Hi Mrs. Katie!

I had the worst time on the liquid pre-op diet. I had already lost 38lbs from being on the shake plan for a month before that and I thought that I would not be able to stomach another shake to save my life. Somehow, I made it. I think that it all came down to looking past the here and now and the compulsions to cheat and comfort myself with food and see myself after the surgery, losing weight and improving the quality of my life.

After having the surgery you have to find healthier coping mechanisms rather quickly. You can't eat regular foods for 7 weeks or more depending on your surgeon. For me it is the power of positive thinking again along with the progress I am making, not just pounds but my clothes getting looser and looser and wearing clothes I haven't worn in years. Compliments from friends and family help a lot too.

Don't worry about being perfect on this journey. Just know it will take a lot of will power and hard work to get where you want to be and YOU CAN DO IT!

-Maryerin (MissMe)

Hi MissMe!

I really appreciate your post! Thank you so much for your support. It is incredibly important to know that others have gone though what I'm going through!! When did you have your surgery? How long did it take you to work through the compulsions to cheat/comfort yourself with food?

Yeah, this is actually the hardest thing I've ever gone through. Maybe that sounds crazy to some, but I've never struggled this much. It's so hard to stay positive I physically feel my stomach cramping all the time, and my moral is so low. I've never excelled at not cheating on diets, and I am definitely being forced to confront the "compulsion demons" right now. I just feel so exhausted It's amazing to have lost 33 lbs so far, but it feels unreal, so it's hard to find joy in that. I am trying so hard to get out of this funk. I still have 10 more days of this to go... feels pretty overwhelming.

~Katie

Hi Katie....I'm new here too. I just had my sleeve surgery Monday the 19th on May but I have been working at the pre-op diet for almost a year. Last June, 2013, was my first visit and the class and all the preliminary garbage. And at the end of the day they tell me you need to lose almost 50lbs and oh by the way we have you scheduled for surgery in August. So I went home and figured out the reality of what I could really lose and talked to my MD and ahe flat told me there was no way that was going to happen but do what you can. So I took this past year and changed my way of thinking mainly, but I changed my eating by visiting the Whole Foods stores and the Natural Grocery and Trader Joe stores. I knew they were not the cheapest places to shop but I started there to read my labels and see what tasted good, what I could make at home, and mostly buy at my local Safeway grocers. I had bread, low calory, I had a candy bar once or twice but I cut out anything with Aspertaime in it, diet soda, sugar free this or that. I felt better and after a struggle I lost my pre op weight, 55lbs gone. I just read something it said "One day of cheating does not make you fat just like one day of eating right does not make you skinny", I thought that was very appropriate for this journey. It's not gonna happen all at one time but it will happen over time....

Good Luck-

kim