Pre-Op liquid diet

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

My surgery is scheduled for July 14th!!!! I'm overly ecstatic about this. I have worked soooooooo hard with my physician and insurance to get approved, and am amazed that this part of the process is so close to being over and I can start on my journey!

I am supposed to start my liquid diet on the 7th, I have flitted through some of the topics, and haven't seen anything about "liquid" diets. I may have overlooked, but was just wondering how you got through it? Are there any pointers any of you can give? I'm down with the sugar free Jello, since I eat it all the time any way. I have a healthy stock of Crystal Light, and I have been making single serving bowls of fresh chicken broth, and freezing them for about a month now. (basically every time I roast a chicken!) So, I'm covered, but realistically, how hard is it?

[Nancy Rivers 24]

Different people have different experiences with it. I will be starting it next week, so I'll find out then. I do know that I get to eat some "real" food along with the liquid diet. I was told (because I asked about it) that I would be allowed to choose 6 different foods from a list they will give me. I'll find out Monday what that list is. It could just be Jello, but I think it will also include salads since a couple of other people at the last support group meeting indicated they could have a salad each day. I think that will help with the diet. I know from the past that a pure liquid diet won't work for me because I still want to actually EAT. The dietician said that is why they allow certain foods to be used while on the pre-op diet.

Several people on the boards have said that the pre-op diet was torture for them. I really hope it's not like that.

[Texasmom65 23]

Mine is scheduled for July 11th. My pre op diet is 5 Protein drinks/bars per day and one real meal for two weeks. So it isn't too bad. I start mine next Monday.

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

When my doctor's office called, they said all liquid. I can have Protein Shakes and I'm sure that will stave off some of the hunger, sugar free Jello, broth, sugar free popsicles and crystal light, tea, and Water. No sugar. High Protein. I don't know. I think I can manage since I'm so excited about the end result, a healthier, happier, me!!

[Penpen 28]

Hi! I'm on my 3rd week of the preop diet and will have surgery this Thursday, the 23rd. I have had good days and bad days but haven't cheated. It has been an emotional roller coaster. I was so excited to get started and even tried to mentally prepare myself for it but until you start refusing the foods you love and you start having some very strong hunger pangs AND others eat normal, very yummy and very fragrant foods in front of you, you just don't know how you are going to feel. I've learned a whole lot in the last 3 weeks. One thing is that hunger does not always come from the stomach, sometimes it comes from your head or somewhere else that is deep inside where there is that deep, deep longing for the old beloved habit of eating so much of whatever pleases you...and whenever it pleases you. BUT YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT! You just keep reminding yourself of why this is so important to you and that following the doctor's orders will insure a safe surgery. I will be honest by saying that I have had quite a few meltdowns in the last 3 weeks and I am now know as a "Drama Queen!" lol I have had a few nights where I just had to leave the room while my family ate and take refuge in the bedroom to have a real good cry. I've even made my family feel bad about eating ...which I did not intentionally do! I just couldn't fight all the emotions. But there have been good days, too, where I was happy go lucky, no melting down, and no "Drama Queen!" It is hard but you will be fine! And I'm sure that not everyone has as tough as a time as I have because everyone's different. You will be okay!

As far as my diet, the first week was 4 Protein shakes and one small meal. I got used to it after about 3 days or so. But then after that, they changed me to 2 shakes a day and one small meal. Ugh! That's when it got really hard. I'm taking in about 600-700 calories a day and believe me, I feel it! But once again, I'm okay and I just have a few more days until surgery...so I won't feel tortured anymore.

In between shakes and THE meal (lol), I drink lots of Water and crunch on ice. It makes me feel kind of full and just makes it a lot easier to get through to the next shake...or meal. And sometimes a piece of sugar free gum helps!

I read that for a lot of people, the pre-op diet is the hardest thing to go through...even over the surgery. I think that will be my case, too! I'm so looking forward to having a tiny stomach that gets full quick and am also looking forward to working towards real food again.

Hang in there and stay excited...even if you have a few meltdowns! Don't give into the urge to binge....keep what's important to you in sight at all times. Remind yourself a couple of times a day what this surgery will mean to you!

I have been blogging about my days with the pre-op diet and some of my emotional ups and downs if you are interested. http://www.sliceofhe...e.blogspot.com/

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

Thank you so much!! I'm thankful that my diet is only for a week, but it is all liquid, no meals at all. Which is why I'm a little worried. But after reading that you had to go through that for 3 weeks, I'm thinking I need to stop complaining about my one week diet! Also, I have a couple of girlfriends that are going to do it with me just because. Which I'm super thankful for! I will check out your blogs!! Thanks again!

[readytolive 1]

You must have the best girlfriends that they would do this with you for a week! Wow! I"ll be doing the liquid diet for a week too. I start on 7/6 so I'll look forward to posting with you during that week! In my head I keep telling myself that I'll be just fine once I get thru the pre/op and surgery and come home. I'm no good with people poking at me in the hospital but once I'm free to just recover I do so fairly well. At least that has been the case with my past (non WLS related) surgeries. Let's try to focus on how sticking to the pre-op diet is just going to make us lose weight faster and recover quicker. I can't believe how many people I've seen on here that have lost 30lbs or so in 4-6 weeks! I hope I'm that lucky!!!

[Penpen 28]

You can lose that fast, too! Just do exactly what your doc tells you to and don't cheat...no matter how hard it gets. I went to the hospital yesterday for preadmitting blood work and I've lost 26 lbs. according to their scale. It has been exactly 23 days since I started my preop diet. I can't believe it! Especially since my scale here at home doesn't move down as fast. But the doc's office did tell me to get a calibrated scale instead of a manual scale. Suppose I should listen to them. lol

You must have the best girlfriends that they would do this with you for a week! Wow! I"ll be doing the liquid diet for a week too. I start on 7/6 so I'll look forward to posting with you during that week! In my head I keep telling myself that I'll be just fine once I get thru the pre/op and surgery and come home. I'm no good with people poking at me in the hospital but once I'm free to just recover I do so fairly well. At least that has been the case with my past (non WLS related) surgeries. Let's try to focus on how sticking to the pre-op diet is just going to make us lose weight faster and recover quicker. I can't believe how many people I've seen on here that have lost 30lbs or so in 4-6 weeks! I hope I'm that lucky!!!

[Darlis 1]

I'm starting the same diet on Monday....I don't know how I'm gonna do it.....

When my doctor's office called, they said all liquid. I can have Protein shakes and I'm sure that will stave off some of the hunger, sugar free Jello, broth, sugar free popsicles and crystal light, tea, and Water. No sugar. High Protein. I don't know. I think I can manage since I'm so excited about the end result, a healthier, happier, me!!

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

I know!! I start mine on the 7th! So we will be right in line with each other. I've already started stocking up on all the things I will need so I won't have an "excuse" to eat something bad. I do have some awesome friends. They are so supportive. Of course, they are all half my size or less! So they are super happy about me doing this. If I didn't know better, I would think my best friend is more excited than I am about me getting this surgery. She is using it as an excuse to get back down to her smallest, which was last year, she did Atkins and did really well. At least I've encouraged ONE person! LOL

You must have the best girlfriends that they would do this with you for a week! Wow! I"ll be doing the liquid diet for a week too. I start on 7/6 so I'll look forward to posting with you during that week! In my head I keep telling myself that I'll be just fine once I get thru the pre/op and surgery and come home. I'm no good with people poking at me in the hospital but once I'm free to just recover I do so fairly well. At least that has been the case with my past (non WLS related) surgeries. Let's try to focus on how sticking to the pre-op diet is just going to make us lose weight faster and recover quicker. I can't believe how many people I've seen on here that have lost 30lbs or so in 4-6 weeks! I hope I'm that lucky!!!

[Griselda 7]

I did two weeks of liquids, full liquids until the last three days when I did all clears. The first five days were hard, the rest was easy. On the clears, I was having a lot of popsicles, sugar free Jello, Water, apple juice, broth using the packets from ramen noodles and that was about it. (I am not too keen on chicken broth).

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

You can do it!! Get the Protein shakes, sugar free Jello, and beef and chicken broth. Crystal light is always a great help, and this is going to sound silly, but when you start getting a craving-drink a couple of tbs's of pickle juice! I know it sounds silly, but IT WORKS!!

I'm starting the same diet on Monday....I don't know how I'm gonna do it.....

[Heather~ Sweetdreams 10]

AWESOME! Congratulations! When did you have your surgery?

I did two weeks of liquids, full liquids until the last three days when I did all clears. The first five days were hard, the rest was easy. On the clears, I was having a lot of popsicles, sugar free Jello, Water, apple juice, broth using the packets from ramen noodles and that was about it. (I am not too keen on chicken broth).

[becca2297 0]

I am on the 10th day of my liquid diet and believe me I am counting the days. It hasn't been too bad, except Ive been out of town working. Being away from home and the fridge and the pantry I think has helped me. I do however have some weak moments and I find myself bargaining with myself. I have not cheated at all except I had a bit extra chicken broth one day. In actuality, it makes me feel a sense of power....like I am in control instead of the food, and it kinda makes me feel like if I can do this, then I can make it all the way. I am on 4-5 shakes a day (depending on if I use FF milk or not), diet gree tea, propel zero, SF popsicles (get the Blue Bell....they are the best), and SF Jello, and 8 oz of low sodium chicken broth ONLY, crystal light, Water, and only one cup of tea or coffee no sugar or cream. I have my surgery on monday and will be on a liquid diet for 4 weeks after surgery, of course it wont be as strict as it is right now, but I have come to the conclusion that this is how I eat right now and it will be a while until I can have something else. When I am home, I sit down at the table with my family and I make my shake, broth, Jello, and propel and I eat/drink with them. I even cooked supper one night and it looked and smelled good, but I didn't cheat......

The liquid diet scared me more than the actual surgery itself, because it just sounds so unreasonable to go that long without real food.....Once you start into it, it won't be so bad, I drank a lot of diet green tea the first couple of days....now I'm trying to steer clear of the caffine so I won't have withdrawals in the hospital and make my pain after surgery even worse.

Good Luck, I hope this helps

[Griselda 7]

I had my surgery May 16th. You can do it.