June Surgery Pre-Op Diets Encouragement/vents

[MinaT 669]

Good morning June Sleevers.

I know everyone has different doctors & each one of us will be expected to do something different for their pre-op diet.

I started my first day of 14 day New Direction (3x's a day) pre-op diet. I picked two variety packs with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, hot cocoa, cream of chicken Soup, plus I picked a few boxes of the strawberry, chocolate and chocolate with Fiber which may help a bit. This morning I had the hot cocoa, it was kind of whatever tasting, it's mixed with Water. I'm used to drinking the Pure Protein 100% whey Protein Frosty shake with Skim Milk, which I absolutely love and have had for Breakfast every day for the last 6 months. I can't wait until post-op to go back to them lol.

I went to the grocery store this morning and picked up sugar-free Propel (Black Cherry), sugar-free Popsicles and Sugar-Free Jello, another box of Truvia and some Decaff tea.

I weighed myself this morning after my decaff & hot cocoa. I gained three pounds since yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday I had my normal Breakfast shake, I had a Turkey Sandwich & Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Potbelly for dinner as my last food. I normally only get their salad but decided to actually eat bread, though I have avoided for a while now. I had a few oyster crackers for snack with Peanut Butter and was still under 900 calories and gained three pounds. Yeah...this is going to be a fun fourteen days. The way my silly metabolism works, I hope I don't gain weight within the next 14 days!

Does anyone have anything special planned for Memorial Day Weekend next week? Normally I have a huge BBQ here and we normally open up the pool at my house. Since only my parents, husband and son know, and I haven't told my siblings, this is going to be the first year I don't have a party. They all know I'm having hernia surgery and getting some scar tissue removed, but they don't know about the sleeve, so nobody will be too disappointed, but I still feel bad that I'm not having a party. Next year will be here in no time though.

Good luck to you all, it's getting closer. If anyone is nervous or excited or needs encouragement, please feel free to share.

[Lissa 2,631]

I'm not a June sleever, but I think this thread is a great idea!!

[iwannabslim 67]

I'm a June sleever, but I won't start my preop diet until the 14th. I am trying to ease my way into now by making healthier choices and working out. My preop diet will consist of 6 Glucerna shakes a day, 2 servings of low/no fat low/no sugar yogurt, two 8oz servings of juice, and all of the no calorie drinks I can stand. I currently have the lapband and have gone through this before, but it's still going to be a struggle. I have my surgery the week before the 4th of July. I don't plan to have a party then either. I'm sure that my husband and son will cookout, but I shall abstain. Maybe I can lick the BBQ Sauce. :0)

[MinaT 669]

I had my Type & Screen test today, which is the very last blood work I needed before surgery. It has to be done within 14 days of surgery and they gave me the wrist band that I need to put on before I go to the hospital that morning, so I am all set.

Had my second shake and since I never eat lunch, I'm full right now, I'm just hoping it doesn't make me too hungry later. I am weird, the more I eat, the hungrier I get. Second shake was the strawberry with lots of ice in my oh so awesome Magic Bullet, wasn't too bad, glad I ordered an extra box of strawberry flavored. I have decided that since the Hot Cocoa wasn't that good, I'll make it cold next time with ice. I'm actually full right now, because I normally don't each lunch.

I did the meal plannings for my husband and son this week and I decided to cook mostly food I don't really care for anyhow, like hot dogs, mostoccoli, pork chops and I am making chicken this weekend, I'll make it plain and not the way I like it which is marinated in FF Italian Dressing. Making all the side dishes they like and I don't like too, so they get to finally eat macaroni & cheese. They seem excited, because they know they will eventually get pizza and Brats which are things I never make.

I believe I'll be fine during the week, weekends will be rough because my husband is a muncher and he seriously Snacks and eats all weekend.

[iwannabslim 67]

Which hot chocolate did you get? I just ordered a Protein hot chocolate a few days ago. I can only hope it tastes ok.

I haven't started my pre testing yet. I go for my psych evaluation on Friday. I have my nutrition class on June 5th. I figure the blood work and upper GI will be closer to surgery.

[MinaT 669]

New Directions, Hot Cocoa, it's okay, it's not gag me horrible. I have been used to taking the Pure Protein 100% whey Protein for breakfast with skim milk and love the stuff. The hot cocoa wasn't horrible, it just wasn't mixed with skim milk and it was a bit thinner than I like. I'm not a hot chocolate drinker, so that could be the issue too.

With healthy4life we pay $200.00 for the 14 days of Protein shakes, Soup, pudding, cocoa. Each one has to be mixed with Water. I bought two boxes (7 each) of the variety pack. This is the shakes that we have to use. I am not huge on pudding, so I will try it, if I don't like it I'll probably switch out the meal that has the pudding for a regular Pure Protein shake mixed with Water and take Multivitamins that day. I will do that sometime this week because I have to quit all Vitamins one week before surgery. I'm a bit worried about the cream of chicken soup, but I can do this.

[iwannabslim 67]

YES, you CAN do this!!

I had the option of doing a similar meal plan, but I figured I would rather go with what I know. The glucerna shakes aren't great, but I know I can stomach them. I have tried several Protein supplements over the years. None of them are great to me. I am hoping that after surgery, I will still like the few that I find I can stomach now. I am trying not to go overboard with buying things ahead of time for fear that my tastes change drastically. I found, the last time I had to do a preop diet, that after the first few days, I got over being hungry. By the end, I wasn't even able to finish all of the stuff per day that I COULD have.

[robin33 71]

I do fine eating during the day but the evening time kills me!!! I've got to get it under control.

[SylviaMom 83]

I start next week with a lower fat Atkins-like regimen as required by Dr Aceves. I know it's been said before but it astounds me how different these pre-op diets are (especially those without any preop). I understand the shrinking of the liver to reduce complications but has anyone received the 'why' these preops are so vastly different and why it is that some of us have full liquids for two weeks?

[iwannabslim 67]

I start next week with a lower fat Atkins-like regimen as required by Dr Aceves. I know it's been said before but it astounds me how different these pre-op diets are (especially those without any preop). I understand the shrinking of the liver to reduce complications but has anyone received the 'why' these preops are so vastly different and why it is that some of us have full liquids for two weeks?

No one has ever explained it to me. It is so funny to see the drastic differences in both preop and postop eating plans. It boggles the mind.

[robin33 71]

My NUT explained to me that the preop diet was not only to shrink your liver for surgery but to jump start your weight loss and get you in the best shape possible for surgery.

[MinaT 669]

Surgery is hell on the body, the heart, kidneys and organs. Being overweight we are already at a disadvantage. Losing weight prior to surgery is healthier for you in the long run.

I have had several open surgeries and several laparascopies in my lifetime. I have had sepsis due to adhesions wrapping around the intestines and somehow it ended up into my cavity. I went in for a regular laparasocopy....outpatient and ended up in the hospital two weeks with a complete hysterectomy and bowel resection. I only had to do one day Clear liquids. I hemorrhaged after I got home and spent another few weeks in the hospital. I went home with a catheter, my kidneys for some reason couldn't be jump started and sorta forgot how to work properly. I had to take pills to numb my kidneys because it hurt.

It makes sense not to have solids hanging out in your stomach or your intestines prior to surgery. When they split the stomach for the sleeve, if it's not empty and has food in it, the stomach they take out has to be put into a bag and pulled through your cavity. Shrinking your stomach in advance of surgery will cause for a smaller opening.

I am grateful I am going to have to do the 14 days of hell with only pre-op shakes. I hope it's going to set me up for the best possible outcome.

As far as leaks, imagine having food particles in your tummy and having a leak. Also the shake fasting will cause less stomach gastric juices to form, which also would be better during surgery.

I'm not a surgeon but this stuff makes a whole lot of sense to me since I have been through surgeries that make you clean yourself out prior to surgery and some that didn't. After all the years of dieting, knowing what it is like when you shrink your tummy when you diet, and knowing when your tummy seems to be a bottomless pit. A shrunken stomach has to be a whole lot easier to deal with than one that has had no shrinkage in advance. I don't think 1 or 3 days is long enough to shrink your stomach, but I could be wrong.

I know that I am one of those that get the 1-10000000 issue or complication, so I have to be ever so vigilant. I have had RSD, I have Lupus, Narrow Angle Glaucoma, Open Angle Glaucoma, Trigeminal Neuralgia caused by a 3mm tumor on the root entry of my trigeminal nerve, Lupus, Endometriosis, Diverticulitis, I get polyps, Raynauds, I worry about leaks the closer I get to surgery the more scared I am.

Then again, someone that only has to fast one day may do better than me. Who knows. It's like smoking...there are people that can smoke daily and live to 90, there are people that get lung cancer from second hand smoke. Everyone is different, I guess following your doctor's advice is for the best.

[MinaT 669]

So day 2 on the liquid pre-op shake diet. I did almost 2 hours on the gazelle yesterday - one hour in AM and hour at night and did about one and half mile walk yesterday at a fast paced. Last night in bed my tummy got a little funny and I turned over and my tummy rumbled and I just knew, I hopped out of bed and ran to bathroom and (gross- a shart happened) I haven't had that happen to me in forever. I had to shower and since my pj's bottoms are too big, I threw them out! I was so tired last night and was worried every time my stomach made a nose. This is weird for one day on the 3 shakes. These New Directions don't taste as good as the Pure Protein and my tummy isn't really liking them.

Today I did an hour on the Gazelle, went through all my bills, went through coupons, worked on wls binder, and made sure everything I need to bring with me to the hospital is in there. Hard to keep busy, because of the countdown.

Seems the only one that I really like is the strawberry. I have only two vanilla, which I'm not fond of vanilla anything so I had that for lunch to get it out of the way. I am not sure if I made the mistake by having the chocolate with Fiber for dinner last night, so I may do those only for Breakfast (as long as I don't have to go anywhere).

I do have an intolerance of sugar-free products and I had one sugar-free popsicle last night besides the three shakes and all my Water, so I may avoid the SF popsicles and jellos and see how this evening goes.

I decided to weigh myself (like I said I would not do) and this morning I was back to 237, down from 240. How I gained 3 pounds from Sunday to Monday in one day over a skinny turkey sandwich and Soup is still crazy.

How is everyone else doing?

[vanb0052 40]

Hello all! I officially start my pre-op diet on June 1st for a June 11th surgery. My pre-op seems pretty lenient, although I'm not allowed any solid food. I am allowed 5-6 shakes a day, most are to be like slimfast or carnation instant breakfast as they have more nutrients than your typical whey Protein. Then I'm allowed as much Water, 0 calorie liquids, sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello as needed. My NUT also said I could have sugar free lattes in addition to my shake allowance. The best part, my surgeon just did the 10 day diet as well, so he is more sympathetic as to what I'm going though

I've decided to ease my way into the full liquid diet. This week I am replacing my breakfast with a carnation instant breakfast shake, and starting on Saturday I'll be replacing my dinner as well. I feel my co-workers will be happier with me if I eat my solid food at lunch

I am having my "last supper" over Memorial Day weekend. We are going to have some awesome chicken enchiladas, chips and salsa....and MARGARITAS!! I haven't drank since starting this journey in January and don't plan on drinking for at least a year after. My family is filled with addicts, and I don't need to tempt myself with a transfer addiction.

Love you all! It'll be so great to share this journey. Good luck!!!

[iwannabslim 67]

My preop diet is almost identical to yours. I do get to add two servings of low fat yogurt and two servings of 100% juice. From previous experience, by the 4th day I was no longer hungry and couldn't do all of the shakes. It improves over time and gets us ready for the liquid diet after surgery.