Hi guys, it's me again. I read all your posts to my thread from earlier today and I want to thank all of you. I tried my hardest today but I had a grilled chicken breast, 3oz with nothing on it because I was starving to death. Do you think it's going to make a huge difference in my pre-op weight loss if I do this daily? There is no fat so it shouldn't affect my liver, right?

Some MDs do allow lean Protein but it's best to call the office and explain that you're not satisfied on the prescribed diet. Rather than having you risk "blowing" the pre-op diet or binging, they usually allow you to make modifications. I don't think you did any damage.

Mary Ann, I don't know anything about your preop diet but I personally did not have to do anything before my surgery. My doc said to enjoy and so I did, I had steak and chocolate cake the night before. I don't think a small piece of ckn is going to harm you but !! I do strongly suggest you try (and I know its hard) to stick to doc' orders.

Your almost there !!! hang tight.

My Dr. didn't require any pre-op diet. I went to Red Robin the night before for a burger and beer. However, I have only 100 lbs to lose and it might have been different if I were heavier. I do know that he doesn't require any pre-op weight loss if you are under 300 lbs.

I agree with the others that you should try to follow your doctor's orders, or call them to ask for permission to eat a bit more substantial food. :hungry:

Some doctors put you on a pre-op just to see if you are serious in your intentions to change your life after banding.

Frequently if you haven't lost weight, or have maintained weight, they'll make a decision that you aren't mentally ready to commit to your new life.

Every doctor will set their own plan before you. I'd recommend discussing all dietary changes and modifications with your surgeon in advance.

First, there's about six grams of fat in a medium skinless chicken breast.

And, my surgeon used to go out to dinner with his patients the night before surgery...there WAS no pre-op diet in the olden times! LOL

Then, and this is the serious part and is NOT meant to be "mean": post-op, you will be on another liquid diet. There will be days (maybe days on end) when you feel just fine and you are SURE that you have to have some solid food or you will die, during the time you are supposed to be on liquids.

If you cannot go three days without solid foods now, what makes you think that you will be ready--in a couple of weeks--for this surgery? (Don't get hurt or mad...just think about it.) They won't be doing brain surgery. You will be fighting the same demons post-op, but the difference then will be that you can eat too soon post-op and create problems for yourself. Some people have to go on liquids after each adjustment, even after they have been banded for a long time.

It IS tough, no doubt about it. But it is something you should be able to master if you are going to be banded.

(You might need more protein--like in drinks from a Jamba juice place--or pills to help...but you need to be able to master this challenge.)

Good luck.

I have to say you need to follow your doctor's orders. Every doctor is different. A friend of mine just had the surgery, she had to follow a two week diet before and she stuck to it great. The day of her surgery her doctor told her that her liver was the biggest he ever saw, and he was happy that she had done the pre diet. Since that, I am a firm believer that everyone should follow what their doctor tells them.

GeezerSue makes an excellent point. Yes, it's hard. It's going to suck rocks those first few weeks after surgery when you can't have anything but liquids. You get sick and tired of broth, Jello and Protein drinks. You have to stay the course so that your stomach has plenty of time to heal. And like GeezerSue, I'm not trying to be mean at all. Just consider that part of this journey.

I'd call my doctor and have him review exactly what you're getting in. Maybe you can have extra shakes or other liquids. The purpose of this diet is to shrink your liver and make an easier space for your doctor to work in. Look at it this way, if you go on and change your habits now it will be a hell of a lot easier after surgery.

I know it's tough. Hang tight! You're almost there...

DON'T CHEAT!!!! You have to show yourself that you are ready for this by making the commitment to stick to the diet. If you can't stick to it, then you may not be seriously ready for the commitment to come.

I promise, if you just stick to it, it gets better after a few days. You stop thinking about food. You stop being so hungry. You have to test your resolve now for the period after the band.

I agree with GeezerSue and Marianne. No one said this was going to be easy. Personally, I think the liquid diets are probably the hardest. Especially pre-op. For me, the first 2 or 3 days were the worst. I was even dreaming about food. But if you stay the course, be strong and know that you're doing this for the right reasons. Know in your heart that you've made the right choice. You can overcome it. After that 2 or 3 days, it really wasn't that bad for me. I was getting excited about the surgery and had something else to focus on. Post op was easier because the post-op swelling helped with appetite. I was also so focused on making this work that nothing seemed to bother me (even when my family was having succulent dinners right in front of my face).

You can do it. If you're really struggling, call your doc and make sure you're doing what they recommend. Maybe somehow you're restricting yourself too much.

Good Luck,

Your doctor has to be able to see what he's doing without damaging your liver trying to keep it out of the way while he's doing the surgery. You need to do your part to make sure he can do his. If you cheat on your pre-op diet and your liver doesn't shrink enough, you could go into surgery, be cut open, suffer ALL the after effects of surgery including pain and scarring, but walk away with NO BAND! That would suck way worse than a few days of sticking to a liquid diet.

I know it's hard, believe me, I spent liquid-diet days 2 and 3 in bed with a horrible headache and feeling like I had a hot pipe resting in my chest. After that it wasn't such a problem. Post op your stomach is swollen and any hunger you have is head hunger so its a little easier.

Remember you CAN'T EAT post op for a few weeks. If you do you'll risk losing your band. It'll be easier to stick with the post op diet if you make it through the pre-op diet without cheating.

JMO - you should talk to your doctor's office before eating anything else. Eating just a little bit prolongs the suffering of such a restricted diet. Go cold turkey and wait it out.