Can I just say...

...that I love you all!!! I don't know - it could be the hunger talking, but I am grateful for this support sytem. Also it is day 2 of the Optifast diet and I am about to chew my arm off. The "free" foods just aren't cutting it. I hope I can make it through the weekend without scarfing down something forbidden. I off to make my shake...Only 19 more days...

You can do it I am so excited for you that you are so close. I can't wait to be there!! Just keep thinking about how much better you are going to feel when you reach your goal, and this is your first HUGE step towards GOAL!!! YOU CAN DO IT!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! Have a great weekend! Hope to see you Monday. Melissa

You can do it!! Just keep yourself busy and try not to think about it. It's going to be sooooooo worth it!!! You know you can always count on us!!! Hugs, Dianne

I'm playing catch up. You're having to fast on shakes before your surgery or they're just wanting you to lose some weight before your surgery?

Dr. Bour requires all his patients to go on an Optifast plan 4 weeks before surgery. It is 5 approx 6 0z. shakes and one small meal. No caffeine, no bread, pasta rice, sugar, etc. And we go to one meeting a week to be weighed and discuss our progress. It is so we can shrink our livers before surgery. I really need to stick to it since my liver is definitely enlarged. I'm using the laporoscopic vs. open scars as my motivation to do what I am supposed to.

Aaah, gotcha. I fast occassionally but only a couple days at a time. It's much easier when I fast all day on the shakes and then eat something small maybe in the evening b/c I don't actually get hungry until I eat food for the first time. So if I tried to eat food early during the day and then fast the remainder, OMG, watch out! Not likely to happen....

Kathy... haven't been on the forum for a couple of days...I've been having some problems with fluid building up behind the middle of my incision...It's painful too...It's not a pouch leak though. Dr. Bour says it's fat that has liquified that my body has not absorb...I know, GROSS uh? He drained it once, I think he's gonna have to do it again...I'm hurting. Girl I can so relate about the hunger while on optifast. I was a hungry chica too . Hang in there Sista... we want that liver to shrink...open surgery is a lot harder to heal from than Lap...ask me how I know!!! YOU CAN DO IT Kathy!!! And remember you're loved too , Tonya

Ouch!! Take care of yourself! I'll definitely be thinking about you the next time I "whine" about hunger. Let me know when you get to feeling better and we will talk about our support group, ok? Kathy

THE PRE-OP DIET IS ACTUALLY WORSE THAN ANYTHING YOU WILL EXPERIENCE AFTER WLS CUZ WITH YOUR POUCH, YOU WON'T HAVE AN APPETITE FOR A WHILE & YOU WILL BE FULL IN JUST A COUPLE BITES! SO, IF YOU CAN GO THROUGH THIS, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE WLS DIET PLAN! LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOSE ON THE PRE-OP DIET, MS KATHY ... ANY WEIGHT LOSS DURING THE PRE-OP STAGE HEADING UP TO WLS ... WE INCLUDE THAT WEIGHT LOSS ON OUR SC WEIGHT LOSS LIST. GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK