My surgeon wants me to be 275 from 318 before my oct. 1st date. I think that's pretty impossible, so I'm wondering what everyone's preop weight loss was. First two weeks I was down 11lbs, now I am down another 7lbs. So I'm at 300. Is this even possible to be 275 before surgery? I'm worried that I will have to push my surgery back and I really don't want to. ????

Juicy,

I can't speak for your surgeon as far as why he is demanding those types of numbers other than he wants to be sure you shrink your liver for your safety during surgery. It isn't safe however for you to lose 25lbs in 3 weeks.. NOT AT ALL, I would have him recalculate or tell him he is nucking futs and that you are about to find another surgeon. Even with the sleeve I lost 21 ish in 4 weeks, and that was living off of about 500 calories a day and working out about an hour six days a week. In order to lose a lb of fat, you have to burn 3500 calories, at around your weight, you burn 2300 calories just being alive, you would literally have to work out 8 hours a day, every day until surgery to lose the amount he is asking. Additionally, you want to be hydrated for surgery because you will not be able to drink very much initially and it helps with your recovery. You can easily gain 3-5 lbs of Water weight by making sure you are adequately hydrated.

Keep up the good work and if that man doesn't want to do your surgery after all the work you have put in and results you have gotten, find someone else.

From Jan 30 to they announced my surgery date - 10 pds on medically supervised diet - by pcp

Two weeks prior to surgery was told to loose 7 pds by surgery check in July 23, they rescheduled surgery to July 19; 4 days earlier and I had lost a total of 8 pds in the 8 or 9 days (includes clean out)

Edited September 9, 201412 yr by Jordan861

I did not lose any weight pre op. My BMI went down. I had the sleeve on Aug.25 I have only lost 3lbs. I was really getting down but I have lost inches

I started my own diet pre op last year on 8/1/13. At the start I weighed 316lbs. On my first visit to my surgeon I weighed 308lbs. I did have to go on a 10 day liquid diet pre op but it was a liver shrinking diet only, my surgeon never gave me any set number of pounds I had to lose. On my surgery date I weighed 283. So in just shy of three months ( surgery date of 10/21/13) I lost 33 lbs, including two weeks on liquids. Each surgeon has their own guidelines and rules. I do agree with a poster above who said your surgeon's requirements seem a bit extreme though. That is an aweful lot to lose in a short amount of time, especially since you haven't even had the surgery yet!

I don't understand why these surgeons are asking people to lose this kind of weight prior? Some of us struggle with that so much. Which is why we need the surgery for help. Be proud of yourself for what you have lost. I couldn't have done it. My surgeon put me on a high protein liquid diet about a week and a 1/2 before date. And even then I could have 4oz of meat everyday and veggies. No set amount of weight. I lost only 9 lbs. I agree you should confront him on this matter and remind him there are other surgeons that would love to accept your business.

My doctor wanted me down by 65 pounds before surgery. I started mid February and had surgery late June 85 pounds lighter. I didn't think I could do it, but I did. I cut all dairy, starches and most fruit. I ate high protein/low carb.

You can do it!

I started in my program at 312 and went to the hospital at 294 (so they tell me). For the entire time (six months) I basically lost and gained the same 10 lbs. Only when I went on the pre-op diet two weeks before surgery did I get down to the 294. So on that diet I lost 18 lbs. This was not a liquid diet either, but what was basically Atkins phase 1 (High Protein, low carbs lots of delicious steak. LOL!). Before the program I lost 23 lbs when I realized my scale said "ERROR" instead of a weight (because the scale only weighed up to 335).

My surgeon said for me to lose weight before surgery. I was 235 when I started the 14 day preop diet. I lost 15 pounds. He was fine with that thank goodness.

I lost 96 pounds pre-op, but that's what I wanted. I wanted to get down to a healthy weight as fast as I could, so I went from 349 to to 253. I went through a lot of things for getting healthy including a complete heart work up because I was having some troubles. two sleep studies, and I'm on chemo for RA. so I had to time it around that as well. often times, they want to make sure that you can stick to a sensible diet prior to your surgery, so that they know this will be a good situation for you.

My surgeon required a loss of 5% body weight before surgery. I lost 22 pounds in 16 days preop.....9% of my total body weight. 3 Protein shakes/day and leafy green veggies only.

How long did you have total to lose 43 pounds, because that's 13% of your total body weight and quite a task.

Edited September 16, 201411 yr by Kindle

My doc did not ask for any loss or diet prior. He was focused on the insurance which disnt get thru til last minute. So he scheduled fast before they changed their so called minds again.

The bariatric clinic I went too has a requirement that the patient must loose five pounds before surgery, also your insurance will sometimes demand such requirements as well to pay for the surgery. The doctor there had me start the liquid/product diet a good month and half before the surgery. I lost a total of 30 pounds before surgery. I started at 397 and surgery morning I was 367. All they want you to do is to shrink your liver, and the best way for that is by loosing weight. Shrinking your liver makes it way easier for them to get in there to do the surgery. If the liver doesn't shrink it makes it way harder for the surgeon to do the surgery and the possibility that the liver will bleed when they pick it up. A bleeding liver is not good at all. My suggestion would be to stick with the diet they have you on and the surgeon will be happy with any weight loss you do before surgery. Over all it makes it easier on them and you as well. Wishing you the best!

I was told to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks to shrink my liver and show commitment to making a change. I lost 13. 25 in three weeks seems unsafe.

I lost 10 lbs on my 2 week liquid preop. Made me really happy!

My surgeon requires a 5-10% loss depending on your BMI. I was at the higher end so I'm currently trying to lose 38lbs before mid-October.

It's been extremely tough because I had a big trip last weekend (3 day music festival) and then I'm going to Vegas for 3 days the end of the month. I think after Vegas, I'll put myself on a modified liquid plan (2 shakes, lean meat for dinner and green veggies and cucumbers for snacks).