Just wondering.

[rarasthin23]

Any words to live by for me as I am a week away from surgery??
I am nervous and excited at the same time. Thank you in advance.

 

[AliceWoolf]

Good luck on your surgery!
I hope everything goes according to plan. My best advice would be to follow your surgical team’s instructions to the letter. Preop diet is very important, so you should be very strict about it. I am a just over a month postop, and, for me, the hardest thing was my food grieving process. As for the moment, the hardest work has been psychological. It did feel like losing a friend, or perhaps a safe space. However, right now my cravings are almost gone and it ha been increasingly easy to want to chose healthy food. You might feel some regret the first few days after your surgery, as food intake can be challenging, but I promise it will pass. My recovery has been fairly easy, so I lucked out. One piece of practical advice would be to eat (drink) much more slowly than you think you need to, and to pause frequently. In my case, sometimes I take bigger bites than can comfortably pass down. The first few weeks this can be quite painful. You should be mindful of these details.
Be patient with yourself. This is a lot of work, but pretty worth it. Also, walk as much as you can after you wake up from surgery: it decreases gas pains by a good deal.

 

[rarasthin23]

Thank you for the advice….I am doing the pre-op liquid diet right now and it’s a change for sure. I have been trying to pep myself up about all of this.

 

[missyinacage]

This surgery IS just a tool. I remember thinking of course it works, they take 2/3rds of your stomach. But .. You have to put the work in. The surgery is an opportunity to quickly lose the weight while allowing yourself to use that time to retrain yourself how to eat properly. Hormones make you think you're starving when you diet. After surgery, they'll quiet down. Eventually allowing you to tell when you're actually hungry. And when you've had enough.

Take advantage of the opportunity you're being given to change your life.

 

[AliceWoolf]

Thank you for the advice….I am doing the pre-op liquid diet right now and it’s a change for sure. I have been trying to pep myself up about all of this.

You will get through it and feel so much better in just a few months. This is a difficult but life-saving choice. Best of luck. I wish you success!

 

[rarasthin23]

Thank you!

 

[rarasthin23]

This surgery IS just a tool. I remember thinking of course it works, they take 2/3rds of your stomach. But .. You have to put the work in. The surgery is an opportunity to quickly lose the weight while allowing yourself to use that time to retrain yourself how to eat properly. Hormones make you think you're starving when you diet. After surgery, they'll quiet down. Eventually allowing you to tell when you're actually hungry. And when you've had enough.

Take advantage of the opportunity you're being given to change your life.

Thank you!!

 

[Healthy1]

@rarasthin23 what does the liquid diet consist of? is it protein shakes, soups, broth....? so far for liquid I can only tolerate the unflavored unsweetened whey protein with water. It's doesn't taste good with anything else an it doesn't add flavor to the water and since we have good water here is San Francisco, it's tolerable... But I can't imagine having to drink water for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery.
I've been approved for bariatric surgery and I'm almost done with the pre screening process and will get a surgery date confirmed for the fall later this month. Speaking with folks who are having or who have had the surgery is my last "to do" item on that stretch before scheduling the date. I've met all other requirements (actually the only requirement I had to meet were having normal labs and not gaining additional weight, meet with the psychiatrist and speak to folks who have had or is having the bariatric surgery) Making time for me and my overall wellness is one of my top priorities. I haven't been able to have live conversations with anyone, but reading folks points of view here is enormously helpful. I've read a lot of what people are saying here and it's all really meaningful.

 

[AliceWoolf]

@rarasthin23 what does the liquid diet consist of? is it protein shakes, soups, broth....? so far for liquid I can only tolerate the unflavored unsweetened whey protein with water. It's doesn't taste good with anything else an it doesn't add flavor to the water and since we have good water here is San Francisco, it's tolerable... But I can't imagine having to drink water for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery.
I've been approved for bariatric surgery and I'm almost done with the pre screening process and will get a surgery date confirmed for the fall later this month. Speaking with folks who are having or who have had the surgery is my last "to do" item on that stretch before scheduling the date. I've met all other requirements (actually the only requirement I had to meet were having normal labs and not gaining additional weight, meet with the psychiatrist and speak to folks who have had or is having the bariatric surgery) Making time for me and my overall wellness is one of my top priorities. I haven't been able to have live conversations with anyone, but reading folks points of view here is enormously helpful. I've read a lot of what people are saying here and it's all really meaningful.

Hello! Each bariatric team has different diets, but it is almost certain that you will be on full liquid diet post op.

I could drink organic coconut water, which is sweet but not overly so, and has electrolytes. From then on, sugar-free jell-o, broths without any meat (some centers let you blend one easy to digest vegetable in there).

In my case, I could drink clear juice mixed with water and protein shakes with half a fruit blended in. Learning how to make shakes with a passable taste was kind of a fun experiment on my first few weeks. However, you really should check with your bariatric team, since they will let you know the best possible diet in your specific case. There are also many teas (no caffeine) that can make fluid intake less dreadful. Using artificial, calorie-free sweeteners on your diet remains a controversial topic (I choose to stay away from them). That being said, even if a month on liquids sounds like a lot of time, and it does feel like it once you are there, the days will go by either way. It becomes increasingly easy, and you start to develop a new routine. It is not unusual to be actually hungry on the preop diet, but it really is a short while. Once you’ve had your surgery, hunger will be greatly decreased, but cravings can (and usually do) persist. I recommend you to keep busy in order to keep from thinking about food.

 

[Healthy1]

This sound pretty consistent to what I’ve heard so far. Best of luck to you on your journey

 

[TonjaCW]

Good luck on your surgery!
I hope everything goes according to plan. My best advice would be to follow your surgical team’s instructions to the letter. Preop diet is very important, so you should be very strict about it. I am a just over a month postop, and, for me, the hardest thing was my food grieving process. As for the moment, the hardest work has been psychological. It did feel like losing a friend, or perhaps a safe space. However, right now my cravings are almost gone and it ha been increasingly easy to want to chose healthy food. You might feel some regret the first few days after your surgery, as food intake can be challenging, but I promise it will pass. My recovery has been fairly easy, so I lucked out. One piece of practical advice would be to eat (drink) much more slowly than you think you need to, and to pause frequently. In my case, sometimes I take bigger bites than can comfortably pass down. The first few weeks this can be quite painful. You should be mindful of these details.
Be patient with yourself. This is a lot of work, but pretty worth it. Also, walk as much as you can after you wake up from surgery: it decreases gas pains by a good deal.

Are the gas pains an instant when you wake up after surgery?

 

[AliceWoolf]

In most cases, analgesics will be working when you wake up, so it’s likely you won’t feel much, if anything. As they wear off, the pain will make itself known. That being said, I have knowledge of people experiencing them right after surgery.

 

[FinallyMe]

@rarasthin23 what does the liquid diet consist of? is it protein shakes, soups, broth....? so far for liquid I can only tolerate the unflavored unsweetened whey protein with water. It's doesn't taste good with anything else an it doesn't add flavor to the water and since we have good water here is San Francisco, it's tolerable... But I can't imagine having to drink water for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery.
I've been approved for bariatric surgery and I'm almost done with the pre screening process and will get a surgery date confirmed for the fall later this month. Speaking with folks who are having or who have had the surgery is my last "to do" item on that stretch before scheduling the date. I've met all other requirements (actually the only requirement I had to meet were having normal labs and not gaining additional weight, meet with the psychiatrist and speak to folks who have had or is having the bariatric surgery) Making time for me and my overall wellness is one of my top priorities. I haven't been able to have live conversations with anyone, but reading folks points of view here is enormously helpful. I've read a lot of what people are saying here and it's all really meaningful.

How are you doing now? Have you had your surgery yet?

 

[KristiLyn]

Any words to live by for me as I am a week away from surgery??
I am nervous and excited at the same time. Thank you in advance.

Best tool ever. I am almost three months out and this is the best decision I ever made. For people who like to say, "Oh you took the easy way out," they are wrong. There isn't anything easy about this but it is such a reassurance knowing my head still has my food addiction but my little tummy won't allow it. Thank you! My little pouch let's me know right away what I can eat and what I can't and it's that guard that keeps me moving in a healthy way. My body is so much smaller already and the feeling is marvelous! Follow your nutritionists instructions to the letter.