I wrote to a bariatric surgeon online, and he told me that as long as I felt there was a chance of losing the weight without surgery, I should try to. He encouraged me to go to the seminar and get all the info as well. He also said that insurance will most likely require me to do a 6-month diet before the surgery, so my plan of signing up for the surgery etc but trying to diet beforehand on my own fits right in. So I am going to try to emulate the lap band diet, including the 2-week liquid diet plan that most people do pre-surgery. I'm going to start tomorrow. Not really looking forward to dieting, but I am very much looking forward to knowing that the lifestyle change is starting. I suspect that in the end I will need the surgery (if I haven't done it in 17 years, can I do it now?), but I am very glad that I will be at least starting and not wasting this resolve.

I have been listening to some self-help tapes for a while now and one of the things the guy says is that in order to make a change, you have to get some leverage on yourself. You have to make it impossible to go one more day in the old ways. So that is it. I am not able to go one more day 135lbs overweight. Granted, this is going to take a while, but I am starting my journey tomorrow!

thanks to all of you who have helped me with info about your diets and surgeries. I really appreciate it. I will be sticking around on this board to let you know how it's going!

Kathleen

Good luck Kathleen. I could always lose on a diet...that was never my problem. I just couldn't keep it off. I'd get hungry and eventually that hunger won. Then I'd get disheartened when I went up a pound or two or three....and eat because I felt doomed. I couldn't face a lifetime of hunger just to be "thin". So while your surgeon is right to a point...(surgery should never be your first choice or option!) ....hang in there if you find it hard. If you don't, good for you! I wish you every success, whichever works for you! :smile:

Thanks for the good wishes. I suspect I am going to need the surgery, but I feel good about giving it one last try. And since I have to give it a good try for the insurance coverage anyway, it all fits together. I think it is going to be very hard, but I am determined to change. I can't live one more day like this, without hope.

You have a great attitude (so many whine about the required 6-month diet...I don't blame them, but whining doesn't help much! LOL...of course easy for me to say I guess since I didn't have to do it) anyway you have a great attitude and I'm sure the band will be a wonderful tool for you, should you decide to get it!

Oh my gosh, restlessmonkey, you hit the nail on the head. That has always been my problem. Sure, I can lose weight if I diet, but if I feel hungry HECK yeah I'm going to eat! So, I know exactly what you are talking about. When I tried Weight Watchers I did okay, but I ALWAYS felt hungry. So, I know what you mean!

PSJ71 do you have a lap band yet, or are you just researching? I'm glad I've found someone else like me!

Unfortunately, no, I don't have the band yet. I have gone to the seminar and found out I don't have to do a 6-month diet though I had to change my appointment with the Bariatric Coordinator from October 16th to November sometime. :embaressed_smile: I have so much going on right now. But, I am hoping at most by the New Year. I'd do it tomorrow if I could. :cool2:

Hi Kathleen,

I am in the position you are in- with eight months to go before I get a date. I started out exercising 6 months ago, and about a month ago was ready to go on a diet similar to post-op.:tt1:

Actually, I may not be going as strict as you are. I'm not planning on cutting portions quickly yet. My body adapts to a cut in calories so fast, and I want to save that for surgery. But I am eating the right things- two Protein shakes a day with meat and veggies for two other meals. I am still eating a few things I won't be able to post op- bread once ot twice a week, fruit from our garden and meat. But I hardly eat potatoes anymore, and I don't drink diet soda or coffee- no caffeine at all.:tt1: I don't eat out, so that isn't a problem.

I crave something sweet almost every day, but the cravings aren't bad most of the time. When they start to really get to me, I eat a candy bar-- very slowly and with relish. :biggrin: I won't be able to eat them much longer, so I am going to enjoy every bite. I only eat one about once or twice a week, so it isn't too bad.

I've already lost 25 pounds- mostly from the exercise. :thumbup: Buy the time surgery conmes around I hope to lose more-- maybe 50 lbs. I should be eating right and just have to cut portions. I hope my exercise means I'll have lots of muscle to burn lots of extra calories so I can lose well after surgery.

I have 230 pounds to lose, so I can't see any way to do it without the band. I can diet and exercise for a year or two, but I have chronic Fatigue and fibro, and it only takes one flare and i start eating sweets and sleeping most of the time and gain the weight back. I'm not likely to be able to go five years without a flare- and that is what it would take to lose my weight now.

Tell us your plan for the next few months. What are you planning to eat, and what will you do if you get a bad day and eat too much or the wrong things?

mindwing

Good for you to getting all the information you need to make an informed decision. In my process I took in that I have lost many pounds but never have been able to keep it off. The lap band is only a tool and will only be effective if YOU have the knowledge and support to pull it off. Best of luck on what ever you choose is the best route for you.

I too am doing the band diet with out the band, or as I like to call it practice for when I am banded. Can I loose weight HELL YES, I can (I just can't keep it off LOL) and that is exactly what I told my PCP when she mentioned WLS. I said I like to eat to much and could loose weight when I was ready. Well my kids helped me get ready this summer and here I am waiting for approval. It should come in the next two weeks.

An way by cutting my portion sizes, stopping all soda, and most fast food I have lost 31lbs so far. Oh yea I chew like I am never going to eat another bite of food. Eating gets boring fast. The only thing I have not done is the liquid diet part, ok so I admit I am terrified of it, but I promiss that as soon as I am approved I will practice it also. I don't need to the two week liquid thing because my bmi was only 43ish. (Now it is almost below 40) I am still going to practice it because I just have such a hard time wrapping my mind around it, and I would like to know exactly how bad it going to be for that first 5-9 days after surgery where all I can have is clear liquid, no protien even till my first post op visit. Sorry this was so long, sometimes I just start to ramble.

Kathleen and MindWing, I relate to both of you. I was wondering about trying diet without band, to see if I could stand the hunger. I also have Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue with my life consisting of pain, sleeping and no life. I am sure though I could go through the flares a little easier without all the weight. I went to Jenny Craig, lost 35 lbs., tried Lyrica for fibro, lost all ambition,couldn't lose more and now have gained 40lbs. Eeek! I feel this will be my only hope. I have to take a step now. I am a basketball with feet, in bed, painfully sleeping. ok. Sense of humor, only thing intact.

Ladies I just want to remind you all...the liquid or "hungry" portion of the band is very short compared to how long you'll have the band. Liquid or preop diets last usually 1-2 weeks, 3 weeks if you have a very high BMI like I did. You stick to it because getting the band is imminent and you want it! Post op you have just had tummy surgery and most people aren't that hungry, and when you are you just tough it out so your band can heal. Then it's on to mushies, soft, and solids. Once you get the right restriction, you don't go hungry and in fact many (get this...)forget to eat. SO If you find the "lap band diet" to be too awful, please don't let it discourage you! Not that I don't think you all are strong willed able women, because I know you are! BUT that's the point of the band, that satiety, that we don't have without it. So by all means, test the waters, try it out, test yourselves! Just remember, having the band will make the "band" diet easier.

Hi RM,

I realize the band will help me with the hunger. That is why I'm not worried much about portion control. The 6 small meals a day will fill me, or I will eat a bit more. I am just getting my body used to the foods I need to eat and breaking all my addictions to empty carbs and such. Learning to sip, sip , sip and chew my food well is another thing I want to do before the surgery. I do hope to lose some weight, but my main goal is to build muscle.

12 years ago I went on a similar diet and got really excited about exercise. I'm not strong enough to enter a contest like I did back then, but I am using the same principles to build all the muscle I can. It would be nice to add 30 pounds of muscle to my bod, but I will be content with whatever I get.

Kathio-- my heart goes out to you. I have so been there. It is so hard. These diseases make such a difference in our lives-- and some days it is all we can do to tpe something on a computer. Maybe we can PM each other? I can't find a way to pm you on this board, but it is probably because I am new and can't find the right button. Hang in there, girl. We will both make it to bandland.

mindwing:shades_smile:

Wow, I guess I am not the only one! :thumbup:

I am having a rough time doing this, so I had to modify it and eat more solid food. I am having up to 4 shakes per day (low carb ones) and then I eat a low carb bar at least once and maybe twice if I feel like I need it. I have also had a salad each day with some Protein on it. I think this is actually not so much the lap band diet but the same diet my nutritionist put me on, with a couple more shakes and fewer carbs, although not that many fewer. :frown:

The thing that has been rough for me is that I am completely fatigued. I feel terrible. My energy level just drops and I am suffering with a terrible headache. I suspect that I got candida again from eating bread and sweets. I had it a few years ago and had to do a very low carb diet with supplements to get rid of it. So I am starting those supplements again to see if they help, because this is miserable. I don't think it's the lower calories that are getting me, it's the reduction in carbs. While the candida dies, it makes you feel like crap for a while. So lots of Water and taking good bacteria and no bread or sweets. Although the last two days I tried to ease the pain by eating some carbs...did not help.

The first day I lost 2.2 lbs and then yesterday gained 1 back, most likely because of the extra food I ate. Oh well, it will all come off eventually!

Once your body hits Ketosis you will start dumping weight. The diet you're following is pretty similar to some of the pre op diets minus the salad.

I have seen alot of pre op diets that include shakes, Water, broth, and then a solid Protein with a steamed veggie for dinner. That ones fairly common.

I had a 6 month required diet by my insurance and I wish I would of actually tried to lose weight on it. But since my doctor didn't require a pre op diet or liquids I pigged out right up until 12 hours before surgery I could of been alot farther in my progess had I been good.

I applaud you for your efforts. The pre op stuff for me was the hardest part. Since having the band I feel like a huge weight was lifted off me ~48 lbs!

I have thought about doing this myself. My surgery isn't till Nov. and I've been trying to eat better but it's hard when I know I don't necessarily have to at this point. I only have to do 1 week of pre-op diet but I might just do 2 to be on the safe side and to lose as much as I can.