Dibley Dawn

I am on day 6 out of 14, and it really is easier than i thought it would be. i mean, it still SUCKS, don't get me wrong, but i'm not starving or anything. the liquid has kept me plenty full and i sooo look forward to my jell-o, popsicle, and vegetables when i get home. yummmy can't wait.

you are very welcome. in some ways i feel that emotionally i have been through the 12 stages of grief. i have cried, i have laughed, i have questioned, i have denied, i have worried, i have cried some more, i have been afraid, i have cried yet more. it's been a very tough few weeks and i'm not even banded yet. everyone here has been so kind to answer my questions and so patient with me. you are in a really good place if there are other questions you want to ask. there is someone who knows the answer

you are so not the only one. i had a semi-nervous breakdown when i was buying all of my supplies. i have cried so much in the past 3 weeks, that i wasn't sure if i had any tears left. food is such a huge comfort for me. i have had thoughts of 'am i doing the right thing?" "will i ever be able to eat again" "how did i let it get so bad that having myself cut up is the only way to fix it". you name it, i have thought it. i asked a lot of questions here on the board and went to the support group that is offered at my hospital. that has helped immensely with my decision to proceed. i also am an emotional eater though, food is my friend. it is my hope that the band will teach me how to be a better friend to food and not just eat and eat and eat and eat. we are all in this together, but i wanted you to know that you are not alone in these feelings. i am still scared out of my mind, but i try to just be calm and breathe and know that tomorrow is just one more day closer to my goal. it's one day closer to your goal too. keep up the good work, you can do it.

Well, it's day 6 for me. i am still doing ok with the liquid diet. i haven't cheated at all, but something started happening on Saturday and i wonder if it is a common thing. since saturday, i have been coughing and wheezing almost nonstop. i am EXHAUSTED from coughing. my husband seems to think that with all of the liquids i've been drinking, that i have loosened stuff up in my chest and it is making its way out. is this something that anyone else has experienced? i am really so tired and if i didn't have to be at work today, i would have totally just stayed home in bed. i have been taking mucinex and i hope that's ok to do, but i just didn't know what else to do. i am so miserable. the liquid part would be easier if i didn't feel like complete crap right now. any suggestions?

I started my liquid diet today. The first 30 minutes were a breeze, but now i'm hungry. I feel a rumbly in my tumbly I am trying to concentrate on work (because i am at work) and i'm trying not to listen to the music that my stomach is making How did you pass the time in between shakes? I have a couple of ...uplifting and motivational songs on my iPod. when i get hungry or when i get discouraged, i take 2 or 3 minutes and listen to one of those songs to take my mind off of the fact that I'm hungry. what are your tips for getting through this first 2 weeks of shakes. (incidently, i'm drinking muscle milk light in chocolate and it isn't bad at all. i thought it would be gross, but it's actually quite delicious.)

I am using Muscle Milk Light, Glucerna and Slim Fast. i mix and match them through the day. the muscle milk light ones come in 100 calorie packs, so i can have 8 of those a day instead of 5 of each of the others. while it ends up being the same amount of ounces, the mental thought of "hey, i can have 8 of something instead of 5 of something" really kept me going those first 3 days. the last two days, i have had a slim fast for Breakfast, 4-6 muscle milk lights throughout the day and a glucerna before i call it a night. (plus supplementing with Water, my 2 cups of veggies, broth, jell-o and popsicle). i should also mention that i am on a strict liquid diet, so no dinners with 4oz of chicken. all i can have is what i have mentioned above. every doctor is different, so you should see how many of what kind of shake you can have. it really has helped me though. i space them out through the day and while i am at work, try to drink a shake every 2 hours. in between i have water, water, water. by the time i get home, i am so full of liquid that my last shake of the day is difficult to get down. but, it's (to me) the one that tastes the best (the Glucerna), so i save it for kind of a treat. again, that's a mental thing. you have to see what works for you.

I know several people who have had RNY, every single one of them, with the exception of 1, has gained all of their weight back, plus some. the 1 who hasn't gained it back became a drug addict, so i suppose the meth and heroine keeps her body smaller since she almost never eats. even she gained back 60 pounds while doing drugs. it is my hope that with the band i can at least re-learn how to eat. with RNY, you have no choice, but eventually, the stomach can be stretched right back out. the band is adjustable, so that i what i like about it. also, if it just doesn't work, it is removable. that's a huge plus for me. less invasive, removable, and can help me re-train myself how to eat normal portions (i hope). i really think that my best chance for success is the band. i hope that it's your best chance also.

I am on day 5 of my 2 week pre-op liquid diet. i have not been struggling as much as i thought i would be. the worst thing for me has been ...ummm, er..tmi, but the bathroom visits. i literally can't be more than 5 feet away from one. i try to finish all of my liquids by 8pm so i can at least get a decent nights sleep (without having to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes) make sure you are getting plenty of other fluids, that seems to also help with the full factor. i know by the end of the day it has been a struggle to get that last protein shake down because i just don't want it. i am supposed to have about 1,000 calories a day, but i am hovering around 950, which i think is probably acceptable. as of this morning, i have lost 11 pounds.....

I am hoping that the band really works for me (with me) because i will not have RNY or Sleeve or any of that. if i can't lose weight this way, then that is just a sign that i'm supposed to be fat! i am going to try to do my part to eat healthy but i am really hoping that the band helps with my apatite issues. i could just eat all the time. I am already finding that whilst i am on the the 2 week liquid diet that i am not really hungry. i figured i would be miserable. so far, my only misery has been...ummmm tmi, but going to the bathroom. anyway, your surgery is just a few days after mine, so good luck to you and i'm glad there is more than just one of us who have a lot to lose. it can get kind of discouraging for me to read all the posts from people whose starting weight is my goal weight.

your list of fears sounds LOT like mine, for the most part. I,personally, am not going to tell my mother. luckily, there is some distance between us, about 1,000 miles, so i won't have to see her or anything for months. unless i die, she won't know about it. that's my plan anyway. i have added some comments below to your original list. Anywho-things I am scared of: 1. Dying from WLS--i am scared of this too, but i have just decided that at the end of the day, i trust my surgeon. he has done over 7,000 of these surgeries and not one person has died from it on his table. that puts me at ease. ask your surgeon what his track record is if that will help you. 2. Being put under, deathly afraid of that.--Gawd, i'm scared of that too. but i have been doing tons of research on this site and everyone has said that one minute they are mid conversation and the next thing they know they are waking up on recovery. i am sure that it is most likely the same for the majority of people. i'm still scared, but i will just tell myself to breathe. 3. Becoming an alcoholic afterwards or some other addict.-no real words of comfort here as my only addiction is currently food! if you don't have a problem with alcohol now, you shouldn't have a problem afterward. you aren't going to be able to just drink and drink and drink because you will get dehydrated, and you have to put so many ounces of fluids in, there won't be room for bottle after bottle of Jack. just tell yourself that. try to get a hobby or find something you like to do and do more of that. 4. Telling people that I am doing this.- there is nothing that says you have to tell anyone about this. as difficult as it is, i am keeping this to myself until i am either ready or i feel that i can share with someone. this is something i am doing for myself and it's not for anyone else. i know others say it's nothing to be ashamed of, and it's not, but it's MY body and what i do with it is MY choice and I don't want anyone else's opinion unless i ask for it. make sure you are ready to tell before you tell. that's all. 5. Acquiring a shopping addiction after I lose weight.- yeah, i feel you here. i suppose if you spend the money on clothes instead of food, that's a good thing. i'm pretty frugal in my fat life, and i plan to continue that, so it just depends on your personality. 6. Excess skin, my mom had a tummy tuck and I don' want to go through that!-i'm gonna have lots of this...if i lose enough weight to have to deal with it, then i will deal with it. 7. What will happen to my marriage, because I hear all these rumors about people getting divorced.-if your marriage is strong and loving right now, then you will have nothing to worry about. if you married your husband because you love him and not just because you thought he was the only one who would ever be with someone fat like you, then your marriage will be ok. if your husband loves you just how you are, and doesn't see you as fat or thin, then your marriage will be ok. ask your husband how he feels about all of this, and ask him about how he will deal with things when you are thinner. keep the communication open and be honest with each other. if you can do this, your marriage will be ok. 8. Drinking alcohol afterwards and puking.-start off slowly. everything in moderation. try drinking a small amount and not the whole bottle. listen to your body and see what it can tolerate. 9. Having to exercise, although when I do it I like it.-find something to do that doesn't seem like exercise. maybe invest in a wii or something that feels more like a game. for me, it's riding my bike and swimming. it doesn't feel like exercise. i love to do it. you just have to find that one thing that gives you pleasure that doesn't seem like a chore and do it. as the weight comes off, maybe you will find other things that will become more fun for you. i wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide. but just know that there are others, myself included, who are still scared and unsure. regardless of my fear, i am going through with this (my surgery is May 4th) and i'm going to do my best to heed my own advice. whatever you decide, it will be the right decision for you. don't let anyone, your mother included, tell you that you are lazy or stupid.

I had my pre-op testing on April 22nd, but my surgery is May 4th.

Doreen, you are soooo lucky. I don't have really one regular meal with my 2 week pre-op diet. i am liquids only, 2 cups of veggies, plus 30 calories worth of jell-0, broth, and/or popsicles. however, i am finding it difficult to get all of my shakes in as well because they are actually very filing. i have tried to space them out and get plenty of Water in in between them, but because i have soooo much liquid, it has been keeping me awake at night (as i am literally peeing every 30-45 minutes)..so i have been trying to have all of my liquids finished by 8:30 so i can have a chance to get some of it out by the time i go to bed. that seems to have worked somewhat better last night as i only got up about 3 times. anyway, i have one more shake to go, so i'm gonna go and force it down. i never thought that by being on a liquid diet i wouldn't really be hungry. i am just fighting the mental issue of wanting to bite into something, but i don't have any hunger at all really. i am both surprised and happy about that. only 11 more days of this...then it's 10 days of Clear Liquids post op. that just might kill me

I have been fairly low on energy, but I've been doing my best to conserve as much as possible. i went for my pre-admission testing today and that just about wore me out. of course, i had only had 190 calories at that point. it's 2:00pm and I just now got back home, so i'm about to have another shake. hope that gives me a little bit of a boost. right now, i am really battling being tired, but not really battling hunger at all. i think that surprised me a lot. i figured i would be writhing on the ground in pain from my stomach begging for food, but so far, so good. i do wish i had a little more energy though. it's only day 3 for me, so hopefully tomorrow will be better. oh, and as an added bonus, when they weighed me for my pre-op test, i had lost 9 pounds. i know it's all Water, but still 9 pounds. that means i'm doing something right.

I haven't had the surgery yet, I am scheduled for May 4th, and I, like you, am scared to death. I really, really, really, really dreaded the liquid diet part of it. i am currently on Day 2 of the liquid diet and I have 12 more days to go, but I can tell you from my 2nd day perspective that I am not hungry. I have been kinda taking it slow and not doing a ton of extra physical activity, but honestly, I found both at the end of yesterday and the end of today it was difficult to get my last shake in because i was pretty full (with fluid). i drank them though because i knew i had to have the calories and the Protein. i'm sure by day 14 i'll be singing a different song and I'll be done with this, but from my past dieting experience, the first 3 days of a diet are the hardest, and I have never gone cold turkey off of food before, and it's not that bad. some people are even allowed to eat like 4oz of chicken or fish on their pre-op diets, but i'm not. it is STRICTLY liquids and 2 cups of vegetables (plus Jello, sugar free popsicles and broth. The most difficult part so far is the mental feeling that i should be eating something. but it's a MENTAL thing. you'll be able to do it. (at least that's what i keep telling myself ) anyway, my Day 3 starts tomorrow. I'll let you know if I get hungry.

Time did seem like it was flying by until i got to the liquid Pre-Op phase ...now it's crawwwwling along. (i'm only on day 2.) My surgery is May 4th and really less than 2 weeks away, so it is very, very close. good luck to you.

I have to say that, surprisingly, i am not really hungry. i am putting soooo much liquid into my body that it's difficult to get the shakes down. i went to bed a little bit uncomfortable from all of the liquid, then had to get up to pee around every couple of hours i really, really, really, WANT a cheeseburger, but i'm so full that i have nowhere to put it..sooooooo...just 12 more days after today. i hope i can last.

I live in Manhattan, so it's good to see another fellow NYC'er. there are a few of us on here. Unless you are self-pay, you should check with your insurance to see what they will require. My insurance didn't require a 6 month diet or any of that. My surgeon requires the 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery (i am currently on day 2 and it's...ehhhhhh not so bad. not the best thing in the world, but i'm plodding along) anyway, if you have great insurance, it will be easier. i went to the seminar in January, decided to actually move forward in late Febuary, and 2 weeks from yesterday, I am having the surgery. good luck to you and keep us posted.

today, i am doing 8 (8.25 ounce servings) of Muscle Milk Light chocolate. i will probably do the MML for the next few days because the other things i have (Glucerna and Slim Fast) are in 14 oz servings, so i can only have 5 of those per day. while it ends up being the same amount, the mental thought that i can have 8 of something vs. 5 of something is calming to me...that's just the way my mind works. i am kinda tricking myself. since the first 3 days of any diet is the hardest, i thought i would do my 8 serving things until i kinda get used to it and can move to the 5 serving things. (does that make any sense?) anyway, that's what i'm doing, supplimented with a cup of salad and Jello for lunch. tonight, i'll have some broth and another cup of veggies and more jello and a popsicle. that's all i will have for today. sadly.

.....also, i should add that i am trying to make my shake last a good long while. the first shake i had lasted an hour. i am currently on my 2nd and i've been nursing it for 1 and 1/2. this makes it feel like i am constantly putting something in.

ha, i keep re-reading my instructions to see if the Dr. just hid those things about chicken or fish. nope....i guess i can't have it. So, when you are noshing on your chicken, just think of poor old me and how i'll be sucking down another shake and eating some Jello We will get through this, we will get through this, we will get through this.....

my liquid diet is very strict. i can only have 1,000 calories per day and they have to come from the Protein shakes, SF popsicles, SF Jello, veggies, or broth. i cannot have any kind of meats. soooooooo, man this is hard. i'm doing ok though. luckily at my job, it's our busy time of the month, so the day is zooming by. if i can make it through work then home will be a breeze. mmayyybe more hurricane winds than a breeze, but easier than work for sure.

I started my liquid diet today. The first 30 minutes were a breeze, but now i'm hungry. I feel a rumbly in my tumbly I am just trying to drink lots of Water to fill my belly up. only 13 more days after today.

1. go zip lining 2. ride a roller coaster 3. fly in an airplane comfortably WITHOUT a seatbelt extender 4. kayaking 5. repelling 6. wear shorter skirts and tank tops in public 7. buy a pair of high heals, or at least kitten heals. i can only wear flats right now 8. buy a pair of trendy boots...my calves are too big to wear them right now. 9. apply for a better job. so difficult because people don't like to hire fat people. 10. travel, travel, travel and see the world

Yes, yes, yes...i am grieving and i haven't even been banded yet. my 2 week pre-op liquid diet begins tomorrow and my surgery is on may 4th...i am trying to be brave and tell myself that i'm gonna get through this and it'll be better, but i am a huge emotional eater (no pun intended), so i don't know how i'm going to deal with it. i will have to take it one day, one meal at a time. i'm just glad this forum is here. i don't think i would have even considered getting to this point had it not been for the support i have gotten here and the information that others have shared. so thankful for this place.