Hi Everyone,

I am scheduled for the band on Sept 9th. My doc requires a 2 week high Protein liquid diet to "de-fat" the liver which I have been on since last Friday......however - today it's really getting to me and I am just about ready to break. I am hungry 24hrs/day. That and I'm so moody. Did your doc's require the same. If so how did you get through it?

Thanks for the support.

Yeah, I think all of the docs require it. I got so made about it that I even told the doc, look if I could loose the weight on my own, I wouldn't need the @$%# surgery!!

But I did it and was fine. I allowed myself to eat scramblers, they're an egg substitute like eggbeaters, but I like the way they taste better. They're solid protien with 0 fat and they really helped curb the hunger. Alot of other people add things to their protien powder drinks, like bananas, strawberries, just about any kind of fruit you would find palatable with what you are drinking. I would think that since this is pre-surgery, as long as you eat mild non fat foods with a high Protein levels, you would be okay. Like applesauce, cottage cheese. I know it's not our usual preferred food, but it actually helps you to start adapting to eating properly after the surgery.

Hope this helps.

Good luck,

Oh, I would think you could also eat sugar free popsicles, no fat in those and I think the cold numbs the stomach a bit so you are not so hungry and they're actually pretty good.

Take care,

Let us know how you are doing.

I had steak the night before surgery...my dr recomended the place. I don't understand the need to be on a liquid diet pre op...I had surgery in MX maybe it's a American thing.

I ate chips and Dip till I was about to pop the night before surgury. I also was banded in MX.

I'm so incredibly glad my doctor doesn't require a liquid pre-op diet. However, he does require a 1-week clear liquid diet followed by another 4-week liquid diet (not necessarily clear liquids). That's going to be painful!

How did anyone else survive the clear liquid phase? Did anyone else have to DO the clear liquid phase?

My doctor required a 3 week Optifast diet. While I didn't enjoy it, I realize that they have people do that to make the surgery go smoother, with no complications from a fatty liver.

That said, the nurse told me to make sure I got in a 'last meal' the night before surgery. I had gnocchi, which is good, cause its one of the only foods I've been unable to stomach since surgery hehe.

My doc doesn't require a fast. Actually the nutritionalist that I went to said I should go out for dinner as much as possible before the surgery ROFL !!! Talk about mind twisting, you'd think they'd want to promote good eating from word go.

I am also on a pre-op diet of two of his protein drinks and 2 sensible meals. Whewwww his taste nasty, but I use 1 cup of low carb chocolate milk and 1 tablespoon of fatfree surgar free pudding. It improves(hides) the taste somewhat. I have lost 15 pounds so far, but I had lost the bulk of it before I got my approval for surgery.

LOL......so basically 5 out of 6 of you are telling me to screw it and just eat something!!!!! I really want to stick with it though because I am aware of the surgery being easier...that, and if I get a head start on the weight loss I'll be that much closer to my goal. But it's just so hard. By the way - does it get easier after surgery????? I have to continue the liquids for 2 more weeks after surgery too. This is going to be a verrrry long month.

My doctor didn't require liquids before surgery either but I did it for three days prior to get into the flow.

If your doctor told you to do liquids THEN LISTEN TO YOUR DOCTOR!! He may see something in your test results that lead him to believe this is important.

Liquids only is rough duty but you have to gut it out, literally. Make sure you are always sipping on something. Just keep the liquids going nonstop, it's the only way to survive. Strained hot and sour Soup, egg drop soup and other strained or blended creamy Soups will be more hearty and stick with you longer.

This is your life we are talking about here. You are about to have surgery...meaning you are going to allow someone who is damn near a stranger to open you up and place a foreign object in your body. This is not a walk in the park. This is big stuff! You gotta ask yourself if you are really willing to do this because having the band isn't an easy fix. It takes WORK. If you don't want to work for it then might I suggest RNY. Because my doctors told me that the key difference between a band and RNY is the level of effort the banded person has to apply to make it work. It's time to step back and take stock. If it's too hard now I can promise it's not going to get easier later. The six weeks I was on liquids after banding were *tough* but I did them because I want my band to work.

Okay, I'm done with my tough love for today.

The point of shrinking your liver is so that your surgeon has room to work in your belly. As it stands, everything is sort of smooshed together. By shrinking your liver, you are providing some much room. Yes they fill you like a balloon with CO2 gas (my imagination runs rampant...) but shrinking the liver helps it so they don't have to change it to an open procedure.

You DO NOT WANT an open procedure. The healing time and the scar just isn't worth it. Well, it is worth the surgery, but it isn't worth not following your doctor's orders for loosing weight.

My doc strongly recomended the liquid diet, but I didn't do it. I actually gained wieght between the intial consult and the surgery, but I'm a speical case... I was hospitalized a few times and stuck on more than one course of steroids. But enough about me...

I am 6 days post op and I hate this liquid diet! I hear alot of people say just stick it out; It is hard. I mean I was 336lbs and I maintained that weight not gaining or losing for 3 years. Do you know how many calories that required? about 4000 I think. Now with the liquids I am only getting about 600 calories. I hate chicken broth it is nasty. I hated it when I wasn't dieting and I hate it now. I never ate popcicles so that was a change they were good the first 2 days now i don't like them. I have been drinking the Protein drinks that my dietician recommended and they taste fine but I am getting tired of them.

I have never been the type to eat something over and over again without getting bored with it. I love french fries but I didn't love them enough to eat them everyday. This liquid diet sucks. I love the choice I made to get my band but I think that Mexican Doctors who have been doing this longer than american doctors are more realistic with the liquid phase. My dietician told me I cannot have creamy Soups, sugar free pudding during my 2 week liquid phase. Alot of folks here can have that during their liquid phase. I figure as long as I am not eating solid food a scrambled egg won't hurt. I can't even have a banana, or anything blended with protein. I think this is cruel. Sorry but I am venting now and it feels good.

The liquid diets suck whether they are pre-op or post-op, BUT while I almost went "nuts" the first 4 days of my pre-op liquid diet I am now grateful I had to do it. I am glad for two main reasons: 1) I lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks, and 2) my post-op of 1 week Clear Liquids, and 2 week full liquids has not been as bad as I thought since my body kind of got use to the liquids only during my pre-op phase.I can tell you this I HATE those protien shakes/drinks...so, I found a way around them and it worked for me.....instead of the shakes, I used GNC's soy Protein powder, unflavored and unsweetned in soups which I pureed (using a Magic Bullet...it rocks!) or just chicken broth. It was better tasting than those drinks, that's for sure.

I have been on liquids since August 3rd and finally get to go to pureed/mushies on Wednesday....I can tell this you...having been on this liquid diet for so long I have more "respect" for food and a better understanding of the healthier choices I will be making and really looking forward to these foods. Does that make sense? Plus, I have lost 33 pounds in 31 days....nice reward!!!

So, good luck, hang in there, try the pureed soups with protien powder (call your doctor first to O.K. it) and realize that these few weeks of liquid will make you a stronger person (and they really do fly by).

Thanks Margo. 33lbs you go girl!! Whoo hoo! I have lost 17lbs and I love it but I am hungry every hour. I talked to my dietician who said that one lady that had this was fine for 2 weeks on just liquids. Well that is not me. She told me I can have 3oz of tuna or chicken in the can. I can also have pureed foods. Right now I will just soft scramble an egg. Hopefully this will help with the liquids. I won't go to the tuna unless I am in dire straits. I feel better.

I also struggled with the 10 day pre-op diet. I was allowed cottage cheese and fat free yogurt. (I don't care for either) I just did a huge amount of sugar free popsicles and Propel fitness Water. I also did the egg drop Soup (I ordered it without eggs) and I bought regular chicken noodle soup and strained the stuff out and ate the broth. It has some fat but not much and the warmth actually makes you feel full. If you have broth use a bowl and a spoon, it tricks the body into believing you are eating. Like others have said always be drinking something, even water with a squeeze of lemon. It really does help. Also try blending the Protein shake with some ice and sugar free flavorings. (look for davinci or torani brands) They are usually found in coffee shops or gourmet sections at the grocery store. Also gloria jeans at the malls sells their own brand. They really do help cover that flavor, also try blending with ice and drinking like a milk shake, the coldness also hides the bad taste. I got into keeping a journal and it has really helped. I journal at www.livejournal.com There is an entire lapband group there. Best of luck to you, it really is all worth it in the long run. ~Mandy

P.S. for the post-op diet, it took me 5 days before I even wanted broth, the internal swelling kept me from being hungry. I am told that this is pretty normal, I just wasnt hungry. ~M

ok...i broke....i had egg whites.....with onion....and I must say they were the best $%@ egg whites i've ever had...LOL. Seriously...they helped. I figured if i was going to cheat let it al least be a small cheat. 5 more days til surgery. I hope it gets better after...even though I feel like it might not for a while. Thanks you guys.....your responses are great....At least I don't feel alone in this.