pre-op lifestyle changes
Options
missySchell
Posts: 6 Member
I am just beginning my six month journey to get surgery. (6 months because of my insurance) I am looking for any incite from anyone post-op.. what did you do prior to surgery to prepare you for the changes you have to live with once surgery is done? what worked for you?
0
Replies
-
Edit: Sorry, forgot to mention, I'm 19 months post RNY.
Honestly, I didn't change anything pre-op. Some people will tell you to work on chewing food more thoroughly, or following the 30/30 rule, or even find the protein that you like, but I really don't think it's needed. Again, this is what worked for me.
You basically have an entire system reboot while you are on your initial liquid phase post-op. You have a few weeks where you wont feel like eating, where you might actually have a food aversion. During that same two weeks you just have trouble drinking your protein shakes. This is assuming you are having the RNY or VSG.
I found that surgery forced me to make the changes and drastically altered my mindset by itself. As for the protein, I wouldn't bother. Your tastes will dramatically change post-op, and what you liked before surgery, may make you gag post-op.
What I do suggest you do pre-op is education yourself. Education is probably the most important part of the whole thing. Find out exactly what the surgery will do to you. Read up on research, think about the long term effects. If you are having anything but the band, then it cannot be reversed. Find out the little things, such as, with an RNY you can't take ibuprofen post-op. Find websites for support and recipes, that kind of thing.0 -
My nutritionist asked me what my biggest vices were and what things post-surgery I was scared that I wouldn't be able to handle or that I would struggle with most. Those are the things she suggested I change pre-op. For me, it was skipping breakfast, multiple cups of coffee a day and a bad soda habit. All of these things I tried to fix pre-op so it was one less set of obstacles for me. Like the previous poster mentioned educate yourself. Be prepared for the changes as much as you can. Best of luck on your journey!0
-
I agree with everyone....use the time to educate yourself on what a healthy diet looks like long term. Get used to logging your meals. I really feel like MFP keeps me honest and is a huge help, on good and bad days. Also Id say if you're not a water drinker now, you could start doing that as part of pre-op (or non-carb, sugar free flavored drinks like Crystal Light) because you will definitely be drinking a lot of liquids forever after surgery. Begin to wean yourself off caffeine as well. I just stopped during my two week clear liquid diet immediately before surgery, but depending on how much caffeine you currently drink you may want to reduce it more gradually. I don't know if I could have really "practiced" the actual post-surgery diet, because the surgery itself will dictate what you can eat for the first several months. As someone said, it is kind of a "reset". But eventually you will be able to eat many of the same foods you did pre-surgery, so you have to use the time leading up to surgery to educate yourself on what that healthy maintenance eating will look like once the honeymoon phase of the surgery is over.0
-
I am one of those people who made a lot of changes before surgery. I knew I had to wait at least 6 months for a surgery date because of my insurance, which ended up being 9 months, so I used that time wisely. I changed my eating and exercise habits, and I practiced chewing my food, taking my time eating, and not drinking while eating. I lost 70 lbs before my surgery. I think the changes I made helped me a lot. Transitioning into my new eating habits wasn't difficult for me at all, sticking to the program has been easy, and I recovered from surgery extremely well. I attribute much of my success to having good habits in place prior to surgery.0
-
Hearing some of these things is not surprising to me, however this surgery is vastly different for each person. I changed nothing pre-surgery. I had my "last meal" the night before I started the pre-op liquids. I didn't wean off caffeine at all. I didn't practice the 30/30 rule, nor chewing my food more adequately. So, take all of our posts with a grain of salt, as really the only person that can truly answer your question is you. But, yes, most of these are good suggestions depending on your situation.0
-
Although you could go cold turkey at your surgery, I would get a handle on any liquid addictions you have (soda, caffeinated beverages). These will be the easiest to creep back in post-surgery since they are liquids. You don't need to quit. I didn't quit coffee until my pre-op restricted diet and added black coffee back in as soon as my doctor allowed, but I did cut back significantly and I quit drinking the fancy calorie laden lattes and mochas.
Also, focus on getting exercise in, even if it is only a bit of walking. Your surgery recovery will be faster.0 -
Hearing some of these things is not surprising to me, however this surgery is vastly different for each person. I changed nothing pre-surgery. I had my "last meal" the night before I started the pre-op liquids. I didn't wean off caffeine at all. I didn't practice the 30/30 rule, nor chewing my food more adequately. So, take all of our posts with a grain of salt, as really the only person that can truly answer your question is you. But, yes, most of these are good suggestions depending on your situation.
What is the 30/30 rule?0 -
The 30/30 rule is not drinking for 30 minutes before and after meals. I never really understood the before meal issue but I do it anyway cause I'm not much of a rule breaker...lol The 30 minutes after I totally get!0
-
I gave up caffeine and soda and started moving more. Honestly that was about it. You really do have a complete system reboot during this process. It took me longer than I anticipated to get off the caffeine, but you don't need withdrawl headaches on top of all the changes your body is going through after surgery. That one is a worthy goal IMHO.0
-
Hearing some of these things is not surprising to me, however this surgery is vastly different for each person. I changed nothing pre-surgery. I had my "last meal" the night before I started the pre-op liquids. I didn't wean off caffeine at all. I didn't practice the 30/30 rule, nor chewing my food more adequately. So, take all of our posts with a grain of salt, as really the only person that can truly answer your question is you. But, yes, most of these are good suggestions depending on your situation.
What is the 30/30 rule?
My surgical team had this rule for me:
No liquids 30 minutes before a meal - I only had this for the first 4 months or so.
Take about 30 minute to eat your meal - It takes 20 minutes for the full signal to reach your brain
No liquids 30 minutes after meal - With RNY surgery, you don't have a valve on your pouch (stomach) anymore. Water will wash all the food directly to the small intestine right after it's eaten.
Honestly, it's not that hard to do, as I'm eating mostly moist things for meal anyway. The no liquids for 30 minutes afterward has become habit. Do I sometimes not follow the rule? Sure, if I'm eating with a bunch of friends I might have some wine with dinner, but that's it. Not following the rule really won't hurt you in the short term, however you'll end up feeling hungry much earlier if you do drink with your meal.0 -
I honestly didn't do very much pre-op. I already ate healthy food (I like it), but also ate fast food, and overall ate too much.
Here is what I did:
- Started using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate just to slightly lower my portion size.
- Stopped eating fast food as often as I did, but didn't give it up until the start of my two week pre-op liquid diet.
- Started eating slightly slower. I used to eat pretty fast.
Most of the changes came right after surgery. You really have no choice to do all you are supposed to do once you have surgery unless you want to be in a world of hurt, which I did not.
Congrats on starting the process, by the way. I am so incredibly happy I had surgery. My health has already improved greatly and will only get better as I continue to lose. It is a fantastic tool.
One thing I will recommend is attending support meetings that your clinic offers, if available and you can. Getting your head in the right place/in the game is the most valuable things you can do, in my opinion.0
