've handled all the foods---none of which I have pureed ;0) But, I still miss pizza or a good salad or regular cheese. I don't care that I gained 11 lbs the month before surgery, because I enjoyed it. Maybe we don't "lose" our foods when you've been post-op for a while, but I'll tell you what, I'm 19 days post-op and I'm really missing pizza and soda--Damn commercials!! Enjoy yourself and good luck in your surgery.
   — [Anonymous]

October 6, 2001
You're normal! I think very few of us diet before surgery. I gained 11 lbs. in the month prior to surgery. I ate everything in sight. Had Mexican food every single day one week. Ice cream, cookies, candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner AND dessert. It was fun too!!! I don't regret doing it because I cannot do it now. By the end of that month I was really kind of sick of eating and was glad it was time for surgery. I'll be 9 months post-op on Monday, 10/8, RNY open, and have lost 90 lbs.
   — Betty Todd

October 6, 2001
Me too. I put on about 15 pounds in the last month before surgery. Now I am down 70 pounds in 2.5 months. I eat whatever I want in small quanties, even some bad choices. But I dont crave them like I used too. I will eat a bite of anything, and had a small piece of birthday cake the other day at a friends party. But I dont do that often.I actually got sick of eating right before surgery, too many last suppers.
   — bob-haller

October 9, 2001
I am scheduled to have my surgery on Nov 8th and my doctor's office told me NOT to go on an eating binge prior to surgery. The reason for this is that obese people develop what doctors call a "fatty liver". And in order for them to do an Open RNY procedure the liver sits over the stomach, and if the liver is "fatty" the doctors may have a difficult time doing the surgery or in some instances they may not be able to do the surgery at all. Could you imagine the horror? Thinking that you are going into surgery to have RNY and being put back together, and being told that they were unable to do the procedure.
   — Antonia D.