Question:
Has anyone used Dr. John Wilder Baker out of Little Rock Arkansas!!

hi. i am having surgery on 1/05 and am using dr. baker. he has me on a 4 week liquid diet using HMR800 shakes. I was just curious about anyones experience with the shakes, and how much wieght they lost. and how did they possibley get through all 4 weeks without cheating.    — jackie L. (posted on December 24, 2008)

December 24, 2008
Although I do not have all the details as to why your doctor put you on this liquid diet, I am guessing it may be post operative to help reduce the size of your liver. It may be riskier to operate on you if your liver is enlarged so if thats the case the doctor is just trying to help you. My honest opinion is that I would probably do the weight watchers meetings and food plan before putting myself through something like that. My nutritionist is a very controlling person and told me that I could only do the high protien liquid diet before the surgery. She told me that if I could not loose 20 lbs before the surgery date that my surgery would be cancelled. I dont think they even weighed me the day of the surgery, thats how control freaks operate. I got a second opinion and a doctor told me to try weight watchers. I was told that the liver gets smaller if you loose weight period, in other words that it does not matter which diet plan you use. I am not a physician or in the medical field, I am simply giving you an honest opinion, I hope you can make a wise choice. I followed my heart and a month before surgery I went to weight watchers and lost 30 lbs before my surgery. Surgery went well and I am a year post operative and have lost a total of 110 pounds after I had my lap band was placed. Santos
   — cancelsbronx

December 27, 2008
Hi Jackie, I had Dr Baker and was on 4 weeks of HMR Shakes. He normally has patients do 2 weeks, but because of my pre-op weight (400 lbs) he had me do 4 weeks. I did 5 shakes a day. To prevent boredom, I bought several different boxes of sugar free pudding. I also bought several small container and empties each box of sugar free pudding into each container and labeled it. Everytime I made up a shake I would add a spoonful or two of the dry pudding mix into my shake. You can also try a half spoonful of one flavor with half spoonful of another. Like 1 Vanilla HMR Shake with a little SF Cheesecake Pudding mix and a little SF Chocolate Pudding mix. There are lots of different flavors, so get a box in each. Also you can get frozen fruits and add a little to your shake in a blender for refreshing taste. Add some ice cubes and make it a smoothie. You shouldn't feel any hunger as long as you are following Dr Baker's instructions for the shakes. During my entire 4 weeks, I was still cooking dinner for my room mate every day, and never once cheated, I did think about it, and even fought the temptation of just licking the spoon when dinner was done, but I kept thinking about my surgery. Dr. Baker will not think twice of closing you up and sending you home, if he finds any food in your stomach during surgery. He has done it before. He demands his patients to be compliant pre-op, because you will have to be post-op. Like I said at the beginning, I was 400 lbs at my first pre-op meeting, and I had to come back for a 2nd visit so he could see if I was losing weight on the shakes and I think I had lost like 20 lbs, and surgery day I was 368 pounds. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions.
   — sykoeve