Help! STARVING on pre-op diet!

[BostonPA 0]

Hi all,

I am 6 days into my 10-day pre-op diet, and I am starving! Actually, the hunger is more like a constant, gnawing stomach pain.

Surgery is next Tuesday, and I've already lost 17 pounds. I'm a low BMI bandster, so that is a lot for me! (went from 211 to 194, on a 5'6" frame.)

The worst part is that I feel weak and dizzy all the time. At first I thought I was dehydrated, so I upped the Water drinking. I hate water (tastes like pond scum!), but I'm chugging about 10 glasses a day.

I'm also doing the Protein Shakes, yogurt, and cottage cheese, plus Vitamins. So I know nutritionally I should be okay.

But this feeling is awful! I wake up every day and feel completely depressed and deprived. I love food!

Please, someone tell me it gets better after surgery? At the very least, I hopefully won't feel such a desire for food, hopefully?

Looking for some hope here...

[racheyrach 0]

wow im surprised they actually letting you have the surgery. I have heard over and over that you have to be 100lbs to lose look like your looking for 60.

either way through the meeting i hear this is completely normal you just have to push through it.

good luck!!!:drool:

[BostonPA 0]

Yes, my BMI was barely 35, and I have mild sleep apnea and high blood pressure, so I qualified for insurance-covered surgery.

Around here, you need 100 lbs to lose, OR a BMI of 40, OR a BMI of 35 and a weight-related comorbidity (like sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes, etc.)

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I hate this part!

[latin_starr 0]

Boston i understand where you are coming from. I was struggling with the diet. Luckily my doc allowed me to eat salads /raw or steamed veggies. Of course it's not the same as a piece of chicken or pasta..but hey it's somthing. Carrots saved me. lol I would eat them all day...gnaw on them just to have something to chew. I thought of food every moment i was awake...what made it worse is that i had to continue to make dinner for my husband and son. whew..that was super hard.

I've been banded for one full day now and i haven't been hungry. I have trouble drinking the Isopure [protein drinks] AND water...i'm like you..i think it's gross. lol

but hey...think of the all the benefits and end product! We have to keep on keeping on!

[va_viv 3]

Wow Boston you're progress has been great! I'm getting banded on Wednesday. I can understand your hunger issues. I feel ya! BUT YOU CAN DO IT! Just keep your eye on the prize. The first couple of days were HELL to say the least. But I pushed through it and so can you! Maybe you should up your Water more, I found that drinking 120 oz of water has really helped me. My pre-op diet is all liquids but my surgeon has allowed me 3 sugar-free jell-o and popcicles. Which has helped tremendously! Good luck to you and stay postive you'll get through it! :drool:

[findingherself 0]

Don't cheat!!!! hang in there and things will be okay

i promise you, i cheated and i was constipated and have gas pains i wantedto cry.I think if you just drink more shakes and whatever else u can hav you will be a okay...i had to learn the hard wy so now i'm telling you be careful..i hope everything works out for you

[BostonPA 0]

Thanks so much for the support, guys.

I'm ashamed to admit that I cheated tonight. :-(

But I'm getting right back on the wagon. Four days until surgery!!! I've already lost almost 20 pounds, although the giant steak I ate tonight will ensure a bad scale day tomorrow.

[Esorami 2]

BostonPA....

LOL I can't believe u ate a big steak! I had 2 kernels of pop corn and I was feeling sooo guilty. You should be fine. Just think of the end result. What brand of shakes are u drinking? I am drinking 3 Bariatric Advantage shakes a day and am full most of the time. I have a cup of warm broth or some sf Jello in between if I feel the need.

[GipsyGirl 6]

wow - I am hearing a lot of scary stories about the pre - op diets here. I am supposed to have a 2 day liquid pre - op diet before this upcoming Wednesday and I am really nervous because I love food and sometimes I unintentionally go and eat and then realize what I have done. Really weird. So, I guess I got lucky not to be starving for as long as two weeks.

[BetsyB 9]

No one has ever died from the preop diet--you'll make it through. It's good prep for bandster hell <evil grin>.

Seriously, it's just a matter of time before food assumes a much less important role in your life. Right now, it's really rough--and it will be for a while. But in the end, it's very freeing to lose the attachment to eating. food is still wonderful--things taste good. But the relationship really changes.

[missgypsy 1]

nope no one has ever died from doing the pre-op lol but i'm sure we've all wanted to. when i did mine i was also able to have cheese and some ham ore turkey lunch meat. but only once serving a day and never together. made it go further. after a while you just won't even be hungry anymore. i think one thing that saved me was that i ended up sick with a sinus infection and so i felt like crap and didn't want to eat lol.

[BostonPA 0]

LOL I can't believe u ate a big steak! I had 2 kernels of pop corn and I was feeling sooo guilty. You should be fine. Just think of the end result. What brand of shakes are u drinking? I am drinking 3 Bariatric Advantage shakes a day and am full most of the time. I have a cup of warm broth or some sf Jello in between if I feel the need.

I do feel guilty! But I'm back on the wagon today. I'm using Carnation Instant Breakfast and I add a scoop of whey Protein powder. It's actually delicious! I think I had not been drinking enough of them, though, so I was so hungry!

wow - I am hearing a lot of scary stories about the pre - op diets here. I am supposed to have a 2 day liquid pre - op diet before this upcoming Wednesday and I am really nervous because I love food and sometimes I unintentionally go and eat and then realize what I have done. Really weird. So, I guess I got lucky not to be starving for as long as two weeks.

Two days will be no problem! It is hard, but you can totally do it! Just be really mindful, and get out of the house as much as you can to distract yourself!

No one has ever died from the preop diet--you'll make it through. It's good prep for bandster hell <evil grin>.

Seriously, it's just a matter of time before food assumes a much less important role in your life. Right now, it's really rough--and it will be for a while. But in the end, it's very freeing to lose the attachment to eating. Food is still wonderful--things taste good. But the relationship really changes.

That is exactly what I am looking forward to!

nope no one has ever died from doing the pre-op lol but i'm sure we've all wanted to. when i did mine i was also able to have cheese and some ham ore turkey lunch meat. but only once serving a day and never together. made it go further. after a while you just won't even be hungry anymore. i think one thing that saved me was that i ended up sick with a sinus infection and so i felt like crap and didn't want to eat lol.

I can have fat-free yogurt and fat-free cottage cheese. I add a teaspoon of sugar-free fruit preserve to the cottage cheese to make it a bit more palatable.

[tabatha lynn 0]

Ok so I am on my 5th day of my 15 day pre op. Thus far it hasnt been bad. I had to go to Mr. Gattis for a birthday party last night and a ladies meeting with church tonight. I took my shakes to both. I did great last night and tonight until it came to clean up and I nibbled here and there on carrots, cucumbers, apples, and a few bites of a cheese ball. I am worried to death that I have messed up. Of course when I see that some Drs are allowing you all salad and things like that it helps me to think that I will be ok. But again I am still a little worried. I start my liver cleanse this Fri. Please any input is appreciated. Oh I hope I havent messed up.. I still have 10 days, surely that is enough time to get all of that out.

[BetsyB 9]

One thing that leaps to mind (because I actually have a husband for whom this is currently a very real problem) is your hydration status.

I am going to give advice that sounds counterintuitive. If you are drinking 10 glasses of Water in addition to other fluids and Protein drinks, you might want to pare back a little. (Post-op, you'll likely have to pay attention to getting ENOUGH liquid, so this is not a long-term suggestion; just something you might want to consider as you endure the preop agony.)

Everyone always says to drink, drink, drink. But once you're well-hydrated, there's no such thing as "better hydrated." Our kidneys do an exquisite job of ridding our bodies of excess fluid---but when they are flooded with too much Fluid, their ability to finely regulate electrolytes is compromised. This can wreak havoc with electrolytes (sodium in particular) and cause weakness, headache, and other (sometimes very serious) problems.

The easiest way to gauge hydration is urine color. If it's very dark, you need more Fluid. If it's pale yellow, you're a-okay. If it's clear, you can ease off on fluid a bit.