Jody

It is a long road! I struggled with cream soups. I made my own, got sick on all of them. Make your cream soup as thin as you can. I lived on Campbell's soup at hand, the garden tomato, cream of tomato, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. The serving size was perfect and consistency was great. Don't worry so much about calories and all that jazz. I say focus on getting food in and staying hydrated!

You will do great!!!

There is a whole topic of this with some books listed if counselling is not an option for you: http://www.occforum.com/index.php?showtopic=13366 There is a couple of books you could get off of Amazon 1. Eating mindfully by Susan Albers 2. Eating in the moment by Pavel Somov I read that the second book by Pavel Somov was a better choice. Also, a good choice The complete Idiots guide to eating well after weight loss surgery!!

When we are in Mexico at the hotel its easy, you sit at the table or order up. Broth or a popsicle. Your mind says you're hungry, your stomach is saying no. The broth is decent and you keep going till you stop for a second and think "Am I still hungry?" Often to find the answer is "no". Home is when it gets hard. I have broth from cans, tetra's, etc. I don't have any homemade broth. My popsicles are better but still. Then you watch your family have Taco Tuesday night. Spaghetti Wednesday. Ugh, broth please. You get so excited for the cream soup phase, and at first it works great, but that goes on for so many days. Meanwhile, there are birthday celebrations, cupcakes, snack foods. Ugh, cream soup please. So, you cheat and it hurts. It hurts for a reason! You have fresh new sutures and you're trying to pass bread thru it or meat. Those sutures and your fresh new tummy don't stand a chance. I had a great experience at the OCC but one thing it is missing is the counselling. We all have eating disorders or some kind, or we wouldn't need this medical help. Here in Canada, if you can get the Gov to pay for your surgery, there is nutritional counselling and emotional counselling. Your surgery is contingent on the completion of those programs. If you are finding that you are struggling with the diet, then I recommend that you find the counselling you need to succeed. I have taken the diet very very seriously. It was a lot of money and at my family's vacation expense to do this surgery. They all said they would give up family vacations for 2 years if it meant having mom around for more years for later vacations. I am doing this for me and them. I don't want to let them down. I don't want to blow it and have nothing to show for them. My head is in the game, is yours?

It is so important to follow the diet you guys. We all have eating disorders or we wouldn't need the medical help. I kept telling myself that one day it would click in my head, well it wasn't and I was killing myself with food. The day I made the decision to do this surgery was the day it clicked. I wanted this, I want to live. It is 21 days. We have this diet for a reason, a very good reason. You have to be mentally checked in, because at this point its all mental!

Thanks friends! I did find I had to really water the soups down. I seem to get nauseaus after I eat. Does that happen to you guys?

Thanks! You will meet friends the day of your surgery and you will need them! I hugged so many of them!

I don't find it hard or challenging to follow the post op diet. I realize that for the most part this week, that I am not actually hungry. I feel my blood sugar drop and I feel like blah, so I eat and then I feel fine! I am excited about cream soups. I can't wait to have tomato soup!!! What do you think about this soup I used to make in the winter time. Its a potato, cheddar cheese and leek soup. I just boil the potatoes and leeks until super soft, the put in the blender the potato, leek, water from the boiling, and some cheddar cheese and blend. It purees into a soft soup. Same with broccoli and cheese. Can I eat that? I know its not healthy, and thankfully, a few spoonfuls will fill me.

I loved the Marriott! Everything I had was free, the popsicles, broth and tea. My companion got a discount on her food! The room was gorgeous and we loved it. We just left there yesterday the 23rd.

Hey friends! I met so many of you in the waiting room at the OCC last week. You all made me feel so good about my decisions and kept me sane. I was totally freaking out! I am home, I have my first challenge. Daughter's birthday dinner tonight. Im still on clear liquids.

That is perfect! He just wants to make sure for the first couple days home before I am ready to go out and face the world, that he has some food for me. He knows I won't be eating what him and the kids are having! thank you for your suggestions

I have no idea what my post op diet is suppose to be. I assume they will tell me when I get there and before I leave. My husband wants to offer support and is asking me what he can have for me when I walk thru the door. Can you please tell me what he should stock our pantry with? Also, in case we face any delays or cancellations on flights home, what food essential should I have with me? Your help is appreciated!

Should I continue to use the OCC ones after I run out? Or should I try something new?

No one has posted in here for a long time, but I am here, and I am reading all the older posts! I have cheated a couple of times, but I realize my cheats aren't like a normal cheat. My day starts at 4am, and I am starving my 5am on my drive to work. So I have been having my shake on my drive to work. My lunch is at 9:30/10 am Break at 12noon Drive home at 230pm Wanting dinner at 330/4pm I am eating veggies and doing my shakes and having soup, but one day it just wasn't enough. I got the mail and there was coupons for Mucho Burrito and my fattie senses took over. I convinced my hubby I could have one...just not the usual. I got a small 10" whole wheat vegetarian that had rice, beans, peppers and guacamole. I did not get the cheese and sourcream. It was the best thing I had eaten all week. Afterwards, I was in pain. It was too heavy and too much. I had to go to bed and sleep it off. I was sitting with a friend who is a very healthy eater and works out and such and I told her about my cheat and I felt guilty, but it was so satisfy. She told me not to be so hard on myself, when she cheats its a cheeseburger and fries!!! I have lost it all and am back on track. In fact, I have had another burrito, with no rice and instead with chicken and I didn't gain at all, mind you, I cut it in half and saved the other half for the next day. I guess my point is, not to be so hard on ourselves if we cheat, as when we cheat, we don't cheat really bad. My girlfriend had booked her surgery thru a company here in Calgary, and when she arrived in TJ, she hadn't done any pre op diet, no spirometer, no vitamins and they did her surgery anyways. So I try not to be so hard on myself.

I get freaked out when I get full. I am trying so hard to follow the diet too. But I get up at 4am each day and start work at 6am. I then have a schedule break kind of day. I had to email Dr. Miranda and tell her I am not getting enough food given my hours. I drink my protein shake on drive in to work at 5am. first break is at 7:30/8am lunch is at 9:30/10am last break is at noon. Get home around 330pm. I told her I need dinner at like 4pm, but then I am still awake till 9 or 10pm. She said I could add a chicken breast. Praise!!! I have been doing the pre op diet since Jan 25th, I have lost 11lbs and have cheated due to be so hungry. In the beginning after my shake, I would get really nauseas and not eat. I would say that when its meal time, I get very nervous. Maybe that is why I don't eat much. Which also makes me really hungry later.

I am very nervous. My surgery is comng up in 2 weeks. What should I stock up on for food before I go?

Given the ingredients they want us to have, I couldn't find anything comparable. So I have gone ahead and ordered them. I bought a two month supply, so if at the end I don't like them, then I will find something new. I just want to make sure I follow things the best I can to get the best results.

I just ordered a two month supply. I went out last night to find an alternative, as my surgery is very soon, and nothing in the stores compared. There was one but it was missing an ingredient.

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I can tell you when you plateau on any program you have to completely switch gears to get results. That might include a day where you don't eat well just so you can shock your system back into a program. Best of luck, I am rooting for you! My biggest worry is I will be that one person who doesn't get any results.

Just got my emails today about the extra they don't tell you about. So, I have a question. I live in Canada, and it would just be easier for me to go get a multi vitamin here that is equivalent. Has anyone else done that or did you all go buy their recommended product from them?

I am new and I am from Calgary! I visit the obesityhelp forums, but stopped when I didn't do anything. now that I am booked, I guess it is time to go back!