Hi Sweet for Life....I was banded 25JUL07 by Dr C....I had to "opti-fast" for 3 weeks. I was disappointed with my weight loss of 18 lbs but thought...he'll let me know if he can't do the surgery. I had no problem, no one, not even the nurses said a word about "hey...you didnt lose enough". So please be kind to yourself. Wishing the the Best.....Yours in losing...d