Hey Y'all....

I went to my 2 hour class today to get all the details on the surgery and the before and after diets and whatnot.

Here's how my doc's office outlines it:

Replace one meal with a Protein shake and have two LITE meals. Consume your required 64oz of Water per day. Increase protein in diet and decrease carbohydrate intake. Choose lean protein sources and lots of vegetables. The purpose of this pre-operative diet is to decrease the size of your liver, which can be markedly enlarged due to excess fat accumulation.

Sounds perfectly easy right - except that I'm so bad with portions and stuff - what exactly is a LITE meal? I kinda wish they had laid out something a little more comprehensive. Im also scared considering that they lay that whole "dont gain even one pound or we wont do your surgery"... I think I should just do a liquid diet and forget all the guess work... If I had the ability to make sensible food choices, I wouldn't be here in the first place...

My surgery is on the 22nd, so on the 19th I have to start the "full liquid" diet then the 21st is the "clear liquids" for one day. All in all it doesnt seem too hard, but I'm just afraid to gain a pound!

Hi! I can share what MY surgeon had me do; I think it can be modified to fit your needs, none of it counteracts what your doc said to do..

I used EAS CarbControl AdvantEDGE shakes (NOT the mypolex ones). I could have 2-3 a day; you I guess get 1.

I got 1 meal a day (lucky you to get 2!) and i was told to have no more than 3-4 oz of lean Protein (fish, chicken, or turkey...no beef, no pork) and 1 cup of green veggies. That's it. No butter, cheese, eggs, no fried, no ketchup, etc.

I think that's a lite meal...3-4 oz of lean proten and 1 cup of veggies

I bought some Gorton's fish filets (the ones that aren't breaded) and we ate those a lot...or I cooked chicken (roasted or baked) and ate it. Never did anything with the turkey

THe upshot is, a portion is usually considered 3-4 oz of the "meat" (about the size of a deck of cards) and 1/2 cup of veggies...

That should help you a little.

You might want to try some smart ones or lean cuisine or south beach frozen meals...just keep an eye on the fat, carbs and salt!

Good luck!

Hi RM -

Somehow when I was writing the original post I was thinking "I hope RestlessMonkey reads this and gives me some insight". I read all of your posts - you have some of the best advice around here. Great tip with the fish fillets - I will definitely get some of those.

I always have your story in the back of my mind of what happened to you on your first surgery day. It scares me half to death that it happens - and can happen to me if I'm not careful.

Thanks - I'll keep you posted.

LOL you will breeze through! I KNOW it! It is rare...I was just the lucky one to be THE one in 10000 it happens to (or whatever statistic!) Keep in touch; let me know how it's going, ok? You'll get sick of that diet but if you're like me you'll drop weight so fast you think your scale is broken.

CountryGirlNY, we both have our surgery on the same date.

For my pre-op diet, my surgeon placed me on a full liquid diet using Optifast800 (5 daily). If I experience any headaches, etc, I am able to have 1 bouilion cube with hot Water. Also, I am permitted to have suger free popsicle and Jello. I've started my pre-ops this monday, and already lost add'l 9 lbs (probably water weight) but hey, it's encouraging.

I tell, it has been quite tempting to grab some solid foods, but I have disciple now. I can do it.

I have some friends that are questioning me on my decision to have WLS. They think I should do it on my own-through tradition dieting and exercise. But, I see the lap-band as an internal tool to faciliate me with my journey to controlling my weight or selecting healthy food choices.

K