Hello, Kim, and welcome to the group.
I didn't have a pre-op diet so I can't speak intelligently to that.
I have heard many people talk about their pre-op diets in this group and there is quite a lot of variety. But I don't think we can answer your question about cheating because it goes to the core of your eating disorder.
I'm going to ask you a question: Why are you having the surgery? If you think the pre-op plan is difficult, what do you expect the post-op plan to be like?
I don't think anyone finds it easy, but I do know it is important to change your eating habits. I believe the doctor wants to see that you can stick to a plan and that you can lose weight, which is the proof that you did stick to his plan.
If you can't stick to the plan, it seems like maybe you should ask yourself why you are having the surgery. I don't mean that harshly. I mean that after the surgery, you are not going to be able to cheat at all for a long time. You could really hurt yourself by cheating and you could affect your healing process.
But that isn't even as important as the main point. People have this surgery to change their lives. And nowadays, doctors want to know that you can change your life before they will perform a procedure on you, especially one that is paid for by insurance, that will require you to eat a specific way because postoperatively, you will experience malabsorption.
Because of that huge consideration you need to show that you can eat in a healthy way so you can get all your nutrition and adapt to your pouch and the malabsorption issue.
The surgery will not cure you of obesity . It will not cure your eating disorder. It will not cure anything. The surgery is only a tool, like a shovel, but if you have a shovel, you're still the one that needs to dig the hole.
I understand that you are having a hard time. You are making a sudden change in your diet. And I hate protein shakes, and it's only been in the last eight or nine months that I have been able to doctor them up to the point where I can stand to drink them. I am completely with you on the agony of the pre-op diet because it's similar to the post-op diet, except you actually get to eat solid food right now. For a few weeks after surgery, you'll pretty much be drinking liquids
But I'm 13 years out, and 115 lb lighter. I love the food that I eat. I enjoy every bite. I still eat a lot of the same things I used to eat. But I can only eat about 25% of a cheeseburger for instance. I can't even finish a slice of pizza. But no matter. I have completely changed my relationship with food. It's kind of weird because I had severe Eating Disorders when I was growing up. And now I don't even have any desire to cheat. Food doesn't control me. It's no longer an obsession. I don't know why but I do know how much I love being thin and healthy and athletic and wearing beautiful clothes.
When people decide to quit smoking or quit drinking alcohol, it's an all-or-nothing proposition. But when you decide to have weight loss surgery, you can't stop eating. You still have to take in the thing that you are addicted to. But most people, postoperatively, are surprised to find out how little they have a craving for something or the desire to eat huge quantities of food.
So to be brief, don't cheat. Feel free to tell us your feelings and we will support you in every way we can. You are not the first person to have this problem Oh, and it doesn't magically go away. But, it is the right thing to do when you can't lose weight any other way, and down the road, you will be so happy you did it and you will love the fact that you don't have to eat all these foods that make you obese, in the amounts that are not healthy for you to eat. You're at the very beginning. Don't stop now.
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