How many honestly for the 2 weeks prior to the surgery actually drank only the Optifast? (no food) (for those of you that had to do it)

Did you feel sick- like maybe low sugar or anything like that?

How about the runs?

Did you lose weight?

If you didnt, did they still do the surgery?

Any other input?

I am not on this yet, just asking I dont have my surgery date yet... I want to be prepared...

I had to do a liquid diet before sugery. Not the Optifast stuff, just liquids only. Didn't feel sick but did feel hungry. When doing liquids it's important to constantly have liquids going in order not to get too hungry. When one thing is finished I had to get on to the next one and stay ahead of being hungry. Yes I lost weight and yes I had liquid BM's but I have a very sensitive system so it doesn't take much for me to get the runs.

For most surgeons it is very important that you lose weight before surgery in order to slightly shrink your liver and thus it makes the surgery easier and more successful.

It is important to think about how to make this work in order to be successful at this.

I also was on the liquid diet before surgery. Not Optifast. I could mostly have only clear liquid. Apple Juice, crystal light, jello,etc.. and I could have 3 cups of Skim Milk a day. I had one cup for breakfast one for lunch and one for dinner. The rest of the time it was nothing but clear liquids.

No I didnt get the runs.

No I didn't feel sick, Just HUNGRY!

I lost 11lbs before surgery.

I was to be on the liquid diet for 10 days but my surgery was put off for a few days so I ended up being on it for 14 days.

I know it sounds hard but you can do it. Just think about how healthy you will be when you have lost your weight.

Good luck,

I did Optifast, 5 a day, for 1 week (or 10 days, I don't remember) before banding. I lost 6-10 lbs. I did cheat once, 3 days before banding, but not by much. Optifast does have suger in it, so I felt fine. If I had to do it over again I'd do Slimfast Ultra, less sugar, less carbs & more satisfying & also CHEAPER!

To my knowledge, they don't not do the surgery if you don't do it; it makes the surgery easier by reducing the fat around the liver, which they have to move out of the way to place the port.

I am on liquids(Crystal light, Slimfast or Boost for protein shakes, these are my choices, water), yogurt, sugerfree popsicles and fudgsicles, broth or tomato soup for 14 days before surgery. I started Thursday and today am experiencing the most hunger but have not cheated. My date is 7-27-05. I am to do 2 protein shakes 3X a day but have not had all that daily. Maybe I need to start doing that. I am doing OK as I know I will be healthier down the road and that is what keeps me going.PLUS all the support and info on this site.

It won't be bad if this is what you want. It definitely is different for me but I want to succeed SOOO much.

Keep up the good work everyone.

I'm on day 5 of the 14 day opti fast pre op diet and i'm going crazy. I actually hate it but i don't want to cheat so I find myself only drinking Water throughout the day. I asked my doctor if there was anything else i could have and he said I need to get at least 2 down per day, and if I can't get the recommended 4 per day down (I've eaten 4 in 5 days) I can have a small salad with no dressing in the evening. It's too restrictive if you ask me, but the salad does help. I don't know how not consuming anything but water is healthy but he said it's important to reduce liver fat. I did lose weight the first 3 days but now I think my body is in starvation mode so I'm no longer losing.

Michelle

I am doing the Optifast diet. I get 5 a day. I started Friday and it sucks! I did 2 Optifast Protein bars, 2 Optifast shakes and 1 Optifast chicken broth., the first day, plus water, sugar free koolaid and iced tea, I felt so hungry and my blood sugar was low. So the second day I did the shakes, ate some lettuce and carrots and a dill pickle and did okay. Today I had orange juice, a protein shake, a small 3oz. turkey breast, carrots ( i like carrots) and another shake, plus s/f koolaid and water. For dinner hubby and I are having a tossed salad with turkey no dressing and something cold and calorie free to drink. Then I will have a protein bar for a snack. I feel better today, it helps me to stay busy, so I dont think about food.

Thank god I didn't have to do this before surgery. But even if I had, I know I would have done it religiously. I did Optifast back in 1990 for 12 weeks, and it was hard sure but after a few days it got easier. I'd just convinced myself it was the only way to get what I wanted, and the reward would be worth the effort. After a couple of days the hunger pangs disappeared, and the weight melting away was very gratifying.

This was 15 years ago, though; there were no bars or broth back then in the plan. I was strictly limited to 5 shakes a day, nothing else but Water or black tea/coffee. One person in my group was almost kicked out because she admitted to eating a banana at one point. (She said her "potassium was low" but the doctor was NOT impressed. We all figured she just wasn't serious about it.)

If I could do that for 12 weeks--and I did, believe me--two weeks with a surgery possibly made easier by it at the end would seem a small challenge. Now, I don't know why some doctors seem to do this routinely and others don't, and maybe it has something to with each patient's individual situation, but I know if my doctor had told me to do this I would have in spades. Banding is a BIG DEAL, and presurgery instructions are just as important as post-surgery instructions. Follow them.

My dr. doesn't require me to be quite as strict...a small breakfast, protein drink for lunch, a small dinner and another protein drink. I went to The Vitamin Shoppe yesterday to get the Source of Life vitamins that were recommended on this board, and talked to the guy there. He showed me several other choices in protein drinks, and after I told him I was having lap band surgery he told me that dr.'s had come in the shopt o teach him what products were best for us "lappers." So, go check out your local vitamin Shoppe or GNC...they know more than I thought they would! He showed me something (I hope this is right) call ISOTOPE...a clear protein drink, low or no carb...it was nice for a change. Cindy