sewenup1

Believe me it does. It doesn't taste any better (Optifast that is) but you definitely get over the hunger. I have been on this for nearly 4 weeks - my op is on Monday. I was so busy yesterday that I forgot to have my shake for dinner. I find that if I have my 2 cups of veges during the day I am way less hungry that night - I think it must be the fibre in the vege. Keep going just need to remember that in the end it will make your recovery easier and with the band the weight you lose will not come back. Danna:biggrin1: Any

Hey Twigs, Can totally relate, my op is on Monday so yesterday went out and bought Soups, drinks, Vitamins, pepermint tea and pain killers. Nerves are really starting to hit now. Good luck for the 6th Danna

Hi Allheart, I am on week 4 of Optifast. There are ways to make it tolerable. I'm in Australia and I know the USA has a larger range than we do. I bought the vanilla optishake, the desert and the chocolate fudge bar. To the vanilla I add flavours. Essences etc are good but the one mix I love is diet orange soda and ice cubes added to the vanilla - sort of has an orange cheescake sort of flavour. Someone suggested diet coke. If you are allowed fruit (I wasn't) you can blend some fruit in with it as well. To the chocolate desert I added mint flavouring and froze it - kind of like a chocolate mint icecream. If you are allowed low cal toppings that go on icecream, you could also mix these in. Luckily this is my last week and I am due for surgery on December 3. the other thing you can do is make some of your veges into a salsa and use celery sticks and then you can munch on it throughout the day - helps keep hunger away and you don't feel deprived of something to munch on. Good luck for your 2 weeks - you'll be fine:clap2: Danna:hungry:

Ok I'll start us off. I'm 47, married with no kids. I live in Sydney Australia with my DH of 20 years. I work in a department of our state government and I am a mature age student completing an Arts/Law degree. We love to travel having been to Europe, Britain, Asis, Canada, the USA (3 times), Morrocco and Turkey. Also been all around Oz and New Zealand. Love crafts and reading. Favourite movie is between Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman - love Richard Geer. Watch WWE Wrestling - mainly so I can eye up all the good looking men:D. Love winter - don't handle the heat well. Love horses, DH and I have some shares in race horses - one day we'll win a big race and have a share in a brood mare in the hope of getting into the breeding side of things. Look forward to hearing from others. Danna:bounce:

Yeah, we Aussies name everything - don't know why though. Danna

Hi All, I'm from Australia so things may be done diffferent here, and every Dr has their own way of doing things.:phanvan I have been on the pre-op diet for 3 weeks now and my surgery is on Dec 3. My pre-op consists of 3 meals of Optifast + 2 cups of low carb veges. :hungry: I am allowed diet soda and diet Jello (I think thats what it's called in USA). After 3-4 days you don't really feel hungry, you just have to deal with the head hunger that tells you that you want more. :rolleyes About this time your body kicks into Ketosis and starts using the fat stored in your body and liver as an energy source. This is why you can lose so much quickly. But the main reason for the diet - in Australia anyway - is to reduce the size of your liver. Because they have to move the liver out of the way to put the band on they want it to be as small as possible - this minimizes the risk of damaging the liver and of having to resort to a full incision surgery.:cry We all need to remember that the horror stories that we might read about here are not necessarily going to happen to us. Probably you will find that those people who have been banded for a while and have had no problems rarely post on the bulletin boards. The ones who do are either newbies like us or have problems and need the support of the others here. If you are having no problems you probably just start living your new life. Like the rest of you I am scared of next Monday, what if it's cancelled for some reason, what if my liver isn't small enough etc. :omg: I have to keep reminding myself that if I don't do anything now I may not be alive to do something later. This is the start of my new life and I want it NOW! It is going to be hard, the band is only a tool for me to use and it will still be hard slog to lose weight but with my little friend Max (my name for my band - 'MAXimum food - stop now) I will win this war.:whoo::clap2: Sorry to preach, will stop now - just remember why you chose this path and rejoice in letting out the real you for the whole world to admire!!! Danna:embarassed:

Thanks Sades, I find it a good way to calm the nerves - helps me remember why I'm doing this in the first place. Danna

Thanks Shell, As for your ex - I firmly believe that fate gives you back the things you do to others. Now you will have to start albums of the new you Danna

I had a yummy Optifast for lunch today. Instead of using cold Water to mix it I used Diet Orange Soda + a couple of ice cubes and vanilla Opti - much better than plain. Try adding some essences to the shakes or if you are allowed them some diet syrups. Danna

Hi All, I've decided to start my own blog about my journey for a new life. Not much on there at the moment but you are welcome to drop in. Dannasplace

Thanks Sades, will give them a call during the week. Opti is going ok - it's getting out of the habit of eating real food and having no choice that is the problem. I've never been good on diets that tell you exactly what to eat on each day - always done much better when I can make a choice. My head is causing havoc - it wants everything I can't have and some things I don't even eat. I was at Circular Quay one day waiting for the ferry and a guy was there eating a sausage roll with tomato sauce. Now I love sausage rolls but was that what I wanted.... NO I wanted the tomato sauce and I don't even like tomato sauce!!! Well, just over a week to go and then I will be able to have fluids of my choice - must go buy some soups this week. Let me know how your appointment with Sarah goes. Danna:hungry:

Hey Sades how is everything going you must be off the mushies soon - bet you are looking forward to that. quick question - Did you have to pay the Dr in advance or on the day of surgery - their handout says in advance but no-one has asked me for payment yet? thanks Danna:hungry:

Nice to have another Aussie join. I'm from Sydney and should be a bandit on 3/12. Currently on Optistarve so know how you feel. Hope I have as much success as you had in the past and will surely have in the future. Danna:hungry:

Oh you are so lucky!!!! I've nearly finished my 3rd week and only 1 week left:whoo: I will even be glad to go onto fluids after the op - at least I will be able to chose what I drink - that's the hardest part - no choice. Good luck. Danna:hungry:

MERRY LOSERS Dec 3 - CarolK1 parrot0927 antsmith101 Christasha Danna(sewenup1) Dec 4 - TXbandit (tentative) kris102003 Sandy63 Dec 5 - mejr62 Chienne and her dad Brooke (medic26541) Babyblues425 Dec 6 – Sghatl newlife JEN_RN Dec 7 - Newblew jen hollers Meghan1983 jennypoo Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 10 - HeatherA (tentative) Dec 11 - ::Tracy:: LinzerPA vanessa Tia Maria Gus123 Dec 12 - Caramel Vicki J Dec 13 - jmschnapf Anyalee Mommathang tomecia25 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 - 100lbsforsale MissSac gingimop Dec 18 - Mendypoo Livingthe Dream JET's MOM Dec 19 - Cerrin Dec 20 - Jonesy Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 DEC 24 Dec 25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS Dec 26 - Miss Polly jenncore Dec 27 - jasmona1214 glitzigirl thundandlight Dec 28 - The Fox imsamiam J.Discount __________________

MERRY LOSERS Dec 3 - CarolK1 parrot0927 antsmith101 Christasha Danna(sewenup1) Dec 4 - TXbandit (tentative) kris102003 Sandy63 Dec 5 - mejr62 Chienne and her dad Brooke (medic26541) Babyblues425 Dec 6 – Sghatl newlife JEN_RN Dec 7 - Newblew jen hollers Meghan1983 jennypoo Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 10 - HeatherA (tentative) Dec 11 - ::Tracy:: LinzerPA vanessa Tia Maria Gus123 Dec 12 - Caramel Dec 13 - jmschnapf Anyalee Mommathang tomecia25 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 - 100lbsforsale MissSac gingimop Dec 18 - Mendypoo Livingthe Dream JET's MOM Dec 19 - Cerrin Dec 20 - Jonesy Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 DEC 24 Dec 25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS Dec 26 - Miss Polly jenncore Dec 27 - jasmona1214 glitzigirl thundalightDec 28 - The Fox imsamiam J.Discount __________________

Chris, You are so lucky. I am on 3 meals a day of Optifast + 2 cups of vegetables. No meat, no fruit. Fortunately I only have until December 3 for my op. Danna

Not too good!!! Yesterday I fell off the Optifast Wagon!!! I got caught up with things and basically didn't eat until about 6.30 last night - wasn't hungry. but then we had KFC :faint:. So ok, this morning back on that Optisludge - only 2 weeks to go, only 2 weeks to go.:phanvan I will be strong (I hope):help::help::help::help: Danna

It is pretty much liquid. It's a Meal Replacement - Optifast - it comes in shakes, Soups, a meal replacement bar and desert. They are ok but they take a bit of getting use to. Danna

Hi, My surgery is on 3 December. I'm on a pre-op diet already and its gets better after the first 3-4 days. Just remember to have plenty of fluids between meals as this really does help beat the hunger. In the end the worst part is the head hunger. Danna:hungry:

MERRY LOSERS Dec 3 - CarolK1 - Danna (sewenup1) Dec 4 - TXbandit (tentative) Dec 5 - Brooke (medic26541) Dec 6 - Sghatl Dec 7 - Newblew jen hollers Dec 10 - HeatherA (tentative) Dec 11 - ::Tracy:: Dec 13 - Caramel Dec 17 - 100lbsforsale MissSac Dec 18 - Mendypoo Dec 26 - Miss Polly Dec 27 - jasmona1214 Dec 28 - The Fox

Hi Congratulations on getting your date - not long to wait - my op is on Dec 3 so know how you feel at the moment. I'm from Australia so not too sure what your pre-op diet is like. Ours is a Meal Replacement called Optifast - tastes like **** but if the Dr says I have to do it well I just need to suck it up (literally). We are also allowed 2 cups of non-carb veges, so I have a lot of stir fries. So, how long do you have to be on this diet (sorry we don't have Thanksgiving, so not sure when it is)? Danna

Hi all, Seems December 3 is a popular date - my op is also scheduled for the 3rd and I'm already on the pre-op diet. Can't wait for it to be over!!! Danna

Hi, Im on day 13 of my pre-op diet with just 2 weeks to go (op on December 3). Have been pretty good so far on Optifast but I wish whoever invented the stuff was made to live on it - not the tastiest thing in the world. After 3or 4 days its not too bad. The real hunger goes and its just the head hunger that gets to me - even dreaming about it!!!:hungry: When date do you have for your surgery. Danna:faint:

Its also called a tube gastrectomy and you can find it on this link: Obesity Surgeries - Laparoscopic Gastric Banding, Tube Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass, Sydney Australia I'm also from NSW, I'm in Sydney and am seeing Dr Liebman at North Shore and scheduled for 3 December. Who is your surgeon? Danna