Pre OP questions

HI guys... I have a few questions.  I know that you can answer. I am now on the pre op diet.  The quick start.  First a few thinkgs, I love the chili, and the bars...mint and carmel, I hate the chicken/rice crap, ok I digress.  Well I was label looking, and noticed the carbs, and I almost cried.  Am I going to lose weight??? Crap, I feel like I could be eating bread there are so many!!  I have to lose 30 pounds fast.  I need to have the surgery by the end of July.  Is there a faster losing diet?  I am also walking twice a day.   HELP!!!!   HEY>>>>> I think I saw a BOOK END on Tuesday, I was in the green shirt filling out paper..was that you? Morgan

Morgan, I'm pre-op too and I'm one of those people who yo-yo's like crazy....I eat everyting i want until my shorts are hard to button, then I just go on atkins diet and lose like 75 lbs and then gain it all as soon as I reach my goal then I go nuts and start eating carbs again.  So the Atkins diet (you must be militant about it), and then use the treadmill for about 2 hours (walking) or 1 hour (jogging/walking combination).  So I lost all of my pre-op weight in about 3 1/2 weeks by doing what I just told you.  So to maintain it, i just swim everymorning for about an hour instead of getting on treadmill. So I feel your pain, but if you get completely serious  (militant: lower than 5 grams of carbs per day), you'll lose it quick.  There are other methods, but his is what worked for me and so I thought I'd pass it along.  TONS of water helps flush ketones outta your system and gets the engine to start burning.... Just a few of my random thoughts just for you... T.

Ok, this is what worked for me. B - 1/2 cup lf cottage cheese and a banana (I was a bit low on potassium) L - 4-6 ozs lean protein; I usually always had tuna or canned chicken with 2 TB lf Miracle Whip and 1 TB sweet pickle relish; veggies such as Steam Fresh cuz they're easy D - see lunch!  (sad, but true) Then I would add a piece of lf string cheese here and there.  No other fruit except the banana in the morning.  I could not do the WW diet because all those bars and shakes suck!!!  If you can keep your calories between 1,000-1,200 per day you will lose.  I tried to stay as close to 1,000 as many days as possible.  Some days were easier than others!  I lost 34 pre-op but it was helped out by the 2 days of liquids I did before surgery.  We are only required to do 1 and I elected to do 2 because I had been in California and was worried about weight gain. Hang in there!  I promise, promise, promise you'll get it all off!  Keep your eye on the prize - a surgery date!  It is so worth it to change your life forever! The book end you saw was my sister HappyCat (Denise).  Please be aware that she is my OLDER sister!  Please post any time you have any questions.  I am 10 days out today so my info is fresh! Kim

Hey!  You just heard from my evil little sister!  She will PAY for that comment! I didn't do all the supplements either.  I did a Pure Protein bar for breakfast.  For lunch I made a reasonablre choice.  Usually it was s big salad with lean meat and some low fat cheese with low fat dressing.  Dinner was usually the same.  Sometimes I had a snack in the midafternoon which was often a piece of fruit and some string cheese.  I rarely had an evening snack.  I usually forgot about it until it was too late to eat before bed. Hang in there the pre-op diet is horrible!  But, it is worth it to get the surgery and a chance at a better life. Denise

how long did it take you to lose the weight???  30 days, that's all I have. MORG

I am on the aggressive weight loss diet with 4 supplements per day. I officially started on 5/19 and have lost 10 of the 14 lbs I am required to lose pre-op. The first week I used the shakes and bars I bought in the WW Market and I thought there was no way I was going to do this! After that I tried the Zone bars and EAS AdvantEdge shakes that Jess said I could buy at Walmart or Target. Not only are they cheaper, but they are so much better, especially the bars. The shakes have a little of that Ensure taste but they are not gritty like I found the powder ones to be. The bars are just like eating a candy bar. My grandson loves them and I have even got some coworkers hooked on them!

I really played with it since I didn't have a time crunch.  If I had stayed true to it I might have lost it in a month.  I only had to lose 14 pounds but ended up losing 22 be surgery day.

Hi Morgan - I lost 50 lbs before surgery and did it with the aggressive plan, these are the supplements I would eat everyday: three puddings (instead of shakes - much much better), one bar, and one soup, plus one regular meal consisting of 5 oz of protein and non-starchy vegetables. All the supplements were from WW. When I followed the plan correctly (and I emphasize correctly), I would lose between 10 to 12 lbs every two weeks. As far the the high carb count, don't really worry about that, these are made to work together in a way that gets the weight off....just be sure to follow it the way they tell you to. As far as the taste of the supplements, I completely sympathize, they taste even worse when you have been on them for five months (that's how long it took me, but I fell off the wagon at least three times!!)  - If you want to ask about the carb concern, I am sure Jessica will be able to help you with that, along with choosing a different plan if you need to; however the WW agressive plan is one of the fastest way to get the weight off. Please feel free to ask any question you may have and hang in there, you'll make it! - Anna

Wow!  That's not a lot of time to lose 30 pounds.  It took me 3 months.  You are going to have to be totallydedicated to do what the dieticians tell you.  They know what you have to do and if you do what they say to the letter you should be successful.  They've been doing this a long time.  Good luck and hold fast...it is SO worth it!!!!!

Thanks everyone.  I am just worried about not being able to get the weight off.  I am a teacher and softball coach.  I start softball Aug. 1.  and trust me two a day practices in 100 degree weather are bad enough.  I would freaking HATE to be out there right after sergery.  Can you guys think how bad that would be.  I have let the coaching staff know..... (I am the only woman coach...so I had the "I'm having Weight Loss Sergery" talk with a bunch men in the coaches office)  It was great, lots of awkward silence, and a couple "well ok's." Wish you could have been there.  So I am trying my hardest to also avoid the "I need to sit down, go inside, take a break ect." because I just had WLS.  Worst case I would miss games or pratice because of sergery.  I am clearly on a deadline here, and am trying to avoid any of the above situations.   BOOK END- Sorry I didn't say hi, I was trying to figure out if it was you, and I was trying to fill out the paperwork.  Next time it will a conversation will be in order.  I was being a snob!