Hi everyone,

I am booked in to get my lap band in about 7 weeks, so in a month I will be on optifast. I am nervous that I will be constantly starving until I recieve my first few fills. I am over weight because I eat alot and am often hungry so I dont know how I will get through, especially the optifast stage. I have tried those food replacement shakes before with no success, if we could follow those diets we wouldn't need the lap band! How did you get through? I am concerned that I will pay all this money for this operation but wont be able to follow the rules.

Thanks for listening, I would love to hear about your experiences coping with these matters.:help:

I have to be honest, I wasn't able to follow it to the T for sure. 2 days before my surgery, I had a nice big steak with mashed potatos. I did loose 12 lbs first to help with my liver, but I started my diet too early, so it was hard.

I do have a problem with my liver being slightly enlarged due to fatty tissue. That is why I am so concerned about the optifast stage, I need to do it successfully so that I can have the operation done by keyhole surgery. I do not want to be completely cut open.

I asked my doc about if the liver was large, would they cut me open. They assured me that they would not cut me open and that it would be fine. You're only 2 years older than me and they let me know that at our age, we recover wonderfully.

I do have a problem with my liver being slightly enlarged due to fatty tissue. That is why I am so concerned about the Optifast stage, I need to do it successfully so that I can have the operation done by keyhole surgery. I do not want to be completely cut open.

Much of this depends on surgical skill. My doc has done 1600+ bands, does not have a BMI limit (his highest was between 90 and 100) and he's never converted to an open procedure. Never had a band patient die either. So if you can't lose weight and your doc won't do the procedure, find someone who can. As my doc says, you can't get only the easy procedures.

Thank-you for your replies. For the record I have a BMI of about 40. I weigh just under 115kg and am about 168cm.

Thank-you for your replies. For the record I have a BMI of about 40. I weigh just under 115kg and am about 168cm.

How long do you have to be on Optifast? Is this an MD requirement or insurance? Many of us have a large liver, it's because we are fat. :cry

Above and beyond everything, cut out carbs! That will make your body burn the glycogen in your muscles and liver and that will make your liver MUCH less slippery. If you find that you can't do the liquid diet, call your nut or your MD and see if they will accept low carb, low fat, adequate Protein. Many do.

But try the liquid stuff first, you might just surprise yourself. You are not a mega high BMI so they might be inclined to let you do that.

I have to be on optifast for three weeks, not because of my insurance, my surgeon gets all his patients to do optifast.

Ask the Dr, if you can do 2 shakes a day and then a low fat, low calorie dinner.

Not all fat people have a fatty liver, but if they know you do, then it would be wise to follow the pre-op diet.

I believe your Dr would prefer if you are going to "cheat" that you at least eat healthly low fat, low calorie and avoid sugar.

The smaller your liver the better for your surgeon. Would you like to be the surgeon and be worried about nicking your liver during surgery?

Just because Justin's Dr wasn't going to do an "open" procedure doesn;t mean your Dr won't.

If you are unable to stick to a low calorie diet before the surgery, then how will you handle the period after the surgery and BEFORE you get good restriction?

I followed it to the t. My dr. said they would not do the surgery if I didn't loose enough ahead of time. You heal better and you'll already loose weight ahead of time which will be motivating to you. I had cravings for saltine crackers for like 5 days and called my doctors office and they said go ahead and eat a couple to satisfy the craving and then I was fine. I lost 16lbs in 10 days and felt very good going into surgery. You stop craving sugary foods in just a few days. ALso I was so motivated to just get the rest of my life started. Good luck

I have to agree with the last post! the day of my surgery, about 4 medical people asked me what exactly I had eaten...luckily, I had followed the diet to the letter...because the last lady who asked me said he absolutely would not operate on someone who had eaten in the last week or so because it shows you are NOT compliant with the program and are unwilling to follow the rules! Try the opti fast! You will lose so much weight and feel so proud of yourself! PLUS, you WILL get used to it in a few days. Get as much weight off now as you can so you have a great recovery and can begin the rest of your life in health!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! I know I had fears like yours and I was just not hungry after my surgery during the liquid stage, mushies, etc. YOU CAN DO IT! YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY YOU DID!!! GO FOR IT!!!

My doctor USE to require his patients to do the liquids before the surgery, but they found that most people couldn't stick to that.. he said, "hell, I couldn't even be on liquids for 2 days much less two weeks!", so he has everybody do Phase one of the South Beach diet. He says he gets the same results with that diet as he does by having people do a liquid diet and it shrinks the liver and you lose weight just the same.

Of course, some will probably come on here and snap at me for posting this, and I'm sure you need to follow what your doctor tells you, but this is just what my doctor told me.

In my opinion, I don't see why it's necessary to make people not eat food for 2-3 weeks when they can go on a south beach diet and get the same results. Granted, the South Beach diet is limited, but at least you can have grilled chicken... salad.. veggies.. and stuff like that. Obviously, no bad carbs like breads and such.

I think it's important to get into the mindset of "I am going to do WHATEVER it takesl" especially right before surgery.

So, I did my pre-op liquid diet and I did my Clear Liquids for two weeks post-op and followed instructions exactly as told to do so because I wanted to succeed.

It didn't kill me. No, it wasn't fun either. But, I made it and so have tons of other people. It's a matter of mind over matter and buckling down and getting through it.

You CAN do it!! Besides, my surgeon said the liquid stage was very important but that the calorie-side of things wasn't such a big deal during this stage. He said if you're hungry an hour after your last shake then have another one...just don't eat real food and don't drink junk stuff with a lot of fat, sugar etc. like full fruit juice etc. So, with that in mind I never let myself get starving on the liquids...if I started to feel hungry I went ahead and drank some more Protein Shake.

YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought it would be hard to do without solid food pre-op, but after about the third day, the hunger pains kinda went away. I kept myself busy and didn't think about food all the time. which ain't easy....:faint: