Answer to Q about my pre op diet

Someone asked about my pre op diet. My answer got so long I thought I better start a new thread... Okay, here is the deal since April when I started this pre-surgical diet... the surgeon had recommended Optifast, with, I believe it was one week of Optifast only, then moving to Optifast plus one real meal of no more than 500 calories, including one vegetable and one fruit. That lasted for a while but I moved to less Optifast and more real food, just counting calories and writing down what I eat. I checked and the calories, if I followed it rigidly were about 1500 a day, so I used that as my target number. Some days I stayed within it pretty well, some days not so much, but a wrote everything down and counted all the calories. Even when I went significantly over 1500, I was still eating so much less than before so I was still losing. (I probably take about 4000 or so a day to maintain.) If I found I was getting too far off track I reined it in. That lasted from April to September. When we evacuated for Hurricane Rita I did not take any Optifast with me so I moved to just counting calories. I also fell down on writing things down for a while and just tried to keep track of in my head, having to guess alot at how many calories were in things. Thankfully I am fairly good at that. After three weeks out of town, we were able to return, but due to damage at our house, we are now living with my mother while waiting on repairs. My mom is a serious Weigh****cher, so she is a low cal cook, so that helps. Between hurricane woes and the holidays, the next few months were touch and go and at one point I had a bit of a gain, but overall I just hung on and tried not to do too bad. After New Year's I really buckled down, I decided to set my calorie goal at 2000 a day and also get more serious about making sure it is balanced, in the "Food Pyramid" sort of way. I am pretty good about getting plenty of vegetables and protein, but I have to be careful or I don't eat any fruit. (Which is stupid because I like it and I have a sweet tooth...) I also tend to get heavy on the starches if I don'****ch it. I use light this and sugar free that and low cal stuff a lot. I am trying to watch that I don't use up too many of my calories on Baked Cheetos. Things like that really help to satisfy my junk food cravings, but I have to watch how much I eat of them. I also drink lots of water, I had to give up carbonated drinks a while back due to urinary tract problems, so I am a water drinker. I am back to writing everything down and trying to be serious about it. Since April I have averaged about a 15 lb. loss a month, except for December, but I stll lost 5 lbs. then. Add maybe an additional 40 lbs. of fluid loss in the first few weeks and that brings me down from 658 to 490. I am glad to have buckled down again. I was starting to struggle with feelings of being on the edge of out of control over the past few months and it was starting to get scary because I am terrified of going back to where I was or worse. I think that is part of what prompted me to start coming here...

Kaycee, Your diet sounds really good. Have you tried fitday.com to keep your food journal in? I find it very helpful. There is an online version for $19.95 and in home version for $39.95. I recommend the in home version that you load on your own computer, it has more features. You can keep track of all your food intake, water intake, exercise and measurements, plus there is a diary, should you want to journal, which you certainly should, you are on such a big journey! Lori 384/260.5/168

Have you tried fitday.com to keep your food journal in? I find it very helpful. My computer is so cranky, it is a pain to use. I just jot things down in my spiral.

Thanks for sharing! It's so wonderful to know that this can work. That's a tremendous loss you've had already and it sounds like you are one determined lady and I have no doubt you're gonna get to your surgery and then to your goal!!! I appreciate the diet info... I am also losing weight pre-op to be safer and it is so hard.. BUT I don't have to tell you that!!!!! Thanks again.. I look forward to more of your posts... BTW... I go to fitday.com for free.. not sure what the difference is between what I use and what paying customers get... can't hurt to check it out.... take care!!

Kaycee, That pre-op diet is so hard. I only lost 16 pounds on mine..........but I did the best I could do. You should be so proud in what you have accomplished so far. good luck! willby