I'm starting the preop diet Monday. I'm actually ready for it as I have stuffed myself for the past three weeks and have literally gained 10lbs! I am going to put everything I have into this preop believing that this is the beginning of my new life and looking at it as a way to clense myself from my past eating life. That being said, I know it will be HARD! Please share with me any tips to help me stay true to my 4 slimfasts per day. Another challenge will be that DH will be out of town next week --good that I don't have to watch him eat--bad that he is my main support system, so I will be going at it alone.

Hi WanaBeThin, I'm pre-band like you and can relate. Thank God for this forum so we don't have to feel ALONE. Post daily for encouragment while your DH is out of town. I don't have any other tips yet, except to say "keep your chin up" and take courage. I just posted about saying goodbye to my old dysfunctional relationship with food (post is "goodbye my lover") if you read it you'll see how I feel about this journey.

We were probably all good dieters, full of resolve, right? What will make this time different? Permanent change this time. Permanent, no turning back (the band won't let you!). Keep doing the next right thing, and looking FORWARD, not back. And keep posting. (((hugs)))

I do remember this was hard. But I also remember that I kept thinking about the reason for it. My Dr had told me that they wanted to shrink my liver before surgery because the less fatty it is the easier it is to do. And from what I have heard the bigger your liver the more chances they will have to open you up to do this surgery. I really wanted to shrink mine so it helped to think about that. Not to say I didnt struggle. But it was my main motivation. Good luck to you. I hope you love your band as much as I love mine.

Thinking of this as the start of a fantastic journey is a good way to begin. It's going to be hard, but it's important. And really, it's not the worst of it. Getting cut and poked around in, stitched up and recovering is like getting hit by a truck.

BUT

IT IS SO WORTH THE EFFORT!

Everything you do in advance of the surgery well will make you only that much more successful in the long run.

Be strong and post on here for support.