I need to start my weight loss!

Okay here goes the farm.
I am having extreme difficulty starting any kind of weight loss while visiting my family in Florida. We are packing to move and also trying to visit places we know we are not going to see in a while. The other problem is I have two days of lunches and dinners with customers. This is killing me!

Being ex-military I need a regimented plan to overcome these obstacles but my life is chaotic right now.

So I leave next Saturday for Pennsylvania by myself for another two weeks or so. I was thinking I would go on some kind of liquid diet for a week or so to give me a boost in weight loss then begin eating my protein and smaller meals. This way by the time the family gets here I should be in a routine and should be easier to follow.
The rest of the time I am in Florida I will not give up but I will stop beating my self up over not being able to dive right into loosing weight and changing my lifestyle. I need to take a few baby steps first then I will.


So what kind of week long liquid diet should I try? Or should I even try one?

try to stop beating yourself up. If it were that easy to get on track and lose weight, none of us would be on this forum. So getting frustrated with yourself is only going to make things worse.

Others probably won't agree with me and that's fine, but I think this week is a terrible time to try and change your entire eating regimen. You are overwhelmed with family, packing, moving hundreds of miles away. It seems like a tough time to make such a major adjustment.

changing habits takes time, commitment, and lots of planning. And honestly, you don't have time for that this week. It's good that you are moving before surgery. When you get to PA, you can get settled into your home with your family, have a routine and planning and watching your foods will be so much easier.

I am not suggesting a eating binge this week, but I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself this week.

As far as a liquid diet.......I would not recommend it for now. You need to make minor changes first, and focus on proteins and eliminating carbs. A liquid diet can be very tough pre-surgery.
I did a 10 liquid and was a complete  "otch" to everyone around me. It was very hard. Take it one step at a time.

Maybe this week choose one thing to elimate. (Soda, pasta, potatoes, etc) This way, you are making a step towards your goal.

Again, Just my opinion. I just don't want you to beat yourself up or set up unrealistic expectations at a time you are overwhelmed with other responsibilities.

Good Luck!

Thanks Jo-Jo,
I will try to take it a step at a time. I want to jump right in but maybe this is a bad week for me to go all out. Thanks for the info on the liquid diet also. I know I can not do to many baby steps as I am an all or nothing type of guy. I will attack the problem with vigorous energy and do well for a long time but eventually I were thin and give up. So I want to focus on the lifestyle change and not the word diet .

Bill

Being an "all or nothing" guy is partly what got you on your WLS journey. So you should try to throw that out the window. Many parts of this process includes LOTS of baby steps. So open your mind to taking one small step at a time. You would be surprised how much easier it is to take the next step.

I agree with Jo.  Choose one thing that is not good for you and eliminate it.  That's a great start !
Lisa

I agree with Jo too. You're going through a very stressful time right now. Take baby steps, choose just one food/drink to eliminate, and stop beating yourself up. Julia

I agree with the other ladies and think "pre op" its really hard to eat better but i'd like to add one more point to ponder.  I'm going to sound like my NUT.  LOL

Think about how you will handle this type of thing after surgery.  Think of ways that would have made this easier for you should you not really have the option of 'not being on track'.    Think about how you will handle holidays, and parties and visiting family and friends in the future.  Choas will come and go through our lives and its always good to have a plan.

Good luck with all the things you are doing this week.

I agree it is a stressful time - but you are going to have those as a post op as well and will have to learn to eat right during them (easier said then done) I am going to take the "Norm" stance here and be the hard ass lol You can make good choices now you just have to make the decision to do them  (I am a Marine brat - totally get it!) Cut back on teh carbs. Eat Protein (meat, dairy etc) first then fruit and veggies.  I can guarantee you that where ever you go out to eat with your clients there will be a healthy choice. ORder a steak and a veggie or a cheeseburger without the bun, anything chicken etc. YOU don't have to make huge changes to get the ball rolling but there is no time like the present and I am afraid that your surgery date is going to be 2 weks away and you are going to be looking for a way to loose weight quickly. Just trying to look out for you here :)

Liz

I totally get that and I think I can make healthy choices. I know I need to stick with it and will not give up if I  blow one meal.   Thanks for a kick to go along with common sense that everyone else is giving me.

I don't know how much time you have before your surgery but even making small changes can make a big difference. I had to go on a 3 month supervised diet and exercise regime for my insurance company - the 'diet' part really only required me seeing a nutritionist and working with them and I had to join a fitness center. Just by tracking my food for the nut made me more aware of what I was eating, and going to the gym regularly helped me lose 33 lbs without really even trying in those months. I never felt like I was 'dieting' or anything, but I did cut out sweets and junk food. Tried eating those 5 fruits & veggies a day (still struggle with that), and walked and went to the gym. I was by no means a gym rat - I went 2-3 times a week - rode a recumbant bike and worked out on weight equipment.

So even little changes now are going to make a big difference. You're going to be okay - your life is upside down right now with moving and everything and that's stressful enough - don't stress over the weight thing. If you go out to eat skip appetizers and dessert - just stick to a main course and stay away from alcohol. Those are all small changes that may add up to big things for you.

Hang in there - we're all here for you. Liquid diets are tough - my surgeon required a 10 day liquid diet right before surgery - it wasn't easy, but I lost 17 lbs doing that as well so by the time I got to surgery I had lost 50 lbs. I would buy good canned soups and drain the veggies & noodles and drink that broth - its much tastier than just regular broth. SF popsicles, jello and stuff like that will also help you thru it.