Tips for newbies to transition before surgery

[GADeltaDawn 14]

Anyone have any tips on transitioning eating habits before surgery? Did you give up caffeine and sugar cold turkey or wean yourself? How did you handle the withdrawals such as headaches and irritability? What non food vices did you have to tackle?

[Melanie36 71]

I'm 14 days from surgery, and for the last few months I've been exercising, tracking my food in my fitness pal, and I quit caffeine and Advil.

I don't regret doing any of this now so that my surgery and recovery aren't such a shock and lifestyle change as they could be!

Good luck on your journey!

[James Marusek 5,244]

When I began the medically supervised diet and exercise program prior to surgery, I gave up all caffeine and carbonated beverages cold turkey. I lost 20 pounds on that change along. I had a 5 diet coke a day habit. But I suffered a major withdrawal syndrome, very severe headaches for about a week. Then I was O.K. It is better to get this over with now than to compound it with the effects of surgery.

[skc72 138]

Following this as I had the same question :-)

[della street 213]

I'm 4 days post-surgery (bypass). A couple of years ago, I went on a doc-supervised diet (very high Protein, few veg, not much else) and gave up my 4-6 cans a day of regular Coke at that time. Kind of weaned before starting that and transitioned to 3-4 cans of Diet Pepsi a day. Somehow, that did the trick for me. But then came bypass surgery and the no diet sodas/no carbonation rules, sigh - I first (may 6 weeks before surgery) cut back on caffeine soda by mixing half-caf/half non-caf Diet P in a big glass of crushed ice from Sonic. Over a couple of weeks, (maybe 3?), got to just non-caf Diet P. Then had to start weaning off of Diet P altogether, so I started switching out one of my DPs with Decaf tea, etc etc. Took probably 6 weeks to get completely off. For some, cold turkey will work better, but that's what worked for me. Good luck!

[drmeow 323]

I will probably be having surgery in June, but I am trying to work on any bad habits now that will have to change afterward, like snacking, grazing, eating in the car, eating while on the computer, etc. I'm tracking my Water intake (64 oz is a lot harder than I expected it to be). I already walk every day with my dog but plan to start some weights soon.

I have been a big coffee drinker but for the last two weeks have been mixing regular and Decaf in the pot, I'm now down to 1/3 regular and 2/3 decaf. No headaches!

I greatly decreased my diet coke habits a few years ago but have still had one or two each week so soon I will be cutting those out entirely as well.

[skc72 138]

I am waiting for my surgery date buy have been changing bad habits. My worst is fast food, so I lock my purse in the trunk while I'm driving so I don't have access to my money...lol

[Laurac727 92]

I am also preop since Nov and I have quit all caffeine, all carbonation, no sugar, no alcohol. No drinking 15min before eating and 30 min after eating. Small bites, chew so many times to make pureed in mouth before swallowing. doing every single thing my NUT tells me to do. Then came physical therapist. Well she put me on hold last month to get cardio condition and blood pressure in acceptable range and NUT wants me back again too. So back I go for Feb 11 date to see if they will pass me to surgery date yet!! starting to get really disheartened and frustrated with the wait, I have done everything they tell me so just waiting and waiting at this point. Do everything they tell you and everything you can before, or you wont move forward

[kcadoret 81]

I found it hard to stop my vices cold turkey, I'm kinda odd so made myself a plan for decreasing my quantity of caffeine, alcohol, processed sugary foods etc. I also gradually increased the Decaf content in my coffee to the point that I drink a decaf coffee a week or so. I switched from pop and alcohol to carbonated Water with a dash of juice, to kombutcha tea, then to fun herbal teas cooled and over ice.

I started changing my behaviours as soon as I went to the first information session but got serious about 10 months before surgery (my first intake appointment). I also struggled with the waiting for things to move on the hospital end, but hoped that if they saw the deliberate effort I was making maybe it would speed things up (it hasn't in my case).

I think the awareness and effort on your part is the biggest factor, no matter how small the changes may seem.

[Hoven 33]

I cut my diet Coke habit almost cold turkey over 2 years ago. I did it by replacing it with flavored seltzer Water. It had to be ice old from a bottle. I have since made the transition to Water. Still like it to be ice cold, but the thought of drinking a diet coke is not appealing. Last summer I started limiting carbs. That's going so-so, but I'm confident that after surgery I'll be fine because I've limited myself already. Sugar is another issue, I've been working since last summer. I don't keep sweets in the house and we only bake on occasion. And I already have a very narrow pallet for sweets anyway, so that helps. I did make a chocolate sheet cake a few weeks ago and ended up throwing out 1/3 of it because I was inhaling it. I guess the next thing I need to tackle for the transition is coffee. I don't get a kick from coffee like most people do, so I'm betting that Decaf will be fine. Even with all these changes I couldn't lose the weight. I just had my first appointment this week and go the list of test/consults etc. I begin making appointments on Monday. Hopefully by April I can have surgery.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Hoven