I am scheduled for surgery in February. The surgeon requires the protein shake diet for 2 weeks prior. This is supposed to result in at least 15 pounds being lost and a healthier liver for surgery. If I don't lose 15 pounds, surgery is cancelled. I know how weight loss resistant I am. Can I start the shake diet mid-January to give myself a better shot?

I don't see a problem with this but then again I am not a doctor, if you are concerned I would start a healthy eating along with the protein. I would do what ever it takes to lose the 15 lbs. - but then again that is me !!!

Have you asked the surgeon's office or others in a support group from the same office if this provider has ever cancelled a surgery because they didn't lose 15 pounds? My doctors office wanted me to lose 10% of my weight about 24 pounds or so. I lost about 15. My surgeon said as long as I was losing then my liver was in the best shape because the liver loses the weight first but, also gains it first. So I did what they told me to do.

If you start too early, I can tell you, you'll get really tired of the shakes and you'll need to have those after surgery. The shakes you have before, you may not like after the surgery. I got so tired of shakes and I didn't have to do a liquid diet before my surgery. I had to lose weight but, wasn't given a diet to follow. Also, shakes don't supply all the Vitamins you'll need so if you switch to shakes only in order to lose weight you're going to want to make sure you're taking in vitamins so you're not deficient in any nutrients you'll need to heal up. Did they put you on vitamins already? I had to go on them early so I'd build up a supply in my body/blood before surgery because my surgeon's office didn't advise taking vitamins right after the surgery. They wanted me to heal up for 3 weeks then start taking them.

all offices are different though so follow the recommendations of the surgeon you're trusting to do your surgery. Good luck!

I am scheduled for surgery in February. The surgeon requires the Protein shake diet for 2 weeks prior. This is supposed to result in at least 15 pounds being lost and a healthier liver for surgery. If I don't lose 15 pounds' date=' surgery is cancelled. I know how weight loss resistant I am. Can I start the shake diet mid-January to give myself a better shot?[/quote']

I had to do the Optifast liquid diet for 2 weeks pre op. I did not cheat once and lost 22 pounds. If you follow the diet and do not cheat, it will come off.

Good Luck