Need to lose 9lbs in a week - help!

[Sylver75]

I was scheduled for urgent neck surgery on Feb 29th, got a call 3 days before to say it was cancelled and to ring back in 14 days when I'd lost 14lbs. I decided to cut calories to 600 per day and lost the first few days, then it ground to a halt. I upped calories to 900 hoping it might help but I'm still seeing very little movement on the scales (0.2lbs) this morning, I weigh daily. I'm drinking two litres plus of water, eating mostly protein (eggs, chicken or turkey) but am panicking that I'm running out of time.

I risk being paralysed from the neck down without this surgery. The surgeon fought the anaesthesist to get it done but they wouldn't budge.

I'm 48, BMI is 48.4 and they want it below 47 by next Tuesday. That's 8.5lbs in a week.

I tried my GP, she just talked me into going on Ozempic so I'm on that now too since last week but at 600cals the injection isn't gonna make me wanna eat less than I've been doing already through sheer willpower.

I'm desperate at this point. Not getting this surgery will be potentially catastrophic to the whole rest of my life.

Has anyone got experience of having to do this?

I can't exercise, I've been warned that any jerking of my neck could be disastrous so I'm risking it all just by going to work or doing anything at all. The surgeon said it's the type of injury he'd normally see if someone had been in a car wreck. I've not had any accident but have degenerative issues with my spine, this will be my third surgery, had two on my lower back already and 15 years plus of pain.

I’d just make a hearty chicken and vegetable broth and live off that for a week tbh, take a load of dulcolax the night before. It’s crap but probably worth it.

Juice diet

What were you wearing during all this? You could lose a couple of pounds if you were initially weighed in jeans and a jumper and just switch it out for a light dress. 🤷

Its difficult and I know you're worried but the anaesthesiest has to make their own decision about what they are prepared to work with, its not about someone overruling anyone, its about him saying 'Im not prepared to do it'.

So the idea might be to find a different anasthesiest? Is that an option?

"It's just the anaesthetic."

The anaesthesist is the one keeping you alive whilst the suregon operates. both work as a team and if one party thinks the risk is too high they will not proceed.

It'll also be to do with the surgical table weight limit. The hospital's insurance will be void if it's exceeded.

Water fast for a few days then have a couple of days eating low cal then do another day of water fasting

or do every other day of fasting, it’s actually quite easy to do a 24 hour fast. You could do bone broth if you feel you absolutely need something.

Or if you really can’t face that, do 20 hour fasts and just have all your calories in one meal.

To be fair. The anaesthetic have a job to do too and is clearly afraid that you might die on the table on him. I'd just absolutely starve myself for the week and try and get into the 40s

Sorry, a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL told you that you need to lose 14lb in 14 days? That's fucking dangerous!

Don't be absurd. The op's BMI is 48 not 18. Even without the weightloss being necessary due to pending surgery, it's not dangerous to lose weight rapidly at that weight, it's the absolute best thing you can do for your health.

Similarly, ridiculous post about 'not losing weight' if you starve yourself. If the op stopped eating for a week- then yes, she absolutely WOULD lose weight.

I would do as someone previously said - make a simple chicken and veg broth and eat just that, plus water. The weight will drop off you op and that's absolutely FINE to do for a week or two.

I absolutely know the value of the anaesthesist. I only answered like that to state that it's the anaesthetic and not the type of surgery that's dependant on my BMI. As I've said, the surgeon wanted to go ahead as I risk life limiting injury the longer I don't have the surgery. Paralysis from neck down to be specific.

Then it would be a weight and not BMI. Someone could be my weight and very tall and have a totally different BMI.

Jason Vale juice diets.

Hahahe
Did they weigh you with your clothes on?

"Yes and also with a full bladder as I was gonna have to give a urine sample so I'd drank 3 bottles of water in one go. I argued all of that with them but they won't budge"

But that's good as you will 'loose' that weight when they next weigh you.

it’s ridiculous that they haven’t given you the option to loose weight safely.

If I were in your shoes though, I think I’d cut right down to 300 cals a day and rest as much as possible to limit the risk of fainting, etc. It’s a bloody awful thing to advise, but it sounds like your life could be much worse without the surgery, and unfortunately being so overweight comes with its own risks.

The higher your weight is, generally the quicker you can loose weight by cutting. It’s not the same scenario as a slightly overweight person trying to loose 14lb in a week. I unwittingly lost 10lb in a week due to MH reasons while my bmi started at 18. It’s possible, but not pleasant.

Jason Vale juice diet

Stone in a week diet for crash dieting before an operation - I've done it before to get into a dress for a wedding. Lost a full stone:

www.jaduncan.com/2006/04/how-i-lost-stone-in-week.html?m=1

I would see if your surgeon could operate privately in a state hospital with a different anaesthetist ? There will be more equipment and emergency resources if something goes wrong. Which for spinal surgery is surely a good thing?

I don't understand why if your position is so serious you are not being prioritised by the Irish state health care system?

Cambridge 1:1 diet might work. It's pretty drastic and easy to follow.

I don't understand why in a scenario like this, the patient isn't allowed to make an informed choice, knowing the increased risk to them. It's their life. Let them decide.

Wear a light dress and sandals. Remove sandals and any warmer layers when you get to the weighing scales. Empty your bladder well before hand. Use a laxative the day before, etc, which also helps reducing water weight.

That's several pounds down before you even start on a juice/soup diet.

That count for the patient's actions, such as declining a medication or a surgery. It doesn't count for the doctor's action, killing a patient because medical guidelines were ignored.

Every day we read in the news about patients dying because guidelines were ignored, especially in maternity care and now , here, you are pushing for a doctor to risk an inquest and losing his licence?

This - do a few colon irrigation sessions with an experienced practitioner

Also there is food which you can eat where you burn more calories digesting them like cabbage and celery etc.

Bless you, you sound so worried. I would try intermittent fasting, time restricted eating. Look up Dr Mindy Pelz on Instagram or You Tube. It works but not sure it’ll work that quickly. I lost 4kg in 19 days. Good luck.

I’m shocked that they haven’t had a dietitian involved.

3 bottle of water is about 3lb, heavy clothes about the same. If possible don’t eat or drink on weigh in day (obviously depends what time your appointment is) and wear your lightest clothes, no shoes. You could also sweat it out to dehydrate a bit like jockeys do.

Diet wise I would do only protein, very strict, so that you lose the water weight of your glycogen. It’s not for long.