Hi - It looks like there needs to be a new thread started for those of us who have a lot to lose. Let's share our journeys as it's a different trip than those who have a smaller amount to lose.

I am just starting -- literally -- JUST. I received my surgery date a few days ago -- it will be Sept. 29, 2010. My insurance company has given a pre-approval and is just waiting on the final paperwork to give their stamp of approval. Everything is on track.

I was very surprised and discouraged to find that my doctor would like me to lose 30-40 lbs. BEFORE my surgery. That means in the next 6 weeks, (starting Monday) I need to go on some kind of modified Meal Replacement plan-- slimfast or Optifast or something like that. I have to make that decision over the weekend. Any thoughts? Then, for the last two weeks I'll do a full liquid diet.

Those that have less weight to lose may not even have to do a liquid diet; let alone 4-6 week of it. I was almost ready to cancel the procedure and go with bypass since (obviously) I am not a successful dieter, but after reading so many success stories on this forum, I've decided that I can tough it out for those 6-weeks to get the banding done.

I have nothing to report as far as progress or success but I'm hoping by this time next week, I'll have a little bit of weight loss after 5 days on the Meal Replacements.

If you have started the process, been banded already, and/or have any interesting, helpful, or encouraging input, please share.

Let's make this a place where bigger really is better!

Ive been on a Low Cal diet now for 5 weeks and have lost 34 pounds. The Doc told me thursday that I just need to lose 17 pounds before Surgery.

Hi - I started this thread when I found out what my BMI was back in Aug. (I think) and knew I was going to have to lose some weight before my surgeon would even do the surgery.

(How ironic -- the insurance co said they would qualify me if I was over BMI of 50 and the surgeon wouldn't do it until I got it under 50, they said. Catch 22!)

Well, to make a long story short, I got down enough for the surgeon to place my band -- barely; my final weigh-in was 2 days before and I was just under the line. My band was placed last Wed. 9-29 and so it's a done deal.

Let me just encourage you to keep at it. One thing they told me and I found to be true was that the liquid diet before surgery started to take my focus off food. Every morning when I woke up I knew there would be no "delicious" options, but there would be options that would keep me healthy and strong. So, since the options were only what flavor of Protein shake I would have, I didn't spend my day manipulating my time so I would be able to find opportunities for eating out, dessert, Cookies, etc. That has been a helpful thought process and one I need to continue to train for the rest of my life.

I am not hungry with my band (no fill yet; still some surgical swelling and pain) but that doesn't mean I don't want to eat. Every time I see a commercial or hubby's food, I want it, but knowing it would probably get stuck keeps me on the right track.

I start mushies in a few days and have decided I will need to make a food journal or I'm sure I'll want a mushie dish every hr. (Although, they're small -- about 1/2 c in a serving seems to be what I can handle.)

So, hope that give you a little encouragement to make it through till your surgery date. Besides losing weight, you're learning to rethink eating and if we could do that, we'd be in much better shape and get better use of our band, wouldn't we?

Best wishes -- I'd be happy to answer any questions you have if I can? (I'm posting my questions on another thread, so I sure don't know everything -- even much!)

Debbie

Hi - I started this thread when I found out what my BMI was back in Aug. (I think) and knew I was going to have to lose some weight before my surgeon would even do the surgery.

(How ironic -- the insurance co said they would qualify me if I was over BMI of 50 and the surgeon wouldn't do it until I got it under 50, they said. Catch 22!)

Well, to make a long story short, I got down enough for the surgeon to place my band -- barely; my final weigh-in was 2 days before and I was just under the line. My band was placed last Wed. 9-29 and so it's a done deal.

Let me just encourage you to keep at it. One thing they told me and I found to be true was that the liquid diet before surgery started to take my focus off food. Every morning when I woke up I knew there would be no "delicious" options, but there would be options that would keep me healthy and strong. So, since the options were only what flavor of Protein shake I would have, I didn't spend my day manipulating my time so I would be able to find opportunities for eating out, dessert, Cookies, etc. That has been a helpful thought process and one I need to continue to train for the rest of my life.

I am not hungry with my band (no fill yet; still some surgical swelling and pain) but that doesn't mean I don't want to eat. Every time I see a commercial or hubby's food, I want it, but knowing it would probably get stuck keeps me on the right track.

I start mushies in a few days and have decided I will need to make a food journal or I'm sure I'll want a mushie dish every hr. (Although, they're small -- about 1/2 c in a serving seems to be what I can handle.)

So, hope that give you a little encouragement to make it through till your surgery date. Besides losing weight, you're learning to rethink eating and if we could do that, we'd be in much better shape and get better use of our band, wouldn't we?

Best wishes -- I'd be happy to answer any questions you have if I can? (I'm posting my questions on another thread, so I sure don't know everything -- even much!)

Debbie

congrats on your surgery and your success....i started out with a BMI of 62 myself...