HELP ME! I'm on my pre op diet and making bad choices.

[Quinny 1]

I'm on my 2nd week of pre op diet. First week I could have 2 Protein shakes and one meal of 4 oz lean meat and steamed vegtables. I did pretty good with the exception of 2 bags of snack size peanuts. (Hey, that's Protein, at least!)

I'm on the 2nd week of 4 Protein Shakes a day, broth and that's about it. I've been cheating. I have a friend that I go walking with and at dinnner I have been having a very healthy salad w/ a little cheese & almonds. I've been using a vinigarette dressing - not fat free. I don't think I've done that bad.

See if the idea is to shrink your liver - I don't see one salad a day as something that would prohibit that. Do you?

Today is Day 3 of 2nd week. I've got a date w/ my girlfriend to ditch my husband and come over for my evening salad. Should I keep that date?

Am I doing that bad? Do you think it could hurt me?

[happy2lose 0]

Ask yourself this question........If I can't stick to my "2 week" pre-op diet, how the heck am I gonna stick with a 4 week post-op diet?????

I am just over 1 year post-op and I'm here to tell you the the only way you will ever get the weight off and keep it off even with your band is by making serious lifestyle changes. I have lost 100 pounds but it has taken shear determination, dedication and hard work! The band is not magic, it is only a tool that will help you to feel satisfied on much, much, less food. If you continue to make poor choices with the band, you will not lose weight and may damage your band..........just the cold hard facts!!!

[MizKelly 2]

I'm on my 2nd week of pre op diet. First week I could have 2 Protein shakes and one meal of 4 oz lean meat and steamed vegtables. I did pretty good with the exception of 2 bags of snack size peanuts. (Hey, that's Protein, at least!)

I'm on the 2nd week of 4 Protein Shakes a day, broth and that's about it. I've been cheating. I have a friend that I go walking with and at dinnner I have been having a very healthy salad w/ a little cheese & almonds. I've been using a vinigarette dressing - not fat free. I don't think I've done that bad.

See if the idea is to shrink your liver - I don't see one salad a day as something that would prohibit that. Do you?

Today is Day 3 of 2nd week. I've got a date w/ my girlfriend to ditch my husband and come over for my evening salad. Should I keep that date?

Am I doing that bad? Do you think it could hurt me?

Are you serious??? Yes I do think you are doing THAT bad! There are reasons our doctors do pre-op diets. If your doctor wanted you to eat a salad every night then he would have told you to do so. If you can't even stick to a pre-op diet how in the heck are you going to stick to a life time of changes? Maybe you aren't ready be get banded? Doesn't seem like you are ready to make life changes just yet. This band is not going to do all the work for you it's just a tool to HELP you. You either need to get serious NOW or reschedule your surgery for when you are really ready to make changes.

[BetsyB 9]

I don't get it. Has your husband been at home, thinking you're out walking every evening---while you've been stopping for a salad with your friend en route each night?

I may be reading it wrong (I hope so!), but I'm envisioning your husband, at home, thinking his wife is out walking, working hard to establish new habits---while in reality, you're sneak eating and deviating from doctor's orders.

Yes, break the date with your friend.

It's time to change your pattern. (And if your friend is aware of your preop restrictions and is enabling your cheating, it might be time to change friends, too.)

The point isn't whether a salad is terrible choice. The question is whether you are going to second-guess every professional recommendation you're given. There will be a lot of restrictions down the road---how are you going to handle them?

You're right. One of the purposes of the preop diet is to stimulate the liver to give up its glycogen stores. Another is to promote a bit more weight loss before surgery. But another--important--purpose of the diet is to get you in the right mindset for the restrictions you will have postoperatively.

You will not die as a result of eating salad. But you're doing yourself a huge disservice.

And you're also doing your doctor a disservice. When you stop to think about it, every time a surgeon operates on a patient, s/he places his/her license on the line.

A responsible patient does everything in her power to reduce the risk not only to herself, but also to the physician who is going out on a limb for her.

[Bklynike 0]

I'm on my 2nd week of pre op diet. First week I could have 2 Protein shakes and one meal of 4 oz lean meat and steamed vegtables. I did pretty good with the exception of 2 bags of snack size peanuts. (Hey, that's Protein, at least!)

I'm on the 2nd week of 4 Protein Shakes a day, broth and that's about it. I've been cheating. I have a friend that I go walking with and at dinnner I have been having a very healthy salad w/ a little cheese & almonds. I've been using a vinigarette dressing - not fat free. I don't think I've done that bad.

See if the idea is to shrink your liver - I don't see one salad a day as something that would prohibit that. Do you?

Today is Day 3 of 2nd week. I've got a date w/ my girlfriend to ditch my husband and come over for my evening salad. Should I keep that date?

Am I doing that bad? Do you think it could hurt me?

If you are cheating on your pre-op diet, what are you going to do once you have the surgery? Perhaps you aren't truly ready, in mind and heart, for the surgery. You should absolutely not eat anything off the prescribed diet plan without first speaking with your doctor or dietician You are making bad choices - this is a lifestyle change, not a change when you are in the mood.

[Gracie'smom 0]

Quinny

You can do this. I am on my 1st week of pre-opt diet. It's

not easy but of course I can still have a light 3rd meal. Next

week will be harder for me too. I am to be banded on May 12th.

You have come this far. Don't give up..... Just a few more days. Now is the time to go all liquid. Stop the salads. Try prayer. This next week is such a short time compared to the rest of your life!!!!

Good Luck:smile:

[dmcguire0408 0]

I totally understand where everyone is coming from....yes you need to be committed before you have the surgery. But just know that the first 6 weeks were the hardest--2 preop and 4 post op...but you can do it. Commit to yourself today. Follow your doctors orders....it gets easier you just have to believe in yourself that you CAN do it. Good Luck!!!!

[AnneGG 0]

I don't get it. Has your husband been at home, thinking you're out walking every evening---while you've been stopping for a salad with your friend en route each night?

I may be reading it wrong (I hope so!), but I'm envisioning your husband, at home, thinking his wife is out walking, working hard to establish new habits---while in reality, you're sneak eating and deviating from doctor's orders.

Yes, break the date with your friend.

It's time to change your pattern. (And if your friend is aware of your preop restrictions and is enabling your cheating, it might be time to change friends, too.)

The point isn't whether a salad is terrible choice. The question is whether you are going to second-guess every professional recommendation you're given. There will be a lot of restrictions down the road---how are you going to handle them?

You're right. One of the purposes of the preop diet is to stimulate the liver to give up its glycogen stores. Another is to promote a bit more weight loss before surgery. But another--important--purpose of the diet is to get you in the right mindset for the restrictions you will have postoperatively.

You will not die as a result of eating salad. But you're doing yourself a huge disservice.

And you're also doing your doctor a disservice. When you stop to think about it, every time a surgeon operates on a patient, s/he places his/her license on the line.

A responsible patient does everything in her power to reduce the risk not only to herself, but also to the physician who is going out on a limb for her.

I am so in agreement with Betsy's post. Don't get the surgery if you're not in the mindset for it yet. You know you're making bad choices- you say so yourself. Why ask us if we agree with you that "it's not so bad?"

That doesn't mean that any of us is perfect all the time; it does mean that if you know you're making bad choices you have the capacity to make good choices. Make them- we and all the TLC in the world can't make them for you.

Above all, please don't ask for support for unworkable behavior. At least put forth a plan for what good choices you're going to make for yourself, so you and we know what we all can count on. That's real support.

Sorry if my tone comes across as rough. I get irritated when someone asks me to support what's not good for them.

Plus you're putting a huge amount of energy and time into cheating- why not use that time and energy positively?

Edited May 3, 2010 by AnneGG