Hello Everyone, I am 10 days in the pre op diet Optifast 800. I've been following this diet closely and have only lost about 3 lbs. I weigh myself every morning when I wake up and every night. When I wake up I'm always lighter so I'm optimistic about the diet for the day, but when I go to bed I'm always back to my original weight if not a pound heavier. I am discouraged because all I have had all day was the liquids. Some days I have even gone to the gym and exercised. What I realized is that my cycle is coming and I may be retaining water weight. Any suggestions about what to do about the water weight. My family and friends say the amount of weight you lose prior to surgery is irrelavant because its the shrinking of the liver that matters most. Please help, I want to have this surgery worry free and optimistic about the outcome.

Did your doctor give you a particular goal for pre-surgical weight loss? If not, I wouldn't agonize. If you're following directions and not gaining weight, you should be ok. To help with the weightloss though, be sure you're drinking enough water. There are natural diuretics that you can have--caffeine is one. If you're on full liquids, the others are irrelevant! Good luck with staying on track. I see you have surgery in just a few days. May it be quick and your healing be fast. Good luck!:rolleyes2:

I didn't have any goal for weight loss, I just felt the pre op would jump start the weightloss. I was told to avoid caffeine so I've been drinking plenty of water/crystal light, de caffeinated splenda coffee/tea and sugar free tropicana. I'm not nervous about the surgery but am nervous my liver has shrank cause the pre op weightloss isn't going as I expected. I have 4 days left and I plan to make the most of them.

I am not banded yet but my surgeon said that he puts you on that liquid diet for 2 weeks before to shrink the liver. He isn't concerned about if you lose weight or not. He just wanted the liver to shrink to make the surgery easier on him and me. If you are really concerned about it I would call your doctor or nutritionist and let them know that you aren't losing very much weight and ask them for advise. Good luck with your band :rolleyes2:

Thanks. You guys are probably right that the liver shrinking is the most important. Guess I'm just gettting anxious. Thanks for the support.