Tomorrow is the start of my liver shrinking diet. Somewhere I keep hearing this voice in the back of my head saying, "Go for it today, it's your last chance!" Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do about it? In my mind I've already planned out the menus and everything. Any last suggestions?

LipstickLady: You are so beautiful, what an inspiration for those of us still trying to reach our

goal. I can't wait to say "I did it".

LipstickLady: I totally get where you're coming from. I've been "dieting" for at least the past 8 weeks and have lost 15 pounds. I haven't done the whole liver shrinking diet, but I've practicing how I will have to eat in the future. Eating with a smaller plate and a baby spoon, chewing everything fully, taking more than 30 seconds between bites, things life that. (An added benefit is that my shirts are cleaner.

It's just that I'm hitting the wall now and I wanted to taste some of those things that I won't be able to have for the next 3-4 months or more. So far I've avoided doing so today but I really want a Philly cheese Steak before I go out in flames.

Last night I went to two separate Walgreen's to buy them out of their Boost Glucose Control, (I could have made it in one trip but I really don't like chocolate and they didn't have enough very vanilla or strawberry to last me through the next 2 weeks. So now I'm all set!!! I have all of my dinners, lunches and breakfasts to last me through the pre-op diet phase.

What I need to do next is order my high Protein bullions so that I'm ready for my post-op liquid diet phase. I'll be getting this through Bariatric Choice.

But to be honest, just being able to read these posts and write a little, help take the time away rom eating. So I guess I'll be doing more of that over the upcoming months. Thanks for being here.

LipstickLady: You are so beautiful, what an inspiration for those of us still trying to reach our

goal. I can't wait to say "I did it".

Awwww....thank you. You will totally get there.

@@donald0717

One of my favorite dinners now is steak and cheese! I buy really thinly sliced rare roast beef and chop it, caramelize some onions, throw in the beef and then top with whole milk mozzarella and provolone. I eat it without bread because bread makes me gag, but when I really want the sandwich, I roll it in a low carb tortilla. It's delicious.

They taste even better because my pants don't feel too tight and I'm not bloated the next day.

I'm on day 5 of my 14 day pre op liquid diet and I'm craving wings in the worst way, ugh!!!

I'm on day 5 of my 14 day pre op liquid diet and I'm craving wings in the worst way, ugh!!!

Deal with it.

You WILL have wings again.

(Said with empathy.)

I'm on Day 4 and last night I had some lightly salted cashews (the whole bag) 3 servings. I did so well through out the day and it I was desperately wanting something salty and crunchy I should have chose something better. After reading this I feel scared straight. I convinced myself that I was picking a healthy choice but The 14th is my pre admission with hospital and Dr. I have a higher bmi and I'm so stressed. Today is a new day and I'm sipping my water and sticking to the plan.

Today is day 7 of my pre op and I'm not feeling myself. Feel light headed like I'm gonna faint and major headache. I cannot take any meds. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Today is day 7 of my pre op and I'm not feeling myself. Feel light headed like I'm gonna faint and major headache. I cannot take any meds. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I felt light-headed and headachy for the entirety of my pre-op diet. Ridiculous calorie restriction and ketosis will do that to you.

I'm doing the food funerals. But wasn't given a preop liquid diet. I'm not gorging, but I am enjoying a few things I won't have post op. I'm going to stick to the diet strictly. Today I had a hamburger.

Today is day 7 of my pre op and I'm not feeling myself. Feel light headed like I'm gonna faint and major headache. I cannot take any meds. Is anyone else experiencing this?

You should call your dr-if they are removing meds cold turkey & you feel faint.. I was taken off only metformin & birth control (and still on a bunch of others) when I did the diet. My blood sugar was great-if you have diabetes, watch your numbers too.

Thank you, I'm feeling a lot better today.

@bluegrass: That is such a scary story! I wish all surgeons would share that story!

Funny thing is...I never had the food funerals. I almost wish I had. My head hunger keeps saying "If only I had _______ one more time before my surgery." Somehow I lost the memo that "Hey! You are never going to eat these things again!" And, there are certainly things I do miss. I miss carbonation. Of course, I am "early out." Maybe I will forget how they taste???

Having fouled up with the band, I was determined that I wasn't going to make the same mistakes with the sleeve. I considered the pre op part of my habit forming process so I was pretty careful to stick to the plan. I started 3 weeks before I needed to - one high Protein meal per day and the rest liquid, then onto full liquid at 2 weeks before surgery.

That said, my 50th birthday was in the middle of the 2 week liquid pre op and we went out to Celebrate. However, we went to a place where I could eat healthy and not feel guilty, which I believe is probably more damaging than the actual food. Yes, I ate food, but I also chose wisely and didn't overdo. The next day I was back on the wagon and at surgery my dr said my liver was nice and small (which was NOT the case with my band surgery). So, I really didn't have any food funerals and I didn't feel like I needed to. I guess I had read enough on this site that I knew I'd be able to have things I like down the road.

Which brings me to post surgery, which has been better than I'd hoped even. Maybe because I do feel more freedom (now into my 4th month) because one can only eat so much, and maybe the habits I'd been working on took hold, and maybe because my food cravings have really changed, I don't feel deprived at all and I don't regret not getting in one last this or that. I NEVER ever expect to have a "normal" relationship with food, but I think I'm on my way, and honest to God, I think the biggest hurdle and most positive change has been letting go of the guilt.

So, what am I saying. I'm saying, do what you need to do but whatever you do, do it deliberately, own it, embrace it and don't feel guilt. If you do feel guilt, perhaps you do need to do something different.