TLBC-ers, help me out!

[argon 3]

Can someone give me the details of your pre-op diet? I'm in! I'm going to give it a try, as a way to switch up my eating, and hopefully give myself a little kickstart to continue on losing. (I'm also going to go to the gym EVERY day next week, not just 2 or 3)

I know it's cottage cheese and yogurt, but... what kind or %1 of cottage cheese? fat free or just sugar free yogurt? can you suggest some brands?

I'm sure this is all somewhere around already, but I'm sure we're all guilty of being too lazy or busy to go rooting through old posts, so if someone would be so kind as to help me out, I'd be eternally grateful! :confused:

(I know you'll think I'm nuts for doing it... but I need to switch it up, and I think this will be as good as anything.)

[susansilver 0]

You go Mandi! Okay here it is.

Skim or 1% milk

1% or 0% yogurt, can be sweetened but only artificially - Source, Danone has brands that meet the guidelines - most are 40 calories per serving or less.

1% or less cottage cheese - I have also found a "dry" cottage cheese made by Western Dairy that is .5% and has a different texture than the other for variety.

SF Jello, Diet Crystal lite, coffee, tea and a minimum of 1.5 L of Water per day

Although not on the official diet (you are doing it for a different reason, so go for it) try Simply Egg Whites, to make scambled eggs and something hot to eat!

You can eat as much of these things as you need. I will siggest though that you try to follow a Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack regime - expecially since you are going to the gym. Be careful that your calorie count is not too low because your body could go into "starvation mode".

(I admit that I have been having less than 400 calories per day and it has not done that yet. Since Monday I have shed almost 12 lbs).

Good luck and let us know how it goes! Oh Yeah - breath strips seem essential for me on this diet!

Susan

[Doddie63 6]

Hi: I ate very plain. Cottage cheese and plain yogurt only. Skim milk and tons of Water. Sorry, not very inspiring. Doddie

[argon 3]

Can I have as much skim/1% milk as I want? Is there a limit to ANYthing?

[Alex R. 0]

The diet is not that exciting, but it is do-able.

Initially, I ate quite a lot of yogurt (sugar free, low fat, with tiny bits of fruit) and less cottage cheese. Not a huge fan of the cottage cheese, I got permission to add bits of chopped jalapeno peppers to the cottage cheese - but stopped that by the second week. Started to worry about the hot peppers irritating the stomach, and thus defeating some of the effects of the diet.

Towards the end, I didn't need that much yogurt to get filled. But I lost 15 pounds.

[susansilver 0]

Can I have as much skim/1% milk as I want? Is there a limit to ANYthing?

Nope - no limit on anything.

What I found that works for me is

Today:

Breakfast - 2 yogurt

lunch - 3/4 cottage cheese

dinner - probably dry cottage cheese and then maybe a Jello for later.

But...this is me.

[msrobby73 0]

What else I found was I added yogurt, ice, coffee(instant) and bleneded it up- made smoothies- thats the only way I survived the 2 week pre-op diet!! Good LUck

Robyn

[susieq321 31]

The other option I would consider is doing a high Protein lower fat, low carb, low sugar diet... go seriously high protein kinda like the Atkins but keep the fat low. I found that was a good way to recover from the damage I did to my body working out and it generally kickstarted my weight loss again. The diet sucks but you can do anything for a few weeks.

[Alex R. 0]

....oh yeah, and non-fat lattes.

[loriely 0]

Mandi if you are really hungry you also can have a plain (spices) chicken breast. Good luck with diet.

[argon 3]

The whole reason I'm considering this really IS the easiness factor. Not the diet itself being easy, but the not having to cook anything or really buy much special for it. I'd likely do the 'induction' phase of Atkins again if I really wanted to do that! Tempting, but.... nah!

I have a WHOLE bunch of Protein powder (ugg... and Optifast) left over, and never opened... I'll check that out and make sure it's not loaded with sugar, and maybe try adding those in too. I don't plan on doing it for long. REALLY, just until Friday, then if it went pretty well, maybe starting again the following week for a full week. (I say until Friday, because that's the night of the party... and I might just hop back on the cott-urt wagon again Sat. morning, if I feel so motivated!)

But thank you guys for all the info. It's worth a shot, right? If I can get things moving again, without having to get a fill, all the better. I've got Dan on board to do this with me, and my friend Lauren wants to give it a try too, cause she's stopped losing also (and she's doin' it the old fashion way!) ... it'll be nice to have all 3 of us suffering together!

[susansilver 0]

I've got Dan on board to do this with me, and my friend Lauren wants to give it a try too, cause she's stopped losing also (and she's doin' it the old fashion way!) ... it'll be nice to have all 3 of us suffering together![/quote

Attention All: Buy stock in Danone!

[Mr. Yoda 0]

A little off topic...

But Another good way of 'jumpstarting' your self is to see what you ARE eating... to do this write down EVERYTHING... and I do mean EVERYTHING that passes those lips. From the regular meals to the single green bean you tasted to see if they were ready to serve, it is surprising what you can gloss over or dismiss whan you aren't paying attention.

I have even heard of wearing one of those white surgical masks while making supper (for instance) to see if you absently nibble as you cook...

it is kinda scary the habits we have running without our knowledge...

5 more sleeps till Yoda's return...

13 days till I am turned to the banded side!!!

3 more days of real food! (now that is scary!!!)

[loriely 0]

You have so much to look forward to Mr Yoda (haha)

[Donna D 1]

You are in good hands here Mandi. The tlbc pre-op has been great for me too. I only eat yoghurt and Jello. I hate cottage cheese but if you like it at least you can have variety. If you are going to the gym daily, you need your protien. Eggbeaters are good for that as well as chicken breast. I have found things to be a little loose down there while on this diet...if you know what I mean.....