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?

Don’t worry. Day 4 I had a small lapse also. I still lost 22 pounds in the fast phase irregardless. After the surgery I asked the surgeon if my once fatty liver was a suitable size for surgery, if I had done a good job on the pre-op, he just said! “It was perfect”. I had re-purposed after that event to not do it again though and I did not.

Different surgeons want you to follow different diets. Some all shakes, some advocate two shakes plus 1 reduced calorie meal, while others will want you on other diets. Mine had me on keto but put my friend on all liquids. Her BMI was a lot higher than mine & I wonder if that might influence the plan they want you to follow.

First week of the all shake diet is often called hell week. Your body struggles to get used to fewer calories, your head plays tricks making your cravings worse and you suffer withdrawals from sugar, carbs & caffeine. It will pass.

If you are going to cheat, you are going about it the right way - green veg, eggs or lean meats. The main issue for the "liver shrinking" thing that some docs need is low carbohydrate; I have never seen any real rationale for the liquids only diets (other than the day before to clear out the system) but some docs go overboard on it. Many docs don't bother with these diets at all as they know how to work around the fatty liver (if it is there at all) and find that their patients recover faster on the other side by simply eating healthy ahead of surgery (one doc I know specifically does not want his patients doing any of these fasting diets as he wants them as strong and healthy going into the procedure, and fasting for weeks ahead of time doesn't do it.

The best thing is to follow your programs recommendations as close as you can. There are also some surgeons out there who threaten to close you up and send you home if the liver is in good enough condition (and I have seen a couple actually follow through on that - definitely guys to avoid). so you want to make your surgeon as comfortable as possible when he is rootin' around on your insides.

Thanks! That’s what I keep telling myself I have cheated with two scrambled eggs and only one veggie soup. I would love a bite of grilled chicken so bad. I’m so weak 5 days in of my 2 week liquid diet. Lost 6.4 pounds in 5 days. So if I have a melt down and eat a piece of lean meat or soft veggie this weekend I think I will let my self slide as long as it’s carb and sugar free and I keep losing.

?? Sorry didn’t understand.

On 7/24/2020 at 11:34 AM, Edee Formell said:

Thanks! That’s what I keep telling myself I have cheated with two scrambled eggs and only one veggie Soup. I would love a bite of grilled chicken so bad. I’m so weak 5 days in of my 2 week liquid diet. Lost 6.4 pounds in 5 days. So if I have a melt down and eat a piece of lean meat or soft veggie this weekend I think I will let my self slide as long as it’s carb and sugar free and I keep losing.

I would stick with the program you were given. After time the liquid fast becomes easier to deal with, however, once you eat the hunger can become harder to manage once again. The last 9 days of my liquid diet were far easier than the first. Also, this is just the start of having to manage cravings, you will have to do that post-op and beyond also to be successful.

You need to do what your surgeon said to do. It doesn't matter what others here are doing. You don't even know if what others are saying is true, or whether their suggestions are still (or were ever) common practice.

Having your stomach be digestively calm is not only important during surgery on your stomach, but it's important while your stomach is healing after surgery.

4 minutes ago, ash1984 said:

You need to do what your surgeon said to do. It doesn't matter what others here are doing. You don't even know if what others are saying is true, or whether their suggestions are still (or were ever) common practice.

Having your stomach be digestively calm is not only important during surgery on your stomach, but it's important while your stomach is healing after surgery.

^^^^ YES!

15 hours ago, copado said:

I would stick with the program you were given. After time the liquid fast becomes easier to deal with, however, once you eat the hunger can become harder to manage once again. The last 9 days of my liquid diet were far easier than the first. Also, this is just the start of having to manage cravings, you will have to do that post-op and beyond also to be successful.

I agree. It got a lot easier by about day 4. If people continue to "cheat", they'll never get to that point. I also wonder about long-term commitment if people cheat this early on. Getting the weight off and keeping it off takes A LOT of work and commitment. For life.

I'm so torn...after 1 week of liquid diet (protein shakes and broth) my surgery was cancelled due to covid. Now, they are trying to work out an out patient option, and I didn't think to ask "Do I continue to try and do the liquid? Just do low carb? Eat whatever I want?" I'm going to email them tomorrow to find out what they recommend. In the meantime, I'm split between options 2 and 3 depending on my mood!

On 07/26/2020 at 08:07, kellym1220 said:

I'm so torn...after 1 week of liquid diet (protein shakes and broth) my surgery was cancelled due to covid. Now, they are trying to work out an out patient option, and I didn't think to ask "Do I continue to try and do the liquid? Just do low carb? Eat whatever I want?" I'm going to email them tomorrow to find out what they recommend. In the meantime, I'm split between options 2 and 3 depending on my mood!

If you think your surgery will be scheduled soon, it might make for an easy transition into the liquid diet (and into the first few weeks/months post op) to start by having 1 protein shake a day to replace a meal. This is what I did and it made my 3 week pre-op liquid diet (I was allowed 1-2 cups of certain veggies a day as well) much more manageable. And it helped me narrow down which protein drinks I liked and disliked. However, I will say that after surgery, a couple of the drinks started to taste much too sweet, so your tastes may change along the way.

I worked in surgery as a nurse for awhile and had more than a couple cases scrubbed because when they opened the patient, their liver was in the way!

That said, a lot of pre-op diets involve high protein, low carb food, so that you ate eggs of all things was good! Just get back on and keep in mind the diet is for your safety, and that the last thing you want is for them to cancel surgery!

Thankyou I’m doing the best I can, I had some eggs and mushy broccoli with grilled chicken when I lost my mind the other day but I got back on it and so far I have lost 10lbs in 7 days. Have one more week until surgery!

So now, I am scheduled for THIS Thursday, I told them I ate last weekend and they said, just be very strict until Thursday!! So nothing but protein shakes and water until surgery day!! So thankfully, only a three day all liquid diet (vs. two weeks the doctor's orders were!)

On 7/26/2020 at 10:07 AM, kellym1220 said:

I'm so torn...after 1 week of liquid diet (protein shakes and broth) my surgery was cancelled due to covid. Now, they are trying to work out an out patient option, and I didn't think to ask "Do I continue to try and do the liquid? Just do low carb? Eat whatever I want?" I'm going to email them tomorrow to find out what they recommend. In the meantime, I'm split between options 2 and 3 depending on my mood!

If you put 10 WL surgeons in a room..... i would venture to say.... All 10 would have something different they require of their patients. With the band (2009) i was required to the the 1 week of full liquids and 1 week of clear liquids.... the PO i had to do it in reverse... 1 week of clear (so two week total), 1 week full, 1 week puree, 1 week soft to regular. Sleeve (8/28/2019) I only had to do one week clear post op..... and then the same as above PO.

I would say do the diet your dr. gave too you. Some people choose to go start before the date give and i still don't know why. This was soooooo hard. But like everything...This to shall pass. It was hard.... but so worth it.