4 Weeks of pre-op liquid diet?

[Jacek 2]

Hi there! It has been a long while since I have wrote on here, but since then I have been on my journey to get my Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass! I've completed my 6 months of seeing a really awesome dietitian and just today I met with my surgeon, Dr.James McGreevy! I'm still really excited about this, we're submitting the insurance claim tomorrow and hopefully it'll be approved (he seems pretty sure we will have no issues with it) and we can schedule my surgery date.

However...

Dr.McGreevy has said I need to be on a liquid diet for 4 weeks, starting tomorrow. Right after my appointment with him my dietitian came in and told me she doesn't think that is right and that he never tells anyone that they need 4 weeks of it...so I want to know..have any of you been told and have had to complete 4 weeks of a liquid diet before getting your gastric bypass? I've been given a sheet of all the things I can eat, which is not too much really. I was already nervous about doing this for 2 weeks, but now 4 has been very nervous....I appreciate any feedback from your experience of what your opinion on the matter is!

Also as a side note, I picked up Protein Powder, EAS Complete Protein, which wasn't on the list of powders they provided but looked like it had most of the same stuff and 23g of protein. However, I noticed it also has 13g of carbohydrates and I feel like that is too high. I've not opened it yet and I have about a weeks worth of Protein powder from my dietitian so should I return it and get something else? I shop at Target, what do you recommend? I'm sorry for being so all over with my questions but I have a lot of them right now! lol

[Heidela71 18]

I felt my situation was also unusual, and to be honest, I'd be happy to be in your position. I was given a 6-12 week liquid diet by the endocrinologist and he thought that would be right before my surgery. I have a six month mandatory wait period from my insurance and so when I talked to my surgeon, she said I would be on this diet until my surgery date - FIVE MONTHS OUT! I've lost 43 pounds so far, and it's not been easy or fun (I took a month break because the shakes made me sick to my stomach even thinking about them.) I do notice a difference however, and am looking forward to both my surgery and healing process beyond that. I think this might be good "training" for the real deal!

Best wishes to you!

Edited December 19, 2014 by Heidela71

[Heidela71 18]

Sorry, I also wanted to tell you, I go to costco and get the Premier Protein shakes. They have 30 grams of Protein and only three carbs per serving. It's filling and it tastes more like chocolate milk than any other drink I've tried (there are other flavors, but I prefer chocolate.) I have two more months before I can have surgery, so I'm sure I will lose much more before that. I also get one "Steamer" meal from Healthy Choice in addition to the four shakes per day and all the cruciferous veggies and leafy greens I want. With all that protein, the veggies are a MUST

I started out weighing more than you, and my surgeon told me two things about why she wants me to lose as much weight as possible before my surgery. The first reason is she has to have room to move her tools. If my insides are so packed with fat that she cannot maneuver them, her options are to cut me open all the way (increasing risks) or close me up completely. The second reason is all about the anesthesia. The more we weigh, the higher the risk of death. It's not something I see a lot of talk about, but it's true, the risks of any surgery, even this one are worse for us because of our weight to begin with. The best thing we can do for ourselves is lower our risks.

[bellalulu 87]

Wow. Great in info. Thank you. It really puts the seriousness of the pre op diet into effect.

[Jacek 2]

Hey there! Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been pretty busy at work this last week!

Since I made this post my dietitian actually gave me a call and told me she doesn't want me to start the liquid diet until we know my surgery date for sure(we're still waiting to hear back from the insurance company and I am sure they will be delayed due to the holiday), and then we'll do a two weeks full liquid diet. In the mean time, she wants me to be on a 800-1000 calorie a day meal plan. She sent me a pretty awesome meal plan with Breakfast,lunch,and dinner plotted out for each day of the week, for 4 weeks so I have quite a lot of options to choose from.

I admit I got a little crazy this weekend with a bit of the "last meal" thing going on and I tell you...I think I got that out of my system because the foods I ate just made me feel awful! I'll be buckling down starting tomorrow on this meal plan to prepare for the path ahead. I didn't even think about the risks being put under can hold for being bigger like myself! Something to think of while doing this for sure. I wish you luck on your journey and it will all be sooooo worth it in the end!

I felt my situation was also unusual, and to be honest, I'd be happy to be in your position. I was given a 6-12 week liquid diet by the endocrinologist and he thought that would be right before my surgery. I have a six month mandatory wait period from my insurance and so when I talked to my surgeon, she said I would be on this diet until my surgery date - FIVE MONTHS OUT! I've lost 43 pounds so far, and it's not been easy or fun (I took a month break because the shakes made me sick to my stomach even thinking about them.) I do notice a difference however, and am looking forward to both my surgery and healing process beyond that. I think this might be good "training" for the real deal!

Best wishes to you!