How Did You Get Through the Pre-Op Diet?

Getting weight loss surgery can be incredibly exciting. It may be something that you have been looking forward to for years, or it might be something that you just learned about recently but knew immediately that it was for you.

Preparation such as choosing and meeting your surgeon, scheduling your surgery, cleaning out your kitchen, and restocking it with the Protein foods you’ll need after surgery can be fun. Reality can hit, though, when you start your pre-op diet.

All of a sudden, you may be starving or craving the fatty or sugary foods that used to be part of your daily life. You may be missing out on good times with friends. You may be cranky and tired. On top of everything else, you may have a splitting headache from quitting caffeine!

So…what is the solution? What are you doing if you are in the pre-op diet now? What are your strategies for getting through it if it is still ahead of you? If you have gone through WLS, how did you make the pre-op diet easier on yourself? Please share your advice for making this time easier!

Pure grit and determination, and focusing on the fact that it had a time limit. I kept reminding myself that I made this decision because I knew I needed to make some major changes, long-lasting changes, and so I started feeling like the pre-op diet was a test of my will and dedication to the process. I started taking pride in not cheating, after a while...no matter how much my stomach rumbled and ached. And sure enough, after surgery, it wasn't a concern anymore. I couldn't even imagine putting anything in there for several days!

One thing that I did do that helped mentally though was, the week prior to the pre-op diet, I went ahead and had whatever meals I would miss. I must have had buffalo wings 4-5 times. And after a while, I think it made something click in my mind and realize that I was being dominated by food. Why did I feel the need to do that week or splurging...wasn't it an acknowledgement that it was food that was at the wheel, and not me? So it ended up being a helpful part of my "letting go" process, which then had to continue for the first 10 days or so after surgery. But I'm in a much better place now, and am embracing change.

Pure willpower. I stayed away from food. I drank my shakes in my room away from my family. I had my husband make all their meals so I didn't have to be around food. I stayed away from TV since more than half of the commercials involve food ads. Mainly I just stayed focused on the prize. Two straight weeks of shakes, SF Jello/popcicles and low sodium broth. Never cheated not even once. I'm still proud of that almost two years later.

Personally, I was too afraid to cheat on my PREOP because I wanted this so bad! And I didn't want them to cancel my RNY because I couldn't do 2 weeks of prep!! Afterwards, I did 4 weeks of Protein drinks and again I was too afraid to eat. It took me quite awhile to even eat what I was allowed. I didn't want to undo anything. Plus afterwards, I didn't have the hunger to deal with!! I also am a very determined person when I make up my mind to do something, so this was one of time being stubborn worked to my advantage!!

I'm doing a 10 day liquid diet now. It's not that bad. I just try to keep busy and redirect my mind. I'm telling myself to not stress out. I've lost 13 lbs and lost all of the swelling in my feet. My only concern is forgetfulness. I'm feeling a little dizty. Not sure if its the diet or a little stressed from the upcoming surgery. Oh ya a big help is to look at before and after photos of people when I'm hungry. Lol!

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it wasn't easy! After about 4 days I was really grumpy. I had to apologize to my husband and let him know I wasn't myself and he understood. he also began making all the meals for himself and the kids. I pretty much went into the other rooms when he was cooking and eating with the kids.

broth, especially in the evenings was a saving grace and perfect relief from the too-sweet tasting shakes.

Also- taking walks! I was amazed that I had the energy, and it felt really good. It was a great way to distract from the constant cravings for food. My dog benefited from the walks too .

And then, just kept reminding myself that there was an end. That is helpful!

I didn't do anything cold turkey. i started 3 weeks+ out doing things that would help me to not have a problem during that week.

I watched Fat Doctor UK all day on a loop. I went to bed at 9 PM.

I'm not on it yet, but when I am, I will be on it for 4 weeks. Right now I "practice" to reduce the negative effects and it's working. My doctor has me on a 1200 calorie diet in the meantime but some days I switch to an 800 calorie diet. Thankfully when I do make the switch it won't be a liquid diet. That will come a few days before surgery when he has me do a colon cleanse (like the one you do before a colonoscopy).

Pure willpower. I stayed away from food. I drank my shakes in my room away from my family. I had my husband make all their meals so I didn't have to be around food. I stayed away from TV since more than half of the commercials involve food ads. Mainly I just stayed focused on the prize. Two straight weeks of shakes, SF Jello/popcicles and low sodium broth. Never cheated not even once. I'm still proud of that almost two years later.

OMG! I know what you mean about the commercials. It's always my favorite fast food too - pizza! I'm like "Why, TV gods, why?!" Good tip about no TV while on the 800, btw.

I'm on day 7 of 14 and the only way I am surviving is routine. The same thing. The same time. Everyday. No exception.

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Hmm... First of all, it was by far the most difficult part of my journey so far. Some of the things I did was the following:

Adding flavor extracts to make shakes. My favorite was the banana extract (Frontier makes an awesome one).

Drinking all the shakes that my doctor asked me to drink, when I skipped, it made it a lot harder.

Drinking low-sodium broth once a day to offset the sweetness of the shakes.

Made popsicles out of my shakes, each popsicle was a different flavor so I wouldn't get tired of the flavor. (If you don't mind sugar-free things, there are sugar-free popsicles and Jell-O.)

Pure grit and determination, and focusing on the fact that it had a time limit. I kept reminding myself that I made this decision because I knew I needed to make some major changes, long-lasting changes, and so I started feeling like the pre-op diet was a test of my will and dedication to the process. I started taking pride in not cheating, after a while...no matter how much my stomach rumbled and ached. And sure enough, after surgery, it wasn't a concern anymore. I couldn't even imagine putting anything in there for several days!

One thing that I did do that helped mentally though was, the week prior to the pre-op diet, I went ahead and had whatever meals I would miss. I must have had buffalo wings 4-5 times. And after a while, I think it made something click in my mind and realize that I was being dominated by food. Why did I feel the need to do that week or splurging...wasn't it an acknowledgement that it was food that was at the wheel, and not me? So it ended up being a helpful part of my "letting go" process, which then had to continue for the first 10 days or so after surgery. But I'm in a much better place now, and am embracing change.

Thank you so much for this. Put so much in perspective for me. Going to get a date for surgery in the coming weeks and was wondering how I'm going to get through it. I appreciate this post.

Hi. I had a 21 day pre op diet. Protein shakes only - no food. I was supposed to go to 1200 calories but I never made it. Always ended up at 800. (Lost 19 pounds)

I actually spent a remarkable amount of time around food during those three weeks - including cooking for a block party, making an anniversary dinner for my husband and having my grown sons home for a few days (boy can they eat). On top of that I was cooking for my daughter everyday.

Oddly it didn't bother me that much - and when it did I would just remind myself that it was all in my head and this was going to be my new normal.

So much of my life revolves around food and celebrations so I figured the sooner I get used to it the better off I'll be.

I even went to a dinner party four days post op and just brought my broth with me.

I think the pre op diet is a great time to reflect on what you want out of surgery.

I wanted health and comfort - but not at the expense of the time I spend with my family. So for me it was important to work through my feelings and accept that I was going to be eating differently than them while we were together.

It's not always easy but it's worth it.

BTW. I heard a tip somewhere about dvr-ing your shows so you can skip the commercials.

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Worked the whole week.

Being down 12 pounds in the first 5 days is keeping me on track