I need strength.....

So my RNY is scheduled for January 20th and I want to eat all my favorite foods and enjoy my friend (food) now.  My surgeon has turned people away on the day of surgery for gaining weight.

Of course I want this surgery but I really want one last fling with food too and I am afraid of gaining and getting sent home.

Please give me strength!

 

In general, I think food funerals are a very bad thing. I think that they do set people up for failure early on. However, I also think this is a lifestyle change, and you will be able to eat all of these foods later on. There is no real issue in eating them pre-surgery if you can do it in moderation. 

Are you tracking your calories? That step has been the most important factor in my weight loss. Track your calories.

In the 3-month pre-surgery diet, I wa****ting 1200 a day. I gave myself permission to eat anything I wanted within those limits. I love pub burgers. I pass by pizza and ice cream but a juicy pub burger with fat fries is kryptonite. So, before my surgery, I ate them...but kept within my calorie range. A pub burger is 900 calories, so I cut it in thirds to share with my husband and daughter. 300 calories. 5 pub fries: 70 calories. Half a pint of craft beer: 100 calories. So, I got all the flavor for 470 calories. Was I still hungry? Yes. Pre-surgery that was not enough food. But it was enough to halt the cravings and practice the discipline I have needed for the rest of the process. After surgery, I still have cravings. However, the surgery means I feel full on that amount (and I have no desire to drink at all!).

It wasn't easy, but none of this is. What I'm saying is, if you have a food funeral, do it with mindfulness and control. You must practice that mindfulness and that control for the rest of your life. If you find you can't, better to find out now than after surgery. You still have time to get into therapy and to take mindfulness classes.

I did have what I called 'a farewell tour' in that I did have a few 'last times' with a few foods ..... but not in an over-the-board binge way, and I did not gain weight before surgery. What I didn't realize before surgery, is many of those things, I wouldn't care so much about after surgery and/or I could have a little occasionally and my new lifestyle could still work. While I still love the flavors of Italian food, eating pasta has little appeal. I have had an occasional slice of pizza- about 6 times in the last 2 1/2 years... I live in NY, I probably had it weekly before.

Your desires will change and as you have success so will your motivations...

Has anyone really gotten turned away on the day of surgery? I know surgeons say that...but I've never heard of one case where that actually happened. Surgery is business...no surgery= no money. (Just saying).

With that said, I think it's normal to "mourn" food. I had the DS just so that I wouldn't have to mourn food....but even then...I was so focused on getting to goal after surgery that I didn't "cheat". I wanted to lose weight...and I finally had my shot.

I'd have a last farewell meal...if you feel the need, but then get right back and get ready for surgery. It's not like you won't be able to have food again.

Scott

I have heard in our group sessions that my doctor is famous for sending people home the day of surgery.  The other doctor in the practice does not.  Now I do not know the facts and maybe there was excessive weight gain or they were warned at the preop appointment.

 

So who knows.

I guess it's better to be safe then sorry! I would do everything you can to make sure you lose weight before your surgery date, but I still feel 1(note 1) goodbye meal won't do it...(well maybe for a woman....but men do not gain as fast ...and lose much faster). But you know your body better than anyone else, so if you feel it will cause you to gain or trigger some type of eating frenzy...then just don't.

I know me...I don't have a "off" button....which is why I had the DS. I always feel hungry. So before surgery I had a couple of goodbye meals and then started losing weight before surgery. I wanted to get to goal. I was driven to hit my "magic" number. I think it's the reason I lost 300 lbs in just over a year. Almost made it at 1 year...but the last 20 took FOREVERRRRRR!!!!

When you have the RNY you'll have to maintain your diet pretty strictly, but it doesn't mean that you can't have a "bad" meal...it just means again..you'll have to know yourself. If it's going to cause you to fall off the wagon...then you just won't be able to...if you want to maintain your weight loss.

The day of my surgery, two people were sent home.  It moved my surgery to the first one of the day.

One was due to failing the nicotine test and the other was for having gained weight during the pre-op diet.

SO, yes, I have known where it has actually happened.  

I had no idea! I thought it was a "myth".

But I guess that varies by surgeon too. Totally can see the nicotine issue, that is a big inhibitor to healing.

My surgeon will not schedule the surgery at all unless you have lost 10% of your excess weight on your own, and she will cancel it if you have regain. It definitely happens.

That would have been almost impossible for me! I lost 20 lbs before surgery but would have had to lose at least 10 more.

Thank God my surgeon had pity on me.