Surgery coming up

[Barimari66]

Hi my name is Mariana. Just on here sharing that my surgery date is on September 23, 2024. If anyone has any tips on how they got through this please message me. I'm feeling really emotional about it. I am excited but I am also aware that this isn't only going to decrease my body weight and improve my health. It's psychological for me. I'm thinking of how it's going to be when everyone starts sharing their opinions on your body, what you should've done instead of surgery, etc...

Feel free to share your stories, trauma's, or anything really.

Thanks

 

[dianeseattle]

Hi my name is Mariana. Just on here sharing that my surgery date is on September 23, 2024. If anyone has any tips on how they got through this please message me. I'm feeling really emotional about it. I am excited but I am also aware that this isn't only going to decrease my body weight and improve my health. It's psychological for me. I'm thinking of how it's going to be when everyone starts sharing their opinions on your body, what you should've done instead of surgery, etc...

Feel free to share your stories, trauma's, or anything really.

Thanks

Hi my name is Mariana. Just on here sharing that my surgery date is on September 23, 2024. If anyone has any tips on how they got through this please message me. I'm feeling really emotional about it. I am excited but I am also aware that this isn't only going to decrease my body weight and improve my health. It's psychological for me. I'm thinking of how it's going to be when everyone starts sharing their opinions on your body, what you should've done instead of surgery, etc...

Congratulations on your surgery date. That also happens to be my son's 45th birthday, so that's a good omen!
I'll list my points of advice by importance.

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Keep a container of water with you at all times so it's easy to do. You can measure it out in advance and keep it in the fridge.
• Follow your doctor's or nutritionist's advice TO THE LETTER. If you want a substitution, ask first so your pre- and post-op diet can be adjusted.
• Take your additional vitamins in liquid or chewable form, as advised.
• Weigh and measure EVERYTHING.
• Do not nibble or pick up crumbs. Snacking adds up.
• Cut down and then eliminate fats and sugars. You don't need them but they are addictive, so give yourself some grace as you go through withdrawal.
• Make sure you get at least 20 grams of protein daily if you're a woman, 30 if you're a man. 30 and 40 are better. But don't count calories.
• Take a fiber laxative from a week prior to surgery every day until you can add in regular vegetables to your daily plan. This is extremely important.
• Don't tell anyone you're having the procedure unless YOU MUST. The fewer people who know, the less negativity you'll have to hear.
• Take photos from BEFORE and AFTER until you reach goal weight.
• When people ask you why you're losing weight, reply honestly that you've changed your diet and added exercise. Then turn it around and question them to get the scrutiny off you. "How am I doing? Am I thinner? Do I look healthy? Have you noticed what I'm eating, and what I'm doing? Can I count on your support as I continue my pursuit to get to a healthy weight?"
• Thin your closet and donate your "fat clothes" to charity. Don't keep them around. That's giving you permission to fail.
• Give yourself permission to buy at least one outfit in the size you intend to become. Hang it up in plain view so it's a reminder of what's coming.
• Search this group and the Internet for affirmations like, "Everything I eat turns to health and beauty," and recite them silently all the time.
• Don't sit or lay down any more than you have to. Even if you're standing, doing a chore, walk in place. Adding movement really helps on so many levels.
• If you have ANY problems or discomfort, contact your doctor's office or your nutritionist IMMEDIATELY. Things can happen as a result of surgery, including big changes in your plumbing. Just make sure you tell a pro so you'll know if what you're feeling is normal or a symptom of a problem.
• Any change is also a loss, even when it's a good change. Loss can still feel very bad. Let yourself grieve for your old body, then let it go, as you would any death or loss.
• Smile, meditate, pray, express joy and gratitude.
• If it helps, model your determination and build self-esteem by reading the Big Book of AA. The journey of an alcoholic going from drunk to sober is hard on many levels, and so is weight loss. Overeating can be romanticized and change will feel like loss. It will hurt. Do whatever you can to find support in the stories of others.

This is MY list with my opinions and recommendations. It works for me. I'm sure there are others that should be on this list. Surely one of them must be, "Get a support group." But I found the support group the hospital put me in was very bad for me. I felt like a monkey in a zoo because so many people were allowed to come who were curious about the surgery and they just stared and stared. I think this online group is fabulous. I've gotten so much support over the years, and you can reach out to the group 24/7 and search the archives by topic. You can also send private messages to members by clicking on the envelope in the upper right corner and ask specific questions without sharing with the whole group. And of course, with the cooperation of the hospital, you can connect with others and start your own support group, if you want to.

I hope this helps.