Hi there,

I just want to know why is the pre-op diet so important? What happens if I don't make it all 7 days????

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Why is the pre-op diet so important? What happens if I dont make it all 7 days?

te pre op diet is for shrinking ur liver so the doctor cand get the band in. if he doesnt have the room to work he will either cut u wide open or just close u up and cancel surgery.

ONE WEEK.... I have to do TWO WEEKS... It's not too bad, I'm almost done, band date is next Tue 6/17/08. Good luck to ya!

Honestly, with all due respect, if you can't make it 7 DAYS on a restricted diet, I would NOT get the lap band. Your whole life is going to change, and I'm not positive you have the will power to make that change, if you can't do something for 7 days. Please do as much research as you can, in order to see if this is something for you. Take care.

Edited June 13, 200818 yr by larinshine

I agree with larin, it is a commitment that you should be 100% in - if you can't make it 7 days what's to say your not going to cheat afterwards and affect results? Yes alot of people cheat afterwards but I meant post op which is the critical time after banding

I agree if 7 days sounds overwhelming to you I worry about the band being right for you. I also wonder why your surgeon didn't explain the diet to you and the reason behind it. When I was told it was to shrink my liver to make things go easier and safer and if I DIDN'T shrink the liver some, the surgery could be canceled I was focused 100%. It sucked don't get me wrong but it was a "MUST DO" before surgery so I did. I had to do 14 days and a co-worker had to do 30. After everything I went through to get to the point of having a surgery date I sure as heck wasn't going to flub up 14 days before I went in!!! Good-Luck to you

Honestly, with all due respect, if you can't make it 7 DAYS on a restricted diet, I would NOT get the lap band. Your whole life is going to change, and I'm not positive you have the will power to make that change, if you can't do something for 7 days. Please do as much research as you can, in order to see if this is something for you. Take care.

Very good point 7 days is nothing compared to a lifetime of new eating habits.....

Everyone worries 'what if' and honestly none of us know what it will truly be like afterwards. Both of my friends who've had it have told me that being on the liquid and restricted diet post-op is easier than pre-op because you're not as hungry. It is still a shock of course I would imagine.

And I must say that while I am sure meant to be helpful the 'is the lapband for you, are you really ready' comments really do come across and condescending. I have no doubt this website is full of people made to feel like useless pieces of $%^& all their lives about their weight. So we need to be supportive of each other, not holier than thou. And not all doctors are the same and the poster might not have had it explained

So to pre-op dieters here is my message - WE CAN DO IT!

OK everyone, let us focus on the positive....

I am so happy that I did my best pre op because...my surgery was 30 minutes of me sleeping and the doc said it went great...so loosing that weight really did help me be the healthiest I could be going into surgery...

Post op...is not that easy always...you just keep trying and stay focused....so be good to yourself...follow doc's orders...and relax....it is all good!

Hang in there!

i never had a pre-op diet. i was only told to start clear liquids the day before, So i guess all docs have different reasons

Okay Greythope, I understand the fear that someone has been made to feel bad their whole life because of weight. However, if you're surrounded by overweight people on this site, don't you think that's the PERFECT place to get honest advice? Please don't say I came off sounding "holier than thou" because I'm far from it!!

I, and I'm sure you, didn't get this way by sticking to diets. However, I know that the lap band can make you feel very "ick" (PB, Sliming) if you don't stick to a fairly strict regimen. If someone can't do it for 7 days, how are they going to be successful in the long run?? Come on, let's be honest with each other...not sugar coat what we're all thinking. I think the pre-op diet is where we should be asking ourselves, "Are we truly ready for this commitment to become the person we really are inside?"

Hi Folks,

It was suggested to me at my office visit that I try to drop 40 pounds to shrink my fatty liver to decrease the size... the surgery will be better with a smaller liver. They didn't care what diet, just try to get it done. I have decided the low carb...hi protein diet is the best for me. I've had one weigh-in visit that counted so I've got 5 more to go. I believe I can make it in 5 months. Anyone have a different suggestion?

doing hi Protein and low carbs is perfect for shrinking the liver. I am glad you are thinking so positively about it. Good luck with everything.

A lot of people don't even realize if they dont stick to their pre op diet they might sabatage their own surgery. The liver is over top of the top of the stomach where the band needs to be placed and if the liver is too hard to move out of the way, you may wake up after the operation with a bunch of incisions but no band and have to do the diet all over again.

So to everyone in this diet stage...be positive and think about getting that band

Okay Greythope, I understand the fear that someone has been made to feel bad their whole life because of weight. However, if you're surrounded by overweight people on this site, don't you think that's the PERFECT place to get honest advice? Please don't say I came off sounding "holier than thou" because I'm far from it!!

My only worry would be some people would feel even more hopeless. Sort of like 'oh my God I surrounded by overweight people who haven't been able to lose and keep weight off and I am an even bigger LOSER than them, it's hopeless!' But yeah people need to know the whole whole truth since this isn't a cure-all for someone who goes from eating a bucket of chicken to the band to getting fabulously skinny overnight.

You're right about the tough love of course - we all need a dose of it sometimes. It's just harder online because genuine care in our voices can't be heard when you write things.

Anywho I had my surgery yesterday. I did ok on pre-op diet minus my birthday. But surgeon said it was a text-book operation so I get all was well.

However even better than surgery prep, the beauty of the diet is to realise how wonderful I felt eating not only low calorie but high Protein. Day three I realised it was like I was detoxing. So the pre-op diet is giving me the inspiration and happy boost to keep this eating up.

PS sorry for the holier than thou comment. It's just in my nature to take up for people even if they don't want/ need it

Today is the first day of my pre-op diet. Doc wants me on 400 calories per day (liquid). Surgery is scheduled for Monday, June 23. I was told the same - shrink my liver to make band placement easier and to reduce the time that I'm under anethesia. 10 days - no problem. You can do it to.