tips on losing wt before surgery?

HI guys. So I gained 20lbs after first seeing my doctor last March.  I think once I had surgery in mind I sort of panicked and started eating everything in sight. I saw my doctor again in November when I was ready to actually schedule and he advised me to try and lose at least half if not all of it before surgery. I would like to as well because I don't feel like I"m in the right mindset for surgery. and of course I want to be as healthy as possible. So with that being said, i'm not looking for a crash diet or anything but just wondering if anyone has any tips or eating plans that I could use over the next 6-8 weeks to drop 10-15lbs??  He did say I could expect to lose a little bit from the diet before surgery but he only requires a 4 day pre-op diet so I'm not sure how much I would realistically lose in that time frame. Anyway, any advice/ideas is appreciated! Thanks! 

Are you not consulting with a dietiian pre-op?  It is well worth your time and money to do so--look for one who specializes in bariatric patients.

 

Pre-op, I knew that the carb reduction would be the most difficult for me post-op, so I began limiting my carbs first.  I cut down to no more than 80g a day of carbs (total, including those from fiber).  I lost 12 lbs in 2 months, which were November & December, so of course there were days I was over my carb limit.

Cutting out carbs is really difficult at first, but once you "detox" it will get easier.  The 12 lbs I lost was without limiting calories or fat at all, so if you really want to lose faster you could always reduce your caloric intake as a whole and increase your exercise.

My answer about the nutritionist....yes...sort of. I met with the NUT because my insurance requires it to approve the surgery. But all she talked to me about was what I'd be eating AFTER surgery. She said I would meet with the doctor about a week pre-op and then they would give me my pre op diet. I was kind of disappointed in that. But I'm sure I could email her or go back in and see her, so that's a good idea! Thanks for that suggestion! I will definitely cut back on the carbs too! Thanks for your reply! :)

 

For my pre-op, I started practicing the lifestyle changes I knew I had to get into place and make and keep forever: high protein, low carb, no snacking.  So I ate high protein at every meal: lots of lean meat, lots of tinned tuna, some lentils, some eggs, some cheese.  I stopped eating carbs: no sugar, no bread, no rice, no pasta.  I stopped snacking between meals.  And I drank lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of water.  And I lost 15 kgs in less than 3 months.

I went on the Atkins diet before surgery and lost about 10 pounds in like 15 days.

Atkins all the way! You will lose weight very quickly, kick the carb cravings, and prepare yourself for your new lifestyle. Win..win..win! Good luck!

My surgeon's office has all their patients read and abide by the South Beach Diet and it is pretty amazing honestly.  Very easy to follow!  I bought my book of Amazon for a couple bucks and after you "detox" from the carbs (Phase 1), which is two weeks long, it gets even EASIER to follow!  Plus most people end up losing about 5-10 pounds during that phase, so it gets you really motivated to keep it going!  I love it :)  Def worth checking into!  It's the only diet I have ever been able to stick with.  Very straight forward. 

VPrincess, is your book a teal color? I have one that I bought about 8 years ago and it was funny because when I went to see my nutritionist and doctor, they both mentioned South Beach and I already had the book.

YES!!!!!!  It is magic haha.  I really love that it is so easy to follow.  Literally says here is a list of foods you can eat and here is a list of foods you can't eat.  Leaves thinking out of it.  I don't have to think, "Oh, that's kind of in my diet..."  It says no potatoes.... so the answer is no.  I love that about South Beach.  It also has TONS of recipes in the back of the book, so it doesn't get boring :)

Sweet! I guess I will be doing some reading this weekend LOL. Thanks.