Hello, everyone. I am scheduled to have the lap band surgery on November 28th. I am having the surgery done at the Molding Clinic in Tijuana. I am so excited and ready to get off this merry-go-round of dieting and re-gaining. I'm not sure how much I weight right now, but it is probably around 220. I am 5'6. I need to lose around 70 pounds, and it seems so insurmountable right now. I have two questions...

1) I have read about a pre-surgery diet. Is this normal? My patient coordinator has not mentioned anything.

2) I am ADDICTED to diet coke. Should I try to wean myself off it now, or after the surgery?

I look forward to hearing from you all...

Diane,

I'm getting banded on November 18th in Little Rock, AR. I've been reading about the pre-surgery diet also, and my doctor said that it wasn't necessary. I have decided to try to start on some Slim Fast shakes though to get used to the liquid diet that follows surgery. Also, I am a Diet Coke addict!!! My doctor told me that a few weeks after surgery I can drink them if my band agrees with them. I do have to put them over ice though. I'm going to try to give up the Diet Coke before surgery though. I gave them up for a long time a few years ago when I was dieting and replaced them with Water and I lost 80 pounds. Well, then I started drinking more Diet Cokes than water and the weight came back. I think that Diet Cokes cause you to crave all of the bad stuff, like sweets. I suggest that you start weening yourself off of them so that you won't have caffeine headaches. I work in a drug rehab and our patients cannot have caffeine while they are in treatment since it is a drug and they have SEVERE headaches.

Well, keep in touch and let us know how your doing?

Darla

Hi Diane,

WoW! Nov 28th is fast approaching! To answer your questions, not everyone is required to follow a pe-surgery diet. Most of the time, surgeons require patients that weight above 250 pounds to follow a specific diet.

And about the diet cokes... if you feel the need to stop this consumption now, then do so. You certainly will not be able to do this after surgery - so enjoy them while you can! Good luck!

I am going to give up diet coke and wine aftermy surgery. I'm looking at it as an opportunity to "detox" my body of all the nasty stuff I've been giving it. I can't believe you lost so much weight giving up diet coke! I have heard that-I'm thinking of all the money I'll save-I probably drink 6-8 a day...

Good luck!