I have my operation scheduled for April 25 and have started my optifast to slim down my liver. It is six o'clock and I'm having a hard time. My stomach is screaming for food and I have a headache and feel light headed. I'm committed to the procedure as I know it's the only way that I'll lose weight. I'm just looking for words of encouragement. Does the preoperative fast get easier? Are there tricks I can use to calm my stomach? Any words of ecouragement are appreciated. :help:

My headache was horrible too. I also had a lot of stomach and esophogus pain. Take Tylenol and drink broth. Lots and lots of broth.

My headache went away after about two days. And Jack is right - keep a toothbrush or some Scope handy at all times - goat breath LOL. Jack, you do have a way with words.

Good luck, be strong, you'll make it through.

The first 3 days are the worse and then you leave "withdrawal" and it gets better. What else are you allowed to have? I was on full fluids but hate yogurt so the dietician allowed to have lite ricotta cheese (4 oz) once a day. Good luck. Drink, drink, drink....

Thanks for the replies. It's good to know that eventually it will get a bit better, though I must admit I'm not looking forward to goat breath. My poor husband, both me and the dog.

I'm allowed to have a vegetable meal in the evening. Basically green vegetables, no milk products at all though. Well one day down, twelve to go.

I am on Optifast Day 4. Crazy...but I am surviving!

I am now on day 3 and it is getting a wee bit better. I find that raw celery, mushrooms and carrots are my saviours. Who would have thunk that I'd look forward to eating raw vegetables. :eek:

I understand where you are coming from. My surgery is on the 28th and I started my liquid diet on the 10th. I am not nearly as hungry as I was. The times it really seems to bother me is when my family is eating dinner, and then I just want to chew something, anything solid. My doctor has us on Physician's Weight Loss. We are not even permitted veggies or anything for dinner. I wish we were. I am experiencing the nasty breath. :eek: I think they call that ketosis or something? I laughed when I read your comment about the dogs breath. We have these little "yip yap" breath mints for dogs and my hubby threatened to give me one of those the other day.

But, we can do this and it will so be worth it in the end.

Tybalt,

I was the same too. Optifast for 2 weeks prior to surgery... it wasn't fun. I did get less hungry, to the point where I'd opt to not eat anything rather than have another Optifast , some days.

Have you tried anything to make the Optifast taste better? Try adding a single serving package of Crystal light to the shake. Are you making it with ice and Water? That really helps. Some people add cold Chai tea or cold coffee to it too.

The crystal light really helped me... it ended up being the only thing I'd drink it with.

Good luck!

Mandi

I'm on day 6 of my 10 day pre-surgery diet and I did have the splitting headache for the first few days, but now I'm finding its not that hard anymore. I just had Easter dinner at friend's house today and I just brought along my soup and sugar-free jello and it was no big deal. am realizing that its the social aspects of eating that mean the most, rather than the food itself and I just need to retrain myself to look forward to the company more than the food.

It'll get better, I promise. I took longer for my blood sugar to even out, about 5 or 6 days. But the headache will stop and you will feel much better before it's all over Upside is that after the surgery the liquids stage is mentally a lot easier for doing the pre-op diet

It's nice to know I have so many misery companions, it kind of makes it easier to deal with this. I'm on day four and hubby, the dog, and the cat are still around so I figure I'm doing well.

Susan, I don't think doggie mints are on the diet list, no cheating.

Mandi, believe it or not I actually like the taste of the Optifast, its chewing real food, and filling my large belly that I miss. But I keep telling myself it's only for another 9 days.

Doing great! I did the fast thing before my surgery and my post-op liquid phase was pretty easy. I knew some that had a tough time because they were going through the withdrawls of eating. I did lose some weight and my doctor said that even 5 pounds makes a HUGE difference when he operates. Worth every hunger pain.

And just realize that you WILL get to eat again real soon!

What do you mean the doggie mints aren't on the liquid pre-op diet? :confused: Darn, I was so looking forward to chewing something. :hungry:

:confused: :girl_hug: :girl_hug: :girl_hug: :girl_hug: :girl_hug:

Hang in there and just take it one day at a time. I did the regular Optifast plan last year for weight loss (I'm preband). I had 5 shakes and 1 bar a day for 12 weeks....it does get easier with each passing day. I got very weak so my doc said it was OK to have "Herb Ox" brand bouillon cube. They have a lower sodium than the other brands of bouillon cubes. Ask you doc about this is you are still getting headaches or start to feel faint. I thought I was going to pass out one time while driving.....scared me to death, but the cubes helped.