TraciL

I am hoping to be a July-er!

The first few days are hard on any kind of regime like this -- your body is craving that sugar, etc. Good for you for wanting to do it, for getting ready for surgery and the changes you want to make in your eating. I have to say that for me it was like night and day pre- and post-op. The band dims the appetite and takes away that nagging "more more more" monster. Yes, you still have to make good decisions but obviously you can do this. When I was on ore-op I considered it my last diet ever. The band is a lifestyle for me, not a diet. I am able to eat well, just in much small portions than the old days, and at appropriate intervals. It seems like a Miracle and we all feel like we won't be able to do it, etc. -- pre-op thoughts run like that. You will surprise yourself with your strength and determination and just how good it feels to choose yourself and your healthy future. Best wishes!

3 days of a diet and you want to quit....THAT IS EXACTLY Why I needed this surgery....
ANY DIET and after a few days I wanted to quit also...there were a few diets where I went a few months, lost a lot of weight, felt good about myself, only to gain it all back, feel like a miserable failure....
I could not, and cannot diet...I do not have what some people have as far as following a calorie counting, portion weighing, regime for any period of time.
My PCP realized this, and refereed me to a Bariatric Surgeon....
Coming up on 4 years and things could not be any better....this surgery has done everything for me that I could never do myself.....
My portion sizes are limited, I have no cravings or hunger....and since I eat so little, I make the best of what I do eat so counting calories does not matter in my case....
All I need to do is be sure I get my daily Water and Protein requirements...and I have found that exercising is essential to burn fat away....(not to mention the other health benefits)
Now there are many different people on this forum with many different experiences....and I don't expect people to be like me, and people should not expect others to be like them....but the point is,
THIS THING DOES WORK!!!
You can continue to do it on your own and face the risks of Obese related illnesses and even premature death, or you can have surgical intervention and face the risks of surgery........

my doctor encouraged me to come up with one reason I wanted surgery. when I told him it wasn't what I wanted but needed to do it to live he said that I was ready for surgery. pre op's are hard. and while you are getting your band adjusted to your specifications it's going to be hard. but with each and every fill you will learn how to deal with head hunger. and with every inch lost its a reward. noticed I said inch. so take your measurements. the inches gives so much pleasure as you lose them. much more than wt. I think. and please remember to not put yourself through more than your doctor is asking of you. we are so hard on yourselves, we have learned this behavior as we have tried to win this battle of wt. do the best you can. that's all you can ask of yourself. wishing you the best

Your diet is not mandated yet so it's easy to think about bailing now. Once it's a reality and your doctor mandates the diet, mentally it will be easier to follow. jmo

Sorry, I meant to tell you you have ALOT of support here, so let us know what you're having the most trouble with, we'll be happy to help !

Doubt is part of the process but like the others said - it's the results that keep you going when it gets tough. My preop diet was 10 days of liquid - I was thinking "what in the world am I doing?" But, now I'm 7 months post op and 10lbs from my desired weight and it blows my mind sometimes to look in the mirror. One day at a time. Best of luck!

We all had trouble with our pre-op diets, after all if we could stop eating by ourselves we wouldn't have needed surgery. With that said, your struggle is not going to be over once you are banded. You will have a lot to learn (and un-learn) if you are going to be successful. BUT, for me, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Good luck in your journey

Thank you both. Colleen reminds me to only do it for me and Terry reminds me that I am only getting a tool to help me. When I think about using a tool to help me that encourages me cause I think I can do it with help. Thanks Colleen for reminding me that this is an addiction and it will be a hard fight. I appreciate both of you more than you know right now.

@@Bufflehead Thanks for the ready information on getting Protein Powder sample packs!

As @@BeagleLover said, look for whey Protein. Isolate is best but I've not had any setbacks from using some whey concentrate. And some protein brands lie . . . "New Whey" Protein Shots are mostly collagen protein, which is basically worthless.
As far as taste goes, everyone seems to be different! I can't stomach any of the premade shakes, but lots of folks love them. I stick to my powders. My favorite brands are Chike, Jay Robb, Unjury, Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar Sweets, Healthwise (cappuccino and hot chocolate) and New Whey Designer. You can buy samples at lots of different places. My recommendation is that if you are going to sample anything before surgery, make sure you get at least two samples of that brand/flavor because you will want to sample it again after surgery before committing to a larger purchase.
Here are some places to get samples:
https://www.chikenutrition.com/chike-variety-pack.html
http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/whey-protein-samples.asp
http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-starter-kit.html
http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html
https://vitalady.com/protein-supplement/
http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/Bariatric_Protein_Samples_s/35.htm
Good luck!

Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself and join the June group. I am 7 days post op and things are going good so far. I still have pain in my shoulders from the gas, but overall feeling ok. I am on full liquids and it's not really too bad. I get full easily enough. I do have to work on drinking more Water, although I've been drinking sugar free iced tea. I totally miss my diet dr. pepper though. That's going to be a hard one for me, giving up soda. I have one more week until I can eat mushie food and can't wait to be able to actually chew on something.
So anyways, hi! I hope to get to know you all so we can really support each other on this journey. I have a few people that know I've had the surgery, but it's always better to be able to talk to people going through similar experiences.

I bought this one about 10 years ago and still going strong. Has 5 memory slots for multiple use.
http://www.amazon.com/Tanita-HD351-Digital-Memory-Function/dp/B0000U6F2M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1403523656&sr=8-9&keywords=tanita+scale

Why not you connect your scale with your computer if you have a port in your scale. Because in this way you get all measurement on your computer easily.I also connect my commercial scale using port with my computer.

I use this basic EatSmart Precision scale. It's always been nearly exactly the same as my doctor's. I've had mine for years and I've had no issues with it. http://amzn.com/B001KXZ808

I use my wii board to weigh myself and it shows the weight on the tv screen

I have a Weight Watchers scale and I like it because it's always very close to what the doctor's scale says.

I received my 1st fill yesterday of only 2.6C but it's OK. I will not get another fill until 8 weeks because I go on vacation and he doesn't want me to get a fill right before I leave
My NSV is that my boss told me he can tell I'm loosing weight (he doesn't know I got WLS) AND I can start seeing collar BONES!!!! I'm so happy about my bones starting to show up

Newbies often wonder: "What will I tell...", "What will______think if they knew?" From day 1 there was no hiding my decision to get the band. I was fat, sick and tired...what the hell did I care what somebody else thought about me doing something to make myself healthier? I started with my family and yeah, I got a lot of "you don't need that..." "you could die...." "the complications..." BLAH BLAH BLAH, SHUDDUP ALREADY, I'M LIVING THIS LIFE, NOT YOU! Then I told my friends, coworkers, boss, nail technician, the hoochie cussing our her baby daddy while I'm behind them in Walmart. the bank teller...like I said, AIN'T NO SHAME IN MY GAME! My mindset was that they can accept it and support me or be against it and step off. It didn't matter, I had living to do and nobody else to do it for me BUT ME.
The end result: "Guuuuurrrrrllllll, your body is BANGIN'", "Damn, you look good", "Let me put some rocks in your pocket so you don't blow away", "I won't hug you too tight, I'm scared to break you", "You say your insurance covered that?" "How long was recovery", "What was your out-of-pocket", "Did it hurt", "I want to get it done, too".
See 7 out of the 16 people who were DEAD SET AGAINST the surgery have either gotten WLS or are in the process (4 bands, 2 sleeves, 1 gastric). Three others are trying to convince their loved ones that they should have it done, 4 are now my biggest fans and the other two are still @$$holes who don't want to admit they were wrong about it...I quit fooling with them a long time ago anyway. I just hear how green their FAT FACES get when they hear I'm wearing a size 3/4 and I'm having a clothing "take-away" at my house to which THEY AREN'T INVITED!
Don't be ashamed. You could be the inspiration someone else needs to change their lives for the better as well.