Hi Doreen,

If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to talk with your friend. I talk with alot of pre-surgery patients to help them decide what is best for them.

I was told to eat potatoes, cream soups and crackers. I think if I had ignored that and eaten what my body really should be eating, a high protein low carb diet, I would have lost more weight more quickly. The nutritionists I have worked with are completely stuck on the old food pyramid. It can be very difficult to stand up to EVERYBODY and say I'm not gonna take it anymore. I followed a low-fat high carb diet for my whole life and went from fat, to fatter to obese to morbidly obese. Boy that sure was effective. But the doctors and nutritionists will wag their fingers at you and tell you "You must not be following the diet properly. You are cheating somewhere!".

Your friend will lose weight for a year after surgery regardless of her diet. It's just the nature of the surgery. But, she will suffer numerous uncomfortable side effects if she continues to eat the high-carb diet they recommend (I know because I did) and she will hit a brick wall of a plateau in the end. The sooner she learns to follow a low-carb diet plan, the happier she will be. That's my story, and please feel free to share it with anyone you feel it may help.