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Hi There, So I was hoping anyone might have some tips about surviving the pre-op diet. I know surgeons have different recommendations, but mine is had me do 1 week of zero carbs, which I just finished, and now clear sugar-free liquids only for 4 days. I struggled with no carbs in the beginning, but now I'm wishing I had the Protein back, haha. Emotionally, I am handling the restrictions a bit better, but now that I've shifted to almost no calories, I'm feeling a lot of physical symptoms. My stomach is aching with hunger, and I am also dealing with headaches and low energy. Is anyone else going through similar things? Any advice from people who've made it through? My surgeon is being really rigid because they still want me to lose 7lbs in the next few days before surgery, so I really can't even think of cheating Has anyone had success distracting themselves from the diet? I'm just trying not to think about the next four days because it's too overwhelming to imagine not eating at all :/ Any advice is totally welcome. Thanks!

Hi There, I'm new to the forums, but I think the idea of having a buddy would be super good for me. I'm really starting to struggle with the preop diet and procedures and stress, so I'm pretty worried about how I will do post-op :/ I've always been big, but now it's gotten to the point where it is affecting my mobility (and I'm only 28) and ability to fit in public places, so I really need to do this surgery, but I'm all sorts of worried about it, honestly. I live in Alexandria, VA, but I'm having the surgery in Herndon and their support group is too far away from me to be practical really. So if anyone is interested in being buddies, I'd be really happy to hear from you. Thanks!

To my newly bypassed friends: I'm just over a week out, and I think I am feeling hungry :/ I didn't cheat at all on the liquids the first week, but since I've been allowed to add cottage cheese and yogurt I've been eating a little more than recommended. They say I should be sticking to a tablespoon max at a time, but I can easily eat 1/4 cup already. I know I'm not supposed to push it, but I'm terribly tempted to eat more and taboo foods. I'm starting to wonder if they really did the surgery at all, haha. I thought I wouldn't be hungry during this time, but I really thought I wouldn't be able to eat much. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Maybe this is all head hunger, but I don't really know how to tell. I want to eat, I seem to be able to eat. I guess I'm just wondering why I did all this in the first place...

@@MadisonsMommy Glad to know I'm not the only one, haha. All of my incisions are itching, but one has gotten a big red ring around it, and doesn't feel like the others, so I think I'm going to have to call my surgeon for some antibiotics, blah.

@@gina171 The hospital bariatric nurse actually told me to stop all Vitamins, and even some of my regular meds about two weeks prior to surgery. I wondered why too, but it didn't turn out to be a huge problem so I never asked. Just a general update, my blues seem to mellowing out just a bit. It's been exactly one week since my surgery, and besides feeling down, what's really getting to me is itching... is anyone else having intense itching around their incision sites? Any tricks not to scratch. I'm afraid I will scratch off the glue in my sleep. Also, how are you all doing on the hunger front? Anyone feeling hungry yet? How can you tell the difference between head hunger and real hunger?

Finally made it home after about four days in the hospital. I'm actually feeling quite sad and depressed. It may sound crazy, but I kind of miss the hospital. Things are improving physically, but I really hope things start to improve emotionally soon. Has anyone else felt this way?

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to let ya'll know that I made it through to the other side. Still in the hospital tonight, but might go home tomorrow. It's been more painful than I had hoped, but at least the nurses have been very sweet. Thanks to you all for your support. Amy

@@Djmohr Haha, well, at least I know what I'm in for, I guess. Maybe I can chew on some ice? At least I'll get to have a Protein Shake in the not so distant future. After almost six days with pretty much no food, I'm even excited for that lol. I leave for my surgery in about 6 hours, and I'm really starting to get nervous, but I'm kind of amazed I have done so well sticking to the preop diet. I guess I'm stronger than I think.

@@Dawnie Doo I know right? I totally feel like I'm gearing up for the big game of something, too! I leave for the hospital in 6 hours! Eeek. It seems like I won't be doing too much sleeping tonight after all. I'm starting to get pretty darn nervous. It really makes me feel better to know that you ladies are out there cheering me on! I will let you all know how it went as soon as I can. To my other 8/8 friends, be brave!

@@Djmohr Thanks for your thoughtful encouragement. It's really good to hear from someone who has been through it all. I think you replied to another of my posts and for some reason it seems to have dissipated off my feed so I never responded, but thank you for your encouragement there too! I think you're right that people who have not tried the liquid diet can't really understand how it feels. My dad offered me brussel sprouts as a joke tonight, because he was sure I would say "oh yuck"! I told him that I would chew on the carpet right now if it meant not feeling hungry, lol!

Thanks for the ideas! I think I'm starting to get the hang of it now. I'm trying to use the time to really focus on my "coping skills" outside of eating or smoking, lol. Not to be too sappy, but I think there is so much emotional baggage I have used food to cover that I have been starving myself spiritually in other ways. I'm trying to think of feeding myself with self-care instead of calories, but of course it's a challenge. It's nice to know I can find support on here.

@@Sharyn I hear you! I'm at the end of day 3 of clear liquids, and I'm basically avoiding my entire family so that I don't snap at them. Honestly, I've decided to use this time to try to "feed" myself in other ways. I'm taking long bubble baths, meditating, taking myself out to the movies, getting a pedicure, etc. Since I can't indulge in food, I'm treating myself in other ways. Hope your hunger gets better!

I'm just a few days out myself, and I have chosen to be pretty open about it, mostly because I didn't want to act ashamed of having the surgery. I guess I wanted to jump the gun and be proud before anyone could really shame me. That's just my method though. I can see why telling fewer people can be better. One thing that bugs me is people telling me not to have the surgery or telling me about people they know who have had the surgery and "failed." Does anyone else get these kinds of comments? How do you handle them? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yikes! I thought I had it bad. Have you started the diet yet? How are you coping? Thank goodness they make different flavors of broth...

@@melbell2222 I hear you! My surgeon originally told me I had to lose 10 lbs, but in the months of waiting for appointments etc. I gained 4 lbs. So my "final" appointment was last Wednesday, and now I have just over one week to lose 14 lbs I've lost 7 as of today, so the surgeon said he will make the final decision at the hospital on surge day depending on my weight and how my abdomen feels... Needless to say, I am also worried. Worried and hungry, lol. Hang in there!

I wish mine was over with already! The surgeon extended my pre-op diet (only clear liquids, sugar free, approx. 15 cals/day) for five days. I wasn't expecting to have to do it so long. I'm afraid I am getting grouchy at everyone around me, but I really do feel very hungry and frustrated. Monday can't come soon enough for me. I'm glad to hear those of you who got the op are doing okay on the other side!

@@LaDivaDev and @@Dawnie Doo My bypass is scheduled for the 8th too! I'm definitely getting some anxious energy, finding it hard to think about much else but the surgery, but I also feel just a little bit excited for the first time in this whole process, so yay for that, haha

@@fatgirlsvelte I'm really impressed by all the work you are doing, and I do believe it will benefit you so much after surgery. I'm pretty young and healthier than my docs expected, but some co-morbidities are already creeping up on me. Personally, I've been in treatment for psych stuff almost my whole life, and finally dealing with my weight seems like just one more thing that can liberate me. For me, depression/suicidality made my world so narrow, even though I couldn't see it at the time. I think that my weight has done a similar thing, and once I get it down some I will truly realize how much it was cutting me off from the rest of the world. I also have struggled with eating disorders including BED and have hit so many check marks in the DSM, but when it comes down to it, what matters the most is my lived experience. It helps me to remind myself that I deserve to live a full and happy life; I don't need to limit myself in the ways I did before. I am brave enough to stop hiding within my depression, and part of that for me is hiding inside of my weight and self-soothing with food. Not to be too sappy, but I think I just need to keep telling myself that I deserve better than the life I have created for myself so far. Anyway, that was a ramble, lol. All I really meant to say was that I hear you!

@@KristenLe I did the exact same thing with my food bucket list, now my "things I want to do" list is super long, and it helps me to go back and look at it when I am feeling blue about this whole process. p.s. OMG calzonneeeesss. @@fatgirlsvelte I feel like we might be the same person, lol. Do you know when your surgery date is going to be? At first I wanted to get mine over with asap, but now I feel sort of lucky to have had the time to do (some of) the emotional work before the physical stuff. If I look back, I've really been working towards this for years.

Hi Jackie! It sounds like we have a lot in common I'm 28, BMI in the upper 50s, and doing the bypass on 8/8. I didn't even think about the gas and swelling causing weight gain I bet that was a nasty surprise. It sounds like you did really well losing weight before the operation though. I'm struggling with that, myself. I think I'm going to try to weigh myself less, actually, and just try to trust that it will come off in its own time, as I make good choices. Otherwise, I think it's too easy for me to get obsessive about the numbers. How are you tolerating the post-op diet so far? Are you doing the Protein drinks? I'm pretty nervous about what it will feel like to try to drink after surgery. Anyway, I hope you keep healing well. Stay strong! Amy

Hi There, I'm doing the RNY on August 8th like some of you all, and I would love to have as many buddies as possible, haha. Feel free to pm me if anyone wants to chat more directly ever. I'm doing a pretty rigid no/low carb diet right now, and it's been tough for me. I also just got the news that I have to do four days of only Clear liquids (and they said no juice or clear soda or anything with calories basically) Blargh. I've also been super emotional and on the edge of tears. It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one, though. Hang in there everyone!

Hi there, So this is my first post. Bypass scheduled for August 8th, and dealing with a pretty restrictive pre-op diet because I haven't been able to lose the weight my surgeon wanted me to. I know a lot of people have a more intense pre-op diet than me, but this one got dropped on me at the last minute, and I'm really having a tough time getting my head around it. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel truly devastated about what I think of as "losing food" as part of my life. I never realized how out of control my eating was, or how dependent I am on food until now. I am surprised because I have been able to eat nothing but Water for over a week in the past, but that was part of an eating disorder and I guess I knew I could always binge again in the future. This time I know that I won't be able to do that. I feel so sad when I see other people eating carbs, in a similar way as I used to feel sad when I saw people in happy relationships. I guess it's jealousy, and frustration about not being able to have a "normal" life. I'm wondering if the reason I am still single is because food has always been my primary partner. Whether bad or good, my relationship to food has been a huge part of my daily life. I guess I'm starting to panic, knowing that won't be true anymore. I'm also struggling everyday because my weight has really started to disable me in the last few months. It's very difficult for me to go to the theater, or find seats in public, or travel, or even walk anymore. I guess I keep questioning whether I can actually do this really hard thing (surgery) that I know I have to do if I want to have a life worth living. I'm sorry for rambling, but I really didn't know where else to turn. Does anybody else relate to these feelings? I haven't been able to go to the support group at my hospital because it is really far away, and during times when I'm busy. Would anyone consider being a "bypass buddy" with me? I think if I knew anyone going through something similar it might help. Anyway, thanks to anyone who even reads this. It's funny, you all are total strangers but now you know my darkest secrets really. Well, sorry to be a downer. Cheers! Amy

Thanks everyone for responding. It's just helpful to hear from people at different points with this, and to know I'm not as isolated as I feel sometimes. I'm feeling a little better about the diet right now, but I'm anticipating another possible bump in the road when I go to Clear liquids on Thursday... I'm actually happy in a way to be struggling with the diet stuff now, so maybe I will be more prepared for after surgery. Part of me wants to back out at the last minute, but I think that's probably a natural response to having my life-long coping strategy threatened. I have to keep reminding myself how strong I am, and how excited I am to be able to find new coping skills like going for walks, which I can't even do now. I am actually working with a therapist, but I had to leave my old one because I recently moved. It's a bit hard because my last therapist really understood my emotional food stuff, and it's hard to explain to someone new. Anyway, I just hope in six months or a year, I will be on here telling other people that I made the right decision with surgery. @@KAAI5, I can't believe your family made cinnamon rolls! I would just die, haha! All I really want is carbs and more carbs right now. I'm also apprehensive about being thirsty and not being able to gulp Water, especially with the summer heat. My dietician said she never had anyone complain about that afterwards, but I guess it's good to know I'm not the only one with that fear. I hope your surgery goes really well. You're exactly one week ahead of me, so I'd love to hear how you are doing whenever you feel up to posting.

I don't know if anyone is still looking at this thread, but I just thought I would say hi. I'm in Alexandria, but having surgery in Reston with Dr. Fitzer on 8/8. I could really use someone to talk to who has gone through, or is going through the process. I'm struggling with all of the pre-op stuff and feeling pretty down right now. The other problem is that I just moved back to this area after about 10 years away, so I'm kind of short on local friends. Anyway, if any one sees this and wouldn't mind chatting sometime, that would be much appreciated. Thanks. Amy