To Pre-op Diet .. or Not to Pre-Op Diet

[brazcan 37]

I am not overeating but I am eating all things i love and will not be able to eat again any time soon. The best of all is that I do not feel guilty after eating. It is so good not to beat my self up everytime I eat. Just a few more days of indulging and then the hard part will come. You know what is interesting? I am not gaining a gram...maybe feeling guilty after eating is waht makes us gain more weight? Just going wild in my thoughts...

[newmefeb8 1]

My surgeon told me I DID NOT NEED TO do any pre-op diet because I am not that big (I have NEVER heard that before! ). I am 250 lbs but taller ... BMI is 37-38. I am being sleeved in exaclty one week - Feb 8. So here is my dilemma .... I was going to do the liver shrinking diet anyway for one week before surgery .... it could not hurt, right? I could "sample" the Protein Shakes, start getting my body ready for surgery, be healthier for surgery, shrink the liver for an easier surgery, have a possible speedier recovery, get used to the liquid diet aspect, stop GORGING myself thinking this is my LAST HOORAH - which I seem to have been doing almost daily - almost like my last supper / last meal ... every meal! .... and this week could be the start of so many other positives.

Yet, I tried to begin yesterday with Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes and OMG ..... I got so gassy and so much stomach pain ... has anyone else experienced this? I was seriously in so much pain and had terrible gas issues. Not to mention I was very hungry that after a shake and a fruit for breakfast ... then a shake and veggies for lunch .... at dinner I had a chicken pot pie and a hershey bar! I was STARVING and in so much pain from the gas. And I think to myself - doctor knows best - so why bother sacrificing if he says I don't have to. Why give up now what I will be giving up for the rest of my life?

Is it worth taking away the food this week?

I would appreciate your thoughts .. especially if you have gone through this. THANKS!

Only one week left .... WOW! Just one week .. so excited!

[Dawn 16]

I have a good friend who didn't have to do a pre-op either just 24 hours of liquid the day before! IMHO I think you should go ahead and do a low-fat pre-op diet. Go ahead and try some Protein Drinks, but remember your tastes might change after surgery. One big thing to remember is that you will not be having your last meal!! You will be able to eat almost anything again after you are healed but it will be about Portion Control now! Plus, once you start losing and want to keep going you most likely want to eat all that "junk" because you feel good from eating good!! As for the gas I don't know what that would be all about, I have never experienced that from CIB (which I really like!) I also think that a pre-op diet is a good idea because it can start to wrap your mind around the smaller amount of food that you'll be able to eat! It's only a week, you can do it!!

[Rootman 1,101]

A few guys I chatted with after my surgery in MX said they too did NOT do the pre-op diet and actually pigged out on nachos, chicken wings and tequila shots the NIGHT before. They both said that they were violently ill and got badly constipated after surgery. So pigging out the last week - especially the night before - would not be a wise thing to do.

I personally would do a liquid diet at least a week before the operation, it helps reduce the size of your liver - which makes it smaller and less prone to be nicked in surgery and helps clear the colon so you will have less chance to get constipated and possibly impacted.

Your choice but you may regret pigging out!

[movetolose 2]

I would at least cut back on eating, if not the liquid diet. I am slowly working towards my liquid pre-op so it's not a shock. I haven't even been approved yet....my info was just submitted!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I only had to do a clear liquid diet for two days before surgery. This cleaned everything out and reduced my liver. Everything went well. I also lost a few pounds, and that was a nice kick start for the eight loss.

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

I say, if you don't need to, why torture yourself? Chances are, knowing that you don't really need to be on a diet, you probably won't have the motivation to stick to it - I'm sure there's a bunch of posts about how horrible the pre-op diet is on the very front page of this subforum! You can still be active and try to eat lots of fruits and veggies, but nothing's wrong with having some treats. I ate whatever I wanted before the surgery - in fact, Dr. Aceves tells his patients to go have a "last supper" the night before - and I didn't have any problems with my recovery in the first few days post-op.

[thinoneday 445]

My surgeon told me I DID NOT NEED TO do any pre-op diet because I am not that big (I have NEVER heard that before! ). I am 250 lbs but taller ... BMI is 37-38. I am being sleeved in exaclty one week - Feb 8. So here is my dilemma .... I was going to do the liver shrinking diet anyway for one week before surgery .... it could not hurt, right? I could "sample" the Protein shakes, start getting my body ready for surgery, be healthier for surgery, shrink the liver for an easier surgery, have a possible speedier recovery, get used to the liquid diet aspect, stop GORGING myself thinking this is my LAST HOORAH - which I seem to have been doing almost daily - almost like my last supper / last meal ... every meal! .... and this week could be the start of so many other positives.

Yet, I tried to begin yesterday with Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes and OMG ..... I got so gassy and so much stomach pain ... has anyone else experienced this? I was seriously in so much pain and had terrible gas issues. Not to mention I was very hungry that after a shake and a fruit for breakfast ... then a shake and veggies for lunch .... at dinner I had a chicken pot pie and a hershey bar! I was STARVING and in so much pain from the gas. And I think to myself - doctor knows best - so why bother sacrificing if he says I don't have to. Why give up now what I will be giving up for the rest of my life?

Is it worth taking away the food this week?

I would appreciate your thoughts .. especially if you have gone through this. THANKS!

Only one week left .... WOW! Just one week .. so excited!

First off let me congratulate you on your upcoming surgery! and secondly WELCOME!

I didn't have to have a pre op diet either. . . I was 350 lbs with a BMI of 45 but the day before surgery I had to live on Clear liquids only and 1 bottle of mag citrate . . . guess he wanted those bowels empty huh? I was really glad i didn't have to do that pre op cause it seems really tough!

[TijuanaPlication 87]

Hi. I didn't have to do a pre-op diet (my BMI was 30.5) and I get the same reaction to powdered milk. It's a symptom of IBS (in my case at least), so I just don't go near the stuff. You'll be able to get in your Protein OK without shakes in the end (from 3 weeks out I was allowed mushies, so you can mush up chicken, etc). I wouldn't stress about a pre-op diet if the doc said it's not necessary. Good luck!

[wareagle40 3]

Hi. I didn't have to do a pre-op diet (my BMI was 30.5) and I get the same reaction to powdered milk. It's a symptom of IBS (in my case at least), so I just don't go near the stuff. You'll be able to get in your Protein OK without shakes in the end (from 3 weeks out I was allowed mushies, so you can mush up chicken, etc). I wouldn't stress about a pre-op diet if the doc said it's not necessary. Good luck!

My pre-op diet is just low carb High Protein. It's not liqueds or anything. Mine is for 2 weeks and my surgery is still 2.5 weeks off but I started it when I set the date and I've already lost 12 lbs. go to GNC and talk to them about Protein Shakes if you dont like CIB. I got the amp it is kinda high in calories so I had to change from skim milk to unsweetened Almond but it was worth it. The shakes are so good. Also, if you go the first week of the month and get a gold card everything is 20% off.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Basically only you can answer this question. Everyone's different, however me personally - I started my Pre-Op diet a week early because I wanted to get into the right mindset.

Things to keep in mind though are:

• What would it hurt? Losing weight pre-surgery only means it's less weight to lose post surgery.
• It's nice to go into surgery as healthy as possible.
• It's a good idea to go into surgery in the right mindset. You are going to lose weight, eat healthier, hopefully exercise and change your whole life. Do you want to go in on a Rocket or an easy take off like a Passenger Plane?
• Getting an idea of what life may be like post op will only help you gain knowledge and being prepared. Your tastes *may* change post op, but you will still need to make some changes. Try sample sizes of Protein drinks so you don't buy the huge tubs. Get to know what you like.
• Getting used to a minor walking routine will help you get prepared for life after surgery. Walking post op is extremely important.
• You WILL get to eat all your favorite foods again someday. Do not feel like you have to get everything in right now. You will feel *satisfied* on smaller portions. It's not like dieting where your looking at your tiny plate wondering how that is every going to fill you up, because it absolutely will. Likely you won't even finish your plates.
• Again only YOU know the answer to this question. Maybe do a little of both. Diet during the day but enjoy one of your favorite meals at night (without gorging). Just a thought.

Good luck to you!!! I'm hopeful your surgery is an uneventful one and you heal up quickly.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Even though I only did the Clear Liquids for two days before, I lost 5 lbs, and that was nice to jump off from! Think its good to take your vitimins and eat really healthy as much as possible, so you are tip top for the stresses of surgery. Check with your surgeon about when to stop taking some vitamins... like Vit E which is a blood thinner....