SmurfWhisperer

So I was poking around a diffferent support board and saw a thread about what people have found they can't eat. I knew about the bread, rice, potatos, Pasta and carbonated drinks being no-nos, but on that thread I saw people saying they couldn't eat steak, chicken, lettuce, watermelon, pineapple, apples, grapes, tomatos (anything with a skin)... the list went on and on. Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe getting the lap band is a bad idea. WTF can I eat? It looks like anything and everything can be problematic.

Thanks for posting... looking forward to seeing how everyone's doing post-op! My surgery is scheduled for the 29th (rescheduled from the 1st). I'm nervous, but excited too. Keep the updates coming!

Hi Everyone I was originally scheduled for surgery on 3/1, completed the 2 week pre-op diet and then heard from the surgeon's office the day before that he slipped on ice and dislocated his shoulder. I could either move forward with a different surgeon, or reschedule for a few weeks later when my surgeon would be back in action. I opted for the latter, so now I'm just waiting to start the pre-op diet again. Anyone already go through the proceedure with a story to share? Thanks! TIna

Thanks, all... between this and a friend of mine sharing her experience, I'm back on board with the surgery . It can be discouraging to run across threads like that, I just have to keep reminding myself that the day will come when I can eat anything I want (within reason), I just won't be able to while I'm working on getting to my goal weight. It's all about perspective .

In order to give myself enough time to drop the 10 lbs before surgery, I actually started the shakes about 2.5 weeks before the big day, which was supposed to be 3/1. I get my ass to the gym, keep my calories hovering around 900/day and really bust my ass. The day before the surgery, around 3pm I get a call from the doctor's office letting me know that my surgeon slipped on ice and dislocated his shoulder. I can either go with a different surgeon, or I can reschedule for about 3 weeks later. Since the last time I wound up with a doctor that wasn't the one I wanted turned out to be a bad experience, I decided to postpone until my doctor is better. Suffice it to say, I'm bummed :-(.

I'm lucky enough to have not 1, but 3 friends who've had lap band surgery, so I think I'm covered in terms of having a mentor to lean on for support, but would like a buddy with a long-term history of emotional eating problems who's also starting this journey at 350+. I've spent some time in therapy and learned alot about the cause of my weight issue and poor eating habits (you'll see a quick synopsis in my profile), but recognizing the root problem doesn't make it go away. I know I still have a lot of work to do to change my behaviors and develop new, healthier coping mechanisms, so I'm looking for a buddy who has similar long-term challenges to face. If, like me, your weight has been a problem since childhood and you're approaching lap band surgery as a means of helping you learn those new behaviors, then you may be just the buddy I'm looking for. Male or female makes no difference to me, nor does marital status or children. The only qualities I'm looking for are detailed above: I'm hoping to find someone who has as least as much weight to lose as I do (about 180-200 lbs) and who understands what I mean by having to make long-term behavioral modifications in order to achieve long-term success with achieving a healthy weight. So, take a look at the "About Me" tab on my profile and if you see a story there that resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Who knows, maybe there'll be a few of us and we can all band together (pun intended) as our own little online group support? Thanks for listening

I'm a stalking pre-bander too, surgery is set for 3/1. For Protein shakes, I've found Muscle Milk Light is pretty good... I've only tried Vanilla Creme and Cookies n' Creme so far, but I'm going to pick up the chocolate Milk and banana Creme this week. Whatever you do, stay away from Bariatric Advantage (what my surgeon's office recommended)... gross!

Hi All, I'm a newbie to the forum, having just found it today. My surgeon will be Dr. Robert Michaelson with Northwest Weight Loss Surgery... I have my pre-op appointment this week and the surgery is scheduled for 3/1. Anyone else here with Dr. Michaelson? Thanks! Tina :-)

I hear you, it is difficult if this is the first time you've done something like this. I did a medically supervised diet a few years ago that had a "detox" phase at the start that was very similar... nothing but shakes and a small dinner for the first few weeks. I think the trick is finding a shake that both tastes good and will fill you up. If you can nail that part, the rest of it gets a little easier. Yes, you do still miss eating full meals, but its in those moments that you need to remember why you're doing this... you do need to make some sacrifices if you want this to work.

Wait, that's ALL you've had? Didn't your surgeon suggest taking Protein shakes too? There are quite a few out there on the market (there's a thread looking for suggestions in this forum), I'd recommend trying some of the ones you see recommended as the entire point of drinking them is that it fills you up without adding a ton of calories; they're typically between 150-200 per shake. I'm doing Muscle Milk Light as it's one of the better tasting ones I've tried. I hope you get some other suggestions on this thread for a pre-op diet as the above doesn't sound like it's enough to keep you from feeling hungry at all .

I hear you... this is a big decision. I'm scheduled for surgery on 3/1 and am a bit freaked out about it, but thankfully I have a great support system in that I have 3 banded friends who have been outstanding at answering questions, giving me guidance and cheering me on. This is absolutely a lifestyle change, but for those of us who've tried and failed time and time again at everything from Atkins to Optifast to Weight Watchers to Nutrisystem, it's a necessary change. If you could do it on your own, wouldn't you have done it by now? I know I certainly would have, but at this point, I feel like having a physical limitation in place is exactly what I need. The motivation to not throw up or damage my insides is about as strong as I can imagine (that's why I'm doing the lap band instead of other methods). I've been battling my weight since I was 10 years old and absolutely agree that you should seek therapy if you have a long term weight issue; it's deeper than just willpower. You'll learn alot about yourself and your behavioral patterns by getting a fresh perspective from someone who specializes in helping people with emotional eating issues.

I'm scheduled for March 1st too My surgeon's office recommended Bariatric Advantage for the shakes, but they're just plain gross... I can't do it. I'm using Muscle Milk Light.

I'm scheduled for March 1st... also nervous and while I have pockets of questioning whether or not I want to do it, I know I don't want to waste any more time with trying and failing. The woman who did my psych evaluation had her lap band surgery done 10 years ago in Mexico before it was legal here. She showed me pictures of what she looked like before and told me about how many times she tried and failed at different weight loss methods. Even when she saw success, it was always short lived and the weight always came back (and then some). The lap band has helped her maintain her goal weight ever since she reached it. So whenever I think about bailing on it, I just remember what she said... it helps strengthen my resolve. If it's the surgery itself that has you worried, I'll let you know how it goes! I did have my gall bladder removed laproscopically when my son was about 3 weeks old and it was nothing. I was up and about that night, so hopefully this will be as easy.

Mine recommended the same, but despite having dropped the cash on it, I just can't do it... I tried a few different combinations to make them bearable, but they're disgusting. I'd rather starve than force them down. Thankfully I have a few friends who've had the surgery and one of them recommended Muscle Milk Light. She had some of the powders left over from when she went through the liquid phase and let me have them... SOOOOO much better! So far I've only tried the Vanilla Creme (she recommended blending with frozen berries, which I haven't tried yet, but will) and the Cookies n' Creme. I'm going to be picking up the chocolate Milk and banana Creme flavors this week.

I think there's a question you need to ask yourself: What's more important to you... losing the weight, or doing whatever it is you do on the weekends that you deem as a reward for working hard all week? If you're already trying to find a way to maintain the pre-op diet and still indulge in things that violate it (convenient foods, alcohol, whatever), you're going to have a hard time post-surgery. The lap band isn't a magic wand, it's simply a tool to help you lose weight; you still have to have the self-discipline to change your current lifestyle. Ya know, the one that lead to you being overweight in the first place? Instead of looking at it as trying to alter what the diet calls for so it fits in with your social life, why not focus your energy on finding ways to alter your social life so it fits in with your diet? For what it's worth, alcohol takes the same metabolic path that weight loss does... so if your body is busy processing alcohol, it's not busy processing weight loss. That's why every doctor you speak to will tell you that alcohol is a no-no post-op, and I'm sure they'd say the same for pre-op as you should be dropping 10 lbs... weight loss is the priority.