My understanding is that the pre op diet should be low carb, low calorie ad high protein. Why not just let us eat real food that meets those requirements? I’m on day 14 of my 3 week semi liquid diet and I’m sick of shakes. I’d rather just eat some shrimp or other protein. Knowing that I’m going to have to do liquids after surgery why do them so much now when my stomach is regular size and real food doesn’t hurt.

Just wondering and struggling. I feel bad for those on total liquids before surgery. I guess starting before surgery should make it less rough after surgery to just do liquids for a while.

Liquid diets suck, no two ways about it. The pre-op diet is to shrink your liver so they can lift it and easily get to the stomach to do surgery - not to make you suffer needlessly. You can do this, you will survive it fine.

Try some bone broth or vegetable broth, or a clear protein drink. Sweet shakes do get tiresome.

I am about to start my three week liquid only diet. I have tried to ease myself into it the last few days. Eating the liquid diet most of the day, until NUT approved dinner. It's so hard to wrap my head around.

Liquid diets suck, no two ways about it. The pre-op diet is to shrink your liver so they can lift it and easily get to the stomach to do surgery - not to make you suffer needlessly. You can do this, you will survive it fine.
Try some bone broth or vegetable broth, or a clear protein drink. Sweet shakes do get tiresome.

I guess I’m trying to understand why an equally low carb low calorie meal can’t be used instead of liquids. Why are some pre op plans all liquid? I’d rather get my protein from real food.

@Sosewsue61 is right: The liquid diet is to shrink your liver. Don't discount the importance of this.

Second, consuming liquids before surgery gets you used to it. You're going to need to be used to it right after surgery.

The good news for you is that you're part of a community that has gone through the same thing! You are not alone. Good luck!

Thanks.

So what I was getting at or thinking is that the liquid is not a liver shrinking requirement it’s a “getting use to it” requirement.

Shrinking your liver requires low calorie and low carb. A non-wls diet to shrink a fatty liver is not a liquid diet. For those having wls making the liver diet a liquid diet is to prepare them for the liquid phase after surgery.

Before I decided on wls I was told I had a fatty liver. The suggested diet was not liquid. So I was wondering why liquid for wls.

@charismatic I questioned this too. Especially because a 2 week diet isn’t required for everyone. From what I can tell, most doctors basically want a high protein low carb Keto diet. Keto shrinks your liver so why force liquid only version with artificial products when I can also achieve the result with real food?

The only conclusion I came up with is that liquid only is a good blanket solution for everyone and has less a chance of people slipping up by eating too much, eating the wrong foods or having real food trigger a binge.

With that in mind, I mixed in a small amount of real food (eggs, grilled chicken, cottage cheese) the 1st week and have been all liquid the 2nd week.

NYC - thanks! This is what I figured too.

Only 3.5 days for me to go.