Pre-op diet

[maestrita 43]

OK, I go for surgery next Tuesday. I was told to go on a one week low carb diet. I understood that I could eat just about anything except complex carbs such as bread, Pasta, etc. I have also read a lot of people saying that they have lost weight on the pre-op diet. Well, I know I am not good at this, so I've kind of given it a trial run. I started the low-carb diet a week early. It's been a week, and I've not lost anything. Zippo.

I don't know if I'm doing it wrong, and I am terribly concerned. I tried to email the lady in the clinic, and she just kind of said the same darn thing she said before. I mean, she literally cut and pasted what she'd emailed before and highlighted it... which seemed kind of like when people yell at folks who are learning a new language. OK, I still don't understand because you didn't give me any new information...

I don't really know what to do. I am nervous because I am paying so much to fly in and have this done, and I am not yet losing any weight. I don't really know what to expect because the low-carb thing really didn't work for me without the fruit, and it especially doesn't work with fruit in place. What should I do? Should I just switch over to full liquids? I worry that if I don't lose the 3-5 lbs in a week, I won't get the procedure, and to be honest, I don't know that I can lose 3-5 lbs in a week without a meat cleaver.

What would you do?

[spud.mama 7]

I'd either go full liquids, cuz you know that has worked for people, or go full on low carb. That means less than 20 carbs a day. The way i do it when i do low carb is lot's of meat, chez, and nuts. For me i did not count carbs in non-high-glycemic veggies, chez, meat or nuts. If it has less than 5 carbs--to me it's free. So, no fruit, bread, Pasta, milk, Cereal, corn, potatoes, rice, etc. It's only a week. Personally i'm a milk drinker and i like protien drinks so I might like the liquid diet--but only for a week or so.

Good luck.

[MissBS 3]

Hi. I'm sorry you are confused and that you don't seem to be getting much clarification from your clinic. Every doctor is different and so are their pre-op diets. Mine was a Protein Drink (I like Atkins Advantage) for Breakfast and lunch, and dinner was lean meat (chicken, turkey, fish) and veggies. I was on it for 4 weeks (was supposed to be 3) and I lost 16 pounds. Some people do not have a pre-op diet, but from your post, it sounds like someone wants you to lose some before your surgery. I would try to contact someone else (even your surgeon) and try to find out what they want you to be eating/drinking. Good luck to you!! Hope your surgery goes well. Becky

[maestrita 43]

The thing that kills me is that I know how to lose weight, but that's not what they told me to do. I am paranoid that I might get this liver thing wrong, and though I think my liver is probably just fine, I want to do everything I can to maximize my healing time and avoid complications. I think I am going to go down to 1000 calories a day and max my Protein. I am starting at 215, so I likely wouldn't drop crazy weight really fast anyhow, but I feel like I need to drop some because that is what people are saying happens. The lady at the clinic kind of said that, too. She said I should lose 3-5 lbs. Though neither the nutritionist or doctor did. They both said that I need to avoid the carbs because they store in the liver as glycogen, and this causes the enlargement of the liver.

[tiffanygrace 0]

It sounds like losing weight is not really the goal they have for you, but shrinking the liver is. It is very true that the liver stores the glycogen from carbs and this enlarges it. So I would say either do liquids or true low carb. (stay under 20 per day) my doctor did not require a pre-op but did ask that I follow the low carb. I actually chose to do the liquid for the week before Protein Shakes, sf Jello, etc. It really helped with getting use to what you will be doing after surgery anyway.

Basically I dont think you need to be concerned so much about losing but just simply getting your liver in better shape, that is what makes for a faster, safer surgery which will be a faster recovery. sorry so long hope this helps.

[patrickgd 0]

Well on Feb. 20 I was given a surgery date of March 4th and weigh-in date of March 3 (10 days). well I started trying to lose immediately through eating 3 average sized meals a day. This worked but by Friday the 27th I had only lost 7 or 8 lbs. So I cut back even more and started walking allot. Since this past saturday I lost 7 more lbs at weight in this morning which put me over the 12 lb. requirment and a total loss of 14. Oh and one other thing I must add is that I only ate when I was truly hungry and even then I would put it off awhile and walk or do another activity. I'm on clear liquid all day today and although it's not too bad I'll probably dream about greasy fast food.< /p>

[mnfarmgal 0]

maestrita I went to the same hospital that you are going to for the surgery, when I did my low carb high Protein diet I went mainly meat and eggs plus veggies and some fruit and I did drink 1% milk. I never ate any bread at all. they just wanted me to lose 2-3 lbs I have a hard time losing weight and I lost 8# in 2 weeks just stick with it and you'll do great I also was worried about fatty liver and my was just fine. the Dr. is pretty down to earth and the surgical center nurses are wonderful, the ones I had treated me really good. Whatever you do don't be afraid to ask him questions I know I asked alot of them! Good luck with your surgery everything will go great!!!

[maestrita 43]

I have to go down to 900-1000 calories a day and eat very specific foods in order to lose. I know how to do it, and I would except I am afraid that it will mess up this liver thing. My problem here is that I still don't fully understand whether the goal is weight loss or just this liver thing.

After I posted my original reply, I realized it sounded too defensive. I decided that I really need to stop defending my decisions and removed that part of the message.

Edited March 5, 2009 by maestrita
rethinking my position

[JayTee562 1]

My Dr. doesn't do a liquid preop either I was ok with it till I talked to a girl at work who's friend didn't get her band because of a fat liver. My Dr. did give me a plan called the Rotation Diet at my consultation but it's very strict and I got really bitc....grumpy so people told me to stop.

I've been thinking about doing low carb with a meal or two replaced with a Protein Shake. I'm about 34 days away form surgery so it's all becoming more real. One option for the low carb plan is South Beach diet .com you can do 7 day trial for free...funny their commercial came on as I was typing that. You get meal plans for the week then cancel your program.

Currently several of us at work are doing the 50 Million Pound Challenge but it's not low carb. Good Luck and I'm glad someone shares my concerns.

[Lighterload 0]

Every physician is different in the pre Op diet they put you on. I am on the 21 day Liquid Protein bullets, and just Clear Liquids, to shrink my liver prior to surgery on March 25th. I know people who did not lose the weigth on the pre Op diet and they were denied surgery that day and booked weeks later as they had to diet again to shrink the liver.:thumbup: I would suggest doing the liquid Protein with clear liquids, to be sure you lose the weight they have required you to lose, or your surgery could be delayed and no one wants that after waiting so long initially.

[maestrita 43]

Well, I didn't lose anything initially, like nothing for a full week, and then I lost 6 lbs in two days, then another lb, and now I am back up two lbs. My surgery is on Wednesday, and I am going to be sorely disappointed if this is not what he had in mind. It has been horribly hard (not a diet I would choose to continue), and it will be costing me hundreds of dollars to travel there (my ticket plus the ticket for someone to go with me as is necessary, hotel, rental car...). It will be really unfortunate if I have to reschedule because I didn't understand exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I am going pure liquid today.

I hope I've gotten it right. I will surely post again to let folks know what happens this week. Wish me luck!:confused:

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

My Dr. doesn't do a liquid preop either I was ok with it till I talked to a girl at work who's friend didn't get her band because of a fat liver. My Dr. did give me a plan called the Rotation Diet at my consultation but it's very strict and I got really bitc....grumpy so people told me to stop.

I've been thinking about doing low carb with a meal or two replaced with a Protein Shake. I'm about 34 days away form surgery so it's all becoming more real. One option for the low carb plan is South Beach diet .com you can do 7 day trial for free...funny their commercial came on as I was typing that. You get meal plans for the week then cancel your program.

Currently several of us at work are doing the 50 Million Pound Challenge but it's not low carb. Good Luck and I'm glad someone shares my concerns.

A fatty liver or a fat liver is a medical condition, not all obese people have this condition.

The pre-op diet doesn't have to limit calories or fat. Carbs are really the only thing that needs to be limited in order to shrink your liver. IF you have a "Fatty Liver" it won't be fixed with a pre-op diet.

I just thought, I'd say that.

I had Dr. Kirshenbaum also. His pre-op makes the most sense if you know how the liver works. I cut my carbs down to 20grams a day at the most, I only ate meat and veggies and that's it. I lost 17lbs with my pre-op diet. It was very easy and gave my weight loss a boost!

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Well, I didn't lose anything initially, like nothing for a full week, and then I lost 6 lbs in two days, then another lb, and now I am back up two lbs. My surgery is on Wednesday, and I am going to be sorely disappointed if this is not what he had in mind. It has been horribly hard (not a diet I would choose to continue), and it will be costing me hundreds of dollars to travel there (my ticket plus the ticket for someone to go with me as is necessary, hotel, rental car...). It will be really unfortunate if I have to reschedule because I didn't understand exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I am going pure liquid today.

I hope I've gotten it right. I will surely post again to let folks know what happens this week. Wish me luck!:scared2:

Since you only have 60lbs to lose, you most likely didn't have to do the pre-op very long. There isn't a lot of room in the abdominal cavity if you're morbidly obese and having to manipulate the liver is pretty serious. If you're not that overweight, as in your case, doing the procedure probably wasn't going to be that difficult.

I'm sure things went fine.

[maestrita 43]

Well, I went, and it was fine. I had meant to ask him how my liver was, but I kept forgetting. I woke up with a band, though, so I must've done something right. I hated that diet, though. It felt like I was eating bricks. I did not feel balanced whatsoever, and it was hard to find appropriate foods. I am glad that is over. I still don't know what caused the other couple of lbs to come on again toward the end, but this type of weight loss has been typical for me. I have always been so jealous of people who can just do the math with calories and exercise, and it just comes right off like they planned it that way. That has never been the course for me. In any case, eating bricks seemed to work for the purposes of shrinking the liver. All's well that ends well, right?