I'm reading a lot of stories and responses by people regarding the pre-op diet. I am not, not, NOT a sweets eater so it takes me literally HOURS to finish one protein drink. I hate every single brand I've tried. I am a teacher and on the first day I started one at 9:30 and finished at noon. Then it took me the rest of the day to get the other one down! I followed it to the letter for five days (lost six pounds) and then started to add more proten because I felt weak from the lack of calories. Now I'm reading forums from lots of people who say their doctors did not make them follow it, some who said it actually wasn't necessary, etc. I had two friends from two different doctors who were NOT told to follow it and three friends from three different doctors who WERE told to follow it. I understand the part about shrinking the liver, but I have a gut feeling that the real reason is twofold: one, so that we don't eat ourselves into oblivion (which I was doing before the pre-op diet), and two, so that the all-liquid diet afterwards doesn't feel like such a shock. I think this is boiling down to a doctor's preference. Not sure now why any of this is necessary . . . I feel like I'm starving!

Edited September 14, 201412 yr by Luana526

I'm not sure I made myself clear. I am NOT listening to anyone but my surgeon--I wouldn't even think of not following his instructions. I'm not tempted by anyone else's regimen . . . I was just wondering what other people's doctor's instructions were. The "Tom, d**k and Harry" have no affect on me. I'm just curious why some doctors make it sound so dire and others don't even ask their patients to follow anything. That's it.

My doc has different requirement of length based on patient. So as I stated, he knows your medical history, he knows what you need to do, how far etc.

Don't know about your doc but mine also ordered an abdominal ultrasound to see my pretty innards and gallbladder beforehand. Give him an idea.

I'm not sure I made myself clear. I am NOT listening to anyone but my surgeon--I wouldn't even think of not following his instructions. I'm not tempted by anyone else's regimen . . . I was just wondering what other people's doctor's instructions were. The "Tom, d**k and Harry" have no affect on me. I'm just curious why some doctors make it sound so dire and others don't even ask their patients to follow anything. That's it.

My doc has different requirement of length based on patient. So as I stated, he knows your medical history, he knows what you need to do, how far etc.

Don't know about your doc but mine also ordered an abdominal ultrasound to see my pretty innards and gallbladder beforehand. Give him an idea.

Will add only that I've seen from online posts that some WLS patients (most of them were quite large or suffered from something called "fatty liver disease") were required to be on a stringent liver-shrinking liquid diet for up to 4 weeks.

Just be glad you're not on one of THOSE pre-op diets.

And do see if you can find other ways to relax. People on these pre-op diets usually have only one or two rough days of headache, lack of energy, irritation. After a few days, most people just get used to it and plug ahead.

In any event, this part will be over soon.

@@Luana526 yes, it is online only. I would link you to it, but this site has an auto-linking feature that renders it impossible to link directly to the Unjury site. If you click on the word Unjury in any post it should link you directly to their website. Or just google Unjury chicken soup.

I think it's different for every patients needs. I want to say almost ALL doctors will for sure do a one day to two day all liquid diet before surgery. The two week all Liquid pre op diet maybe a requirement for those that are obese or with a higher weight as surgery carries more risks with obese. The main reason is the stomach is located kinda behind the liver and following an all liquid diet will get your liver to use up all it's glucose storage and shrink down and make it less slippery to handle as well. It's a tight space in there so the docs need all the help they can get. Just follow your doctors orders, there's a reason and it's not particular your jobs to question.

Not to mention, it's also good practice to get in a habit and routine. What do you think life will be like post op for two weeks? liquids, shakes and broths.

Neither of the surgeons at my hospital have anyone do a liquid diet - at all. Maybe there are individuals who have special circumstances - fatty liver or something - but the average bariatric patient who uses Northwestern Memorial in Chicago do no liquid diet. And I was over 300 lbs when I started the program. I ate normal food up until the night before my surgery. For everyone here who had to do one, there are lots of us all over the place who had no such mandate.

Sooo interesting . . . my friend in Las Vegas did not have to follow a special diet and my friend here on Long Island (whose starting weight was 420 pounds!) also did not have to follow it. However, two other friends near me DID have to follow it . . . each losing about 30 pounds pre-op. I'm just finding this all interesting. Someone mentioned an ultrasound of my gut--I did have one of those and my doctor said afterwards, "Good! Your liver is nice and small." I wasn't as hungry today. Had my breakfast protein drink, two apples, salad with protein, and I'm now drinking my second drink which, by the way, is only 100 calories. That's why I think I feel weak sometimes. Thank you, everyone, for responding! I think this forum is GREAT!

Just finished day one of pre op diet and I'm so tired. It wasn't as hard as I thought although I am now feeling a tad bit of headache trying to emerge. I hope tomorrow isn't bad either, but my stomach growls A LOT!!

well lets put it into a perspective you might get, how do you like working on raw chicken or raw liver? If it is coated with a slick coating of fat, it is difficult to handle. So with that being said, the diet that you are on will reduce the coating of the fat on your liver, the doctor has to move it to get to your stomach. It is healthier for you to lose that extra fat and it is easier for your surgeon.

WIth that being said, yeah I cheated on my preop diet but I did not go crazy and I stopped all of that within two weeks of my surgery cause I did not want to add any risks to my surgery or my life.

Thank you, but I'm not having a problem "getting" perspective. Just curious what other people's instructions were and why those instructions vary so much from doctor to doctor. I got all the "liver lowdown" on my first visit. I have an undergrad degree in clinical nutrition (yeah, I know, odd) so none of this is over my head.

I don't like the sweet Protein shakes either and only have the Soups - it will be different brands though as I'm in the UK. My hospital asks us to have broths, sugar-free Jello and low-fat/low-sugar yogurts pre-op but I've been using the soups because the yogurts are too sweet for me. I know that as long as I'm on a ketogenic diet my glycogen will be used up. The only sweet shake I use is vanilla but I drink that hot mixed with coffee for breakfast as I can't face Soup then.

My surgeon emphasised to me how important the liver-shrinking diet is - it's a tricky operation anyway and the last thing you want is to risk complications by having a liver that gets in the way - you'll be under longer too if they're finding it a bit of a struggle to access your stomach.

Thanks for the input! I'm enjoying reading everything . . .

My doctor does not require a liquid diet except for the day prior to the surgery. The patient coordinator told me that it's because the hospital I am having it done at has an exceptional bariatric center and their tools don't require a small liver. I'll admit that this thread has made me a little nervous though, so maybe I will do a 3 day liquid diet on my own before surgery!

Pre op sucked really bad. I had to keep in mind 2 things. It will make my surgery go batter because my liver will be smaller and easier to operate around. Second it keeps you bowels from being swollen or inflamed. My nurse was saying if they were inflamed there was a greater chance of a nick and infection. I am a teacher and I understand the extra layer of frustration.

Ahhhh, so now I'm getting the bigger picgture. Different doctors, different hospitals, different TOOLS. Interesting . . .

I'm now on day 7 of pre-op liquids. Six more to go. I am really not hungry because I have what I'm allowed at the first sign of hunger. I have to drink 4 Protein shakes per day. I don't mind them, but hate the aftertaste. I discovered that if I eat the sugar free Jello after the shake it takes away the aftertaste. Yesterday I had to go to my sleep doctor in Philly - 1 1/2 hours away and wanted to do some shopping on my way home. I took a cooler with everything I would normally eat during the time period I would be gone. It worked out fine. I love my broth and went to Trader Joe's and expanded the kinds of broth I have on my pantry shelf. Now have Miso Ginger, Mushroom and Veg to add to my chicken and beef. The up side is I have lost about one pound a day! That makes me happy. Maybe my doctor wants two weeks of liquids to shrink my liver AND to give my weight loss a boost going into the surgery. Maybe he's working on my head a little bit and teaching me that I CAN do this and helping me get used to eating less. I have to think he has a very good reason for everything I have had to do. He is an excellent surgeon at one of the finest teaching hospitals in the country. I believe he is having me do all this because he wants the best possible outcome for me. If I didn't believe he was the best doctor I would find, I wouldn't be going to him! No one said this was going to be easy but I believe the outcome will be well worth it.