I am having a hard time eating healthy portions prior to my surgery. I feel like I need to "party" (eat) now because I will have to be seriously healthy post-surgery. I am gaining weight and just miserable. Any one else experience this? Any advice?

Of course I'm supposed to say adhere to the pre-op diet so forth and so on, BUT, as the percentage of people that had to postpone surgery because of a too fat liver is negligible, I TOOK MY CHANCES! Yes, I did do the diet, but I also had a few days of eating. It did make me realize the value I placed on food because I just couldn't get over the shock in "I may never be able to eat _____ again???!!!!" Well I'll eat it now!

Anyway, you're not alone! I did it and am STILL happy I did!

You're very much not alone on this, Mellie. But think of this....if you continue to pig out in anticipation of what's right around the corner, when it gets here, you're going to have even more of a shock when you start to eat the way you need to. I'm not saying cut your meals to 1 cup of food total, but I'm saying try to eat healthier foods, better portions and maybe go ahead and start a walking or other exercise program so that some changes are in place when you have your surgery.

The night before I started my pre-op I went out with some friends and had a big fat plate of Mexican food. Fajitas and rice and beans and WOW it was good.

My pre-op was for 1 month, and 5 days before surgery I cheated a little and had the last thing I wanted before this life change - PIZZA. It was good, but at the same time I felt guilty and a little worried I'd mess things up. I also noticed I was full faster - I could have eaten 4 pieces easy before all of this, but I was stuffed after the 2 1/2 I ate.

All is well though, I had surgery on Wednesday and today is the first day I have started to feel hungry.

Looking back, had I known the gas pain would be as bad as it was, I would NEVER have cheated just because I'd be too worried about them going in and not being able to do anything!!! I think if that happened I would have said just forget it!

You are definitely not alone! I think many bandsters had that "I'd better eat it now cuz later I won't be able to" devil on their shoulder. As food addicts, that seems like a perfectly logical reason. I would however STRONGLY suggest that you follow your pre-op diet strictly and with absolutely no variance. There are very serious side effects with cheating on the pre-op up to and including cancelling the surgery. If you eat your last meal prior to the pre-op diet, that's fine but definitely stick to the plan prior to surgery. Good luck, it has changed my life and I LOVE MY BAND!!

I am sticking pretty close to the plan outlined for me. Primarily, this is because one of my pre-op requirements is to lose 10 % of my starting weight (21 lbs.) But, I also try to balance that with not feeling deprived. So, for example, I turned 40 this past Monday. My husband took me out on Saturday to my favorite Mexican restaurant. I planned for it by being extremely disciplined in the days prior and ate & drank what I wanted (like am going to NOT have a few margarita's to commemorate the big FOUR-OOOOOH). That being said, I am not yet at a point where surgery has been scheduled and my pre op diet consists more of guidelines than directives. If I was scheduled for surgery and told you need to do X,Y & Z for the next two weeks or you may not be able to have surgery, I would absolutely stick to it.

Okay, let me say first of all - you're not alone. We all wanted to eat and party before getting banded. It's because we are/were all fat and that's how we got that way.

Have you ever blown a diet because it's a birthday...you have to have cake on a birthday or, it's Christmas...It's Thanksgiving....It's Halloween....it's my co-workers 3rd kid....it's _______?

Here's the thing. You're going to have surgery that will not fix that mental craving for food. And, making matters worse once you're banded you'll still be able to eat slider foods (ice creams, chips - all the good "party" foods now.)

What will you accomplish if you cave into that now?

What is your goal, and how are you going to get there?

I know the temptation of wanting one last fling with food. But, it's really not the last fling. You'll have them again and again unless you really try to start focusing on easing your mental craving for foods.

As far as the surgery goes, and what diet your doctor has you on...my personal advice is always to go with what your doctor tells you. Unless you did a meenie-miney-mo, you chose this doctor because of his/her abilities and experience. I'd hope that meant he/she knows what they're talking about.

For about 6 weeks after attending my first informational seminar on Lab Band, I ate like there was no tomorrow! I had decided to have the surgery, but hadn't nailed down dates or surgeon. I went to every 'favorite' restaurant and ate every 'favorite' meal (w/dessert) that was on my food 'Bucket List'. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel and felt like I had a fitting 'good bye' to the foods I didn't want to indulge in again post-op. Following this eating spree, late one night I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest and I had chest pressure over the next few days. I thought I had done myself in! I didn't think I was going to pass the 'Cardiac Clearance' my MD required (which, luckily, I did). Once I really initiated the process by meeting with my surgeon, getting nutrition info, psych eval, etc., I toned my eating down a lot (no further heart issues). I did, however, have a few great 'last meals' the week leading up to my 2-week pre-op liquid diet. My last 'last meal' was a large volume of Mexican food at lunch the day before my liquid diet. As delicious as it was, I think I paid for my final week of 'regular' eating, as the first two days on pre-op liquids was really hard - I was hungry, had a headache, grumpy, and lethargic. I think I was crashing after eating all the food and then having next to nothing. By the 3rd day of liquids I was feeling great - no more headache, more energy and less physical hunger. I am completely dedicated to this process and will not put one morsel in my mouth that isn't on my liquid diet list over this 2-week period (I've already lost 6 lbs - woo hoo!!!) Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience without condoning my actions. If I had it to do over, I still would have had 'some' last meals, but not to the extreme that I took it

Guys I just want to say to the new bansters and the pre bansters,it is a lifestyle change after being banded but there really is not that many foods you just cant have really.We make better food choices and eat smaller portions 99% of the time,but that other 1% we have what we want and love to eat.Then of course we exercise a little more or cut down somewhere else to allow for a treat every now and then.So my point is there is no reason to say goodbye to food as if you will never eat again.You will be satisfied with less food and will not feel you gave up anything,it will just become normal to eat like thin people.

Bamagal - thank you so much for your response! By the amount of weight loss noted on your ticker, you have done really well and I value your advice. I need to get my head out of 'volume eating' mentality - all or nothing, and learn how to eat like 'thin people'. With this band and weekly support & nutrition meetings, I believe I have the tools to succeed.

I should add that my surgeon has NO pre-op diet requirements and I did ask twice to make sure. So, although I have been eating like normal (for me, which is probably not normal) I did start my exercise routine in anticipation of my lifestyle change. I have a month to go, so I am thinking of starting to eat healthier and then cut my portions.

IDK, I guess if I was good at this, I wouldn't need the band:)

Bamagal - thank you so much for your response! By the amount of weight loss noted on your ticker, you have done really well and I value your advice. I need to get my head out of 'volume eating' mentality - all or nothing, and learn how to eat like 'thin people'. With this band and weekly support & nutrition meetings, I believe I have the tools to succeed.

You are always welcome.Some will say exercise 5 days a week ,eat your Protein,no bread no carbs and if I had done that I may have lost a few more pounds in this years time,but I am sure I would not have been as happy and satisfied with my life.Nor do I feel it is a lifestyle I could maintain after weight loss.I am not on a diet,I am trying to find a way to survive and have a health and happy life.

This year I hope to lose the last 40 pounds but if I don't and I am just able to maintain I will still be happy with myself and all the progress I have made.

I have been obsessing over Coke Zero knowing that after my surgery my soda days are over!