I have my surgery scheduled for the 28th and I'm supposed to be on a pre-op diet for 2 weeks (liquids only). I couldn't stick with it and cheated a little yesterday and more today. I have no will power. Should I reconsider? If I can't do it now, how am I supposed to be successful after surgery?

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My surgery is on the 27th. I was and am concerned too seeing as I cheated today myself. It's hard going from food to nothing but liquids. I did have more liquid today than yesterday so tomorrow I'm shooting for all liquids. You HAVE to be on point no less than 5 days before. You can do this. I can't even have Protein drinks on my diet. It's strictly broth,Water,and Jello

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Thanks. Best of luck to you and your surgery!

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For me, the pre-op diet was 100 times harder than anything post op. And I didn't have to do a full liquid diet. I had to do 3-4 Protein shakes a day with one "healthy meal". It was *SO* hard, I didn't think I'd get through the 2 weeks, seriously. Some people say if you can't get through the pre-op without cheating you shouldn't do the surgery. I'm not sure about that. Before the surgery, you have all that stomach tissue flooding your body with hunger hormones and all the things that have driven you to eat for all the years that have gotten you to the place you're at. After the surgery, that tissue is cut out, and those hormones are GONE. I know it doesn't happen this way for everyone, but for me and a lot of people, the hunger drive is just GONE after surgery. For 2 months after surgery I literally had to set a reminder on my phone to eat and drink. Now 4 months out I have days where I get hungry, but most days I still have to remember to eat. So I personally don't think struggling pre-op is an indicator that you can't do it post-op.

Now, that's not to say I advocate cheating. The evidence is unclear about the benefits of the pre-op diet. The surgeons that require one say that it reduces the size of the liver. The liver has to be lifted out of the way for the surgeon to be able to do the laparoscopic surgery. If your liver is too large, they either have to convert to an open surgery (HUGE incision in your belly, MUCH longer recovery, MUCH higher chance of complications) or they have to cancel it and try again after some radical diet changes to reduce the liver. So if those surgeons are right, cheating on the pre-op diet can increase the chances of complications and such with the surgery.

For me, my doc didn't see any evidence of enlarged liver, and said in her experience without evidence of an abnormal liver the pre-op diet just didn't make that much difference, so she didn't have as strict of one. But my medical case is not your medical case, and my doc isn't your doc. It's important to follow your doc's instructions. If you're struggling so hard you just can't, then call your doc's team and see what they advise. I've seen people's stories here that when they called and talked to their team about their struggles, the team said they could add salads or other specific foods that wouldn't compromise the pre-op diet but would help them get through. I think too often people struggle so hard with things the doc says and fail and are too afraid to call the team. That's what they're there for. You won't be the first person to struggle seriously with the pre-op diet. They should have some advice or options or tools to help you.

Good luck, and if nothing else, remember that this is a short period of time, just get through it as best you can, because it DOES GET BETTER.

Thanks

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I am scheduled for surgery on the 29th and I'm struggling bad with the liquid diet, I get sick if I don't eat in the am.... anyone else have this issue ? Help I'm afraid I'm gonna fail.

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Melafw, I had the same problem (surgery tomorrow). I couldn't stay on/stuck to just liquid diet... I ended up calling my doctor and he said I can replace my diet with a Protein bar (switch from 4 Protein drinks to 3), plus 1 salad.

Mainly they just wanted me to lose about 10 lbs. and get ready for post-op diet.

Call your doctor and discuss your concerns.

Bottom line is: "DO NOT CHEAT 2 says prior to surgery -

DO NOT CHEAT during post-op (you can end up in ER)." That's what my doctor tells me!

You can do this - best of luck!

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Thanks mei, I didn't cheat on my diet, I made it threw

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I am on day 1 of the liquid diet. Surgery is on the 30th. I am already starving

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Question guys ,the liquid diet is like fasting? Because if it is I can tell you do you can do it just when you feel hungry keep yourself busy I got my appointment for next Monday and I'm gonna start doing liquids just like a training!!! Be strong we can do it ????????and Best luck for all and your surgery!!

❣️Ivon❣️

I'm very nauseated from it so far. Idk if it's the Protein shakes or lack of food.

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How long does it take insurance to approval if you have medicaid and Medicare ?? That's all I'm waiting on now finished all my requirements

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My Medicaid denied me the first couple days after submitting. By the next week it was reversed. Good luck. I know it's a stressful time just waiting.

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Thanks lady how many months did they give you they gave me 3 months to complete everything

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It's hard that's for sure... I'm sitting here now ready to drop but I know it will get better in time. Hopefully after surgery I won't have a desire to eat my body should be used to it plus any other time I've been in the hospital I had no appetite, well while I was in pain. But if you cheated just try to do better the next day, I hope it all works out for you!

For me, the pre-op diet was 100 times harder than anything post op. And I didn't have to do a full liquid diet. I had to do 3-4 Protein shakes a day with one "healthy meal". It was *SO* hard, I didn't think I'd get through the 2 weeks, seriously. Some people say if you can't get through the pre-op without cheating you shouldn't do the surgery. I'm not sure about that. Before the surgery, you have all that stomach tissue flooding your body with hunger hormones and all the things that have driven you to eat for all the years that have gotten you to the place you're at. After the surgery, that tissue is cut out, and those hormones are GONE. I know it doesn't happen this way for everyone, but for me and a lot of people, the hunger drive is just GONE after surgery. For 2 months after surgery I literally had to set a reminder on my phone to eat and drink. Now 4 months out I have days where I get hungry, but most days I still have to remember to eat. So I personally don't think struggling pre-op is an indicator that you can't do it post-op.

Now, that's not to say I advocate cheating. The evidence is unclear about the benefits of the pre-op diet. The surgeons that require one say that it reduces the size of the liver. The liver has to be lifted out of the way for the surgeon to be able to do the laparoscopic surgery. If your liver is too large, they either have to convert to an open surgery (HUGE incision in your belly, MUCH longer recovery, MUCH higher chance of complications) or they have to cancel it and try again after some radical diet changes to reduce the liver. So if those surgeons are right, cheating on the pre-op diet can increase the chances of complications and such with the surgery.

For me, my doc didn't see any evidence of enlarged liver, and said in her experience without evidence of an abnormal liver the pre-op diet just didn't make that much difference, so she didn't have as strict of one. But my medical case is not your medical case, and my doc isn't your doc. It's important to follow your doc's instructions. If you're struggling so hard you just can't, then call your doc's team and see what they advise. I've seen people's stories here that when they called and talked to their team about their struggles, the team said they could add salads or other specific foods that wouldn't compromise the pre-op diet but would help them get through. I think too often people struggle so hard with things the doc says and fail and are too afraid to call the team. That's what they're there for. You won't be the first person to struggle seriously with the pre-op diet. They should have some advice or options or tools to help you.

Good luck, and if nothing else, remember that this is a short period of time, just get through it as best you can, because it DOES GET BETTER.

I agree with all of this.

The way I see it, the pre-op diet has 3 functions: to get you to practice making and consuming liquid sources of protein, to empty your stomach completely so you don't aspirate, and to shrink the liver.

I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to the pre-op diet, due to the holidays and also a vacation I had planned and paid for before scheduling my sleeve. So I started practicing early. I bought a bunch of different shakes and powders and protein waters about 5 weeks before surgery to see which ones were acceptable and which ones I hated. I went several days in a row with no solid foods and no alcohol, to make sure I could do it. I had also practiced weighing out 2 ounce portions of food and eating tiny bites the month before, so I feel like I've got that down.

I went back onto a sober/full liquids diet on Monday night, and when I wake up tomorrow I will just be on Clear Liquids. When I wake up on Thursday, I will have only Water and sugar-free popsicles until noon, and then check into the hospital and eat nothing else until after surgery. So I'm not worried about having any food in my stomach at the time of surgery.

And I asked my surgeon about the liver thing. She says there is really no way to tell whose liver will be extra fatty and who will have a nice pliable live that is easy to move out of the way.

And, of you think about it, there are people who get this surgery who weigh 300, 400, 500 pounds and even more. Even if those people really do an amazing job on their pre-op diet and lose 50 or 100 pounds, it isn't going to magically shrink their liver smaller than mine. I weigh in the low 200s and my doctor also told me she wanted me to lose 10 pounds, but it hasn't really happened. I weigh maybe 1 or 2 pounds less than I did at my first consult, and I'm fine with that. I just want to get the surgery done with and get those damn hunger hormones out of my body so that I can do the post-op diet progression correctly. That's where you can really get yourself in trouble, eating things you shouldn't while you're healing.

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