Question for the veterans or newly banded??

[purple3797 5]

On Tues. I met with the psych and dietician. The dietician stated that they like their pts. to go on a low carb 100grams and high Protein 100 grams starting now and then 2 weeks prior to surgery three shakes and one small meal of green veg and lean protein and two fruits a day. So here is my problem. I do not have asurgery date yet but we are looking at maybe Nov. if all tests are completed and they should be. Yesterday I started the diet and by the time I got home I was ravenous and ate a whole bunch of foods that were not on the plan!! Now I am scared I will not follow through on this and that I will fail as with every other diet. How do I make it so I am not straving and then having the idea in my mind that there is no end to this food plan without a surgery date! The reason I need the lap band is because I can;t control my hunger and eating how will I do this???????? I am so mad at myself and worried I can't do this!

[honk 780]

I can kind of relate. My doctor wanted me to do a 500 (!) calorie liquid diet until my surgery and I did'nt have a date either. I said "what if the surgery has to be delayed. I can't do this for months on end". To which he said "Oh course you could. My patients do it all the time". My surgery was delayed another 5 months! I was in my opinion allergic to the shakes and stopped them but still lost weight presurgery.

Back to you. I would make sure to have options that you can eat always available. I find that chicken breast is a great snack when I feel hungry. It may not fit based on your carb level but Greek Yoghurt is another high Protein food that presurgery I used as a snack. In my opinion (though I am not a doctor and do not play one on TV) it is better to choose a less damaging snack. Because let's face it if you get the "irrational" hunger (not the I may be hungry or slightly hungry but the I can't think straight I have to eat right now hunger) you are going to eat something. It is better to eat a couple baby carrots than it is half a box of wheat thins. I often have a long time between lunch and dinner largely because I go to the gym in between. Presurgery I would have low fat cheese stick, or greek yohurt (I use spelndra because the fat free is pretty sour), baby carrots, or orange for a pre workout snack.

[vlp1968 83]

I suggest you eat often. Don't let yourself get too hungry, that's when you run into real trouble. I eat 5-6 times a day. Hang in there and I hope you can schedule your surgery soon!

[BetsyB 9]

You also kind of have to adopt the mindset that deviating from the plan simply isn't an option. You have guidelines, and have to simply commit to following them.

I'm not minimizing the difficulty; I know it's hard. But you can do it!

[sara31 2]

I am pretty newly banded.

I had the same problem but only when I tried to start the pre-op diet myself. I guess I self sabotaged.

Once the dr. gave me the "official" orders to drink two shakes a day and one lean cuisine at night I stuck to it. I was paranoid that my liver would be fatty and too thick to do the surgery so it scared me straight!

It's been pretty much the same since. I am too scared to do something off plan because I don't want to mess anything up. It's amazing what five holes and a piece of plastic can do to your mind! It just existing makes me stick to it.

I did have one episode where I didn't chew shrimp well and guess what - that scared me right back to making sure I chewed well enough.

It will happen again I am sure, but yeah, thats what makes me stick to it!