Surgery and liquid diet

[stabb009 27]

My surgery is next Tuesday. Im so nervous. Im on Day 2 of the liquid diet and it sucks. Did anyone ever cheat? Not saying i am. But i feel like crap and its only the second day. What did you do to stay on task. What happens if you don't follow it?

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[orionburn 1,024]

What happens? Worst case - doc gets in there to do surgery, sees that your liver hasn't shrunk due to not following the diet, and decides then and there not to go through with the surgery. My doc had apparently done that to patients in the past. That was enough for me to stay on track. Even if the doc goes through if your liver doesn't shrink then it's going to be more difficult for them to work around. I had a fluke bleed develop (on my third day) in my spleen that was likely caused by getting bumped while they were working. My surgery went fine, doc said liver was fantastic, and I did everything to plan. So that being said I sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to do anything else to have made things more complicated for them. I'm an oddball statistic (only met on other person on here that had the same thing happen) so I'm not trying to scare you. Point is do everything you can to make sure you have a smooth and easy surgery.

A lot of us had to do two weeks of a liquid diet. It isn't fun, but you have to keep in mind that it's liquids on the other side too. This is a good time to really evaluate your relationship with food. You'll get through it. It's a few days of suffering for a whole bunch of rewards on the other side.

[Khel72 0]

Yes the liquid diet does suck but it's a necessary thing as a lot of post surgery things will be. I used that phase to teach myself self control and kept my eyes on the prize. You can do it!

[Creekimp13 5,840]

liquid diet was worse than surgery in my opinion. Was torture.

Don't cheat.

If you're going to cheat, cheat with Protein, and absolutely no carbs. It's the elimination of carbs that shrinks your liver.

Don't cheat.

it gets easier after your will to live is broken and you give up. For me, this happened around day 3-4. LOL:) Laugh or cry. We laugh to survive.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Creekimp13

[stabb009 27]

Thanks ladies. Im not going to cheat. Im just overwhlemed

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[Mattymatt 491]

25 minutes ago, stabb009 said:

My surgery is next Tuesday. Im so nervous. Im on Day 2 of the liquid diet and it sucks. Did anyone ever cheat? Not saying i am. But i feel like crap and its only the second day. What did you do to stay on task. What happens if you don't follow it?

Sent from my LGMP260 using BariatricPal mobile app

I've been on a liquid diet once before. It takes 4 to 5 days before you feel less crappy. But, one day you will wake up with hunger gone and actually feeling energetic. To keep staying on task, tell yourself that this is ultimately to make you safer for surgery. This is the reason that you're doing it. Tell yourself that if you cheat, you risk surgery complications or even having your surgery cancelled altogether. You worked way too hard to get this far. Just look at things hour to hour. Don't look beyond the next hour. This is a time tested technique and it's what allows Navy SEALs and Army Rangers to get through some of the most physically and mentally brutal training imaginable. It's about wanting it and keeping your mind in the present.

[stabb009 27]

liquid diet was worse than surgery in my opinion. Was torture.
Don't cheat.
If you're going to cheat, cheat with Protein, and absolutely no carbs. It's the elimination of carbs that shrinks your liver.
Don't cheat.
it gets easier after your will to live is broken and you give up. For me, this happened around day 3-4. LOL:) Laugh or cry. We laugh to survive.

What was your outcome from a 5 day liquid diet

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[Creekimp13 5,840]

I had two weeks of living hell diet....My third day was Thanksgiving and I had to cook for family. God, that sucked. So bad. But I guess I figured if I could survive that, I could survive anything...so that's what I did.

I think I lost 12 pounds:)

[XYZXYZXYZ1955 675]

The good news, if you want to see it that way, is that post-surgically there's a good chance you won't be feeling the hunger you are now. I spent several months not caring whether I ate or not--just doing it to get the necessary Protein. I'm kind of happy to say I'm back to being hungry occasionally, but, fortunately, I feel full/satisfied with so much less than before surgery.

Hang in there! It'll all seem worth it eventually.

[Aworknprogress 35]

I have a question on this topic,,I'm not scheduled for surgery until mid march.All the way up to the day I was scheduled for surgery I was being told I would have to do a liquid diet for 7-10 days before surgery.However now I'm being told I only have to be on a liquid diet 24 hrs prior to surgery...has anyone ever heard of this?I thought it was kinda weird

[orionburn 1,024]

Just now, Aworknprogress said:

I have a question on this topic,,I'm not scheduled for surgery until mid march.All the way up to the day I was scheduled for surgery I was being told I would have to do a liquid diet for 7-10 days before surgery.However now I'm being told I only have to be on a liquid diet 24 hrs prior to surgery...has anyone ever heard of this?I thought it was kinda weird

Some doctors only require 24 hours, which to be honest is surprising. Unfortunately there are no guidelines set in stone. You'll see a ton of differences between pre-op diet plans, what you can have post-op, and so forth. At the end of the day trust that your doctor & team know what they're doing and follow their plan.

[blizair09 3,250]

2 hours ago, Aworknprogress said:

I have a question on this topic,,I'm not scheduled for surgery until mid march.All the way up to the day I was scheduled for surgery I was being told I would have to do a liquid diet for 7-10 days before surgery.However now I'm being told I only have to be on a liquid diet 24 hrs prior to surgery...has anyone ever heard of this?I thought it was kinda weird

I have found that many doctors require many different things, though the 2 week pre-op liquid seems to be the most common.

I lost so much weight on my own during my six month pre-op diet program that my surgeon didn't require any pre-op liquid diet for me. He just required nothing after midnight the night before the surgery (which is standard for any surgery). He did require the 2 week pre-op liquid normally, but he said I was a special case.

[sillykitty 10,776]

2 hours ago, Aworknprogress said:

I have a question on this topic,,I'm not scheduled for surgery until mid march.All the way up to the day I was scheduled for surgery I was being told I would have to do a liquid diet for 7-10 days before surgery.However now I'm being told I only have to be on a liquid diet 24 hrs prior to surgery...has anyone ever heard of this?I thought it was kinda weird

No pre-op diet of any kind was required at all with my surgeon. No food the day before surgery, and a colon prep was required. And then no liquids after midnight the day of surgery, and that's it.

[Seahawks Fan 771]

On 2/14/2018 at 8:47 AM, stabb009 said:

My surgery is next Tuesday. Im so nervous. Im on Day 2 of the liquid diet and it sucks. Did anyone ever cheat? Not saying i am. But i feel like crap and its only the second day. What did you do to stay on task. What happens if you don't follow it?

Sent from my LGMP260 using BariatricPal mobile app

What are you drinking? Try some vegan Protein Powder like GARDEN OF LIFE. It has so many Vitamins & nutrients in it that most other shakes don’t. I used a few different brands & was allowed to blend in fruit as long as I didn’t go over 15g of carbs. I never once deviated from the plan. It’s not worth having your surgery canceled when they find out your liver hasn’t shrank or whatever other reason. I also believe that if you cheat it will cause slower healing or complications but that’s just my opinion. The sacrifice is so worth it. Good luck! By the way my liquid diet was 28 days.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Seahawks Fan

[blizair09 3,250]

15 minutes ago, Seahawks Fan said:

What are you drinking? Try some vegan Protein Powder like GARDEN OF LIFE. It has so many Vitamins & nutrients in it that most other shakes don’t. I used a few different brands & was allowed to blend in fruit as long as I didn’t go over 15g of carbs. I never once deviated from the plan. It’s not worth having your surgery canceled when they find out your liver hasn’t shrank or whatever other reason. I also believe that if you cheat it will cause slower healing or complications but that’s just my opinion. The sacrifice is so worth it. Good luck! By the way my liquid diet was 28 days.

28 days? Good God...