Alana

Mona, Thanks for posting your experience. So glad to hear you're alright. Sorry you had the dry heaves...can't imagine what that's like. Actually, I can..I threw up a ton when I had my wisdom teeth out and the combination was not pleasant. Ew. Thank you for adding extra parts about the area and what you did while you were there. Very helpful! Alana

thanks, mona...I have 6 weeks till my surgery and would LOVE to lose 17 lbs. I think I will give it a shot. I really feel like I will be less inclined to cheat on the Atkins. I'm going to read your experience now!

Thanks, Helena - that does help. My father lost 60 lbs on Atkins and has maintained his weight for over a year with a modified Atkins plan that includes lots of veggies. Men do have a tendency to succeed more than women with that plan. It's just not fair! I will think about my options and take what you said into consideration. Thanks!

Has anyone had any success with doing the Atkins diet during the pre-op phase? Dr. Miranda recommended either to me. I've mostly seen comments about the Slim Fast approach and I've been on that for 4 days now and I don't quite think it is for me. I'm having trouble feeling like I want to cheat all the time and I'm already sick of having cold items all day until late. I feel like I might be less inclined to cheat if I went the Atkins route as I do enjoy the items in that diet. I'd like some honest opinions here. I know going the Slim Fast route would be better in terms of getting ready for the liquid diet, but I'm not confident I will lose the weight I need on Slim Fast and don't want to be turned away because I didn't lose enough weight.

what a great post! thanks for sharing that. I showed my mom and she has a little side business making home movies and she said she'd definitely make one for me during my transformation. such a great way to document a monumental change.

Just a quick question for those who have been banded? Does anyone know of any problem of using things like Crystal Light packets to perk up water? I'm vowing to only drink water this month before my surgery and want to use some of my Crystal Light packets. BUT if anyone knows of any complication this may cause when I'm banded, I'd rather not get into the habit of using them if I won't be able to after my surgery. Thanks, everyone!

Amber, Thanks so much for your reply. It definitely gives me hope to know I'm not the only one dealing with this. i've decided to cut sodas completely out of my diet, eat more veggies, bring some healthy snacks so I don't feel like killing a coworker for the food in their stomach by the end of the day, and drinking more water than any one person should. Donna, That is a great suggestion. I do have some sensitivity to frozen items (I microwave my ice cream!), but maybe sucking on some non-frozen grapes will help! Thanks! 44 days to go! I CAN do this!

good point about the carbonated drinks - I am a Diet Coke addict and I know cutting that out will also make a difference. i gave up all soda in jan for 8 weeks and lost some weight that way. I'll definitely be incorporating that.. thanks so much guys...this is all extremely helpful

thanks! I will definitely start trying that.

I totally meant PRE-OP diet. Really, I did. LoL

Well, friends, after weeks of thinking I'd have to cancel my surgery (had to deal with some health issues, turned out to be NOTHING, I'm happy to say) I am getting ready to be banded on May 9th. I sent my deposit off weeks ago, am finalizing the loan information, going to fax the medical paperwork today, and I'm booking the flight this afternoon. The only thing proving to be difficult is the post-op diet. Dr. Miranda advised me to try to lose 20 lbs before the surgery because my BMI is so high. I weigh 240lbs, but I'm only 4'10" so that makes my BMI 50. I decided to go the 2 Slim Fasts, 1 Lean Cuisine route, but it's hard! I'm fine during the day, but on the drive home it is so hard not to stop for something or eat something at home other than the Lean Cuisine. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make this process a little bit easier? I want to lose as close to 20 lbs as I can by May 9th. Thanks for all your help! Alana

I think what she meant by "I pinched the skin off one of those ready cooked chickens and instantly regretted it." was that she pinched off some of the skin, ate the skin, and PB'd. I might be wrong, but that's how I interpreted it.

I also think it's important to consider what restaurant this person was eating at. It sounded like a place with not many healthy options. I'm sure there are plenty of places you can eat after being banded that will offer healthy alternatives. All in all, good to know. May 9th, here I come!

that is a great tip, Jill! thanks!

Thank you so much for the post - I love your updates! Keep them coming! They are definitely helpful for people that are about to get banded - May 9th, here I come!

Shampoo!!! I'm so glad to hear from you! I hope you're doing well. Thanks so much for writing your experience. I'm so relieved it went well. Can't wait to talk to you in the chat room soon! <3 ya girl, Alana

Hi Mindy! I'm glad you posted that - I, too, am a massage therapist. My surgery is scheduled for May 9th. I also have another job at a .com company, so I'll only be working there while I'm recovering. I think I plan to take a good 8 weeks off from massage. I'll hopefully be returning to my .com job the following Tuesday after surgery. Good luck on the 24th! <3 from Tallahassee, FL Alana

I know what you mean! I took some pictures not too long ago and I couldn't believe how I looked! My perception of my body image was SO off. It was actually nice to see in a way that it pushed me a little further towards my decision to be banded. Can't wait for May 9th!

Just wondering if anyone here had issues with bowel movements after getting banded. Something I was curious about...thanks!

You're definitely a role model - you looks great! Congrats on all your hard work and I hope I am as successful as you - will be banded May 9th! <3 from Florida, Alana

I'm doing the pre-op diet as well. I thought I was going to do the Atkins, but I think I'll be doing the 2 shakes and a lean cuisine. I also recommend drinking only water so that you're not carrying around empty calories (like in Diet Coke). I'm shooting towards May for my surgery so that I have enough time to lose the weight. Good luck! I also heard that adding a brisk walk each day helps a lot.

If you are concerned about scars, rubbing a little Vitamin E oil helps a lot. I fell in Greece 2 years ago and scraped my knee up horribly. I should have gotten stitches, but they're hospitals close at 2pm and you can only get stitches within the first 24 hours. it scarred up pretty badly, but after applying the Vitamin E oil on it consistently, it's now smooth and faint looking. You can get it at Walgreens or CVS.

Hello All, I am looking to get my appointment in early May (have 20 lbs to lose first) and I'm wondering if anyone else is scheduling for around the same time. I'm so excited about this, I've been researching since July and finally decided that it was right for me. I tried to do it here locally, but my insurance will not cover it and it's $19,500 here. My roommate's friend had it done at OCC and said it was the best decision she has ever made. She looks great, too! Any suggestions for losing the pre-op weight? Dr. Miranda suggested either Atkins or 2 replacement shakes and a Lean Cuisine meal. I think I'm going to go with Atkins, but I'm not sure. <3 from Tallahassee, FL