Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.

Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.

It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.

Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!

So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.

But I didn't break my diet.

Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owning my future.

The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.

Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.

Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:

- Confidence

- Emotional and physical self-control

- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles

- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best

Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.

It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!

Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.

Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

My diet start date was yesterday I took the liberty of eating what I wanted, I have this weekend mothers day events including yesterday with friends and family so I will probably start Monday which is 11 days opposed to 14 but so excited about it all the diet and the surgery here on May 24th! I have already this past month been substituting meals for shakes as a means to prep myself...I have the option of 2 shakes and a lean meal basically meat and veggies and fruit, or 2 low cal lean meals and a shake. I will probably switch it up a bit or do 1st week 2 lean meal and shakes last week except the day prior 2 shakes and my last meal for a couple of weeks while the tummy heals.

My diet start date was yesterday I took the liberty of eating what I wanted, I have this weekend mothers day events including yesterday with friends and family so I will probably start Monday which is 11 days opposed to 14 but so excited about it all the diet and the surgery here on May 24th! I have already this past month been substituting meals for shakes as a means to prep myself...I have the option of 2 shakes and a lean meal basically meat and veggies and fruit, or 2 low cal lean meals and a shake. I will probably switch it up a bit or do 1st week 2 lean meal and shakes last week except the day prior 2 shakes and my last meal for a couple of weeks while the tummy heals.

Wow wonderful and helps me stop planning mothers day as my cheat day.

Happy Mothers Day Misslady ! And to all the other moms too I took my mom out to brunch last weekend because my pre-op started this past Wed. It is going pretty well - i have been faithful to the plan. It has been easier than i thought the first few days would be. Before when ive tried no carbs i was just setting myself up for a binge- i would go nuts after 2 days. But my perspective is different this time; i know that this is my prep for a big life change, and i know that soon i will have help (the sleeve).

I have been hungry at night in particular, but i think i am doing ok. I may send my food log to my NUT to make sure I am really doing it right

To all my fellow pre-op-ers, we can DO this! Webchickadee writes words of wisdom above!

duplicate post. sorry!

Fantastic post! I enjoyed an 800 calorie a day preop diet for THREE AND A HALF MONTHS prior to surgery and it's the BEST thing I could have done for myself. After completing that I KNEW I had what it takes to have a successful sleeved life! I won't ever tell anyone that the preop diet is easy, but it was definitely very rewarding!

I lost 20 pounds during pre op diet I did it for 3 weeks was told only had to do it for 2 weeks sugery date was march 12 2013 now I'm down 59 pounds coming up on my third month next week if I hadn't of done the preop I would be at 39 pounds lost so glad I did it.

I am so grateful to this forum for all of the great information! My surgery is scheduled for 6-25, the pre-op diet will start on Tuesday. I have spent this week detoxing from carbs (lots of meat!). The first couple of days...what a headache! But it's much better now and I am not too hungry. I also got samples of the various Protein shakes. Just had my first, Syntrax Oreo flavor. Delicious! I'm fortunate that my pre op diet requires 2 shakes and a lean meal per day until the day before surgery, when I start Clear liquids. Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences!

Sent from my iPad using VST

This is a fabulous post! Well done!

LOVE THIS POST! A TOTAL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE!

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.

Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.

It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.

Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!

So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.

But I didn't break my diet.

Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owning my future.

The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.

Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.

Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:

- Confidence

- Emotional and physical self-control

- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles

- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best

Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.

It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!

Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.

Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

The pre op diet helps a lot bc post op you'll know what to do. All Doc's have their protocols. Pre op diet or not we all must adhere to what we're told to get the results we desire.

An awesome post! I like everyone else needed this boost. I start my preop on the 8th and am just starting to get nervous about it.

Awesome post! Very well said! That is the way Im looking at this, if I cant follow the preop, how will I ever be able to follow the post op.

Love this post. Thanks!

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge' date=' but for me, it was an important one.

Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.

It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.

Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!

So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.

But I didn't break my diet.

Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owning my future.

The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.

Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.

Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:

- Confidence

- Emotional and physical self-control

- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles

- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best

Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.

It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!

Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.

Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.[/quote']

Thanks, reading this post help me. I am one week into the diet and all I see is food.my co workers all bring food it smells so good

Beautifully written. I'll be reading this again when the time comes for my liquid diet.