AlleyKat

Ldjston - congrats. Glad to hear you are doing okay so far! I just figured out how to use LBT on my Blackberry, now I'm going to be even more of an addict lol.

Raroo, we are pretty close to the same pre-op weight (221 before starting pre-op diet). Good luck!

10 days to go!! I'm getting uber excited. Today is my first day of pre-op. My Protein bar was gross so I threw it out. New flavour tomorrow! The Protein shake I had wasn't too bad. chicken for lunch and Halibut for dinner. I clearly need to learn to eat to live not live to eat. It seems to be all I freaking think about...my next meal. How is everyone who is post-op doing? I love to hear your stories!

I just started pre-op today too and it's hard! I shouldn't have had a pig fest yesterday becauxse I think it's making today that much harder! I don't like the shakes but I can handle them. It's the Protein bars I'm having trouble with. I had a chocolate peanut one this morning and I threw it out. Gross! 10 days to go!

I'm still pre-op but I have an adhesive allergy. Sounds like what I get...not looking forward to a week of itchiness!

My pre-op diet is not liquids only so I guess it really depends on your surgery! I was supposed to have a Protein Bar today for my snack and it was disgusting. I didn't eat it and now I'm freaking starving. Oh well. You can do it! I say don't cheat for your yourself, I'm sure surgery wise one tiny tidbit of something wouldn't be the end of the world but make yourself proud!!

So I'm starting my pre-op diet tomorrow. Except my boss has decided has decided to spoil us with food to thank us for a job well done. Tomorrow I have no idea what I can do he's ordered portugese chicken and steak sandwiches and rice and roast potatos...I knew the day would come at work where I would have problems but I didn't expect it to be the first day of pre-op. I'm allowed chicken and non-starchy veggies with FF dressing. I think I'll have a piece of chicken and salad with a little bit of dressing. I'll stay away from the sauces and bread etc. The second is a BBQ on Saturday but I should be okay. I'll once again stick to a piece of chicken and I'll pack my own salad. I just don't like starting out on the wrong foot! My other problem is that I've been having trouble with my kidneys. My surgeon said it was okay to proceed with the surgery and my GP said it should be fine but he'd prefer me to meet with a specialist before the surgery to get an expert to okay it. Well that was 8 weeks ago and they haven't contacted me for an appointment. I'm just worried my GP is going to try and make me stop the surgery (I'm self-pay so its up to me in the end). Oh well, over all I am super excited and ready to start my journey. I have completly stopped 'dieting' since I was approved for surgery and I actually feel bloated and disgusting. I'm looking forward to being forced on to my pre-op. I will take my official pre-op weight tomorrow morning and am hoping I can lose 5-10lbs before my surgery June 22nd.

I'm really glad you posted this because I feel a lot less alone. I have been obese since I was a child and started WW at 12 years old by request of my doctor. I have since done WW FOUR times, Slimfast, gone completly vegitarian, Jenny Craig, Herbal Magic and god knows what else. WW worked for me but everytime I topped going or stopped tracking every little thing I ate it went right back on again plus some. I would get so discouraged when I would eat so well and excercise and not lose weight and other weeks I wouldn't eat well at all and I'd lose! My Mum and best friend are both obese as well and they support me 110% on my journey. They are both excited for me. My husband and my father on the other hand are not. My Dad thinks its extreme and unnecessary (But excellent for my friend who was banded, just not me...). My husband thinks I should just eat less and excercise more. I lack will power. I should be ashamed and should expect to fail because I've failed at it every other time I've tried. It hurts - A LOT. I haven't told anyone else because I am absolutly confident that this is the right decision for me and I don't need anyone else to judge me and monitor my success/failure. My doctors support me and think it's a good thing for me, so that is all I need. My experience seems to be that people who have had experience being obese know how hard it can be, people who can drop weight when they want and seemingly eat whatever they want will never understand. I got the, "If I can quit smoking you can quit eatting" lecture. That person has NO idea (not that quitting smoking is easy, I've done that too - I took up smkoing to try and eat less!! Stupid....) I have enough health concerns and I don't need anymore because of my weight. Some of these things might get better as I lose weight but more important for me, I want to help myself but controlling what I can and minimizing the effect of what I can't. I love these boards because they are a great place for support. We are all going through this together and even though we are all in different stages of our journies, we can still help eachother when we have rough days.

Count me in! I start my Pre-op diet on Tuesday (June 12th). It's an Atkin's like diet I think. chicken, salad, fat-free deli meats, Protein shakes and bars, non-fatty fish like Tilapia and sole, water-soaked tuna etc. My surgery is June 22nd at 7am so I need to be ther before 6:30am. I told my husband, my parents, and my best friend (who is also banded). That's it. I don't people watching to see if I succeed and judging me. I'm a little nervous but mostly excited. I'm not nervous about the surgery itself but about complications afterwards or me failing like I have every time before.

Blackleopard, do you live in the Toronto area or are you flying down? Where are you be being banded. Sorry about the 20 questions, I'm just excited to see someone getting banded in Toronto. I am being banded June 22nd at Slimband.

I had my pre-op testing Fridaymorning. My ECG looked good and I'm just waiting on my blood test results. I also went to Costco and picked up all sorts of stuff for my pre-op diet which starts June 11th. I am allowed protein shakes and bars, fat free deli meats, water-packed tuna, chicken, and non-starchy veggies with fat-free salad dressing. On Thursday morning the clinic called and said my surgery had to be moved up to 7am instead of 8:45am. They just said there was a "scheduling conflict" which is okay. Now my hubby and I have to leave home just after 5am to be there for 6:30am. I hope everyone who is already recovering is doing well. Keep us updated!!

I hope not! I'm the 22nd!

Hope you recover quickly! That's one way to do a pre-op diet lol. I'm really glad I don't have to do an all liquid pre-op diet. I'm not looking forward to having chicken (some fish is okay but I dont like the kinds they allow) every night for 10 days! I guess I should consider myself lucky. Only 24 more days!

My husband is very much the same way (atleast so far, I'm preop). When i first brought up the idea of surgery with him he was very much against it. I love him for it but I got the, "you're beautiful the way you are" talk. I've been having a lot of health concerns lately and doctors (Both family and specialty) have said it is a good idea. After I booked it and talked to him about the potential health benefits for both me and our future children he got a little more onboard. He stil hears the word 'surgery' and thinks it will be drastic and life threatening. he also doesn't understand the band. Everything I've had to eat since booking it he has said, "soon you wont be able to do that, you'll throw up". On Sunday I picked up my bike from my parents house and he said, "why are you getting that? You wont be able to ride it anymore. You'll throw up every bump you go over!". He is kidding but he really doesn't understand. I've tried to get him to read over the paperwork and handouts the sugeon gave me but he has only glanced at them. He gets more supportive every day and I'm hoping he will be on board after the surgery and he sees I lived through it lol. He is taking me to the surgery and I know he will help me after surgery. He just has touble grasping WHY. He has never experienced being big. He's started gaining wait a bit now but before he struggled with GAINING weight. He can lose whenever he wants to and doesn't really struggle. i think he will also get frustrated if/when i get 'stuck' but I know he just worries about me and he is scared. My biggest concern is if i DO have any complications. i think I would get a great big "I told you so".

Good topic! I'd love to know too!

I'm happy to see a topic for Ontario! I'm being banded at Slimband in Toronto June 22nd! They had earlier dates but my work schedule made it difficult. Some days I'm nervous, today I just want the date to hurry up!!

I was told to avoid artificially sweetened beverages and drinks with Caffine. They said it wasn't to do too much with the band but more with them not being 'good' for you. As for the carbonation I was told it should be avoided. The odd one is okay and someone else said, it's okay if you stir out most of the bubbles. I was told that too much carbonation, over time, can cause your upper pouch to expand which will make the band ineffective. I don't think I can say I'm never having pop again but I do plan on making sur most of the carbonation is gone before I drink it.

I'm pre-op with mu surgery date set for June 22nd. I have many of the same fears as you and the other people on this board. Some days (Most) I am excited and ready to begin my journey. Other days, i wonder if i have made the right decision and if i wil succeed. What if i fail, I've failed at everything else I've tried. I'm also self pay (live in Canada). Was it a waste of money? Would that money have been better spent on the house or saved for retirement, Then i pause. what kind of life will i have if I DON'T get the surgery. i have spent fortunes on every diet under the sun. I waste money on take out and new cloathes because my other one's dont fit. I don't feel good about myself. My doctor has told em I MUST lose the weight or I'm going to have more serious health problems then I already have. I'm recently married and we want to have kids in the next few years. What kind of Mum will I be when I can't play with them and I'm sick. What kind of influence will I be? These are just my reasons and I'm sure I will be a nervous wreck in the week(s) closer to my surgery but right now I just keep remining myself of why I persued the surgery in the first place. I also have a friend who recently was banded and she is my rock. She has guided me through every step so far and I know she will be post op as well. Never forget why you wanted this in the first place and find your support person. Good luck!!

I have a couple really ugly vericose veins. I complained to my doctor years ago and she said they would get better if i lost weight but from ehat you guys are saying that's not ture! Guess I'm going to have to get them removed! Ugh.

LOL! oh the life of the HR Manager...

I'm still pre-op but I am having surgery on a Friday morning and am hoping to be back at work Monday morning. I have a non-physical desk job where I sit at a computer all day. I'm little worried about my pain meds making me dozey if I still need them but maybe it'll numb some of the stess

Congratulations!!! What a huge accomplishment!!

I love this suggestion but there is one issue, I AM the HR Manager! I'm not taking the Friday off. I worded it poorly, I'm off on the Friday is it is my regularly scheduled day off. If I can't make it in on the Monday I will call in but will likely end up working from home. As the HR Manager I fully respect my employees right to privacy and I would never ask for details. However, my fellow managment team is not always the same way (Hence why I have a job lol). I fully plan on getting a doctors note for the time off but only using it if I need to.

To be able to shop in a 'regular' store again would be a dream...

It is not feasible to never have a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine again. None of us got to where we are from a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate. We all still have lives to live, we just need to make smarter choices along the way. Saying we CAN'T have something is how a lot of us got here in the first place! Enjoy your wine and husband and live life to the fullest. P.s. My surgeon NEVER mentioned being unable to consume alcohol, only to not over consume and to wait until I am fully healed. Let's all support eachother here because not one of us is perfect and we should not expect others to be either.