Hi! I am having my surgery next week in Toronto and the doctor requires 2 weeks of Optifast prio to surgery. I am so bored of it and have been cheating. I know I should follow it but I dream of food all the time. Has anyone else had this problem? I know it is only for 2 weeks but for me it is too difficult...

Any suggestions? Thank you!:help:

Sorry to be brutally blunt, but you've asked for help.

Try to remember why you are doing this.

You have paid a lot of money for this procedure.

You are having surgery.

This is no joke.

This is not about cheating.

This is about your health.

You are doing this preop diet to shrink your liver, among other reasons, and it makes a huge difference to the surgeon and the safety of your surgery.

I know that the pre-op diet is hard, but stick with it. I'm on the post-op liquid diet now and it's just as hard (to me) as the pre-op diet except if I cheat I could risk hurting my band and recovery so I have an extra incentive to stick to it. So, if you are truly committed and want to see results and have a safe surgery and recovery you'll have to try to push your way through it. We all have issues with food and I'm sure we all struggled with the pre-op diet too (I struggled a lot in the beginning, but I got through it). Stay on track. It'll be worth it. The surgeon said my liver was great and my surgery and recovery has gone extremely well.

Good luck on your progress and surgery! You can do it.

Thanks Alex. You are very right. I will remember what you said to me for the next 7 days whenever I feel like eating something other than Optifast or steamed veggies.

Appreciate your blunt reply!!

hi lillcat i to will be banded on nov28th . it is very hard stay positive and remember the whole reason why you are doing this. if you need any help we are there for you . good luck

thanks for you kind words puppy. How are you dong on your pre-op diet?

i am giving it my best shot. if i could survive on a specialty diet i would not need to be banded. but i will stay positive and persivere.thanks

That Optifast diet is damn hard!!

I was so sick of the taste of aspartame.........

Thank god for the veggies. I would make the worlds largest bowl of grilled veggies for dinner.

you can do it, the optifast diet did seem to get easier as I went along.....

Best wishes on your journey

Hi,

Just saw you post about the liquid diet. Any suggestions on how to plan a day of the liquid diet. I had a 3 day trial of this and it was tough. I don't think I planned well enough. And what I did have (like tomatoe soup) had way too much sodium in it. Any suggestions for me?

Jlw

If you are talking about the post-op full-Fluid stage, then look into the Gardennay Soups - there doesn't seem to be as much sodium and they have more Protein in them. Really though, I'd go back to the Optifast - I didn't and I think it slowed my progress. Our clinic recommended that for one more week post-op, supplemented by the other full fluids.

Cindy

and to make beef broth soup taste much better, add a few drops of A1 to the soup...mmmm...yummy...for broth,anyway. makes it taste like actual steak juice!

<p>I know it is hard. I did it for 3 weeks and never cheated once. Not because I was so strong willed but because I was terrified of losing the state of ketosis. After a miserable forst 3 days it is way easier as the hunger honestly goes away. </p> <p> </p> <p>As for liquid phase... I had a lot of heinz Tomato soup as it was the only one I like. The Gardenay Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup was great too.</p>

Hi all,

I too am on my preop diet for 2 weeks, this is day 3 .... I did have a slice of toast which I know I shouldn't have but am just pushing forward and trying to be as strict as possible. EVeryone is right, we are paying alot of $ for this and we do really want to see results and become healthier.

I found that with lots of ice in the blender the chocolate Optifast isn't bad at all......

best of luck to those getting banded Nov 28, I am Nov 27 so we can stick together and support each other.

Liz

Optifast

Our doctors differ slightly in the pre-op diet.

The GOAL is to shrink the fatty liver so that the surgeons have less to 'work around' remember that the stomach lies under the liver... and that the liver is a very large organ.

So now you know why it is important.

If the optifast is nasty try MY doctors pre-op diet.

Non-fat or 1% Cottage cheese, non fat sugar free yogurt, now of these things you don't have to weight or measure, if your hungry eat it...

I especially liked Cottagecheese mixed with sweetner of choice and cinnamon... pretty good.

another bandster said he got through it by mixing MUSTARD with his cottage cheese (I havn't tried it)

and Yogurt, well I've always liked it...

I went to Toronto Lap Band Centre and Dr. Yau has done 1000's of these proceedures in Canada and this is the diet we all followed.

If we really rebelled then the Nutritionist would let us have broiled chicken breast(no fat in prep.) and green salads in addition to the yogurt and cot. cheese

I hope this helps and that the time you wait for your surg goes quickly...

Hang in there, you'll be so happy on day of surg when you are down those BONUS lbs.

Trust me

Lilycat, like you I'm currently on my pre-surgery diet of Optifast (Dr. Mumford, SLWC). They only had one box of vanilla so I've had that for 6 days along with my steamed veggies (I have a new appreciation for brussel sprouts! Who knew!?!) I found that adding a bit of almond extract to the Optifast made it taste sooooo much better! (Avoid mint extract or it will taste like Milk of Magnesia YUCK!!) Since the clinic didn't have enough Optifast for the duration of my pre-op diet, they told me to go on Slimfast shakes, so as of yesterday that's what I've been taking. The chocolate one is excellent.

Fortunately for me, I reached ketosis on day 2 of my Optifast diet and I haven't been craving food, but boy have I ever been tired!! These drinks don't give you much in the way of energy.

My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, November 20th so I don't have much longer to wait now! Hang in there, Lilycat, and do the best you can... it will all be worth it in the end!!

I hear what you are saying, and I hear what everyone else is saying, but do not be too hard on yourself. I am sure a few people have cheated (me included), but remember why you are doing this and keep reading the postings, I found they help. By the way, I have lost pounds since August - not too bad. Just remember to get right back on that horse again. Good luck !