Pre-Op Protein Diet -- my own valuable lesson learned...

segwayne

Hi guys,

Surgery is slated for April 2nd. Doctor put me on the obligatory protein diet using the "Bariatric Advantage" products rather than the standard Medifast. Something about it being "more palatable".. I can't compare, but I'm on day five and I've learned some pretty valuable things about myself...

This diet has me drinking or eating 6 "meals" a day. Thick Whey protein shakes, one protein bar, and some god-awful, horrid powdered soup crap.. So far, I haven't been physically hungry at all. Quite the opposite in that I can usually only finish 5 a day so far..

What I do notice however is that more than 50% of my personal problem with food seems to be a mental problem. "It's 7am, you must be hungry because it's breakfast time", or "you're at the Alamo Drafthouse, a cheeseburger won't kill you"...

So far, with the exception of this morning, I've been able to resist temptation (I caved for a 300 calorie frittata at brunch), but the nagging "you're hungry" in my head is still screaming, even though I know I'm not (and I really couldn't eat much if I wanted to)...

I know now that whether I succeed or fail, it's all in my mind... I just gotta keep my eye on the proverbial prize and keep myself occupied (outside of temptation's range) and I'll be fine...

csmccord

Just to let you know, that's not just a pre-op thing. Yes, it is worse because you still have an intact GI tract and a large stomach used to lots of food. Post surgery you will have more willpower. Trust me. Sometimes it amazes me how different my reaction to food is now.

However, just as a warning, the surgery over the long term will NOT completely change your relationship with food. I still feel that psychological urge to eat, sometimes very strongly. The idea is that the surgery will give you the tool to change your lifestyle. Do I sometimes eat cake, cookies, candy and other junk. YES! Not quite on a weekly basis, but pretty close. Do I still maintain my weight? YES!

What I've found helps me is this:

1. I still get "head hungry". Sometimes once I start thinking about it, I can't think about anything until I eat. I've realized that so, I work with it. I make sure I keep easy to access "approved" foods in the house. I have a toddler, so surgery, carb rich snacks are still available, but I make myself to something approved. If I'm in the mood for sweet, I'll go to greek yogurt with some fruit and stevia or sugar free syrup mixed in. Or maybe grab a quest bar. We also keep SkinnyCow ice cream bars in the freezer if I really want to indulge.

2. I know when I tend to get snacky. I'm a bit of a night owl, so I stay up later than post people who work my schedule. I tend to want something to eat about 9:30 at night. So I plan my day so that I have calories that I can devote to a snack. I'll usually leave myself a few hundred calories at the end of the day for just such an occurrence. I do 2000 calories a day, and really plan about 4 meals. I have about 500 calories for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then use the last 500 for my pre-workout snack at 4 PM, then my evening snack/meal about 9 or 9:30.

The idea is that you need to listen to your body and know your habits. Then with small changes you can work with yourself to try and make better choices. I tend to be a planner, so I try to make sure that I'm in control of my food situation. However, I know that's not always possible.

3. Lastly, I have a few quotes that I use to help me get a bit more willpower if I'm in a situation that I can't control.

"Weight Loss Surgery is not a DO-OVER (repeat same mistakes = get a similar outcome.) Weight Loss Surgery is a DO-BETTER (make lifestyle changes you can continue forever.)"

"Don't trade what you want most, for what you want at the moment."