mandi78

I have a question...and please don't yell at me. :-) Did any of you cheat on your pre-op diet? I've talked to several who said they did but they all had a BMI of like 38-40 and mine is 51. I'm not wanting to binge every day or anything like that. I just can't stand this diet they have me on. It's like 1000 calories per day and pretty much all protein (and a little fruit and veggies). I'm about to not get to eat at all for like 4-6 weeks. I've read that some dr's tell their patients to eat their hearts out and others that are very strict about the pre-op diet. I just want to cheat a little here and there plus I am weak from the lack of calories. I almost fell down at WalMart today trying to get a bag of dog food into the car. However I don't want to risk my liver still being to large and fatty for them to be able to do the surgery. Please advise.

I have a friend who had lapband surgery in April 2006. She started at 356 and set her own goal weight to 180. Her dr told her it should be more like 160. She is down about 125 lbs in 1.5 years which is about 65% of her excess weight. Sure the loss has slowed but I have no doubt she will reach her goal. It just depends on your doc and what their preference is but like the others stated, how much you lose is up to you. </p> <p> </p> <p>Another thing to keep in mind is that when you do lose the weight whether it is 30% or 150% of your excess weight, the band will help you maintain the loss and you won't be yo-yoing with your weight for the rest of your life like so many of us do before surgery. And, even if you did only lose 50% of your excess weight, that is 50 lbs and it reduces your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.

Myocel is the Protein my dr requires his patients to use pre-op. It is supposed to assist with reducing the fat in your liver and is loaded with Vitamins. Some of the links on the actual page dont work but here is the link to the main page and the 2nd link is info about the product. Welcome to Myocel - Engineered Drink Mixes Doctors

Yes, today is much better for me than yesterday was. Last night I was just moping around and I didn't know what to do with myself. Normally, I would have been watching TV and snacking....but, I didn't. I worked on some homework, worked on some ebay stuff.....just basically found stuff to keep myself occupied and today hasn't been nearly as hard. The girls in the office ate Carls Jr for breakfast and I really didn't even care!

I was just looking up this info because my pre-op diet, while there is not a set amount of protein required daily, comes out to about 120 g with my 2 protein shakes and 2 meals with lean meat. I found a site where you can enter your weight and it will tell you your daily protein requirement. Mine was 101g for 280 lbs. Hope this helps.

I've found that crunching on ice helps me. I know it's not great for my teeth but hey, whatever works. It's only temporary. Good luck!

Laura-What do you mean when they first looked at it? Did they do an ultrasound on your liver beforehand? Thanks.

I read a thread where someone said they could not drive for 5 days after surgery. Is this the norm? My surgery is on a Thursday and I was planning on going back to work the following Monday. I do commute 25 miles to work. Is 4 days too soon?

Yes, I'm very surprised at my lack of appetite since not eating white carbs/sugar/soda, etc. I've only had about 1000 calories today and I haven't felt hungry at all. When I first saw the diet, I thought I would really struggle but I haven't. The first 2 days I had a headache and then the stomach ache from the protein but it hasn't been nearly as painful as I thought it would be. :clap2:

WasaBubbleButt-Well, here are my pre-op diet instructions. Ø Take 2 scoops of the Myocel 2-3 times each day mixed with 8 to 10oz. of skim milk, Water, fruit juice or fat free yogurt. You may add fresh or frozen fruit (stay away from bananas, they are too high in sugar), fat free/sugar free Jello or pudding to vary the flavor. Ø You may also have 1-2 healthy meals each day. Stick with lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish & lean beefs the size of the palm of your hand – 4 to 6oz.), green vegetables (all you want, avoid potatoes & carrots), and fruit(1 cup, remember – no bananas). They did not give me a set amount of Protein but since one chicken breast, serving of fish, etc usually has about 25-30 g protein and I have 2 meals w/ meat per day and two shakes (made with skim milk) each having about 28 g protein, it comes out to about that much. But, I did eat less protein today and my stomach has been much better. Plus, the whole purpose is to shrink my liver for surgery and if I'm taking in too much protein, that might interfere so I'm going to cut back. I just had to idea how much was too much and I never met w/ a nutritionist (I will meet with one the day before surgery). Thanks for your advice.

Can too much protein cause a tummy ache? I started my 2 week pre op diet yesterday. I have 2-3 protein shakes per day and 2 meat/veggie/fruit meals (small portions) per day. I'm getting about 115-120 gm per day. Right now, I have a bad stomach ache (not nausea or bowels but my actual stomach is like cramping) and I'm wondering if it's from too much protein. Does anyone know?

WOOHOO.....glad to hear mexican food is not out of my life for good. Just for about 2-3 months it sounds like. I live in Texas too and it is definitely one of my main food groups. LOL

I'm starting my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow. It consists of 2-3 protein shakes per day and 2 meat, veggie and fruit meals. Well, I'm trying to wean off the caffeine today and already I'm craving a big, fat Dr Pepper. My intention was to quit the sodas before the diet so I wouldn't have to do it all at once but that didn't happen. For those of you who were addicted to soda, how long did it take you to get over that? Was it really tough. In the past when I have quit them, it didn't ever seem that hard but I guess it was because at the time, I didn't HAVE to. This time it is not optional. But, I CAN DO THIS!!!

I have a question. If the pouch is empty after 30 minutes to an hour, how does it keep you feeling full?

Does anyone have a list of post op instructions that their dr gave them? I don't mean the diet part but like the physical activity, etc part. There is an event for my work that is going to be about 1 1/2 weeks post op for me and it will involve a lot of standing and walking all day long. I really don't want to have to do it so if anyone has any post op instructions that involve not standing/walking for long periods of time after surgery, could you email it to me? Thanks! mandiradams@cableone.net Mandi

I agree with the others who said your DH's friends are probably thinking gastric bypass. Most people do not know the difference between the available bariatric surgeries. I have had several people tell me that they knew someone 10-15 years ago that had this surgery...they've done well, ect. (They've all been supportive). Well, lap band was not approved in the US until 2001 so I know they are thinking of something else but I don't argue with them because it's kind of a pain to try to explain the difference. The end result will be the same.

I'm afraid I won't be able to eat popcorn. I will really miss it....

I am just wondering who stayed the night (or more than one night) at the hospital/surgery center where you had your surgery done? Mine is going to be outpatient and I will be sent home about 4 hours after surgery. For those of you who stayed the night, did you feel that you really needed to stay the night or would you have felt more comfortable at home? And, those who went home the day of surgery, would you rather have stayed the night at the hospital? I'm a bit nervous about going home. We live 1 1/2 hours away so DH and I are seriously considering staying in a hotel near the surgery center the night before and the night after surgery...just in case. Thanks for your input!

Hey, I'm Mandi and my surgery date is September 27th!

I know you are under anesthesia but did they also numb the stomach area or were you sore immediately upon awakening?

What I meant by the procedure having improved is modifications that have been made. For instance, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe they used to stitch the top and bottom portions of the stomach together around the band but they do now to prevent slippage.

Yeah, my DH was very leary about it at first but then he saw Kahlia Ali (Muhammad Ali's oldest daughter) who has a band on a Fox news show and now he is all for it. When we watch Big Medicine on the discovery channel, he always says (about the ones getting gastic bypass) "why don't they just get the lapband"? LOL It's cute.

One thing to keep in mind is that the procedure and the product have both been improved in the last 10 years. The problems have been identified and solutions have come about for the problems....or some of them anyway. I hope I don't encounter any of these problems down the road but my thinking is that, if I do, I'm sure there will be more options/solutions for weight loss/maintenance in another 5 or 10 years and I will try something else. But, for now, I have to do this or I may not even be around another 10 years or if I am, my quality of life in the meantime will be horrible. And, please don't think I'm flaming you because I'm not. I think we all need to be aware of the possible complications and failures. Just because we have a band, are getting a band or want a band does not mean that we don't need to know EVERYTHING, good and bad. No, we don't WANT to hear it but we need to. Thanks for posting.

Carecredit offers 11.9 % financing for up to 5 years financing. Its basically just a credit card for medical procedures. You may not even have to have someone cosign. Good luck! CareCredit Patient Financing Payment Plans for LASIK, Dental and Vision Financing

I take generic Prozac and get it at WalMart for $4 a month. I love it. I could not make it without it. It's worth looking into. Some other anti-depressants that are available on their $4 plan are Paxil, Celexa and some other older ones (tricyclics but I think they are more likely to cause weight gain). I can't take Celexa because it makes my cravings for carbs and sugars totally uncontrollable. Nobody believes me when I tell them this but I swear its true. It's not that way for everyone though so you have to find whats right for you. I believe that if you need an anti-depressant, you should take one. Life is too short to be miserable and sad all the time. Good luck.