Pre-Op Weight Loss Help

Hi Everyone  I'm new to OH- waiting on my insurance approval for RNY and going through all the pre-op stuff at the same time. My surgeon told me that I have to lose 15-20lbs before surgery and I'm VERY concerned that I won't be able to do that. He suggested that I use Optifast- meal replacements.  Anyone had any experience with these? Did they work? Which flavors were good? Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks! Kathy L.

My surgeon requires his patients to do a 2 week liquid pre-op... on this I lost 14lbs (I weighed 252 at the start). Many people lose around 15-25lbs depending on how much you weigh. Depending on how much time you have to lose (and how long you have to maintain the loss) Im sure a atkins/south beach type diet would help you get there.  For my 2 week liquid diet I had to drink 6 Carnation No Sugar Added (NSA) shakes made with Skim or Light Soy Milk a day... in addition had to drink another 6 cups of Sugar Free (SF) noncaffinated liquids a day. I was allowed all the SF jello, SF ice pops, light yogurt I wanted. I could also have broth (low sodium) and 1/2 a cup of gatoraid or juice a day (which is NOTHING wasnt even worth drinkins!)

If you follow the liquid diet you should drop a good portion of the weight.  It helps your liver shink for the surgery, and it helps you understand if you suffer from head hunger and how to handle it.  The liquid diet pre op is a lot like the liquid diet post op, so it helps you be comfortable with it by the time you NEED to be on it.  I have a firend who had been on Optifast and it is a good system for dropping a lot of weight quick, but requires you to mean it.  You can't cheat on it and expect results.

I'm new in the process too, at orentation I was 256 and I was referred to a 6mo education class before I'm allowed to have surgery, and at the first class I was 237. My 10% was 25 pounds and I'm 225 as of this morning nekkid on my scale. Hopefully at my class tomorrow I'll be down too.. (It's at night). They recommend Optifast at my class too, but I use slimfast. It's way cheaper for me. Optifast has more protein though. Probably better for you. -Dawnyel RNY July 2007 *God Willing*