Worst pre-op diet ever!!!

[angel96049 1]

I know this diet is supposed to be whats best for us and our surgery, but I really feel like crap and it's been 11 days! I feel malnutritioned, and far more unhealthy then when I was eating salads. This diet is so strict it is ridiculous and a little uncalled for I believe...especially after hearing what all your pre-op diets consist of! I just wanted to share my diet and what I'm going through:

Things I can eat:

V-8 Juice

Cream of wheat

Sugar free pudding/jello

Light n' fit yogurt

Unsweetened applesauce

Fat free cottage cheese

Fat free milk

Raw vegetables

Things I can't eat:

No fat

No meat

No fruit

No fish

No poultry

No beans

No cheese

No sugar

No nuts

No oil

No avocados

No corn

No eggs

No pasta

No cream

I'm starving!!! I am soooo tired of cottage cheese, I cannot eat another bite! And although the raw vegetables are pretty much what I'm living off of at this time (besides Protein drinks), they are not filling, and not near as good without dip:blush:! I feel weak, unhealthy and just crappy all around....

[OMG123 0]

It is hard, but worth it. I spent 5 days with FF milk and carnation instant Breakfast drink, 5 times a day and that was it. I thought it was hard until I moved onto 2 days of bowel prep that was Clear Liquids only. Then while I was waiting on the table for the anesthesiologist, my main concern was could I try to use the restroom one last time. I was so nervous that I would soil myself on the table....LOL! Your body will be glad you went through this extra work before surgery. That pesky liver is big and slippery so the pre-op diet is supposed to help shrink it down and make it less slippery. The doctors have a lot of work to do and everything gets moved all around so any help we can do to drop the chances of complications are worth it.

[Lee 19]

I'm sorry this has been so rough on you. Only three days left. You can do it!

Where are you having your surgery done? I go to Kaiser Richmond in N. Ca.

[angel96049 1]

Thanks for the positivity guys! I needed that! I am so glad there is only 3 days left, I don't know how much longer I could hold up! On the last day I will have clear liquids only, and I know it sounds crazy but I'm actually looking forward to being able to have broth! I'm going to Dr. Woodbury with Healthy Steps in Santa Rosa, Ca. I know this is for the best, but I just needed to vent a little hunger frustration...lol! Thanks for listening!

[barbannn 4]

It was really hard for me too Angel. I was sleeved 12/29, and was pretty compliant, but did enjoy a small Christmas dinner with the family. It felt really good to hear from my family that my liver looked great and the surgeon thought I must have done really well on the pre-op. It facilitated an easier surgery. Honestly, for me the immediate recovery has been tougher than I thought it would be and I had NO troubles/issues whatsoever. I cannot imagine how it is for folks who do have issues. Hang in there. You are almost there!

[MidwestGirl 8]

I know you're really struggling with the pre-op now, but just think! Three more days and then it will have all been worth it! I know you will do just awesome and someday soon when you're down 30 or 40 or 50 pounds, you'll look back on these two weeks as just a little bump in the road on your journey toward a healthier you! You can do it, sister! :crying: Hang in there!

And by the way, those Protein drinks Tiffy suggested (the Gold Standard 100% Whey) are not too bad. The caramel toffee fudge & rocky road have been the best so far, to my tastes anyway.

[i1Linda 15]

You're almost there Angel. Hang on. For me, the pre-op was the WORST part of the whole thing. Yes, I was in some pain and discomfort post-op, but I wasn't hungry anymore. The pre-op with a normal tummy is the worst. Midwest Girl is right on, you'll look back on the pre-op diet as just a big inconvenience. The SLEEVE is so worth 2 weeks of pre-op misery.

[thinoneday 445]

I know this diet is supposed to be whats best for us and our surgery, but I really feel like crap and it's been 11 days! I feel malnutritioned, and far more unhealthy then when I was eating salads. This diet is so strict it is ridiculous and a little uncalled for I believe...especially after hearing what all your pre-op diets consist of! I just wanted to share my diet and what I'm going through:

Things I can eat:

V-8 juice

Cream of wheat

sugar free pudding/jello

Light n' fit yogurt

Unsweetened applesauce

Fat free cottage cheese

Fat free milk

Raw vegetables

Things I can't eat:

No fat

No meat

No fruit

No fish

No poultry

No Beans

No cheese

No sugar

No nuts

No oil

No avocados

No corn

No eggs

No Pasta

No cream

I'm starving!!! I am soooo tired of cottage cheese, I cannot eat another bite! And although the raw vegetables are pretty much what I'm living off of at this time (besides Protein drinks), they are not filling, and not near as good without dip:blush:! I feel weak, unhealthy and just crappy all around....

Wow you got to eat all that! I was lucky I didn't have to follow a diet but the one he had was 2-3 Protein shakes and 1 very small Protein meal consisting of 1-2 oz meat and 1-2 oz vegatables. . . . thats it! Now that would have driven me crazy. . . hang in there it's almost over and you've come this far you'll finish the race. . . you can do it! You want want is easiest for your doctor so he can do a safe job!

[Tracy46545 6]

Wow...cream of wheat on a pre-op diet????? that's an extremely high carb food!Why would a pre-op diet cut you off of most options for Protein? the body NEEDS that for healing after surgery. You're right...this is a bizarre pre-op diet. I hope your surgeon explained why.

[2b4me 0]

I'm a little confused about the pre-op diet. Everything I've read says that liver fat from non-alcoholic means (NASH) can and should only be reduced by losing weight very slowly, such as 1-2 pounds/week or 5-10% of body weight over a period of months and so as not to hurt the liver.

If the pre-op is meant to empty the intestines and bowel, then I can see more of a relationship between the diet and ease of surgery.

I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me where I can find studies on how rapid weight loss is positively correlated with a decrease in liver size for bariatric or any type of surgery. Thanks very much. I know there must be another side of the story but I can't find the data.

Thanks again!

[MidwestGirl 8]

I'm a little confused about the pre-op diet. Everything I've read says that liver fat from non-alcoholic means (NASH) can and should only be reduced by losing weight very slowly, such as 1-2 pounds/week or 5-10% of body weight over a period of months and so as not to hurt the liver.

If the pre-op is meant to empty the intestines and bowel, then I can see more of a relationship between the diet and ease of surgery.

I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me where I can find studies on how rapid weight loss is positively correlated with a decrease in liver size for bariatric or any type of surgery. Thanks very much. I know there must be another side of the story but I can't find the data.

Thanks again!

My doctor's reasoning was not to make me lose weight quickly right before surgery but he explained it as the lack of carbohydrates in my personal pre-op diet would shrink some of the fat off of the liver. My surgery ended up only taking 35 minutes and he said I must have done well on the pre-op because they had no problems trying to get to the stomach around/over the liver. I don't know if that really helps & I know it's definitely not data, but that's what my doc said. :001_smile:

[2b4me 0]

Thanks for your reply.

There were some other data implying that doctors used to use the pre-op diet to determine whether the patient would be a good candidate for WLS. If s/he could do the pre-op, then s/he would have a better chance of later on. I think this has pretty much been debunked by now.

I wish everyone the very best with their pre-op diets. You're right! It's tough to do. But just think of how squeaky clean everything will be for surgery and recovery! Keep up the great work!

All the very best to all

[Barbara278 9]

Here's the information my doctor gave me for pre op diet:

Pre Op diet

In the obese, the liver is a huge, fatty organ. It is “in the way” of the surgical area during surgery, and must be held back with surgical instruments. An enlarged liver is very fragile and bleeds quite easily when touched or manipulated during surgery. This bleeding can be difficult to control, and the extra care required with an enlarged liver increases surgical risk, as well as surgical time. Longer surgical time and extended time under general anesthesia can make both immediate and longer-term recovery much more difficult for you.

For those with a BMI of 40 or over, a special high Protein low-carb pre op diet has been extremely effective in shrinking the liver, so that the risks of bleeding and extended surgery times are greatly decreased. Those with lower BMIs may also choose, if they wish, to follow the liver-shrinking diet to further decrease their surgical risks.

Following this SPECIFIC DIET PLAN is extremely important. The goal is not to lose weight, necessarily, but to enter a temporary period of dietary ketosis, which is not harmful to you at all. However, many do lose a good amount of weight, which will jump-start your weight loss as you begin to regain and improve your health. It is this dietary ketosis that results in liver-shrinking and the normalizing of your metabolism so that you can do well with weight loss surgery.

LIVER-SHRINKING DIET PLAN

There are NO CALORIE LIMITATIONS on the LIVER-SHRINKING diet. You may eat/drink as much as you wish of the allowed things to feel satisfied, although we suggest reasonable limits to assist your weight loss. This does not have to be a liquid diet.

Start a low carb (30 grams or less daily), high Protein (minimum 60-70 grams daily), keep a close eye on the fat intake (don't over do it) and at least the minimum required daily amount (64 ounces) of plain Water intake diet prior to surgery.

If you chose to drink a Protein shake. Please read the labels. You should get at least 15 grams of Protein & less than 6 grams of total Carbohydrates per serving. Protein shakes are NOT required, but are very convenient.

You may have low fat yogurt, lean meats, grilled chicken, green vegetables. We recommend checking the carb content on your food. You can find a very useful carb counter on Atkins.com

http://www.atkins.com/Program/FourPhases/CarbCounter.aspx