help...

I'm on my fourth day of my diet for 21 days with optifast. Today I ate, I feel so depressed. is so hard i can only take shakes, sugar free jello, sf popsicles, and broth.these three days have been very difficult, I felt dizzy. Yesterday I was thinking about many things. I feel sad about not stop my bad eating habits before. Why now i am here in this point. Why I do not care my self before? sometimes i m thinking I do not need this surgery and I can do on my own. but I'm lying again. I get scared to die in the surgery(I have young children). I have a fear of not being well after the operation. I have also afraid that will happen next in my future. I work in the food industry. the temptation is always very close. But fear is not having more energy and health to continue working on this. (My job is very hard and I need to work). Yesterday my back pain returned this reminding me why I need this surgery. I know with my weight 261 I can continue. I just want to l live long and free of back pain and feet. I want to have enough strength to finish this diet. and I hope God allows me to have surgery without complications and to live long enough to see my children and my grandchildren.I just looking to vent. Thanks and sorry for my english

You are in the hardest part the beginning of the liquid diet. After about 5 days I was like ok I can do this. I saw the weight was starting to creep down and I knew the the best thing for me and my surgery was to get some weight off before surgery. I was on a liquid diet for 3 weeks lost 20 lbs before surgery. It made me more confident that my liver shrank lessening the chance of them hitting it and I also was confident I did all I could before surgery to make myself ready. You can do it think about the positives of it all and you will be on the losers bench before you know it! Good Luck!

Thank your Michelle. 20 pounds lost is great. I want to do everything right. I hope so. thanks for your kind words and good luck in your journey

Don't be too hard on yourself.  It is hard.  The good news is that it gets easier.  Those first few days are the hardest.  You CAN do this.  My surgeon did things a little differently.  No Optifast for me.  Only clear liquids for 5 days...plus the bowel prep!  I lost 12 pounds in 5 days.  Think of it this way, you are getting healthier for the surgery, and the surgery will lead to being healthier for the rest of your life.  Do it for yourself.  Do it for your kids.  Do it for your future grandchildren.  I believe in you, and I KNOW you can do this.  Hang in there sweetie!

Blessings,

Brenda

Thak you so much Brenda, your word help me a lot. Hugs.

We all understand your fears and doubt. I will pray for you. You can get through this.  

Thank you. My life is in the hands of Christ.

Dear Mary,

My surgery is tomorrow and I have 3 shakes left of OPTI after 3 weeks on it!  It is very difficult to get through the first week.  I also was dizzy, exhausted and completely out of it.  It DOES get better! I promise. Try and start fresh.  At the end of the three weeks you will see some weight loss and start to feel even more excited.  I have young kids too, well...10 and 13 and they are so excited for us as a family. My hubby and kids are so supportive of me and I don't think I could do it without them. Do you have anyone in your life to help you out at home with the cooking, shopping etc?  I spent alot of time the first week in my room alone and going to bed very early to hide out from the food demons!  The better you do on opti the easier your surgery and recovery will be for you.  Try and think about the future and all the wonderful things you will be able to enjoy with your family. Hang in there and don't be too hard on yourself.  You can do it! One day at a time!

Gina

Thank your Gina. My husband will help me. Tomorrow is a new day for me, i need to recover my focus. I hope the best for you, my prayers are with you.

A trick that a therapist taught me......and it seemed to work with I was scared and negative and feeling defeated about something......He had me write down the positive/good things about the action that I was trying to achieve.......he then had me scotch tape it to a place where I would see it often ...... (he suggested  the bathroom mirror so that I was able actually talk out loud to myself......no one else could hear me and think that I was RIGHT off my rocker :-) ......I then took the list.in my hand...and slowly read it out loud..... making eye contact with myself in the mirror as often as I could.......it was REALLY, REALLY difficult for me at first....but in the long term IT WORKED............You already have a GREAT list in your post already....and I bet that with a little more thought, you can get even more written down !!!!    GO FOR IT GIRL !!! .......having had the ability to reach out here on this forum was great.....and shows your inner strength and determination.....CONGRADULATIONS !!!!