Pre-op Cheating help!!!!

[Ivernous 0]

Help everyone!! I keep cheating on my pre-op diet!! I can make it thru the day time fine but I get home at night and just HAVE TO EAT SOMETHING!!!! I'm afraid I won't be able to do this. I eat healthy stuff like I boiled eggs and only ate the egg white part. Or I have a slice of cheese. The diet is suppose to be all liquids. Does anyone know if this cheating will not shink my liver enough or what solid food does to the liver that might make it not shrink? Any advise is needed!!!! :scared2:

[Jodi_620 37]

You should talk to your surgeon. He/she should know that you have not followed the guidelines and may be able to help you come up with something that works or help you figure out how to make the diet work for you.

Any kind of diet will help your liver shrink ( you are not actually shrinking the liver but melting the fat off of it). The all liquid Protein diet helps the liver shrink enough within the pre-op period so that your liver is prepared in time for surgery. Not following the diet slows down that loss and risks difficulty or even cancellation of surgery...how much of a difference it makes depends on what you eat and how fatty your liver is.

You need to get this worked out because the risk of not following the pre-op diet is liver damage or going under the knife only to have the doctor find a fatty liver and closing you back up with no band. And you need to be able to continue on with the post-op diet to avoid potentially causing damage to your band. I know that it is hard but it is all worth it in the end!

Edited January 26, 2009 by Jodi_620

[TPB1960 0]

Hang in there. I had a two week pre-op liquid diet and I am disabled and home all day. It was very difficult, but I kept on thinking I will make the surgery easier. I was banded on 1/15/09, and my surgeon was very pleased saying my liver had shrunk considerably. I had zero complications and even went home 7 hours after surgery. I had pain the first two days post-op. I am still on the liquid diet until this Friday. So far I had two bad days where I was really hungry, but I wasn't going to cause complications now. It really is a mental challenge which you will realize after your banding. Try sugar free Jello, at ten calories you can fill up on them. Don't complicate things and get tuff mentally. I have lost 27 lbs. since I started my liquid diet on 1/02/09. Hope this helps.

[debbie_7155 0]

you should talk to your surgeon/doc..about what you have eaten, my pre op diet was solid food like the Atkins for 2 weeks..but do NOT go by what i ate will be ok for you...there is a reason why your doc put you on a liquid one..hope all will be ok for you, god luck

[TQUAD64 9]

You are risking your opportunity to have your surgery by not following the pre-op diet. It is very challenging to follow the diet. However, if you don't follow the diet and your surgeon opens you up only to find the liver is enlarged, you risk not having the procedure done. Why risk that when you have come this far?

The pre-op liquid diet is not forever, so get back on track with the liquids and call your doctor to let them know how you are doing.

[KarenK 0]

Talk to your doctor - see if there is some good lean Protein he/she might let you have in the evening if you're having a hard time of it.

Don't let it get you too down, though - lots of us had the same problem. I'm sure the doctor has heard it all.

[cindie74 0]

take my advise and dont cheat!,im 2 days post op and i cheated my Optifast right through.when i got banded the doctor asked me if i did the optifast properly becasue my liver was sooo big,(reaching down to my belly button) and i was on the border line of getting done or closing me up with no band.I was so embarrassed and ashamed and so grateful that they did manage to perservere and put my band on although he said it was ex tremly hard.

try not to cheat because imagine how you will feel if you wake up with no band..

its hard i know...i couldnt do it either but we just have to

Cindie

[Melissa Anne 0]

I have to start my diet on Wednesday and I'm SCARED! I'm afraid I won't be able to stick with it - and I know how terrible that sounds considering the surgery I'm going for! I'm just going to keep praying! Good Luck Ivernous - we can do this

[Jaxjulie28 0]

I am in the middle of my pre op and I am getting banded on Feb 5th. Everytime I want to cheat I think about getting to the hospital and getting put under and them waking me up and they hadn't done anything because my liver was too big and they couldn't do it. It absolutely terrifies me and it keeps me from cheating. Keep your chin up! You can do it :redface:

Julie

[TQUAD64 9]

Everytime I want to cheat I think about getting to the hospital and getting put under and them waking me up and they hadn't done anything because my liver was too big and they couldn't do it.

Julie

This was one of my biggest worries. Did I lose enough on the pre-op diet. When I woke up for surgery, I could barely talk, because my mouth and throat were dry and the first thing I asked is am I banded. The nurse said, What did you say? Am I banded? Yes dear you are banded was her reply and I was good after that.

[serenity55 15]

Boy! Am I glad I saw this thread! I'm on the fourth day of my full liquid diet, and I notice that just before it's time for a meal, I feel sad, think about how good solid food would taste. But like so many have said, I don't want to wake up from surgery to find that I have no band. I fought too hard for it! There are people all around us, those who have gone before, and those who will come after. I want to be able to pay it forward, encouraging others as I've been encouraged. It's hard, but we can do this!!

Debbie

[nfl1 0]

Definitely talk with your surgeon and the nutritionist. I was banded 1/20, and my surgeon allowed non-starchy veggies on the pre-op liquid diet, so I had a lot of Soups loaded with onions, carrots, celery and/or garlic. When I was having trouble getting enough Protein, they told me I could do egg whites to get Protein, so i made white omlettes.

They will try to work with you to keep you on the right track.

[gonnadoitnow 0]

I'm starting pre-op liquids on Tuesday...I'm glad it's finally come because I've been having my 'last meal' since November and gained about 10 extra pounds I didn't need, but I know it was anxiety. I'm trying to think of things that will occupy my time since I'm home all day and won't have my hobby (eating) to keep me busy anymore...wow! its MY time to 'get a life'. Good luck to all February banders, and everyone else

[Melissa Anne 0]

I'm starting pre-op liquids on Tuesday...I'm glad it's finally come because I've been having my 'last meal' since November and gained about 10 extra pounds I didn't need, but I know it was anxiety. I'm trying to think of things that will occupy my time since I'm home all day and won't have my hobby (eating) to keep me busy anymore...wow! its MY time to 'get a life'. Good luck to all February banders, and everyone else

Oh Goodness do I relate! I start my pre-op liquids on Wednesday and all weekend I stuffed myself - I can't believe how addicting food really is. I'm also feeling a lot of anxiety - but I know I'm following the right path. Keep me posted on how you're doing, okay? Best wishes always!

[Ivernous 0]

Well I have 8 days until the BIG day. I am scared that I may not have shrunk my liver enough. I have an appt with the RN on Thursday to find out how I am doing and weigh-in. I think she will tell me at that visit whether or not I can go forward with the surgery. I hope she says yes.

I did talk to the dr and nurse last week and they allowed me a small salad carrot stick or celery and 1/2 a tuna fish sandwich. Still with having that I am so tempted by food. I cheated on Friday I wanted a cheeseburger so bad!! Well I got it ate it and afterword felt horrible and they weren't even that good ...definitely not worth it! But I have moved on since Friday and am holding on for another 8 days. 8 days til my life changes.....hmmm. Gives a person alot to think about. I sure hope no one is as naughty as I am! Good luck and may we all find what we need thru banding.