Hello -

My two week pre-op diet starts on Thursday, and all that I can think about is what I am going to eat until then. I have mentally made a list of all my favorite pig-out places and want so desperately to hit them all before I start on my shakes.

I know that I am prepared for the band life. I have done all my research, attended support meetings, and lurked here on this site for the last couple of months. I know that I will be fine when I start on the shakes, get banded, and afterward.....it is just these next two days that the little demon in my brain is telling me that I will miss out on volume eating and that I have to get it in now.

Anyone experience this? Am I the only one that is experiencing the sad thought that I won't have the wonderful mental comfort of gorging on something totally delicious?

Just last second cold feet I guess. I am ready for this experience.....just going through a little mental breakdown today!

It is normal...your mind knows that things are about to change so you try and get everything thinking its the end of the world but in reality at some point in the future we will all be able to have these foods just in smaller portions and when we are closer to the goal weight we want and not every day...lol...

I am having the similar experience of calling every meal the last meal and unfortunately not only does my doctor require a pre-op diet but he makes all his patients drop 20lbs prior to the surgery or else he will cancel the surgery. I was having difficulties sticking to the pre-op diet especially since my days are so long and what they ask is beyond even what I think should be normal and i've been a crazy dieter before...so I decided to do a couple of crazy things to get on task so that I can meet the goal....

First- I put all my credit cards in a bag of Water and put it in the freezer so that if I have the urge to go out to dinner or buy something on my way home...its obviously out of the question.

Second- I bought gas cards for the next two weeks...so that I wont need to use my debit card to purchase gas.

Third- I took out 40 dollars to last me from now til surgery date just in case of anything.

Fourth- I gave my parents money to buy all the items I need for after the surgery and they are holding it at their house until the day of the surgery.

Fifth- I cleared out my house of ALL food and have only the exact premeasured amount of everything I need up until the night before the surgery.

So there you go....lol...it might sound crazy but I am trying to cover all my bases...especially since I am a self pay patient the last thing I want is to be told that I cant do my surgery and I have to wait until I have another opportunity to take time off.:blushing::tongue_smilie:

My surgery date is March 26th so i'll just have to stick it out for two weeks...lol

I had the same experience as another poster. My surgeon did not mandate a pre-op diet and I ate many of my favorite meals the week before surgery. The night before I got banded my sister & I ordered pizza and I ended up throwing the last three pieces away. For the first few weeks post-op (while on mostly liquids) I kept asking myself why in the world I did not eat more of that pizza when I had the chance! :blushing:

It has been about seven weeks since my surgery and I am doing well. I admit that I do get frustrated sometimes that I can't eat my old favorite foods, but I think that is normal. The band has defnitely helped me re-evaluate my relationship with food.

Hey sushi ladies! I am so happy to know that I can probably still do a roll but just chew the heck out of it. And sashimi....yum. :drool:Love that, too, especially when it is tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Can't wait to enjoy it more often since it will be much cheaper if I can't finish one roll! :frown:

Hey sushi ladies! I am so happy to know that I can probably still do a roll but just chew the heck out of it. And sashimi....yum. :drool:Love that, too, especially when it is tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Can't wait to enjoy it more often since it will be much cheaper if I can't finish one roll! :frown:

Oh tuna....yum....

Also, the hand rolls work out well. They are easier to handle when aiming for smaller bites. But be careful not to shove half the thing into your mouth at once. :frown:

I'm being banded this Friday and have been trying so hard not to eat too much. I was told that if I gave even a pound prior to surgery they will cancel it!! No pre-op diet necessary but a stern reminder not to pig out and gain weight before. So with that in mind I'm eating what I want but trying not to eat too much of it. Hard to do when you know you won't be able to eat certain things that you love ever again.

By the way, I had sushi last night!!!!!! Yum! Will probably have it again before surgery. It is low calorie if you have the sashimi and watch the content of the rolls and fill up on miso soup!!!!

parisluver - you are very lucky that you don't have to do a pre-op diet. I am now on day 4 on my liquid diet and I feel like my insides are eating themselves. I am so hungry that I can't focus on anything at all and I am very crabby!

The good thing is that I am down 7 pounds!

I just keep telling myself that I only have 10 more days! I know that I can do this...I might be sane at the end of the 10 days, but at least I will have my surgery!

I had several last meals from my first consult to the final consult before surgery. As a result, I gained 9 pounds.. yikes! The surgeon threatened to cancel my surgery if I didn't lose weight on the 10 day liquid diet.

I needed that liquid diet to interrupt my out-of-control eating. I lost 10 pounds in 8 days and got my surgery.

I was told not to have the state-of-mind of the last meal, but for some reason, that didn't take. I wanted a really good steak before I started the liquid diet but I missed that meal. Now I still want a really good steak. But you know what? I'm going to be very ok with a small portion when I get on solid foods again.

Successfully banded on 3/10/10

Erika -

I love your idea of a special night out final meal. I think that I am going to do that also!

I think that mine will be our favorite family pizza restaurant. I have read that for most people traditional pizza is impossible to pass through their pouch without getting stuck. Most everything else I really enjoy seems to be a non-bread or non-Pasta type of food. I don't feel desperate to pack in all of those other items since hopefully they will be something that I can enjoy again (of course in moderation!) once I heal and am allowed solids again.

Pizza it is. Whew...I feel better now just reading your posts. Now that I have a plan I am not as desperate as I was this morning. Thanks for all your comments and support. Crisis over!

I ate my last meal at the buffet at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. I ate like I normally would, but didn't overdo it.

As far as pizza goes, I eat it at least once a week. I can eat regular crust, but it is easier to eat thin crust. I don't have my band really tight, because I like to be able to eat most foods. I also eat bread, if it is whole wheat and toasted, biscuits and I eat whole wheat pasta at least once a week. It all depends on how tight you need your band to be to still be successful.

Hi

Yes I`m exactly the same. My diet starts tomorrow and I just had the most unreasonable grump with my husband because on my last day of free eating he ate the chocolate in the fridge. Poor man I don`t know how he puts up with me. I just know it`ll be worth it in the end, and keep reminding myself that its because I have soooo many favorite foods I`m this size, so I have to do something about it now. Good luck for thursday.:thumbup:

I too had my last suppers several times and I see that it is completely normal. I started weight watchers after my initial consult on Jan 13th and by the time I was approved on Feb 23rd I had lost 8 lbs..soon as I was approved the eating of whatever I wanted started but thankfully I was scheduled for surgery on March 19th, after my results appt on march 9th and surgery was scheduled I started my low carb diet and have lost 5 lbs already. My point is by the time I had eaten so much of what I wanted I was really tired of food the only thing that happen during the first 3 days of low carbing it I had a terrible headache (guess my body went thru withdrawels but I am all good now. Five more days and I will be in band land:)

Congratulations to all of us!!!!!

Oh, I am jealous of those of you with no pre-op diet! I am on shakes right now, but surgery is Thursday and I can't wait. Have lost 12 lbs on pre-op diet...but had gained 4 before going on it in my last meal binges! Mexican! Margaritas! Pizza! Now I have a new mantra: NOTHING tastes as good as being skinny is going to feel!!!!

I think we all pretty much did that. Let's face it, my best friend, my comfort in life, my enjoyment, the thing my day evolved around was about to leave me forever. It was like losing a loved one, but I adjusted. I haven't had a steak or a soda in nearly a year. Steak just isn't worth the work to eat anymore. I can still eat pizza. Must be thin and very crispy. Don't do it much though cause it goes against everything I've done in the past year. I stick to fish and chicken mainly.

So this whole thought process is what has gotten me to where I am now. I am addicted to food and whenever I have been on a self-enforced diet I start missing all the foods I like and feeling as though I am being deprived and punished by the restriction of favorites that I would treat myself to one fun day and then lose control and fall totally off my diet. I so hope to qualify for this procedure so that I can have this tool, and the accountability of the doctor to keep me on track. I am so glad to hear that others struggle with the "last meal syndrome" I have for years put myself down for having this struggle. Thanks to all of you for your honesty.

Yeah it's one of the few addictions in which we still use the drug of choice, food, and are suppose to somehow control ourselves. Believe me, I would of fallen off the wagon months ago if I could. I just can't. Cravings are still there. I just can't over indulge.

I ate my last meal at the buffet at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. I ate like I normally would, but didn't overdo it.

As far as pizza goes, I eat it at least once a week. I can eat regular crust, but it is easier to eat thin crust. I don't have my band really tight, because I like to be able to eat most foods. I also eat bread, if it is whole wheat and toasted, biscuits and I eat whole wheat Pasta at least once a week. It all depends on how tight you need your band to be to still be successful.

I didn't so much have "last supper syndrome" as much as I had a "bucket list" I had a list of things I absolutely HAD to eat before my surgery.

But I also do not have a lot of restriction, and I am losing steadily so far. The irony is that I still can eat those "bucket list" foods, just VERY slowly and in small amounts. I eat those foods rarely now, because I need to get my nutrients in, I have only so much stomach space to do it.

What I learned was that the "last chance" mentality was not really necessary, because I don't really miss eating those foods frequently.

I think the band is changing my mind as well as my body, because I am much more concerned about nutrition now. It makes me put my cravings for certain foods into perspective. Now, what I consider "treating myself" is different. I splurge on organic produce and antibiotic-free meats instead of cake and chips. I never thought I would do that, but there it is! :thumbup: