any suggestions

I am scheduled to start my preop diet 4/28 and have my realize band surgery scheduled for 5/11/11. I am looking for any suggestions or anything to help ease my worried mind. I stopped drinking pop 4 weeks ago so I am having success with that and happy about that. I am 242 and 5'3"  and hope to be 140 or less. I hope I am not being too unrealistic. About how much from presurgery diet to a month post op have you all lost?

Be at one with the jello, it will tide you over most days

I agree, its the worst part of the whole process & there is no easy way unfortunately. On the plus side it gives you a good start....I lost 10lbs in two weeks.
Try your best to be strong & stick to it, but if you have to cheat just eat a little protein, such as a small piece of chicken breast...I did this once or twice only, when it all got to much!
Good luck, it'll be worth it in the end!!

The liquid diet is the worst part of the whole deal . LOL I lost about 21 lbs in the first 2 -4 wks.  No worries ! You will do fine :)

Hi, I am Barbara and I had the Realize Band on March 29, 2010. I was 267lbs/ 5'2", right now I am down  to 180lbs. I could not be happier with the Band. I lost most of the weight without a fill. I had my first fill in December. I need another one but I am overseas. So I have to weight and keep a close eyes on my weight. My advise to you is FOLLOW WHAT YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU and use all the resources at your disposal! This website, your nutritionist,your doctor and even Face book. I know that I still am over weight according to the experts, but I can tell you this I feel GREAT! I have so much energy and I love the way I look in clothes now. So if they think that I was unsucessful I DONT CARE because I FEEL GREAT. If you have face book and want to be friends send me a message here and I will give you my info for face book. Don't go thru this alone because you don't have to. Get excited about the new you and welcome to the Realize Band family. :-)

I didn't have a pre-surgery diet at all.  I had my surgery on 3/29/11 and to date I have lost 23 pounds.   I haven't had my first fill yet, that is on the 27th of April.  Sounds like you are doing good not drinking carbonated beverages.  That will help you alot in the future.

Get used to protein drinks, find one you like because they are going to help you a lot in the future.  The first week is pretty hellifying, but at two weeks other than a seroma under my band incision that refuses to go away, everything is going great.

Good luck!

I remember when I was on the liquid diet, I became sick to death of sweet flavored drinks, puddings, yogurt, etc. I suggest you get the chicken soup flavored protien from unjury. Sometimes you just need something savory to keep your sanity.

No pre-op diet here either.

Lost 2lbs on the one day of clear liquids before surgery.

23 lbs from day of surgery (March 9) to April 6.

I really didn't see good weight loss until I got back on solid food.  Don't worry if you don't lose much during the post-op healing phase.  That is NORMAL.  Immediate post-op is all about healing.  If you lose some, great, but it shouldn't be your focus at that time.

Rate of loss will vary from person to person, depending on what they eat, how much they exercise and what the starting weight is (in general, a heavier person will lose a bit faster than a smaller person).

Edited to add: I had very little need of protein drinks.  I used canned soups.  I ended up giving away the one cannister I bought.. waste of money IMO.    I do use some now, but only when too busy to eat or after a workout to rebuild the muscles I just stressed.    I really don't think protein drinks are a necessity, but that's just my opinion.

I've been thinking about my own goal weight after being here on the boards since my surgery and thinking it may not be realistic. I see photos of all these lovely ladies who have stopped losing once they around 170-180lbs and they look FANTASTIC! I am 5'3" (well actually 5'2"1/2) and started out at 276ish then 266 the night before surgery. I picked 166 as my goal weight because I wanted to lose an even 100 lbs. Seems silly now. Even when doctors pick a goal weight for you, how do they know its the weight you SHOULD be at?? Its all just numbers on a scale and I've spent too much of my life being depressed because of what the scale said!!
The bathroom scale determined how I would feel each day and I'm so tired of that.

I've lost 52 pounds now and my life has improved so much already...from size 22/24 down to 16. Even those numbers are maddening because of how manufacturers differ in their sizes. I have been the same weight for the past month but I'm not stressed out about it because my clothes continue to get looser despite what the scale says. Stalls are inevitable but I keep on keeping on, following the rules, knowing the weight will come off. It is one reason I chose this surgery because I didnt want to lose the weight too fast.

What I'm trying to get at is...dont be hung up on a certain number. In my early twenties, I was 150 and overweight but I didnt have the muscle mass I have now...nor the stronger bones. If I got to 150 now, I'd look sickly and anorexic. 166 may not even be a good goal for me. For now, I'll just be over the moon if I get below 200 LOL (One-derland they call it here!)

AND, each person is different, losing at different rates. A person weighing 350 lbs will lose faster than a 200 lb person in the beginning so I try not to get jealous over how fast some else is losing. I just focus on how much better I feel, and how much more lovely BEDROOM ACTION I'm gettting LOL. Life is good :)

HUGS to you...and best of luck on this exciting new journey. Saving a seat on the loser's bench for you.

Thanks for all your advise!!!