I need some insights from someone who has been through this. I have been planning and working toward my surgery since last October. I have jumped through all the hoops and I think I should be approved within the next month.

I have been required to work with a dietician for 8 weeks who is asking me to start practicing not drinking diet pop, drinking lots of Water, eating slower, eating healthier, more fruit and vegs, etc. The more I think about this, the worse I seem to eat. Did anyone else experience this?

I have not gained weight, but I am not reaching the goals she has set for me like not drinking diet pop. It feels like if I have to give it up, I don't want to do it until I have to. I don't drink much caffeine but I love caffeine free Diet Coke.

Does this mean I will fail at my weight loss? I have done all the required things - 3 visits with a psychologist, psych testing, going to Weight Watchers, but not losing much, 8 weeks with a dietician counselor. Still have to get my doctor's letter, see a dietaician for an eval, and go to two behavior management classes before my surgery. I think I can do it, but I am really feeling some anxiety.

Any advice?

Debra:ohmy:

Honestly I don't think I could've modified my eating until I had the band. That's kind of why we need it, isn't it?

Only you know the answer for you of course but if you had the band in place would you be able to do without your diet sodas? I personally couldn't or wouldn't have done it, though. Not the diet soda part, but things like "not drinking while eating"

Until there was a need, I just wasn't one to "pretend". I get exasperated with that type of mind game.

Do you think you'll be able to follow the rules when you need to?

The thing is many many of us cannot tolerate carbonation and it can do you damage, at least the first 6 months to 1 year out. So while you don't have to give it up NOW, you probably will have to give it up. Will you be able to?

Edited May 19, 200917 yr by RestlessMonkey

I relate to what you are going through...my surgery is next week and I feel like everything I eat will be "the last time" I ever have it and therefore am eating twice as much of it. My doc does not do the pre-op diet so I am going a little crazy and having lots of anxiety. I am not sure what the answer is, but I wanted you to know you are not alone.

I need some insights from someone who has been through this. I have been planning and working toward my surgery since last October. I have jumped through all the hoops and I think I should be approved within the next month.

I have been required to work with a dietician for 8 weeks who is asking me to start practicing not drinking diet pop, drinking lots of Water, eating slower, eating healthier, more fruit and vegs, etc. The more I think about this, the worse I seem to eat. Did anyone else experience this?

I have not gained weight, but I am not reaching the goals she has set for me like not drinking diet pop. It feels like if I have to give it up, I don't want to do it until I have to. I don't drink much caffeine but I love caffeine free Diet Coke.

Does this mean I will fail at my weight loss? I have done all the required things - 3 visits with a psychologist, psych testing, going to Weight Watchers, but not losing much, 8 weeks with a dietician counselor. Still have to get my doctor's letter, see a dietaician for an eval, and go to two behavior management classes before my surgery. I think I can do it, but I am really feeling some anxiety.

Any advice?

Debra:ohmy:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debra,

I can really relate to your anxiety. I had surgery April 22nd of this year and I was a massive dr pepper addict...seriously. I would rather have had dr pepper than food and I ate up til midnite the night before my surgery and I am fine. I quit my dr peppers, all refined sugars, plus salt and I feel fine. You are completely normal in having the anxiety you have but you will be just fine. I will give one piece of advice, drink ALOT of water, it will plump up your veins for when they do the IV for your surgery. I didn't, kept right on with my sodas, and they had trouble getting the IV in so just keep that in mind. I have lots of good recipes to share and if you want a lapband buddy, just PM me. Wish you all the best luck!

Kate :purplebananna:

I know exactly what you are talking about...I am scheduled for surgery June 3rd...I start my pre-op diet the day after tomorrow. As I laid in bed last night, full of fear and anxiety (and mad at myself for telling anyone that I was going to do it, because now I WANTED OUT - too afraid to change??)I almost rationalized my way out of going through with it - thinking to myself: "well, no one is MAKING me do this...I do not HAVE to do it...I am not all that unhappy, am I?? So why don't I wait a little while and start an excercise program and start eating right and THEN have the surgery"

So when I awoke this a.m., I was going to call and cancel my final appt with the nutritionist and nurse

(who are two of the greatest ppl I have ever met form St. Joseph's in Chicago)...

I was going to come up with some phony line about how I couldn't make it and then eventually I would have ended up cancelling it altogether, I know.

But something got me out of bed and made me get to the office for this visit. I have not stuck to any "diet" and I really have not stuck to an excercise regimen up until now, so what would make me change now? I am going to go ahead with the surgery and incorporate diet and excercise slowly but surely into my life.

I have been trying to eat in a way that is a combo of my old ways and hopefully my new ways: trying to introduce a Protein shake instead of a mcdonald's Breakfast...drinking cristal light instead of diet pop - - honestly, you can free yourself from pop. I am living proof. what I did was I weened myself off of pop by drinking soda Water or seltzer H2O for the last year or so...now I have weened off of that and I just buy and drink regular water...I am addicted to it now.

What I am trying to say is...try one or 2 things that will be on your preop and post op diet as a substitute...you can see how full you feel and for how long...

I am by no means an expert - in fact I am so scared too...but I am going go for it...just think if we had done this a year ago - we would be one of these valient ppl on this blog who are encouraging us!! just try it and see how it works..I have a feeling it will change your life and mine!!

Best of luck and do not give up!! I really believe that if we put our minds to it we can do it. Give it a try!!

Monica

Honestly, I don't know why the insurance companies want you to do those surgeries before, yes it might give them insight into how you will handle this entire thing but getting the band isn't about dieting, it's more about a lifestyle change. It definitely doesn't mean your going to fail at your weight loss. Good luck with everything

I made a deal with myself not to do this - I felt i had decided to embark on a new life and it started the minute I made the decision to do it.

I didnt try to "diet", I didnt try to lose weight and I didnt ban foods. But I did vow to myself I would not eat everything in sight whilst I still had the chance.

There is honestly nothing you HAVE to give up after surgery, you can have all things in moderation. But there's a lot of things you wont want!

But its really common to feel this way and eat like this and there's MANY bandsters here who have done so and gone on to be successful.

I can honestly say that you are doing much better than I did. Somehow about a month before my surgery, I lost any semblance of control over my diet. I even gained 5 lbs between my preop check 2 weeks before surgery and my check-in at the hospital. I can tell you that it didn't matter one little bit. I wasn't hungry after surgery and I didn't cheat on the liquid diet postop stuff. It was completely different with the band. I still struggle with what I want to eat and I what I should eat, but I think that's normal for everyone. The band gives you help through that struggle. It's just what I needed. As we all know, if this were as simple as wanting to lose weight, none of us would be having surgery.

Cindy

Wow! Thanks for all the great support. I feel much better now. I know once I get banded I can do it.

I know I can give up pop if and when I need to. I just can't do it yet. I am allergic to dairy products and get ear and sinus infections and asthma when I consume them but I am able to stay away from them.

I like Water, so that won't be a problem.

It is just that everytime I eat something, I think this may be the last time I ever taste this. But then people say you can eat most things just is very small quantities.

One thing I do not even like very much is white bread, so that won't be a problem.

I can't even imagine not being hungry. I can't wait to see what it is like.

I am glad to hear others think the idea of practicing before the surgery is kind of ridiculous.

It is so great to hear from every one.

Debra

Wow! Thanks for all the great support. I feel much better now. I know once I get banded I can do it.

I know I can give up pop if and when I need to. I just can't do it yet. I am allergic to dairy products and get ear and sinus infections and asthma when I consume them but I am able to stay away from them.

I like Water, so that won't be a problem.

It is just that everytime I eat something, I think this may be the last time I ever taste this. But then people say you can eat most things just is very small quantities.

One thing I do not even like very much is white bread, so that won't be a problem.

I can't even imagine not being hungry. I can't wait to see what it is like.

I am glad to hear others think the idea of practicing before the surgery is kind of ridiculous.

It is so great to hear from every one.

Debra

I know exactly how you feel. A couple of weeks ago I too was worried about the same thing, my wife even asked how I was going to be succesful at this band surgery If i couldnt stop eating bad beofre the surgery and I too wondered as well. i went to the dr last week for a visit and the started me on my pre op diet on Monday, I am having surgery June 11th so my pre op diet is a little more than three weeks and I thought it was going to be hell and I know it has only been three days since i started but I have done really well so far and evryone on here says its the first three - fou days that are the hardest So hopefully I will be fine.

I was like you why should I start eating good before I had to i cant explain it but somthing just clicks when all of a sudden they tell you to go on the pre op diet and I believe the same wil happen for you as well

I am right now going through the same thing. I have been eating like crazy since I really decided to get the surgery, and I had the loan to do it. Yesterday my surgery was scheduled for June 5th, and so I start the liquid diet on Monday. I have ate 3 candy bars since yesterday, and made sure I got some Chineese food. I am having tons of anxiety about surgery, because I am afraid I still won't stop eating even after surgery.

Wow, that is really reassuring. It seems like the closer I get, the more nervous I get. The more nervous I get, the more I eat. Viscious cycle. I have dieted in the past and lost 50 pounds several times so I know I can do it for a while. I just want to do it for the last time!

Good luck to you! It will be great being thinner and healthier. Hang in there and go for the new life!

Debra

I have also lost up to 50lbs and then regained, and I am hoping Lap Band will help keep it off and more for good too. Good luck to you too!:smile:

I started with my dietician in June 2008, they wanted me to to all the same things they wanted you to do, they also wanted me to loose 10-15lbs! Well guess what, I started at 250lbs and my surgery is in 4 weeks and I still weight 250lbs! I'm eating the right things, just not the right amounts. I portion it all out, and then I go back for more. I feel awful every time I do this, but I am just looking forward realizing that, this is what the band is for, it will help with my portion control! Don't worry!

I am so grateful my surgeon didn't make me go through all of that stuff. He said he believes if we could lose weight without the band, we wouldn't need the band. I saw him 2 weeks before my surgery and he asked me not to gain anymore weight, and I managed to do that. I too was eating way too much, thinking I'll never be able to eat this or that again. I had my surgery this Tuesday, and he said my liver looked good, and I was fine. He thinks it's cruel to have people starve themselves for 2 weeks prior to surgery. I agree.

I felt the same way as most. I knew that I would be starting pre-op diet on Monday so I went to town over the weekend and went out and drank and ate like it was my last meal. I thought how the hell am I going to do this? It seemed so stupid that I was trying to get in everything I could. I was satisfied Sunday night.

I woke up Monday and started the shakes and I am doing really well.