Ok July Bandsters was a great success and I was so thrilled to watch everyone's progress and immediate results that I thought we should start a thread for September Bandsters to share

I'm excited and yet apprehensive at the same time as I'm sure eveyrone has been. I start my presurgery diet next week (high Protein, low carb). I was only 37 BMI so they told me to hold off until I got approval! On September 7 is my preop. I also think that's the day I start the preop liquid diet?

Feel free to add yourself and we'll keep track together!

Winifred Sept 17

Ok...so I've been reading all sorts of posts on LBT. Now I am worried about saggy skin and bat wings! I know that ultimately I want to lose weight for better health, but I can't help being fearful that after reaching my goal I'll look like a shar pei!

Does anyone else feel this way??

I am so scared about that! I told my dr and he said, "well, keep the weight off a year and we will bring you in for a tummy tuck". I have had 3 pregnancies and my last was a twin preg so who knows what my stomach is going to look like! I right now weigh exactly what I did when I delivered my twins! That is horrible, lol. A shar pei is probably an accurate description

I am so excited! I am no longer penciled in for the 12th I am on the surgery schedule! I have my pre-op appt on Tuesday with the surgeon and meet with anesthesia that afternoon. I can't wait to get this 'pre-band' stuff over with. It will be cool to have a group of people going through this together!

My banding with plication is scheduled for Sept 14, like many of you. I start my 2 week preop high protein low carb diet on Sept 1. I had to have a nuclear stress test due to age and it came back great and my insurance is medicare so that is no problem as my bmi is 45. So excited to get it off once and for all and enjoy getting my life back. Whatever it takes is worth it.

I had all my pre-op testing and started my liquid diet Wednesday the 24th. The liquid diet isn't going as bad as I thought it would. I am very grateful that I can have sugar free popsicles because they are sooo good and are helping get me through this! I do really miss my daily diet pepsi though. I didn't think it was going to be this hard to give that up. I too, am concerned about saggy skin when all is done and over...

Anyone have any recommendations for their liquid diets? I started mine today and prepped by buying Muscle Milk light in Banana Creme powder and premade Chocolate Milk. I've tried both now, and they're both OK, but they just leave this nasty after taste in your mouth that last for hours. It's taste like I've been licking a stamp all day, it just grosses me out. I don't know what else to turn to. I like Slim Fast, but I can't find the low carb version anywhere! I don't even know if their low carb ones are any good either...When I go to the slimfast website to suggestions where I can buy their low carb shakes, none of them sell it or are out of stock. *bangs head on table*

Anyone have any recommendations for their liquid diets? I started mine today and prepped by buying Muscle Milk light in Banana Creme powder and premade chocolate Milk. I've tried both now, and they're both OK, but they just leave this nasty after taste in your mouth that last for hours. It's taste like I've been licking a stamp all day, it just grosses me out. I don't know what else to turn to. I like Slim Fast, but I can't find the low carb version anywhere! I don't even know if their low carb ones are any good either...When I go to the slimfast website to suggestions where I can buy their low carb shakes, none of them sell it or are out of stock. *bangs head on table*

The bottles of Isopure don't have any carbs and are 40 grams of Protein and 160 calories. They are a pretty good size. The are like fruit flavors not a shake but they are sort of pricey. I think $2.99 a bottle. I haven't tried the powder Isopure but the bottled ones are nice to mix in with drinking shakes too. I like the apple melon and the blue raspberry but the alpine punch was horrible. Also, EAS Myoplex (I think that is the brand) makes a low carb ready to drink. It is an okay taste too. Good luck!

I tried the Isopure shakes as well - the powdered one. I don't particularly like it, I think the vanilla one is thin and watery and bleech. I think I am going to go for an unflavored powder next, and just add it to my juice, maybe blend it with ice to make my own shake.

In terms of pre-made shakes, I like the World-Wide Pure Protein shakes - 4 carbs/100 cal per 11 oz can. I have been picking those up at Trader Joe's.

Anyone have any recommendations for their liquid diets? I started mine today and prepped by buying Muscle Milk light in Banana Creme powder and premade chocolate Milk. I've tried both now, and they're both OK, but they just leave this nasty after taste in your mouth that last for hours. It's taste like I've been licking a stamp all day, it just grosses me out. I don't know what else to turn to. I like Slim Fast, but I can't find the low carb version anywhere! I don't even know if their low carb ones are any good either...When I go to the slimfast website to suggestions where I can buy their low carb shakes, none of them sell it or are out of stock. *bangs head on table*

My dietitian recommended Ensure High Protein. They are new and in a bigger bottle than the regular Ensure and only come in chocolate and homemade vanilla. I've tried the chocolate and like it a lot. It is a bit sweet, but actually quite yummy. They have 25 grams of protein and not too many calories.

I tried the Isopure shakes as well - the powdered one. I don't particularly like it, I think the vanilla one is thin and watery and bleech. I think I am going to go for an unflavored powder next, and just add it to my juice, maybe blend it with ice to make my own shake.

In terms of pre-made shakes, I like the World-Wide Pure Protein shakes - 4 carbs/100 cal per 11 oz can. I have been picking those up at Trader Joe's.

The Isopure I am talking about comes in bottles, not powdered and they are more like uncarbonated soda. That's the easiest way to describe them I guess . It is the only ones I have found not like a shake.

Day 3 of liquid pre op diet. Lost 4 pounds. Still a little hungry but keeping my goal in mind. Friday night family dinner at mom's. I had protein shake and chicken broth while they had eye round and potatoes. I was ok with it. Going tomorrow for nails, feet and color and cut. Want to look pretty for my surgery. Can't stand the idea of the anesthesiologist looking down at my roots. Haha. Sept 2 next Friday. Will be here before I know it.

My surgery is September 1. I have started the low carb hi protein diet as well. I too am excited and a little scared. surgery complications are a bit scary, gas they use to inflate your stomach a bit scary but most of all that I don't fail. I have read so many positive results but the the ones that struggle make me nervous.

I buy the regular vanilla Protein shake powder from Walmart or costco, mix with milk and beat with an immersion blender. It gets foamy, a little like

a milk shake and I think it's great. I've been using it for years for weight control, (doesn't seem to have worked all that well. :>). But it does taste good.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been super busy prepping for Hurricane Irene. Thanks so much for all your advice guys

My doc recommended too that I could take Isopure but I didn't know if I'd like it. Something about watered down drinks that grosses me out. I'm very picky with flavor. I hate diet anything, soda, lemonade, snapple, Vitamin Water, etc. They just have a gross after taste, that it's not worth drinking for me. I've never really focused on stuff like this before because I'm generally a water girl, I was never much of a soda and juice drinker, but now that I have to be on a liquid diet it's stressing me out, because I feel like gagging afterward. That Ensure High Protein sounds awesome by the way, but they said I can't have it I got to stick to my list.

Good news though. As I was prepping for my hurricane supplies I stumbled upon Glucerna, which happens to be on my list of approved liquid diet drinks. I bought a pack, and they're GREAT. Really creamy, no weird after taste, just all out good. They remind me a lot of slim fast shakes, which for me is a good thing.

I was so disappointed with muscle milk.....

.

I found some vanilla caramel swirl protein powder today at my local grocery store(HyVee). I got it home and tried it and YUM, YUM!!! I just mixed it with slim milk and it tasted so good! I'm on day 4 of my liquid diet and have lost 9 pounds. I"m happy with that. It's a good start.