Hi Gang. I'm trying to decide between two surgeons. Each have pros and cons. One requires me to do 1 week pre-op liquid. The other said no need. I'm trying to decide whether this is a pro or a con. If you DIDN'T do a liquid diet can you describe your pre-op diet for me? Really appreciate it!

Don't know current weight, but I consider any loss of weight before the surgery a bonus, a pre-op liquid diet may boost that. If you do have a particular enlarged liver it wouldn't hurt to attempt to shrink but I am not sure if a one week liquid diet would do all that much, a lot require a two week liquid diet.

Another way to look at the liquid diet is an opportunity to start getting into post op mode.....practicing as it were.

I didn't have a pre-op diet. I ate normally up until the day before.

I didn’t have a liquid pre-op diet due to following an extremely healthful and nutritious plant-based whole foods diet (meaning fresh veg, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, tofu, tempeh, and no processed foods or animal foods whatsoever) for a number of years prior to surgery. In the 6 months prior to surgery, I cut back to 900-1000 kcal/day (under the care of the clinic dietician) and lost 52lbs before surgery. If I hadn’t been eating this healthfully, I would have opted for the liquid diet since it offers a number of benefits: 1) decreased liver size, 2) weight loss, 3) improved blood sugar, 4) a clean stomach and intestinal tract decreases chances of surgical complications, 5) physical and psychological adaptation: if you are eating processed foods, unhealthy carbs, sweets, sodas, junk food, etc. then you are feeding an addiction, but your brain will stop craving these foodstuffs within several days of eliminating them from your diet so that you can focus entirely on meeting your post-surgical water and protein needs instead of on struggling with withdrawal 6) after surgery you will continue the liquid diet for 2-6 weeks (depending on your program), and being adjusted to the liquid diet before surgery will teach you how to eat after surgery, and 7) ca. 25%-30% of bariatric patients regain some or all of the weight, and getting the earliest possible start on self-control around food and eating is a strength in terms of the mental awareness required to make a commitment to a permanent lifestyle change and lifelong weight maintenance.

Dietician had me on keto for a couple of weeks before surgery. My surgeon puts all his patients on a pre-surgery diet to reduce fat around the liver & give him a clearer line of sight during surgery. He put my friend, with a much higher starting BMI than me, on a protein shake diet pre surgery. Maybe too lose a little more pre surgery???

All I had to do was fast on the day of surgery, no pre op diet. I've had excellent results and reached my surgeons goal weight within 6 months.

My opinion is this - I needed the surgery to stick to the post op liquid diet. Which post surgery was a breeze. Pre surgery, I would have struggled and probably failed. There is a reason I needed 80% of my stomach removed to lose weight.

All I had to do was fast on the day of surgery, no pre op diet. I've had excellent results and reached my surgeons goal weight within 6 months.

My opinion is this - I needed the surgery to stick to the post op liquid diet. Which post surgery was a breeze. Pre surgery, I would have struggled and probably failed. There is a reason I needed 80% of my stomach removed to lose weight.

All I had to do was fast on the day of surgery, no pre op diet. I've had excellent results and reached my surgeons goal weight within 6 months.

My opinion is this - I needed the surgery to stick to the post op liquid diet. Which post surgery was a breeze. Pre surgery, I would have struggled and probably failed. There is a reason I needed 80% of my stomach removed to lose weight.

All I had to do was fast on the day of surgery, no pre op diet. I've had excellent results and reached my surgeons goal weight within 6 months.

My opinion is this - I needed the surgery to stick to the post op liquid diet. Which post surgery was a breeze. Pre surgery, I would have struggled and probably failed. There is a reason I needed 80% of my stomach removed to lose weight.

Wow, not sure why that posted four times!

Mine was a combo. 3 protein shakes plus a lean cuisine for dinner. I lost 12lbs doing this, which was a nice jump start! Also got me trying the various protein shakes so I could figure out which were my favorites!

My surgeon had me lose weight before he would book the surgery. He also said he may have me do a liquid diet and he'd let me know at my pre-op appointment. Since I lost above and beyond what he wanted, he did not make me do the liquid diet. He just cautioned me that if I gained the surgery could be cancelled.

The way I lost pre-surgery was to start eating mostly the way I would after - protein first, then veggies. No sweets or alcohol. It was 5 months from first appointment to surgery (I was "at" goal weight at 3 months and just had to get on the schedule and keep the weigth off).

My doctor prefers a liquid diet 1 week before surgery, but he said I didn't have to really be super strict since I'm at a lower BMI and don't drink much, and no hard liquor, no sugar. I myself decided to do a liquid diet 48 hours before the surgery. Went fine.

My BMI pre-surgery was 35. I did low carb for 2 weeks, then 2 days of full liquids. I lost 4 lbs.

My surgery was self-pay in Mexico.

I was required to do a clear liquid diet 2 days before surgery. I think longer would have prepared me better for the diet afterwards. I had sugar free jello and broth.

They usually ask to do liquid because you're meant to be on liquid immediately after surgery anyway...

Personally I decided to stay my pre-op rather early I was lucky to find a protein shake I actually enjoyed and it kept me going for months..

After I had my bypass I literally has no desire to eat real food for months and I'm glad because I'm now below my goal weight and feeling amazing...

Most surgeons will say it is best to change your eating habits prior to surgery otherwise the surgery won't work...