Having the sleeve surgery next Monday. I can't seem to follow the pre-op diet. I am starving. I feel like a failure already. Help!

I put myself on pre-op diet to test my 'will power' 6 days ago. Its ruff, believe me I understand! But I just keep saying to myself... "mind over matter". You're likely fighting a food addiction as am I. Are you going to let it win? Ask yourself, how bad do I really want this? You can do this!!! Dont give up on yourself... Get back in there and fight for your life!!!!

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It IS DIFFICULT but after a few days, no cheats, tge hunger pangs dissipate until you pass someone with your favorite food aroma flying all in your face!!

And remember after surgery, the hunger hormone and most if your tummy is gone so you feel very different then now

No failure

I have to admit for me, I was hungry quite often but now on purees on a schedule with some mild carbs, I'm stuffed in a moment! Just about three weeks out for me

Drink Water when you feel the need to eat, it helps along with allotted popsicles etc

It IS DIFFICULT but after a few days, no cheats, tge hunger pangs dissipate until you pass someone with your favorite food aroma flying all in your face!!

And remember after surgery, the hunger hormone and most if your tummy is gone so you feel very different then now

No failure

I have to admit for me, I was hungry quite often but now on purees on a schedule with some mild carbs, I'm stuffed in a moment! Just about three weeks out for me

Drink Water when you feel the need to eat, it helps along with allotted popsicles etc

I'm on purees as well. What are you eating??

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It IS DIFFICULT but after a few days, no cheats, tge hunger pangs dissipate until you pass someone with your favorite food aroma flying all in your face!!

And remember after surgery, the hunger hormone and most if your tummy is gone so you feel very different then now

No failure

I have to admit for me, I was hungry quite often but now on purees on a schedule with some mild carbs, I'm stuffed in a moment! Just about three weeks out for me

Drink Water when you feel the need to eat, it helps along with allotted popsicles etc

I'm on purees as well. What are you eating??

Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Protein powder in nonfat milk for Breakfast or scrambled egg, tuna pouch with one wasa cracker, turkey meatballs in chicken broth and chard and a few saltines, yogurt, cottage cheese non fat or lie fat by Lucerne with apple sauce, mmmm butter Beans, refried beans or pinto beans with salsa, hummus and Melba toast or wasa,

Basically that's what I choose from..I chew tge crackers to pulp and my NUT said it was fine bc I was hungry all if the time before and now I'm not. I eat five mini meals every 2.5-3hours as they told me. Not sure it's working yet...

I use fage yogurt with stevia drops and true line or lemon for flavoring it I buy yogurts from trader Joes non fat Greek.

Still on popsicles!!

Did your explain the reason for this diet?

I only had 5 days between my pre op appointment and surgery. I had a great deal of post op pain due to all the extra organ manipulation.

Don't worry, even though you will be eating even less food, ou won't be as hungry after the surgery.

Oh, friend, I know what you're going through. My bariatric center requires a 14 day liquid diet before surgery. I'm on Day 12. You're right, it is not fun, but it is doable. The thing is, if you are getting enough Protein, it's probably not your body that's hungry--it's your brain. If you drink some protein every three hours or so, you shouldn't feel like you're starving. Every single day for the past 12 days, I've woken up and thought, "Today I will drink only protein shakes", and then follow through. I don't think about yesterday, or tomorrow, or the things I want and can't have, just about today and what I'm doing. Stay busy, drink them every 3 hours, and ignore the world.

There have been bad spots. I had massive headaches the first day or two because I was going through caffeine and sugar withdrawal. Took some Advil and powered through. Once I hit Days 3 & 4, I thought, "Okay, I can do this." By Day 10, I never wanted to see another Protein shake again, lol. The good news is, I don't have cravings any more, I don't have energy spikes and drops throughout the day, and I'm sleeping like a baby at night.

But the diet is important because it's shrinking your liver, which has to be lifted to get to your stomach (and that I'm sure you already know!) What has motivated me to maintain a perfect diet, though, is the knowledge that my doctor will make the first incision to determine the state of my liver, and if it's still too fatty (revealing my failure to follow instructions) then they will close up, and try it again another time after I've lost more weight. That terrifies me. I'm so afraid of waking up from anesthesia only to find nothing happened. I do NOT want to have to do this liquid nightmare again. So that is darn well keeping me in line.

I can't say that every doctor operates like that (literally!), but you may need to find out the consequences of not following the diet to help motivate you. And take it one day at a time. Today, drink the shakes. Tomorrow, drink the shakes. And if I may offer a gentle prod from a new friend in the same boat as you, if we can't even succeed in doing the pre-op work, then what hope have we of succeeding with the post-op lifestyle changes? food addiction has long, sharp, delicious little tentacles, and it can be a beast to fight your way out of them. But you can do it! Don't be scared! You're not alone! *thumbs up*

Belinda. Thank you! On day six of liquid pre op. I cheated and ate spinach today. Felt so quilts afterwards. After reading your post though and the way you explained it I will not have anything not on my list. You said it well! Thank you.

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Sorry. Darn auto text. I meant Beain

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I am on day 7 of a 14 day liquid diet. 2 days ago I was crying, suffering from a head ache and over all miserable. I am quite sure like others have said I am dealing with food addiction and caffeine withdrawals. I can say I haven't caved yet but it is hella hard. Something that helped me today was a massive organization of my closet. It kept me busy and got me excited about wearing clothes I cannot fit right now. I organized into plastic bins by size so that after my surgery I can just ask hubby to pull down that container. It will be like Christmas! Tomorrow I plan on organizing some cabinets in my kitchen! I may be starving but my house is going to look great!

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I felt so much worse on the pre-op diet than I have in the almost 3 weeks post op! If you can make it through pre-op you can make it through anything

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Edited November 14, 20169 yr by RNMomof4

The pre-op diet was by far the worst part of the process for me. I count myself lucky that my pre-op diet instructions were more flexible than others (2-3 shakes a day, with a low-fat meal and a fruit or veggie snack as needed) but it was still really hard with cravings and headaches and fatigue.

Good luck! You can and will get through it!

Did your explain the reason for this diet?

I only had 5 days between my pre op appointment and surgery. I had a great deal of post op pain due to all the extra organ manipulation.

Don't worry, even though you will be eating even less food, ou won't be as hungry after the surgery.

I only had a 3 day pre-op diet and my surgeon said I had a the smallest liver he has ever seen. He did one less incision because he didn't have to use the liver lifter thing. Most obese people do have an enlarged liver but you never know, so glad I didn't have to suffer through a long pre-op diet for no reason!

Hope you feel better soon!

Edited November 15, 20169 yr by laceemouse

Thanks for the feedback. Family is not supporting me. They think I should be able to do this myself. Down to 214 and I cheated! Yes I couldn't live on fluids. My surgery is Monday 11/21/16, and I'm so close to cancelling. I'm so stressed out. Family says I'm going to be miserable, crap myself, be angry, lose my hair ( I love my hair). They are being mean and won't support me, they think I can do it on my own. Struggled for the last ten years and nothing helps with the weight loss. Thx for letting me vent.

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I've been working on the preoperative diet since Monday morning it's difficult but drinking Protein shakes help

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Belinda. Thank you! On day six of liquid pre op. I cheated and ate spinach today. Felt so quilts afterwards. After reading your post though and the way you explained it I will not have anything not on my list. You said it well! Thank you.

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Sorry. Darn auto text. I meant Beain

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I put a piece of meat in my mouth yesterday and my wife walked in just as I did it. I spit it out felt guilty. I understandcompletely

It IS DIFFICULT but after a few days, no cheats, tge hunger pangs dissipate until you pass someone with your favorite food aroma flying all in your face!!

And remember after surgery, the hunger hormone and most if your tummy is gone so you feel very different then now

No failure

I have to admit for me, I was hungry quite often but now on purees on a schedule with some mild carbs, I'm stuffed in a moment! Just about three weeks out for me

Drink Water when you feel the need to eat, it helps along with allotted popsicles etc

I'm on purees as well. What are you eating??

Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Protein powder in nonfat milk for Breakfast or scrambled egg, tuna pouch with one wasa cracker, turkey meatballs in chicken broth and chard and a few saltines, yogurt, cottage cheese non fat or lie fat by Lucerne with apple sauce, mmmm butter Beans, refried beans or pinto beans with salsa, hummus and Melba toast or wasa,

Basically that's what I choose from..I chew tge crackers to pulp and my NUT said it was fine bc I was hungry all if the time before and now I'm not. I eat five mini meals every 2.5-3hours as they told me. Not sure it's working yet...

I use fage yogurt with stevia drops and true line or lemon for flavoring it I buy yogurts from trader Joes non fat Greek.

Still on popsicles!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using the BariatricPal App

When I did my pre op diet of seven days. It was soo hard especially with my mom eating around me and finding out I'm allergic to sugar free stuff

I did cheat with a little yogurt and a bite here and there and felt emotionally weak but it happens...you have a full sized stomach, gherkin hormones and more ...

Pick up the pieces and start over! Interestingly, I was so sick from vomiting and diarrhea, my surgeon allowed me Protein powder with forbidden skim milk and celery and carrots finely chopped I in my broth so it's not like all or nothing

Not saying cheating is okay but also saying calling yourself a failure isn't useful or helpful and this is not likely a prediction of how things will be post op bc you will physically feel totally different and not likely hungry