Hey everyone,

My name is ally and I'm 22 I am scheduled for surgery on July 23rd. I start my liquid diet on Tuesday the 9th and I am so afraid that I am going to go nuts by not eating! I was told I can have sugar free water ice, and sugar free ice pops and broth. I bought carnation instant breakfast, ensure and GNC lean shakes. Does anyone have any suggestions on anything else I can possibly have during the pre op diet or ways to stay same? I know post op will be easier. Thanks so much !!!

Ally, you'll be fine. One thing people do when they just need to chew is every once in a while, take a bite of what is driving you nuts, chew it up and spit it out. sugar free Gum will help too.

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Unfortunately, no easy way to do it...but you CAN do it! Minor obstacle for a much larger prize...and a much happier you! Just keep your eyes on your goal and try to keep busy. Every time you think about eating, go for a walk or some other activity to keep your mind busy. Good luck!

Ally,

You will only go nuts if you dwell on it. Take this time to really get a good understanding on why you eat and your relationship with food and eating. Think of it as your "break up" with food. Get busy, start your exercise program. Focus on the long term, not the couple of weeks of liquids. I think that the biggest mistake that people on the pre-op make is that they focus on their misery and not on the benefits of breaking the chain that overeating and eating badly has placed on you. A large portion of WLS success is mental. If you can hang mentally, then your success will be greater. Don't fall prey to cravings and wants. Just focus on the long term and becoming that fabulous person that you know you want to be.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/78443-the-pre-op-diet-is-not-a-punishment-its-an-opportunity/

Agrees with Johnlatte, I started my pre-op yesterday and have surprisingly done pretty well however I'm allowed an evening meal of 3oz. Of meat and 1 cup veggies cooked. This has really helped with missing chewing. Tonight was a prime example of being mindful and controlling my urges to scarf done something I shouldn't! It is almost all mental. I went to my brothers to swim and they I invited me and the family to stay for dinner. They ordered pizza out ..... I ordered a plain grilled chicken sandwich and took it off the bread and cut it up into a salad of two cups and used 1 tbsp of Italian dressing ! It wasn't too bad and then they did s'mores on the fire and I don't have any if those either. All I kept thinking is life is going to present these test to me the rest of my life and pictures myself at goal . Happy and healthy! You can do it if I can! Believe me I was dreading the pre-op diet and it so far isn't too horrible! Good luck! You'll do fine!

You can have low sodium broth also. The first few days will be the hardest. Just remember to get your protein in and drink plenty of water and you will be fine.

Thank you everyone, I know that's what I keep telling myself that it's going to help me become a better and healthier me in the long run. I think I'm just psyching myself out into thinking I'm going to crash and burn.

Hey everyone' date='

My name is ally and I'm 22 I am scheduled for surgery on July 23rd. I start my liquid diet on Tuesday the 9th and I am so afraid that I am going to go nuts by not eating! I was told I can have sugar free Water ice, and sugar free ice pops and broth. I bought carnation instant Breakfast, ensure and GNC lean shakes. Does anyone have any suggestions on anything else I can possibly have during the pre op diet or ways to stay same? I know post op will be easier. Thanks so much !!![/quote']

Sugar free Jello and unsweetened applesauce. I these as Snacks for my pre-op liquid diet. I start tomorrow.

Thank you everyone' date=' I know that's what I keep telling myself that it's going to help me become a better and healthier me in the long run. I think I'm just psyching myself out into thinking I'm going to crash and burn.[/quote']

The site will help, when you feel the pressure reach out and tons of us will respond to help you. It's world wide support!

Thank you kw2walker! I was told sugar free gelatin so I think I will have to run out and get some. I know I am going to struggle with breaking myself away from coffee for a while. But what really stinks is my summer job when I'm off from school I work at McDonald's and being around food right now isn't the best thing during this diet . But I know I just have to be strong. Thank you for the support!

Thank you kw2walker! I was told sugar free Gelatin so I think I will have to run out and get some. I know I am going to struggle with breaking myself away from coffee for a while. But what really stinks is my summer job when I'm off from school I work at McDonald's and being around food right now isn't the best thing during this diet . But I know I just have to be strong. Thank you for the support!

I stopped drinking coffee three weeks ago. I've been doing so manning things in stages. Soda was my biggest. When I knew I was serious that was the first thing I gave up. It's been about a year since I had soda. I LOVE Pepsi and to give that up was hard. I found I only drink coffee at work. So I figure since I don't drink it on the weekends I could stop now. Lol

Working around food would be hard I imagine, if you think about it select from the kids meal. Their choices are smaller in quantity and are better. Apple slices over fries, yogurt over milkshake, etc., but carry your food with you or make your Protein shakes and sip throughout the day.

You'll do fine. We are all nervous but once we get over the pre surgery diet hump, the road to success is paved, we just need to walk the walk.

Ally:

Today is the big day for you! Congrats! And hang in there, it will be hard but, you can do it.

I am now on day 6 of my pre-op and I will tell you there have been up and downs. The first day went great and I was super motivated. By day 2 and day 3 I was very hungry and like how am I going to do this for the next 2 weeks! I was tired, had a headache, and was super, super hungry. I have had a couple of cheats (one bad, and a couple little not so bad ones). I felt bad afterwards, but most people say once you get past day 3-4, you kind of start to feel better.

That definitely seems correct to me. I am allowed 800 calories per day which should be mostly Protein shakes supplemented by broth, SF Jello, SF popsicles, salad with either fat free ranch or italian dressing, and some raw veggies. I am doing liquids only at this point. I feel pretty good and find that drinking Water throughout the day helps. My advice is if you are going to cheat, cheat SMALL and healthily. Have a bite of grilled chicken or something else that is low in calories, but still gives you protein.

The big motivator is looking at the scale. If you can add some moderate exercise in now, you will see the pounds fly off. I have lost 13 lbs in 6 days! Looking at my successes has kept me invigorated to keep going with this crazy diet. Also, visiting these message boards and reading what others have to say helps A LOT! Knowing that other people are going through the same struggles as you are is reassuring. Family and friends can be there for you, but they don't truly know what its like (unless they have had a VSG or similar procedure). They mean well and are truly supportive, but its hard to understand what it feels like to be on this diet unless they are doing it too!

So keep up the good work and you will be to your goal and surgery before you know it.

Well we have that in common because I started my diet on Monday and will be sleeved on the 22nd! I'm doing pretty good and hanging in there on the Opti-Fast diet. I have no problem with my shakes and soups but the bars are intolerable.. They not only taste gross but have a sandy texture. So gross! lol. I switched my bars for more shakes instead. Anyway, it's nice to see someone going through this at the exact time I am.. Hang in there and good luck to you! If you need anybody to reach out to, I'm here for ya as are so many other really cool ladies. Good luck!

I started my pre-op diet on July 3rd and am scheduled for the 17th for surgery so far so good I find that if I eat things that are high in protein I'm good and I definitely know if I have waited too long to eat my one meal of the day I start to get very week I don't get to have any bars just clear broth, sugar free popsicles & Jell-O, 3 ounces of protein and 1 cup of vegies and of course water & flavored drinks I have lost 14 lbs. in one week crazy that has never happened before the bariatric advance high protein shakes are pretty good I like the Iced Latte, Orange Cream and Banana flavors I find that it has gone by fast and my husband has been a real big support for me. oh I forgot the nurse said if I had the urge for something crunchy I could have a dill pickle and it works pretty good have done that twice.

Per-made isopure shake. It's expensive for a case but its not thick, it's a liquid, and it has 40grams ofvprotein. Also it comes in a variety of flavors