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So this is day 3 of my Pre-op liquid (meaning Protein shakes only, max 1200 calories a day). I began the Pre-op diet on June 22 and my sugery date for gastric banding surgery is July 6. But let me start from the beginning.... So Day 1 of the Pre-op diet.... nothing short of MISERABLE. I was drinking the Bariatric fusion chocolate and vanilla shakes and tried the Met RX vanilla shake. I was questioning how they could call these things "shakes" lol. I had to gag these shakes down, it wasn't pretty. I made the mistake of leaving a shake in the blender too long and it was so thick that it wouldn't pour out lol. Can you tell I'm a newbie?? Day 2 got a little better. But I weighed myself and I gained .6 pounds! Now I know that was probably Water weight, but I couldn't help but get frustrated because I hadn't even eaten any food and I was heavier! Day 3: Down 5.2lbs since day 1! I actually am starting to LIKE this preop diet thing. Crazy, I know... considering the terrible experience I had with them. My mom was banded 6 months ago and taught me some tricks with the Protein Shakes. So if you're on a pre op liquid diet and are desperate for some ides... or just want to mix it up a little... here's some ideas! Try adding cinnamon. It makes a huge difference and helps to get rid of that protein-y taste that I dislike so much. Cinnamon and strawberries are actually a nice combo... Try adding 1 tsp of sugar OR sugar substitute... Adding the calories of course... nothing goes uncounted!! Try adding frozen rasberries (my favorite) or fresh strawberries, etc. Very low in calories and pack lots of flavor. Try adding instant decaf coffee (after it's been diluted of course). It isn't any calories and helps me to keep that coffee taste I love. I also added a 1/4 of vanilla extract and it tasted like a vanilla coffee shake. And last but not least, 1 tbsp of Peanut Butter. This has the most calories (95 cal per tbs) but as long as I'm in my daily calorie range I add it. It has protein in it and it also masks the protein0y shake taste completely. ***Do not try these without speaking to your surgeon first.*** These ideas seem to help me and have made a WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE in my preop liquid diet experience. Please share any of your own ideas And I am open to all suggestions and any advice

I think you have a good plan. You may have swelling from the fill. After my first fill I got in the car and threw up the water they had me drink. I probably should have gone right back in but I didn't. Couldn't keep anything down that night, but in the morning I was fine. If your still having trouble, call on Monday for sure. If your really tight, it may help to water down the protien drinks, it worked for me. Hope you feel better soon!

You lost 15 # in 5 days! Your body needs to adjust to that. Also some people dint Lise on very low calorie diets. Like me, I could lose for the first week pre op then nothing until I got my calories back up to 1100-1200. So you know the first 6 weeks post op is about weight loss, don't get frustrated if you stall in your weighloss during this time

What kind of help do you want? Talk with your doctor and give him accurate information so he can determine what the best approach is to deal with this issue. No Bandster ever died of 'constant hunger'. Mostly 'constant over eating' is what gave people such as myself the kinds of problems that come with Morbid Obesity. Recovery from a decades long self inflicted over eating habit has required continued daily efforts on my part, which mean I have to do my part of the dance. The result is worth it, and nothing tastes as good as better health. Good luck.

My day: I was at the hospital by 8:30am. Blood was drawn, urine collected, and I was taken to a room. The bed was comfy I was given a gown to put on which was HUGE (compared to "normal" hospital gowns). Not gonna lie - I totally loved that. My rear was not left hanging in the wind! Let's see, what next? Ah yes. The nurse verified information with me, connected me to an IV, and put those air compressor things on my legs (they felt yummy!). I was also given a shot of heparin (it burns!) to prevent blood clots. My anesthesiologist was the first doctor to visit me. Very nice guy! He told me the plan and made sure to answer any questions. Then my doctor dropped by. He also answered my questions and lent a LOT of reassurance. Oh yeah... my dad was with me the entire day. I have a very supportive and loving dad I was allowed to go to the bathroom (yay). Then, I was given a scrub cap (hope I was rockin' that style) and wheeled out to the OR. Next thing I know, a mask was put on my face and the anesthesiologist told me to take deep breaths. At this point it was just oxygen, he said. Then he connected another tube to it and said, "Okay, just breathe in and goodnight!" "Goodnight?" I thought to myself. Then I was OUT. So here's the embarrassing part for me. Next thing I know, I woke up CRYING my eyes/heart out. Did that happen to anyone? I was SOBBING I'm pretty sure I freaked out the nurses. I heard one say, "Do you think she's in pain? I just gave her a dose of [some powerful pain med]." Then someone else, a guy, said, "No... I think it's just emotional crying. Listen to the intonation of her cries." Well, he was right anyway. I woke up thinking "ARE YOU SERIOUS? DID I JUST DO THIS?" Anyway. Fast forward a bit... I'm in the recovery room and sleeping like crazy. Everyone was kind to me. I kept hearing them ask me to open my eyes and say something. That I needed to get up and walk around. In my mind I was like, "Go awayyyyy, I want to sleep!" I never answered them. Apparently the pain meds REALLY knocked me out. Two hours later, they finally MADE me get up and walk. I'm glad they did because it started to ease the painful gas trapped inside. I did a bit more of that, was given some medicine-cup fulls of liquids and, a few hours later, allowed to be discharged. Slept the whole way home (40 miles) thankfully! And that was my day.... Any other people wake up crying their hearts out? Yeah. I NEVER want to have surgery again

I had my surgery on May 26th but I started learning back in February when I started going to the center. Just remember this is for you and no one else...yes there are some horror stories on here, but my guess is for every one horror story there are 10 success stories. Hang in there and just remember we want to live long and healthy lives.

I have Anthem also. I live in Alabama. No 6 month diet plan. I called customer service and got all the requirements before I ever went to my surgeon so I knew I had to pay 20%, psych eval once I got all that done I gt approval 6 days later. Good Luck!!

It's really important to know the good AND the bad so that you're aware of what might happen for you. Keep your mind and your eyes open!

Hello future bandesters.today is my last day for the liquid diet.tomorrow is the big day im so excited...

My doctor's rule is NO CARBONATION~PERIOD!!! According to him, it has nothing to do with stretching the pouch. Unless you have something stuck, beverages go right through. The problem is...your stomach fills up with carbonated drinks and the bubbles pop which can cause the band to slip from the pressure. While, small amounts aren't likely to cause a problem, his thought process is this....Most of us in our obese days drank a crap ton of pop and telling us that it's ok in moderation most will start drinking more and more and eventually work our way back up to 3 or 4 2-liters a day.