When the nurse called to inform me of my surgery date she said that it is recommended that I lose 10 lbs prior to surgery. I am scheduled for surgery on Aug. 16 and have been having a hell of a time losing anything. Is it "mandatory" that you lose the pre-op weight?

No, but just do the high Protein shakes, and do a liquid diet. It helps, not only to help you lose a few pounds, but cleans you out a bit - and I bet you could get down 10 lbs easily.

It helps shrink your liver to have a high protein/low carb diet prior to surgery, getting your liver smaller helps them see the part of your stomach they need to visualize.