southernrootslbc

Can you drink tea or Crystal Light instead of water? Good luck to you!

I hadn't seen that. I'll check it out, though. Thanks! The surgeon's nurse told me that I could eat all the celery I wanted, because it has negative calories. I asked her if I ate a whole plate of celery, could I then apply all the negative calories to my diet and eat a huge cheeseburger. She said, "no." :-/

Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, and advice. I'm now on day seven of the pre-op diet. It's getting a lot easier, and I'M DOWN TEN POUNDS!!! WHOO-HOO!! That also means under 300 pounds and below 50 BMI. So my first goal has been met. I'm really hoping to be down another ten before surgery and lose another ten in the first couple of weeks after surgery. So that I'll be down to 280 one month after starting the pre-op diet. I know that seems like a lot, but I think I can do it. I feel so much better at that weight. As for my diet, I'm still going over the 800 calories, but eating super healthy. I'm having a shake for Breakfast. A couple of hours later I'm having a salad (with a little fat-free feta, a very few dried cranberries, and a home-made vinaigrette (I got the do-it-yourself kit and substituted Water for oil... practically no calories, but all the flavor!). Then a couple of hours later I'll snack on turkey breast with a little fat-free cheese (recently discovered the Laughing Cow brand... Pretty good and only 35 calories/serving). If I get hungry, I'll snack on some more turkey or an apple. Then I have a small, sensible dinner. And I'm exercising... Wii Fit, treadmill, hiking, and walking. I still crave sweets like crazy (been having PMS, so it's even worse) but I've mostly been able to avoid them. I'm sure it would be better if I stayed strictly to the 800 calories/day, but as long as I'm getting results, I'm not gonna be too hard on myself. I feel much healthier, and I'm glad that I no longer feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown!!! Best of luck to all of you!

I have a friend of a friend who used Dr. Baker and swears by him, too! So looks like you'll be in good hands, as well.

Anyone else used/using this surgeon? I feel pretty good about my decision to have him band me, but I'd like to reach out and see what everyone else has to say...

I'm in the same situation as you. I've been considering WLS for a decade. I went to a consult wednesday, and in a week and a half from now I have my surgery! YIKES!!! I also worry about the complications and think about how it's going to affect my life and how many things can go wrong, but then I think of all the inconveniences of being my size, so it's a trade-off. I'm not thrilled by the thought of how much more often I'll likely vomit or how annoying it's going to be to have to chew forever to swallow one tiny bite, but to me it'll be worth it to be able to climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath or even tying my shoes without being uncomfortable. You'll just have to decide for yourself if it's worth the trade-off for you. Best of luck!

good luck!!

hope you've had better luck! and best of luck to you on your surgery. let us know how it goes!

it really helps knowing that i'm not the only one struggling. today was a bust with the holiday. tomorrow i MUST do better. bah! maybe i'll do some meditations... help me get in the right frame of mind. good luck on your surgery and your diet!

I definitely have a dysfunctional relationship with food. If I didn't know it before, it became pretty apparant when I was shopping for my pre-op diet foods, I became seriously depressed and had the same dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach as I've had when I'm about to have to break up with a boyfriend. I literally felt like I was having to end a relationship... That's down-right sick in the head!! That being said... I can assure you... I am full-on physically HUUUUUUNGRY on 800 calories/day. However, you're right... I do have an emotional reaction to it. My first day on the diet, I felt panicked. And I'm definitely having to struggle with separating my emotional hunger from my physical hunger. I think I'll play around with different kinds of Protein shakes and see if I can't find something that works better for me.

Can I ask what kind of protein you guys are using? I'm just doing SlimFast and Special K Protein shakes. I keep hearing people talking about the protein shakes making them feel full, but I never ever feel full from them, and certainly not for long. What am I doing wrong??

i'm feeling a lot better about it today. two full days on my diet, and i've lost 5.5 pounds. i also ended yesterday at about 1300 calories, but a lot of those were lean Proteins and fresh fruits and veggies, and i didn't feel like i was starving all day. i know i should be following 800 calories total, but surely if i've lost 5.5 pounds in two days, it's having the desired effect on my liver. i also have more energy, so i think i'll go for a walk this afternoon, which will also help.

Hi there, What did you end up doing? I'm getting banded with Dr. Wellborn on May 6th. Best of luck to you!

Hi Gina, I'm also from Arkansas. I'm being banded May 6th by Dr. Wellborn in Little Rock. I did a ton of research and narrowed it down to two surgeons. Went to both seminars and felt most comfortable with Dr. Wellborn (and his staff, who have all also been banded). During the seminar they'll give you all the info you need. They even provide a letter to have your PCP type on his letterhead for insurance purposes. It seems overwhelming at first, but the surgeon's staff is there to help you through it. Best of luck to you!

I'm also scheduled for May 6th. It's coming so soon! I'm excited and nervous all at once!

Hi everyone, I'm so glad to have found you all. I'm lucky to have a good support network at home, but they've not been through it, so they have a very limited understanding of what i'm going through. I'm on day two of my pre-op diet (two-weeks of 800-calories/day). I don't feel that it's a realistic diet for me... not even for two weeks, so when I finished out yesterday at 1,300 calories (I know it's bad, but I was STARVING) I felt like I was failing before I had even started. I'm interested in hearing others' pre-op diet stories. Are you guys also struggling this hard? Are all the pre-op diets this strict? I have a high BMI (52) so I'm sure that has something to do with it, but jeez.... it seems to me that 1200 calories a day would do the trick!!