Hi guys,

So I'm a newbie here, my surgery date is this Thursday 8/15 (God willing) and surgeon's nurse called me yesterday to advise me that I should be on the Clear liquids only and no longer on the slim fast/protein shake diet!!!!! Now I know most of this is all mental but I am gonna need a little bit more than willpower to pull this off. Due to the fact that I haven't loss much during the Protein shake phase of my protein diet (b/c I deviated from the program quite a bit) but I have been walking in the mornings when I can, so now I gotta put the pedal to the metal. Basically all my "menu" items consist of till Thursday are unsweetened tea, Jello, veg/chick/beef broth, SF popsicles and Gatorade. Can I get some suggestions on how I can make it through without falling off the plan??????

I had my lapband placed yesterday and I'm just starting the Clear liquid regimen. Have you tried Crystal Lite? I get the "on the go" packets and keep in my purse to change boring water into lemonade (my favorite) but they have other flavors. Also, you can find some of the fruit flavored waters in the grocery store, Propel comes in a multi-pack of bottles. I guess they start patients at different diet levels based on BMI's as I didn't have dietary limits prior to the procedure. I've been such a diet "Yo-Yo" all my life and just last year had lost 50 lbs and have gained 22 of it back. At 65 I've tried just about everything.

Thanks imonemailn, those are some great suggestions that I'll look into....especially the crystal light. I believe the dietary restrictions are definitely based bmi. I've been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I can remember...most recently I had lost like 30lbs and kept it off for a couple of months and gained back like 40 :-(

Hi Smiley. Here's the best suggestion I can give you. The preop diet is not about losing weight, it's about shrinking the liver. If you are not following the diet, you might find yourself waking up from surgery without the band. If your liver is still too fatty, the surgeon might not band you. We all have the same issue as you do...will power and control. If we had it, we wouldn't be fat. I'm not trying to be mean here but you need to understand that if you are cheating already, you may not succeed. Think about why you are being banded, and how it will make your life better. Focus on that and follow the rules and I guarantee you that a year from now, you will be a different person. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Thanks gowalking for the words of wisdom. I actually had to self-reflect and thought the same thing...I thought if I can't keep to this diet who's to say that I would keep to it when in banded ???ž. I will definitely stick to this for the next few days until the surgery. I cannot afford not to! Thanks for responding!

Thanks gowalking for the words of wisdom. I actually had to self-reflect and thought the same thing...I thought if I can't keep to this diet who's to say that I would keep to it when in banded 😞. I will definitely stick to this for the next few days until the surgery. I cannot afford not to! Thanks for responding!

That's the attitude that will make it work for you my dear. Read the success stories on this forum. They will inspire you as they have inspired me. I'm just like everyone else on this forum..struggling daily with temptation. The band works by satisfying your hunger just enough to take a moment to decide not to eat something you shouldn't or to make a healthier choice. That's all there is to it believe it or not.

And just so you are aware, I've been banded since January 14th and including my preop diet, have lost 79 lbs. so far. My BMI has gone from just over 50 to 35. That means I've gone from morbidly obese to just plain overweight. No one stares at me anymore. No one makes comments anymore. I wouldn't go back to the way I was for all the tea in China...or all the food I used to be able to stuff into my face. Again, good luck to you and keep us posted.

I definitely will keep you guys posted on my results :-) congratulations on your weight loss...I look to people like you as inspiration! I'm starting with a bmi of 45 but know that it won't stay that way.

So I wanted to update my fellow BAND-mates that my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and just got the call from the doctor's office to confirm my surgery! I am a ball of emotions; I'm feeling stressed, I'm feeling excited to embark on this new chapter of my life, I'm definitely anxious and nervous. I think that's enough emotions for now....lol.

So....as far as my progress on this clear liquids diet goes...I'll say that I've made great progress! I'm down 8lbs, been working out every morning for about 45-50mins just doing cardio at the gym. The doctor's nurse asked how much I lost and i told her, she said that was great :-D

The hunger has become very tolerable for me as my cravings were mostly mental. I know it's cliche to say but really you will never know your strength until you push yourself.

Thank u guys for your responses. It helped a lot!

Final Weightloss on pre op (Protein shakes then clear liquids introduced on 8/9) before my surgery today is 10lbs. I'll take it lol :-)

Getting myself ready! Have a wonderful and blessed day :-)