Help!!!! Support for pre-opp weight loss :(

[milton5a 0]

Hi, thought I would start this thread off because well I am finding it really really hard to stick to the pre-opp weight loss phase diet.

My consultant wants me to loose weight before the operation to show commitment to the band. This is not the crash ciet to shrink fat around the liver, my consultant just wants me to lose weight so he can be sure that I am ok for the band???

I am borderline bmi of 40 so it is not like I am dangeoursly big for WLS so I need to diet, anyway enough of the moaning I've figured that if I want the band done - which I do! Then I will need to loose a few pounds. LOL I've gained 5 since the 1st consultation. :help:

I can't diet at all, otherwise I would not be considering the band ... but I've got 3 weeks 1 day exactly to lose the 5 pounds I've gained and 2-3 pounds extra to show I can loose weight. 8 pounds in three weeks OMG!!

Ok so I've started on Slim Fast, the smell makes me feel sick but I drink it with a straw so I do have some distance between the icky smell and my nose! Fingers crossed I can stick through it for the next three weeks because I just couldn't stand the consultant sending me away

Has anyone else out there had any similar experiences? I'm from the UK and I'm getting mine done private - not a chance would they consider me on the NHS

Anyway I hope that if anyone out there is feeling stressed or miserable because they have got to go through the pain of dieting to show commitment, I'm with you and I hope you can share you experiences and feelings here

Peace & Love

Lol x

p.s my spelling is rubbish another thing God blessed me with LOL.....

2nd consultation - 3rd September 07

Gained 5 pounds since 1st consultation in June 07

Weight at the moment - 14 stone 12 pounds

Traget weight - 9 stone

[josephine 1]

Milton,

I was also borderline 40 BMI. That is still a lot of weight to have to take off. I lost 111 lbs and I am now a 21-22 BMI. Through my insurance though I didn't have to commit to losing weight prior to surgery. I did for my doctor though to start liquids 5 days prior to surgery to help with the liver shrinkage of course. It doesn't seem to me that you are enthused at all. I know it will be difficult to lose the weight as it always has been all of our lives. This is why we are in that situation right now to have to look for other options to help us get this load off.

First things first, you need to reset your mind......

1. Get the word DIET out of your mind. If you look at the past, how many DIETS have you been on and failed? That word means fail to me and I had to cut it out of my vocabulary.

2. Get in the Lapbanded persons mode and now say that you are going to change your lifestyle and eating habits. This should be a committment to yourself and for the rest of your life.

3. We as banded people eat so much less than we used to so right now I would suggest that you start acting like you are banded and start teaching yourself the rules that go along with being banded, that way once you are, you have already gotten over that hump and it won't be as difficult once you have become banded.

Start eating healthy food, eat very slowly, at least 30 - 45 minutes per meal and chew your food very very well before swallowing. Once you have fills it is more difficult to get the food done. This is one thing I have noticed with other people once they have had fills. If you eat healthy food maybe you don't have to drink slim fast.

1. Eat lean Protein, veggies, then your carbs. Try to stay away from carbs 4-5 hours before going to bed as they sit there once you are doing nothing and turn into fat. They have said a half of cup of food will fill you up but for me it is one cup.

2. Drink at least 72oz of Water a day. Allow your food to fill you up so start training yourself now not to drink while you are eating. Drink no later than 30 minutes before eating your meals and wait 2 hours to start drinking after your meals.

3. Protein is a good filler and will help you lose weight in the long run because you stay fuller longer. When you eat carbs it is a temporary fill and that is how most of us obese people got obese in the first place without even realizing it.

Do start liquids when your doctor tells you to as it is very important for the surgical procedure. You liver won't get in the way of the probs during surgery.

Chew food very good, eat your food very slow, stay away from carbs at night and start using a salad plate instead of a regular dinner plate. The amount of food you should be eating at one meal is the size of your fist.

Good Luck to you,

Josephine

[kacee 3]

I was really lucky in that my doctor said he didn't required his patients to do a pre-op diet...he said they probably wouldn't stick with it anyway....and well DUH....that's why we are all here in the first place. right? I just tried to keep it to a dull roar, but I did go out with a huge bang the day before surgery (why I will never know) and wound up writhing in pain all night before surgery with what felt like a bowling ball in my stomach from WAAAAAAAYYYYYY too much Chinese food. Stupid stupid stupid. One thing is if you can cut down your food intake before surgery then I would think the stomach shrinkage would be better for post surgery. Good luck to you. Know that this too shall pass....

[mceni 0]

Hi There, although I have a much higher BMI than you, my insurance said no way and I am supporting the cost of the band. I'm currently on the 2 week pre-op diet, but I had a thought, kind of a blast from the past, If you need to loose 10, and do not want to "DIET" then how about increasing your exercise? It's all mathematics if you can burn some of the extra calories, you do not neccesarily need to reduce your intake and will still loose the weight. Also try eliminating just one vice from your food addiction, by this I mean take out only soda and replace with tea, or remove only dessert and replace with Jello while eating the same dinner. Sometimes a small change makes a huge difference and can find you the 10 pounds.

best of luck I get my band on August 23rd!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

If you are self pay and this isn't an insurance requirement, can you tell the consultant to buggar off? Either do the surgery or you'll find someone else who will? Not sure how things work there but I had my surgery in Mexico. By the time I did my research and chose a doc, I finally scheduled surgery. Called one day and had surgery six days later.