abbylamb

LMFAO!!! Seriously, that is hysterical. How sad is it that I totally understand that? I'm thiiiiiss close to licking the salt off some pretzels just for the flavor! I didn't know I could have just the broth from regular soup...hmmm...have to try that. Thanks for the tip!

I'm sure it probably is the sodium, but damn it, that's all I've got going for me for flavor for the next 12 days! I don't want to give that up too!! Have you ever tasted reduced sodium chicken buillion? So bland! But yes, I know you are right. Sigh.

I take Wellbutrin SR too, and since it's a time release it can't be crushed either. But my doc said I'll have to switch over to Wellbutrin XL and take it twice a day, crushed until six weeks post op, but that then I'll be able to go back to the SR. He said any pill that's smaller than an M & M should go down okay. Mmmmm......M & Ms.....

Pete/Sluggo- Can I just say I AM FEELING YOUR PAIN!!!! AND to top it all off, after 3 days of doing this ridiculous diet, I GAINED a pound!!! How, I don't know (although I suspect it probably has something to do with the sodium in the broth I've been downing and the fact that I haven't been getting my water in.) This sucks, but it's only a small blip in the giant timeline, right? Or as my dad used to always tell me "that which does not kill you will only make you stronger". Yeah, I hated that phrase then too.

I am on my liquid diet now. Is it easy? No. Is it impossible? No. Every doctor's office is different, and apparently mine is on the strict side. Two weeks of Optifast and up to 25 calories a day of sugar free popsicles and jello and broth. Not fun, but doable. You will be fine too!

Hey everyone--I'm on day 4 of my 16 day Optifast pre-op diet. I'm hanging in there, but day 2 was brutal! I was so hungry and dizzy and weak it wasn't even funny. To top it off I had my exercise class (which I went to, and thought I was going to pass out at). It was rough. But today is a bit better, and I just keep telling myself that it's for a better purpose. But I really wish my doc was one of those that let me eat real food! Nothing but Optifast and up to 25 calories of chicken broth and sugar free popsicles is getting old quick. I'm not starving, like I thought I would be, but I would hurt someone for TGIFriday's sesame jack chicken strips! I just keep telling myself I only have 12 days to go, which is really only 288 hours, or 17,280 minutes, or.....

GOOD LUCK! let us know how it goes!

okay, so i'm on day two of my optifast. 14 more to go. i can honestly say, the chocolate shakes are waaaaaayyy better than i was anticipating. the chocolate meal bars? not so much. those are going to take some getting used to. haven't tried the vanilla shakes or peanut butter snack bars yet, but at least i know i can get through this. but i have to go grocery shopping today-so not looking forward to it. all this food and i can't have any of it??? ack. plus i have to cook for my hubby and daughter, but i'm just making them stuff i'm not too crazy for. and i'm actually not as starving as i was expecting. so hopefully i can get through it without cheating!

KarynA-don't forget about me!!!! :Yawn: i'm getting my band december 21! i don't want to be left out!

can't wait to find out what we end up with!

yeah, the Sharpie is a nice, classy touch! :thumbup:

My doc told me the band cost around $3,000

OMG that is the funniest thing I've read all day! I love it! Sadly, I completely understand it!

Thank you for the flavoring ideas! I know I'll never survive 2 weeks on Opti-fast chocolate shakes! And the Walden Farms brand that was suggested by the doc's office SUCKS! Horrible aftertaste! Can't wait to get the other kind.

My surgery is at the end of December, and I too am trying to lose as much as possible beforehand (I look at it as less to lose on the "other side"). I'm having a protein shake (160 cal, 27g protein, 5g fiber and 0.5 net carbs) in the morning, since this is what I will have to do post-band. As far as the rest of the day, I'm essentially following a Weight Watchers diet-lots of veggies, fruits and lean meats, some carbs, but all complex (whole grains, etc.) I think that if you restrict yourself too much, either A) you're going to feel horribly deprived and will find yourself at the bottom of a Doritos bag wondering how that happened and end up feeling like a failure for not being able to stick to such a strict diet, or :w00t: you're going to end up with no energy, feeling sluggish and sick. MODERATION is key. You don't want to feel starving all day--I don't know anyone that got fat off of raw veggies. If you want a snack, and are trying to keep low cal, keep a big bin of cut up peppers, radishes, carrots, etc. to munch on. But I really wouldn't go below 1200-1500 calories a day at this point. Just my opinion, for what it's worth. Good luck to you! Just have faith that you are strong and take it one day at a time.

I totally feel you about the chicken parmesean....such a weakness. But seriously---why put yourself through that?!?! Can't you get together with these people after you're off liquids and back on real food? If not, can't they avoid eating around you? It just doesn't seem fair to torure yourself like that.

Seriously! What an inspiration!

What are the sippy cups for, exactly? I get the small plates, but I'm a little confused about the sippers. What I've done to start preparing myself is that I have forced myself to have a protein shake for my breakfast every morning. This is what I am going to have to do after surgery, so I figure I might as well get used to it now. I'm glad I'm doing it, because these shakes take some serious getting used to. :biggrin: The first day it took me three hours to choke them down. I have Walden Farms chocolate syrup, but honestly it makes it taste worse. Anyone have some flavoring ideas? The other thing I'm working on is not drinking with my meals, and not for an hour afterwards. That's tough. Next on my list is learning tiny bites of food. And to buy Gas-X strips because I've seen enough posts to know I don't want to go without them. It's great to see what others are doing--I especially like creating a list of foods I'll be able to have for each stage-It'll keep me from living on Crystal Light and applesauce!

Hi Neener! Pleased to "meet" your aquaintance! Good luck this Wednesday. You have to let me know how it goes! I'm so excited for you. And as far as being 30 goes, I just keep telling myself that this surgery is the first step towards the best decade of my life!

Hello everyone! I turned 30 in October (still coming to terms with that fact), and have been married for nearly 5 years and am the mother to one adorable little 4 year old. I'm getting banded on December 21, and I can't wait, as I have 90-some pounds I'd like to lose for good. Glad I found this thread, looking forward to keeping up with all of you!

Me too! If my doc hadn't warned me and it happened to me, I'd be freaking out too!

congrats on being an ex-smoker!!! :thumbup: do you know you potentially gained 14 years of life just by quitting? good for you! that is one of the hardest things anyone can do. keep at it!

my surgeon told me to expect to be tighter in the mornings, and that my stomach will feel looser in the evenings. in fact, he told me that he adjusts for evening, not for morning, and that I probably won't be able to eat for several hours after getting up and that I should only have a protein shake or yogurt as my first meal of the day.

When I edited my signature, I just hit "enter" after each line. Don't know if that's the most scientific way, but it worked! Good luck!

I'm not banded yet, but this whole "who to tell, who not to tell" is driving me crazy. After a lot of thought, I've told my mom, my hubby and a few (3) very close friends, and my boss, because I'm going to need some time off work. They have all been very supportive. Anyone else I'm not planning to tell. If they flat out ask if I've had weight loss surgery, I'm not going to lie; but otherwise, I plan on just telling them I'm restricting my calories and exercising, which will all be true. Plus, I'm afraid that if everyone knew, I'd get a whole lot more questions about why I'm not losing faster, or how long is it supposed to take to start losing, or am I allowed to eat that, etc. Now I may feel differently once I'm banded, but for right now, that's the right choice for me.