I was thinking about your situation this morning, and came up with a few suggestions that might help you not only lose weight now, but be better prepared for surgery.

Get small plates (about the size of a saucer) and bowls (about 1 cup). These will be really helpful after surgery (they're one of the few things I bought for WLS that I actually ended up using). Research shows that smaller plates help you eat less.

When you feel hungry and it's not mealtime or snacktime, drink a glass of water (or other low calorie beverage). This will help you naturally eat less. Also, after surgery you will need to drink a lot of fluids, so this is good practice. Currently, your stomach holds some fluid in reserve which your body can draw on when needed. Surgery removes that portion of the stomach, so you will need to drink fluids more often to stay hydrated.

Don't drink with meals. Drinking with meals causes the stomach to empty more quickly, so you will feel hungry sooner. This is true even for people who haven't had surgery, but you will need to stop this after surgery.

Record everything you eat. There are apps for this. Popular apps include myfitnesspal.com and cronometer.com. Personally, I recommend cronometer. Analysing what you eat will help you identify small changes that you can make that will help you lose weight without feeling deprived. If you bring detailed records of what you eat to your dietitian, he or she will probably have great suggestions for you.

Identify your food triggers, and think about better ways to respond to them. For me, the biggest trigger for unhealthy eating was being tired after work and wanting something quick. Many people deal with this by meal prepping so that they always have a healthy meal ready to heat up. If I'm honest with myself, I know that I am never going to have the patience or skill required for cooking, so instead I searched far and wide for healthy prepared foods. This means that once a week I drive to several different markets to get the best options. Another common trigger for unhealthy eating is stress. Before surgery I made a list of non-food things that I could do to comfort and treat myself.

If you make a mistake, start fresh with the next meal. Don't wait for the next day.

One of things many people miss most right after surgery is salads. I highly recommend you enjoy them while you can. It's about 4 months or more before you'll be able to enjoy one. Other than that I'm not sure what you're allowed. Only 3 meals and just those items or are other items like dairy allowed too? You can always just drink broth. It's generally allowed on any diet as it so low calorie, low fat, and low carb.

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I believe mine came off in the shower after a few days and I don't remember keeping them dry, but ask your surgeon.

Hi all, I am a newbie here. My surgery is in 4 days. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I have been on my 2 week pre op liver shrinking diet and doing very well, down 13 pounds already, but I am desperate for suggestions of new things to eat. My instructions were not to go over 50 carbs a day (from fruit and veges), and only eat 4 oz. Of very lean meats and seafood, 1 cup of non starchy vegetables, and limited fruits. Or, Substitute a meal with a protein shake. I am struggling with such a small quantity as well as being satisfied with great flavors. Anyone have any great suggestions of some foods to get me through these last few days?