I'm feeling terribly depressed because I have been on all liquid diet for 4 days of my 2 weeks and the hunger is terrible. I broke down and had 2 scrambled eggs today and I'm so worried about it. Don't know what to do. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has done this and still got surgery?

A lot of people have different diets, some even allow lean protein and food each day. It's more about your health, eating low carb/fat to shrink your liver and make it more pliable to move around during surgery, and getting into good habits. I think restricting food for a full month for me (2 weeks before and 2 after) actually caused me to want to eat more when I finally started pureed foods. Also, eating when you're on liquids can cause you to restart that cycle to get your body out of the "I'm starving!" phase. Days 3-5 were the worst, but after that, I really wasn't more than mildly annoying during meal and snacky times.

You can do it! Try and remind yourself of "your why" you are having this surgery in the first place. Hold onto that. And, for the love of all that is holy, don't watch commercials!

I'm sure you're not the only one. I personally didn't cheat because I really want this to be perminate. I don't think two eggs on day 4 or 5 is the end of the world, but remember the two week pre-op. is to shrink your liver to give them more room to work inside. I'd get back on the horse for the final week +. I've seen on here some doctor's don't even required the pre op. but I'd follow your doctor's orders.

Yeah I see a lot of people say they only had to do a few days before and my doc nutritionists is scary the daylights out if us saying if we have anything at all then there will be stomach residue which makes me think then how do other people only do a few days. Doesn't make sense to me. I Have lost 5 pounds in 4 days. But I have reactive hypoglycemia and the nausea and headaches are killing me.

4 minutes ago, Edee Formell said:

Yeah I see a lot of people say they only had to do a few days before and my doc nutritionists is scary the daylights out if us saying if we have anything at all then there will be stomach residue which makes me think then how do other people only do a few days. Doesn't make sense to me. I Have lost 5 pounds in 4 days. But I have reactive hypoglycemia and the nausea and headaches are killing me.

the headaches are common during this. They can also be due to carb withdrawal.

1 hour ago, Edee Formell said:

I'm feeling terribly depressed because I have been on all liquid diet for 4 days of my 2 weeks and the hunger is terrible. I broke down and had 2 scrambled eggs today and I'm so worried about it. Don't know what to do. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has done this and still got surgery?

the reason they want you to do liquids is to clear your liver so they have room to work. You want everything to go well right? Try a little harder. You will be fine. My surgeon does not do liquid diets and I found out she has the surgery years ago. Hang in there

Edited July 23, 20206 yr by INEEDABUDDY

So why does your doc not do the liquid diet?

no this program does not require full liquids

Yes I'm asking if you know why your doc chooses to not do the liquid diet, are you having or had the sleeve?

I had to do a 7 day pre op diet but for some stupid reason I decided to do mine a week early, if not for the sugar free jello pudding I was allowed to have I don't think I would have made it. I mostly just drowned myself in water when I felt hungry and if I felt really really hungry I went for the protein powder. I was also allowed to have 40oz of plain greek yogurt everyday and since I hate plain greek yogurt I added my favorite liquid crystal light to it and it was amazing.

My diet just has me fasting the day before and that's it. I wouldn't sweat it too much, but stick to what he's said from here on out, obvs. You'll be okay!

That gives me hope because when I feel like cheating it's nothing bad I actually just want vegetables so bad but can't even have those thru his program. Just curious as to if anyone has heard about this residue issue left in stomach?

Yeah I feel like I can get thru the final week fine of liquids it's just this 1st week is never ending and I had the thought if I was gonna cheat it was either gonna be lean protein or veggies and only the first week just to get me thru the hunger pains.

Well my program was 20 ounces of skim milk or milk replacement 3x a day, 1 cup of broth, and water with low-cal or sugar-free flavorings a day for 2 weeks. It was brutal but I managed. Creating a habit of broth as dinner when the family was eating, freezing some of the flavored water as a popsicle to have something to 'chew', etc... helped me get through it. Cutting fat, carbs, sugar to help the liver, losing overall weight to make surgery safer, and breaking bad habits seem to be the biggest motivations for the pre-surgery diet.

I do know a lot of other people have surgery within 12 to 24 hours of eating and have an "empty" stomach (to avoid risk of aspiration) so that isn't the big risk.

The preop diets (or lack thereof) appear to be all over the map.

My Dr. explained that the point of my 2-week preop diet was shrinking the liver, not weight loss, so it was no fats and low to no carbs. As such, I was allowed unlimited steamed or raw non-starchy vegetables (no corn, peas, or lima beans). So my go-to was steamable packages of frozen vegetables, either cauliflower or broccoli + cauliflower, with salt, garlic, and pepper for flavor.

The day before surgery was clear liquids only.

If you cheat, just get back on the horse and don't beat yourself up over it... we're all human.

Yeah I thought it would be okay for the steamed vegetables because I love them but then the nutritionist is like no absolutely nothing so I feel like they don’t really understand the reactive hypoglycemia and the terrible nausea.