I was supposed to be on the liquid pre-op diet for two weeks (3 protein shakes a day and sugar free jello). Needless to say I cracked a few times - nothing horrible like making a trip to coldstone for ice cream - mainly being lightheaded and having a pounding headache so I'd get a 6" chicken breast sub from subway. I'm down about 8 pounds and surgery is day after tomorrow. Has anyone else failed at the diet but still lost weight? What was your outcome? Has anyone been converted to an open procedure? I'm freaking out I know I know.. I shoulda stuck to it - Insurance didn't give the ok until 3 days ago though... I've always been denied in the past so I figured I would again... anyway that's neither here nor there. Please dont bash me I feel guilty enough - just wondering if anyone else out there isn't afraid to be honest and share their experience - if you'd rather pm me that's fine too.

I think I would be shocked if a day went by and someone didn't post that they "cheated" on this forum.

I can assure you, you are not in the minority, most people that have pre-op diets slip. I'd be willing to bet that your surgeon expects to hear that you slipped, now that you are in the home stretch be extra vigilant. Pre-op diets vary so greatly that I really feel that most of it isn't physically necessary, but rather a mental preparation. I do notice that pretty much everyone requires a very strict diet the last 2-3 days.

Are you excited yet?

I have known of people who did not do any of the per op diet and still had their surgery and did find the clear liquid diet allows the liver to shrink because the liver does not have to work to break down food you eat. Small amounts of food prior to surgery is not a big issue when I had my surgery there was a patient that ate clear up until 12 hours before surgery did just fine.

I would let your Doc know just to err on the side of caution, but I think you will be fine... I didn't have a pre-ip diet and was just told not to eat anything after midnight the night before surgery

I am sure you will be fine. My surgeon did not require me to do anything other than continue with my regular diet program in the weeks before surgery. At no point did I have to do any liquids prior to surgery. I ate pizza the night before I was sleeved and it was awesome.

My dr did not require any kind of pre op diet except 24 hr before liquid on diet! I'm sure you are just fine!!

The Pre op diet was not a requirement of my surgeon, I just had to take magnesium citrate the morning prior to the surgery and only allowed clear liquids.

Are you excited yet?

More like terrified lol

Yeah you better believe im doing the milk of mag this morning and nothing but clear liquids like doc said for today then npo at midnight. Ill tell her if she cant do it lap then do it open

Yeah you better believe im doing the milk of mag this morning and nothing but clear liquids like doc said for today then npo at midnight. Ill tell her if she cant do it lap then do it open

They will def. be able to do it Lap, don't worry about that.

Please don't let this get you discouraged. You have lost weight, that is great. The reason for the liquid diet is to shrink your organs especially the liver. Do you have any type of liver disease? IMO I would NOT tell the doctor as this may be something that they have to inform the insurance about and you could be denied coverage. Until surgery just stick to liquids.

This would not be a reason to convert to an open surgery. Only if you had multiple previous surgeries and lots of scar tissue.

I didn't cheat because they said he would be able to tell if my liver didn't shrink. And they would stop the surgery and sew me up and not do the surgery at all. The program I went through was strict but my doctor has only lost two patients in 10 years.

I didn't cheat because they said he would be able to tell if my liver didn't shrink. And they would stop the surgery and sew me up and not do the surgery at all. The program I went through was strict but my doctor has only lost two patients in 10 years.

Wow talk about scare tactics, my doctor has been doing surgeries for 8 years and has never lost anyone and has only seen 2 leaks.

My preop was two weeks in which I had to limit my carbs to 40 per day. That's the entire program aside from no food after six the night prior to surgery.

I'm sure you will be just fine as you likely didn't go over that number so your liver did have time to shrink.

The warning about going to open surgery is standard to ALL patients getting laparoscopic surgery. Sometimes things go wrong or there is scar tissue etc, which require the doc to change your surgery in an emergency situation. A subway sandwich won't be the cause of this

For those who do cheat presurgery through, the chicken was a good cheat, but the bread on that sandwich was not. So if you are tempted towards trouble, think chicken breast or good cheese, not bread That will keep your carbs low which is the way to shrinky dink a liver.

I didn't cheat because they said he would be able to tell if my liver didn't shrink. And they would stop the surgery and sew me up and not do the surgery at all. The program I went through was strict but my doctor has only lost two patients in 10 years.

Personally I think that is a little bedtime story they like to tell patients to make sure they follow pre sleeve diet and it makes the surgery easier. I do not think they would look at your liver and go "yep, she/he ate a whopper with extra cheese. We better sew'em back up." That just seems implausible. My surgeon team said the same thing and, no, I did not cheat. Doctor said I had the best pre sleeve liver he has ever seen. Just saying....