I'm on day 4 of my pre-op diet and I wanted to share with everyone here how I've managed and for others to put their tricks and ideas out here as well. I know that as a pre-op patient this was one of the things that I was most worried about.

I read somewhere that if you schedule to eat every 1.5 hours (on the dot) that a liquid diet is really quite easy. I, myself, didn't really believe it, but I put it to the test.

I set my phone alarm for every 1.5 hours with an alarm name of "EAT." To my surprise, it has actually worked perfectly. I drink one cup of Water and then I have a cup of Soup or a Protein shake or two or three jello's, etc.(I have them planned out in advance) and then another cup of water every 1.5 hours. So really I'm getting 2 cups of water and a pretty good snack/meal every 1.5 hours and it has been awesome. I do not have the "head hunger" or actual hunger.

The key to this that I read was that if you "eat" consistently and never fully get "hungry" then you won't "starve." I know I'm using a lot of quotes here, but you get my drift. I know if I didn't set my alarm and if I would get busy and work for say 3 hours or so in the morning and not eat anything i would look up from my computer and be starving and there would not be any soup or Protein Shake in the world that could satisfy me! With this plan, I don't let myself get hungry and the first four days have been really really easy. Shocking! If this changes, I will definitely repost, but it has helped me get through the first 4 days!

Anyway, I would love for this to be a topic where people share their secrets to surviving the pre-op liquid diet! I know there is a lot of fear of failure and we are all here to provide each other support! Thanks in advance for sharing!

Hugs to all!

I never heard of the 1.5 hr rule? I'll have to remember this. Many, many people post here about pre-op diets and how hard they are. I never had a pre-op diet so I won't need it but I'll try to pass it along next time I see it come up.

This is very helpful. What type of protein drink? This is a big issue for me, scared of this more than the surgery. I am still at least 1.5 months away from this part of the process but I have been eating jello, pudding, soup and shakes ( no protein) just to get ready. The first few days I did not feel well, so I am going to try your suggestion about eating every 1.5 hours ( setting my phone to tell me when to eat). Thanks for sharing.

This is very helpful. What type of Protein drink? This is a big issue for me, scared of this more than the surgery. I am still at least 1.5 months away from this part of the process but I have been eating Jello, pudding, soup and shakes ( no protein) just to get ready. The first few days I did not feel well, so I am going to try your suggestion about eating every 1.5 hours ( setting my phone to tell me when to eat). Thanks for sharing.

I use the Sun Warrior protein because I'm vegan who is switching to more vegetarian after my surgery. I love it. I use the chocolate flavor and sometime mix in vanilla. However, I do not like the one that says, "New Taste" as it is awful! Good luck to you. I'm two days out and it can't come soon enough!

Thanks for the tips! Definitely will keep the alarm trick in mind when I get to my pre-op diet. Anything else you've been drinking that has satisfied besides cup of soup, Protein shake or Jello?

I survived the pre-op diet (barely) by being as creative as I could with my Soups. I found that I lacked flavor and after two or three days of the soups I was making and Protein I was drinking, I became sick to my stomach in a nauseous kind of way even though I was keeping my stomach full eating every 1.5 hours but hated what I was eating and so sick. So I ventured out of my kitchen and went out for my soups.

I had Olive Garden vegetable soup and just asked them for mostly broth, I went to my favorite Chinese place and asked them for their sweet and sour soup but as much broth as they could give me. I did that at Jason's deli with their french onion soup. Basically, any place that I knew had good soup, I went there and purchased large containers of it and asked for mostly broth. Because restaurant soup is flavored much differently than canned soup or my broth I made, it really really helped me a lot.

My biggest issue was flavor not necessarily quantity. Now, please keep in mind, my pre-op diet was intended to shrink my liver and for "weight loss." I did lose 8 lbs prior to surgery, but my goal and objective was to survive it without eating my children.

I was also allowed to eat yogurt. I'm don't do dairy (something I am working on changing) so I ate soy yogurt and it was pretty good but I didn't do it much. One morning I put non flavored soy yogurt and blended it with orange juice and ice and it was a really great drink. My heartburn flared up after so I only did it once, but it was satisfying.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your surgery!!

It kinda depends on what type of pre-op diet you surgeon has you on.

I also opted for soups out sometimes. I went to whole foods and publix for soup... One day my husband and I went to our favorite Thai restaurant for coconut soup.

I also made soups at home using my favorite veggies (zucchini soup was the best) I had to get creative because I knew that broth wouldn't cut it.

I will definitely try the 1.5 hr trick.

Can anyone tell me if low fat cream soups are okay to eat it is 60 calories

Not allowed by my dr......... Only shakes and veggies (low glycemic) ...

Can anyone tell me if low fat cream soups are okay to eat it is 60 calories

It depends on where you are in the pre surg or post surg phases? If you're banded already, when?

For preop or postoperative?

My surgery is 09/22

Pre op

My surgery is 09/22

It depends on what kind of pre-op diet your doctor has you on? Usually they want you on foods that have very little or no carbohydrates. The object here is to shrink the liver and avoiding carbs is the way to do it. But, your doctor may have his/her own agenda?

Every doctor has a different protocol and they even vary the protocol for different patients depending on what their medical issues might be?

Look at the carbohydrate count on the can? Just keep the carb count per serving under 4-5 grams but you really should follow the Doctors protocol whatever that is? Don't add milk. Milk is probably forbidden?

My surgery is 09/22

During the pre-op liquid diet stage most of us had a very bad headache (I did ????), can you tell me if after the surgery do you still have a headache from not eating much. The headache was the worst of the pre-op liquid diet.