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my guess is I will be pretty out of it so I am not that worried about it. Worst case it is probably 30 seconds of discomfort Greg

I think it is generally accepted that decaffinated beverages count as liquid intake. Greg

I think all insurance would require that you have a BMI of 40 or 35 + co-morbidities. High blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea. Most doctors require the same even if you are self pay, though I am guessing you can find a doctor to do it if you look hard enough. It is a tough road to go down to lose weight and you give up alot. I am getting the band next week and my head is swimming with everything I will need to do. Greg

I went through pre-op yesterday and the only thing that concerns me is that my doctor requires that he remove the intibation tube after you are awake and alert. I have had the tube before but it was always removed before I woke up. Did anyone else have it taken out while you are awake? If so did it suck as bad as I think it will? Greg

I had my 3 hour class yesterday and have surgery next Wednesday. I have lost 15 pounds in a week and a half so I am psyched about that. Anyway, of course they told me that I will never, ever, ever eat bread again. If that is the case I can live with it, but just wondering if any of you can tolerate bread with restriction. If so what kind. I am not looking to have it is a part of my diet, but on rare occasions it would be nice. Greg

I have tried alot of shakes. Did not like nectar roadside lemonade. Optimum nutrition from GNC tastes pretty good. In my opinion the best by far is Slim fast high Protein. With 8 oz of skim milk it has 15g of protein. Not a ton but 4 per day would be 60g. I don't like any of them mixed with Water. Skim milk makes them all taste much better Greg

I have done well but the whole thing frustrates me. What is a pre-op diet anyway. Some surgeons require no diet, some require 2 weeks some one week, some low Protein clear liquids, some high protein foods some all liquids. It is clear there is not a consensus as to what the optimum diet is for the liver. I started a modified version on the 2nd and I have lost 13 pounds. I did have a 0 calorie pickle along the way. I just can't figure out why they are so vastly different and what the end results are. I am curious as to how many operations are aborted due to a thick liver. My guess is a low number but I have no idea. That being said I am going to continue to follow the diet laid out to me by my DR. sorry for the grumpiness but I am starving. Greg

I thought your diet sounded familar. I am one of dr Elliot's patients as well. My surgery is the 23rd. I just finished day 3. the first 2 were tough but day 3 is getting better. As for the origional post you may want to see if you can strain chicken noodle soup(tastes better than just broth)good luck.

I found nectar to be disgusting. The roadside lemonade at least. I have tried many and finally settled on slim fast high Protein powder. Not as much protein as some but it is approved for the pre-op diet I am on. It is much better than the others. It has 15 grams when milk is added. I have isopure in the fridge but have not tried it yet. alot of people think it taste likes weak gatorade. Greg

Welcome. I think it is a good idea for them to come along. I am now finishing the second day of my pre-op diet and will get banded 9/23. Seemed like the Journey started a while ago but it has gone quick. This is a great site with lots of support, and I can't think of a question that you can't get answered here. Best of luck. If you end up deciding to move forward I would suggest grabbing a copy of weight loss surgery for dummies. It is a good book that lays out alot of what you are looking at doing. Good Luck Greg

I just finished my 1st day of the pre-op diet. Only 14 more to go. To put it into words, it sucked, but I got through it. a Whopping 721 calories. That is tough when you are used to 3000+. I can stand the Protein drink. ON chocolate malt from GNC. I have tried many and this is much better. Please tell me it gets easier. I heard the 1st 3 days are the worst. It reminds me of the 600 calorie a day regimen I was on when I was cutting weight for the Air Force. First 3 days were awful, after that I didn't want food. Anyway, at least I figured if I can make it one day I can can make it 14 more. Greg

Just started pre-op diet today. I cut back to 1000 calories last week to prepare for the 800 over the next 2 weeks. My question is. Did anyone take any of the over the counter appetite suppresants during this phase? Just curious. My intention is to just suck it up but if anyone has tried anything that worked it would be good to know. Thanks, Greg

You need to find a new surgeon right away. There is no reason to put up with that. Or at least call him as soon as he gets back and explain how your were treated. I don't think you can wait until Thursday.

I can't give you the perspective of someone who has been banded. I get mine on the 23rd but I can tell you why I chose the band. 1st, It is less invasive. No reworking of the plumbing. It can be adjusted, and in the long term the results are similar. Initially most with Bypass lose more but over the long haul it averages out. I know people that had both. Most ask what the hell have I done at first but realize it was a great decision when you dont have to eat your food out of a blender. Plus, The dumping syndrome from bypass really turned me off. The band appears to be the most maintainence but also offers the most flexibility. Greg

I want to qualify my earlier answer. While I do not believe that it will fatten your liver as it has no calories. I think alot of surgeons have you cut out all carbonated beverages. I think it is more to get you used to not having them as you are not supposed to drink them after the surgery Greg

I recieved it in the mail not to bad. 2 Protein shakes 1 1/2 pieces of fresh fruit. 4 oz turkey or lean meats 2 slices of lite whole grain bread. and 6 oz of lite yogurt. about 800 calories. this seems about the same or less than I will eat when I am on the full food stage. Oh well. I have to bear down and just do it. It starts 9/9 and then a battery of preop tests and nutrition classes on the 15th and surgery on the 23rd. It will be here before I know it. Greg

I can't see any way it could. It is 0 calories. Obviously they are trying to steer us clear of them as they will be out once we have the band. You should ask the Dr. They may not want you to drink them but I don't think they would fatten the liver Greg

I think it is standard procedure. The only way that My doctor will do same day is self-pay. It is very routine from what I hear. Greg

Just checking to see what is typical of what you would eat in a day. Assuming you are at restriction. I have done searches but am having trouble finding what people eat and what size portions they eat. Thanks, Greg

I am being banded the 23rd of September. I lose pretty easily but gain back. I feel like I have a slow metabolism as well but not that slow. I have been told unless you have a thyroid problem, the key to increasing your metabolism is to increase muscle mass through exercise. I know I, and many others find this to be a daunting task as when we start we are usually close to 100 pounds or more overweight. I used to be a runner in high school. I ran every day, lost 40 pounds and it stayed off as long as I exercised. And could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. Look at the biggest loser show. They take it to the extreme but the principals are sound. I am starting with Baby steps. I am getting back on the treadmill and I believe this will be my key to success. My Dr. said that if you incorporate exercise into the lap band program your results will be similar to those of a bypass. Not rocket science here, just Physics.

Mine were both a snap. The Psychologist mainly talked about how you got where you are. What triggers your eating. Family relationships. Why are you wanting this? Very non threatening and easy. makes you think about why you eat the way you eat. The nutritionist was great. She went over food history asked about weak spots. previous diets. Set up some short term goals. Very easy stuff for the most part. good. luck. Greg

I will get my new life on September 23rd. I start my Preop diet on the 9th of September but I will cut back starting after my trip to the beach tomorrow. I have been on a bit of a no food left behind tour as of late. I thought I was going to get carted out of PF Changs last night when I took the last bite of the great wall of cake. Greg

I received my approval letter last night. Less than 25 days from seminar to approval. I am excited. I start the dreaded liver shrinking diet on 9/9 but I have been told my doctor does allow some food. They would have done surgery 15 days from now but I just couldn't get everything in order that quick so it will be the 29th. Looking forward to my new life. Greg

Tory, I am in Richmond Virginia as well. I have BCBS PPO of CA. I spoke to my Dr and he thought I had BCBS PPO of VA as well. They key with mine was BMI of 40. If you are under 40(bmi) it is more of a fight. I cruised in at 40.9. if you are under 40 you need co-morbidities and it is just more work but they are pretty easy to work with. Greg

Pretty good news today. Had initial consult last Tuesday 21st, Psyche eval on the 28th and submitted today at 12:00. By 13:00 BCBS called my Doctors office and said if he will get an initial consult with a nutritionist we will approve it. I was able to schedule that for this coming Tuesday the 4th. Any idea what that entails? This is moving faster than I thought. Probably looking at September or early October for Surgery hopefully, Greg