The Jenneral

My doctor recommended the lap-band for patients under 300 lbs (if you were over they recommended a more drastic procedure due to published success rates and outcomes or you get down to that weight first). Also my doctor wouldn't perform the surgery unless you lost 10% of your body weight first. I had to drop 22 lbs before the liquid diet and then my two week liquid diet should help me loose the other 10 lbs. However I have managed to drop 48 lbs before my liquid diet and still dropping. Still getting the lap band because I still have a ways to go and I need the tool for a lifetime of keeping it off!

Check with your surgeon. Here is a list I will follow during pre-op and post-op (until I start the Protein shakes of course). Water, flavored with Mio is okay (no carbon!) apple juice, cranberry juice and grape juice (no pulp, tomato or vegetable, needs to be water-like) strained lemonade or fruit punch (as long as sugar free) clear fat free broth from boullion or consumme (beef, chicken, mushroom, etc... lots of options) clear sugar-free flat-soda (ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or club soda) all must be flat though so not worth it clear sports drinks (sugar free) plain gelatin/jello (can be drank warm before it solidifies for a warm feeling in stomach) honey (if your not diabetic and in moderation), can use splenda as a sweetner fruit-flavored ice pops/popsicles without bits of fruit or chunks of anything mild teas and coffee (decaffinated if possible, green teas are excellent, no milk/cream or sugar) herbs and mild seasoning if it makes your broth more enjoyable salt (if you can have salt) crystal Fruit Drinks sugar-free hard candies (the kind you suck on)

Not sure what your doc recommends but he told me no one should lift more than 5lbs for 6 weeks after surgery and one college book can weight that much. Maybe if you put them in a one of those suitcase like carrier and pull it on wheels that would help. I am having the surgery on a Thurs morning and returning to work the following Monday on the condition I don't lift, exercise, or do anything remotely more strenuous than walking and sitting at my desk.

Wow!!!! I am shocked so many of your physicians are prescribing such a short time frame for the clear Fluid diet. The Centers of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommend a clear fluid liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery and then 4 weeks after surgery followed-up by 2 weeks of soft/pureed foods with Protein Shakes and then slowly taking in only certain solids. I am really surprise some of you can eat even soft food and not feel sick. Perhaps your band hasn't been filled yet? Seems so close after surgery that you could rip your internal stitches or cause your lap band to slip or distend underneath it. My surgery is scheduled for Sept 22 and I am excited and scared at the same time. This is a major life change and it isn't a fix-all but it will be a very valuable tool for me to maintain the weight loss. Almost everyone can lose weight if they really try, the hard part is keeping it off and maintaining a healthy lifestyle which is what I am hoping the band will help me do. I look forward to using this site as a support (we don't have a local support group so I am relying on electronic friends to get me through this tough clear-fluid diet time for the upcoming 6 weeks. Yikes!