Lifestyle Change Support!

[breprih 96]

I want to create a place for those either waiting on their surgery date or insurance approval to chat about the types of lifestyle changes we're making pre-vsg whether that be food and/or exercise and offer each other support!

I'm one week post my first dietitian appointment and she wanted to work on first and foremost eating 3 meals a day since I usually only ate 1! It's hard for me. I am down 4lbs, but I am so hungry! Should I up my Protein? What are you eating throughout the day? My days have been pretty basic this last week as I'm trying to figure this all out.....

Breakfast - 4oz cottage cheese & 2 plain rice cakes

Lunch - Lean cuisine (I try to pick a high protein one)

Dinner - chicken salad

Snacks - 2 pieces of fruit throughout the day

Exercise - walking 1 mile per day at the least.

I have not done all of this perfectly but I'm doing better than I thought! I am still drinking 1 soda can a day (compared to like 3-4). I've cut my coffee intake down by about 1/2 as well. Slowly but surely I will get there!

Edited November 7, 2017 by breprih
typo

[BusyMom945 63]

If you are still hungry you can always add more Protein to your Snacks. I didn't usually eat too much fruit, I'm just not a sweets fan but the occassional apple or banana work for me. But I always kept almonds at my desk - no salt. I'd count out 14 (that was half a serving of one ounce) and snack on them. They almost always helped hold me over. Also, I love cheese. So, I would get low fat cheese sticks and have those as well. Try not to have too many of the lean cuisines. They have a lot of sodium in them. I found myself more hungry with them (I think it was really thirst though). Cutting out the soda and coffee now is awesome as well! It was hard for me but I'm one my first day of my two week liquid diet and I get surgery on the 21st. I'm so glad I won't be going through caffine withdraws and this liquid diet at the same time! Best of luck to you!

[breprih 96]

1 minute ago, BusyMom945 said:

If you are still hungry you can always add more Protein to your Snacks. I didn't usually eat too much fruit, I'm just not a sweets fan but the occasional apple or banana work for me. But I always kept almonds at my desk - no salt. I'd count out 14 (that was half a serving of one ounce) and snack on them. They almost always helped hold me over. Also, I love cheese. So, I would get low fat cheese sticks and have those as well. Try not to have too many of the lean cuisines. They have a lot of sodium in them. I found myself more hungry with them (I think it was really thirst though). Cutting out the soda and coffee now is awesome as well! It was hard for me but I'm one my first day of my two week liquid diet and I get surgery on the 21st. I'm so glad I won't be going through caffeine withdraws and this liquid diet at the same time! Best of luck to you!

Thanks! That is exactly why I want to cut out coffee! Healing from the surgery is enough all by itself! I don't need to be having caffeine withdrawals at the same time! No thank you! I am hoping to go cold turkey a month before surgery (TBD). I do plan to move away from the lean cuisines at some point. For right now I'm so overwhelmed with what to eat that I need them for my sanity otherwise I'll make bad decision because I am so overwhelmed!

Your surgery is coming up soon! What does your pre op diet consist of?

I know someone who is having surgery today at the same hospital I will as well. She has 3 shakes a day and is also able to have brother and sugar free Jello. Wow, that is going to be hard when the time comes!

[BusyMom945 63]

5 minutes ago, breprih said:

Thanks! That is exactly why I want to cut out coffee! Healing from the surgery is enough all by itself! I don't need to be having caffeine withdrawals at the same time! No thank you! I am hoping to go cold turkey a month before surgery (TBD). I do plan to move away from the lean cuisines at some point. For right now I'm so overwhelmed with what to eat that I need them for my sanity otherwise I'll make bad decision because I am so overwhelmed!

Your surgery is coming up soon! What does your pre op diet consist of?

I know someone who is having surgery today at the same hospital I will as well. She has 3 shakes a day and is also able to have brother and sugar free Jello. Wow, that is going to be hard when the time comes!

Mine is four Protein Shakes a day (mix with water) and two Protein Bars - they are purchased from my doctors office. I can have one banana or one 8 oz glass of milk. I also can have sugar free Jello or pops once a day as well. Today is day one for me. So far not so bad. I the medifast diet for 3 months at one point so I figured it would be similiar minus the one lean and green meal. But it is necessary for the surgeon to be able to move your liver out of the way at have better access, so it's worth the work. My nutrionists told me to think of it as a perscription and less of a diet (it helps a little).

But I do understand about the lean cuisines - some days I don't know what I'd do without them. I have two kids at home too so sometimes meal prepping was the hardest part for me.

Good Luck!!!

[Donia 21]

My dietician told me to eat five-six times a day...breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and (optional) snack. At first I was like, “What??”, but it has been amazing! I haven’t been hungry at all and I have actually lost 2-3 pounds (about 1 pound per week). She also told me to sub one meal with a Protein Shake. So here is a typical day for me: breakfast- Premier Protein shake (followed by one cup of half-caff coffee lol) snack - 2 sticks of low fat string cheese and 1 or 2 blueberry belvita Breakfast biscuits, lunch - varies (usually Soup, salad, or sandwich), snack - hard boiled egg and a few pretzel crackers, dinner - it varies, but usually consists of a meat and 1 or 2 veggies. I️ have also discovered that ZonePerfect Protein bars are really tasty and I️ will sometimes have one of them as a snack. I have pretty much given up pop and am drinking Water and decaffeinated tea. I am amazed at how good this has made me feel! The key is to focus on protein for Snacks and meals but to pair it with some good carbs for energy. My daily goals are 75 g of protein and

[breprih 96]

On 11/11/2017 at 9:00 PM, Donia said:

My dietician told me to eat five-six times a day...breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and (optional) snack. At first I was like, “What??”, but it has been amazing! I haven’t been hungry at all and I have actually lost 2-3 pounds (about 1 pound per week). She also told me to sub one meal with a Protein Shake. So here is a typical day for me: breakfast- Premier Protein shake (followed by one cup of half-caff coffee lol) snack - 2 sticks of low fat string cheese and 1 or 2 blueberry belvita Breakfast biscuits, lunch - varies (usually Soup, salad, or sandwich), snack - hard boiled egg and a few pretzel crackers, dinner - it varies, but usually consists of a meat and 1 or 2 veggies. I️ have also discovered that ZonePerfect Protein Bars are really tasty and I️ will sometimes have one of them as a snack. I have pretty much given up pop and am drinking Water and decaffeinated tea. I am amazed at how good this has made me feel! The key is to focus on Protein for Snacks and meals but to pair it with some good carbs for energy. My daily goals are 75 g of Protein and

This is a great idea. I think I am going to try 5-6 smaller "meals" so that I'm not so hungry all day!

[dreamingsmall 1,125]

Good luck everyone. I had my sleeve in July but here if anyone needs any extra support.