Liquid Diet Pre And Post Surgery

[SusieSunshine 68]

Okay so I am at the point where I have had my consult and am approved through insurance. My surgeon didn't go over the liquid diet with me. Can you all please elaborate on what is entailed? No food at all? Just Protein Shakes? I can imagine that I would lose a ton of weight just from this liquid diet. Please explain. I'm starting to get anxious about this liquid diet. Would if I cheat?

[Angela1234 29]

I am six days post op and I am down 24 from the start of the liquid diet. I thought it was going to be horrible but really, after day two I wasn't even really that hungry. I do miss chewing food though. i am now on full liquids for another day or so and then I go to pureed foods. After reading some posts here I am sure you are well aware that every doctor requires different things. Some are only liquids while others allow a lean cuisene meal per day. Check with YOUR doctor to see what they recommend. We are here for advice but with important things like diet you will want to check with your specific doctor to see what he recommends.

Good luck to you! BTW - i cheated a bit on the preop liquids. I had a bit of food occassionally but nothing significant. Try not to cheat though, it will help set you up for success.

[Winteranne 5]

Hi Banderama!!! My surgery is July 24th, 2012 and I have started my 10 day pre-op liquid diet. Here is what I am doing, hope this helps.... I am drinking 2-3 Protein Shakes a day, trying to get down 48-64oz of Water daily, sugar free ice pops, Soups, and carnation instant Breakfast. I'm making sure that I am getting 80-90 grams of Protein a day. The way my Doc explained it to me was that the importance of the pre-op diet was to help shrink your liver for the surgical procedure and to help you start getting adjusted for your diet post-op. I am on day 3 of the pre-op diet as of today and to be honest with you it sucks, but I keep reminding myself that it is needed and the beginning of my new life. Good luck to you!!!!

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

a great link to read about (cheating on pre/post op diets)

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/healthy-living/whats-so-bad-about-cheating-on-the-post-op-r78

[SusieSunshine 68]

I guess rather then the morality of it I was just curious to the science behind it. I honestly wasn't aware of the shrinking liver detail. That makes a lot of sense. I just think that we all have had issues with food here and a liquid diet is daunting even with the change in lifestyle. If we all had such great willpower we wouldn't be overweight would we? I'm really glad I found this forum. I think it is important to be mentally ready for this. Thanks for all of your responses!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

You really need to contact your surgeon's office and ask. Nothing anyone tells you here will help because every surgeon has their own way of doing things. Some don't even have a pre-op diet and the ones that do vary greatly.

Contact your surgeon and ask. Unfortunately asking here does you zero good.

Best wishes.

[SusieSunshine 68]

Well of course I am going to ask! I'm just getting opinions here. Just because I have a certain dr. picked out doesn't mean I want to hear everyone else's opinions. I want to make sure I do everything right and was just using this board to get multiple opinions. Therefore asking here is doing me a lot of good.

[prettysmart1913 48]

I would agree ask your own surgeon. I just set my date for September 11th. When I asked about the liquid diet my surgeon said that is an old practice and he does not use it.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Well of course I am going to ask! I'm just getting opinions here. Just because I have a certain dr. picked out doesn't mean I want to hear everyone else's opinions. I want to make sure I do everything right and was just using this board to get multiple opinions. Therefore asking here is doing me a lot of good.

My point is, our opinions are null, void, and irrelevant. You could read something here you think is a great idea or sounds wonderful, but at the end of the day you must do the pre-op and post-op diets your own surgeon requires.

[SusieSunshine 68]

Right I get what you are saying. But who's to say my surgeon is correct. Always helps to get other people's opinions. Sorry if this was a dumb question.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Right I get what you are saying. But who's to say my surgeon is correct. Always helps to get other people's opinions. Sorry if this was a dumb question.

No not a dumb question at all.

But if you don't have faith in your surgeon, then you shouldn't be having surgery with him to begin with.

If you do have faith in him to do your surgery then you need to trust his judgement on the pre op and post op diets, too. I hate to sound so blunt, but Lap Band surgery isn't like going to a buffet where you can pick and choose the aspects you like. Whether your like it or not, what your surgeon says is law when it comes to pre and post op. Period. No exceptions.

You need to remember the pre op diet and post op diets are not about weight loss, they are about shrinking your liver before and healing after. Your surgeon knows what is best.

Once you're healed after surgery and back on normal food, you can mess with your diet and find what works best for you long term. But until then, you really don't have a choice to be made in the matter.

[SusieSunshine 68]

Right, maybe I'm coming off a bit uneducated but I do realize I need to trust my surgeon. I do realize it's not like going to a buffet. Like I said before. Just asking questions. Thanks for your help.

[Short and Chunky 230]

Bandarama - no harm in asking. As said before all docs are different. I was no carb for 2 weeks - Clear liquids for 2 days - then surgery and then after surgery - Clear Liquids, then full liquids, then mushies, then food. The liquid diet is rough - I will not lie - But my doc said the liver has to rest or he won't do the surgery (too much chance of bleeding liver). I have zero will power and I just knew I would cheat - but I hung in there and I am glad I did. I knew that when I went for surgery there was no way I wasn't having my band ! I am one yr post op and down 104 lbs. As bad as the liquid thing can get - it is so much better than carrying around that 104 extra lbs. FYI, start looking now for a Protein shake that you like and are willing to drink. This can be hard (I am picky). I spent a ton of $$ until I found the one for me. Hang in there and keep up with this site - it has been a lifesaver for me.

Melinda in Florida

[ddrobins 58]

I understand your apprehension about the pre op diet. I'm on a medical grade Liquid Protein, 3 pkgs a day gives me 107 gr.of Protein. I can also have green leafy veg. cooked or raw, but just plain. Yah! I have yet to get down all 3 pkgs. of the protein in one day, but I'm doing about 2.5 pkgs. I'm not hungry at all. This stuff is very filling.

I was really worried that I would not be able to stick to the pre op diet. I was doing a bit of whining about it to my friend the evening before I was to start and she pretty much gave me the talk that I needed. She reminded me of what my surgeon had already told me , how important it is to shrink that fatty liver down as much as possible to make the surgery less complicated and safer. It could mean the difference between having just a few small incisions or having to be opened full abdomen or having to be closed back up if your liver was in a poor condition and the surgeon felt he didn't want to take the risk of you bleeding. I'm sure none of these things happen often, because we are grown ups and know that we must follow doctor's orders. After she told me all of that , I said, YES MOM, and I've been following my docs orders to a T.

You'll do fine. Have some distractons set up to fill in that time when you would have been snacking. I'm a quilter, so I have a new quilt on the go. Some great books downloaded onto my Kindle, and two different window shopping trips planned with a couple friends. I'm going to check out some clothes that I hope to be wearing this time next year.

[SusieSunshine 68]

Thanks DD! I wish I was in your shoes. Still have a couple months to go!