How necessary is this pre-op diet?

[Luana526 61]

I'm reading a lot of stories and responses by people regarding the pre-op diet. I am not, not, NOT a sweets eater so it takes me literally HOURS to finish one Protein Drink. I hate every single brand I've tried. I am a teacher and on the first day I started one at 9:30 and finished at noon. Then it took me the rest of the day to get the other one down! I followed it to the letter for five days (lost six pounds) and then started to add more proten because I felt weak from the lack of calories. Now I'm reading forums from lots of people who say their doctors did not make them follow it, some who said it actually wasn't necessary, etc. I had two friends from two different doctors who were NOT told to follow it and three friends from three different doctors who WERE told to follow it. I understand the part about shrinking the liver, but I have a gut feeling that the real reason is twofold: one, so that we don't eat ourselves into oblivion (which I was doing before the pre-op diet), and two, so that the all-liquid diet afterwards doesn't feel like such a shock. I think this is boiling down to a doctor's preference. Not sure now why any of this is necessary . . . I feel like I'm starving!

Edited September 14, 2014 by Luana526

[Sleevarilla 169]

Have you tried the nectar Protein drinks like Roadside Lemonade? Caribbean chiller? They are not on the sweeter side, and aren't thick like a Protein shake. Also, you can add 1 T. of sugar-free Jello, pudding or even cocoa to cut the sweetness. There is also unflavored Protein powder that mixes easily with anything. Also, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken Soup is good.

My doctor required a 2-week pre-op diet and I did what I was told to do. I looked at it like a challenge, and a hoop I had to jump through to get where I needed to be. It's tough, but nothing about WLS is easy.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Sleevarilla

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@Luana526, I think you answered your own question! The only caveat to the situation is that your surgeon does retain the right to cancel your operation, even when you're cut open on the operating table.

Every doctor is different and why that is, I don't think any of us know. But when a surgeon requires a liquid diet (especially one that's 2 weeks long), they can tell whether you've complied. Not that you've been perfect, but that you followed the requirement fairly closely.

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

What about getting some unflavored Protein powder and putting it in a more savory broth and drinking that instead of the sweet shakes?

The pre-op is twofold: it helps shrink your liver but it also starts to reorganize how your brain thinks about food and hunger before surgery. To me, this is one of the most vital components. If your head isn't in the right place, post-op will be more difficult.

[Kindle 8,667]

Just follow your surgeon's plan. He's the one doing your surgery, not all those other guys you've heard about. Ask if you can replace the sweet shakes with unflavored Protein powder mixed in broths. My surgeon allowed that because it's essentially the same thing. chicken broth, beef broth, hot and sour Soup base, tortilla soup base, strained wonton soup, etc were all staples of mine both pre and postop.

I, too thought the shakes were too sweet, especially postop. Some I found to be less sweet are Garden of Life Raw Fit and Spirutein banana. I also found that diluting the premier RTD 1/2 and 1/2 with milk and mixing the Protein powders with twice as much Water as they call for makes them much less sweet and tolerable.

[Mrs-SJ 10]

Have just seen my surgeon on Monday and he stressed that the pre op is very important. With bigger ppl we tend to have larger livers we need to shrink the liver to give him better access to your stomach. If you don't my doc cancels your surgery and you go to the back of the waiting cue because it shows your commitment level.

Also it helps adjust your thinking on how much food you need to eat.

But that's just my surgeon I don't know if everyone else's is different :-)

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

The Soup suggestion above is excellent.

On pre-op you need plenty of Protein (to keep your body healthy and built up -- it's about to go through some monster trauma with this surgery) and it needs to be low-cal enough to shrink your liver big-time (by using up all the glycogen in it and the 8 pounds of Water that helps to store it).

I've read a few posts reporting that surgeons just pulled out all the instruments if the patient's liver was too fatty and puffy. They want it shrunk.

[lose4life2 152]

Have just seen my surgeon on Monday and he stressed that the pre op is very important. With bigger ppl we tend to have larger livers we need to shrink the liver to give him better access to your stomach. If you don't my doc cancels your surgery and you go to the back of the waiting cue because it shows your commitment level. Also it helps adjust your thinking on how much food you need to eat. But that's just my surgeon I don't know if everyone else's is different :-)

My doctor too stressed how important it is. One love of your liver actually covers your stomach, so by shrinking it it helps get it out of the surgeons way and if it's not shrunk it's harder to do the surgery and more chances of damage to your liver and your stomach from lack of view. I'm starting mine tomorrow. 4 Protein Drinks a day and then clear fluids the rest of the time for 5 days and then only Clear Liquids for 2 days before surgery.

[Forsythia 882]

My hospital does not require a liquid pre-op diet (it is a bariatric center of excellence fyi). I'm pretty sure I would have been mad cranky on one. I would have followed it though. I'd already jumped through all the hoops! My diet was essentially Atkins phase one. Low carb, high Protein. I followed it and cut out as many carbs as possible. Lost 18 lbs on it.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Okay, I am going to throw in some unsolicited advice. What is really important here is following your doctor's instructions and not turning into the sort of bariatric surgery patient who doesn't like the instructions they got and tries to use the internet to research their way to an answer they like better. If you are unsure about the importance of the pre-op diet, by all means, ask your surgeon and/or their team to convince you and explain their reasoning behind it -- I'm not saying you have to follow everything blindly. But at some point I think it's good to trust your surgeon, trust his or her team, and accept that they have a lot more experience and success in managing weight loss and the surgery process than you do, or than random strangers on the internet do.

Okay, all that said, it looks like you are doing your best to follow your surgeon's plan even if you are struggling with it and questioning it -- and I think that is great! You got some terrific suggestions here for for more savory options for Protein, let me throw out a couple more. First is the Unjury chicken Soup protein.

http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-chickensoup-sample.html

I used this a lot immediately post-op. Just be sure to use a food thermometer as the packaging instructs. The second is the high protein Soups you can buy:

http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-soups/

I used these a lot both pre-op and post-op and thought they were good. My favorite flavors were the "cream of" soups - mushroom, Tomato, broccoli, and chicken.

Good luck to you!

Edited September 14, 2014 by Bufflehead

[gregthegroove 130]

I think it's different for every patients needs. I want to say almost ALL doctors will for sure do a one day to two day all liquid diet before surgery. The two week all Liquid pre op diet maybe a requirement for those that are obese or with a higher weight as surgery carries more risks with obese. The main reason is the stomach is located kinda behind the liver and following an all liquid diet will get your liver to use up all it's glucose storage and shrink down and make it less slippery to handle as well. It's a tight space in there so the docs need all the help they can get. Just follow your doctors orders, there's a reason and it's not particular your jobs to question.

Not to mention, it's also good practice to get in a habit and routine. What do you think life will be like post op for two weeks? liquids, shakes and broths.

[Jersrose43 837]

I'm reading a lot of stories and responses by people regarding the pre-op diet. I am not, not, NOT a sweets eater so it takes me literally HOURS to finish one Protein drink. I hate every single brand I've tried. I am a teacher and on the first day I started one at 9:30 and finished at noon. Then it took me the rest of the day to get the other one down! I followed it to the letter for five days (lost six pounds) and then started to add more proten because I felt weak from the lack of calories. Now I'm reading forums from lots of people who say their doctors did not make them follow it, some who said it actually wasn't necessary, etc. I had two friends from two different doctors who were NOT told to follow it and three friends from three different doctors who WERE told to follow it. I understand the part about shrinking the liver, but I have a gut feeling that the real reason is twofold: one, so that we don't eat ourselves into oblivion (which I was doing before the pre-op diet), and two, so that the all-liquid diet afterwards doesn't feel like such a shock. I think this is boiling down to a doctor's preference. Not sure now why any of this is necessary . . . I feel like I'm starving!

First stop listening to Tom, Dick, Joe, Harry and Kim! They're not your surgeon and don't know your medical history.

Second, as everyone has said it's to shrink your liver. Every doctor is different. You don't want to show your doc a lack of commitment to the rules and have him make 5 incisions and then pull out.

Stop listening to these people. They're as bad as your aunt Stella who knows a guy who had a cousin whose brothers mothers uncle failed at rny.

[Luana526 61]

I'm not sure I made myself clear. I am NOT listening to anyone but my surgeon--I wouldn't even think of not following his instructions. I'm not tempted by anyone else's regimen . . . I was just wondering what other people's doctor's instructions were. The "Tom, Dick and Harry" have no affect on me. I'm just curious why some doctors make it sound so dire and others don't even ask their patients to follow anything. That's it.

[Luana526 61]

Thanks, gregtthegroove . . . good response. My doctor said I only need to lose five pounds before surgery. My BMI is under 40--they've worked on much more obese people than me. My insurance almost didn't cover me! But I don't want my liver getting in anybody's way so I've been following it to the letter. But I do respectfully disagree about not questioning their directives. What kind of patient would I be if I didn't ask questions before they cut me open? Yikes. I want to know everything. They actually call me up to see if I have any questions. I love that they're so thorough. Just don't love that I feel so hungry!

[Luana526 61]

Bufflehead, where so you get the Unjury chicken Soup? A lot of people on here have been recommending it. Do you order on-line?