Hi everyone!

I have my surgery date scheduled for the 16th of March 2024. Due to a high BMI of 61 I have to do 4 weeks of the liver shrinkage diet. I started on Friday the 16th and I'm really struggling. I'm on total meal replacement shakes x 3 daily with just sugar free squash and water to drink alongside these. My total intake per day is 800 calories or less.

How did you guys do it? I know I HAVE to do it, but it's so hard. I cry daily because I'm hungry and I want food. My stomach constantly growls, my stomach hurts and the shakes never feel like they satisfy any of that hunger. My partner is so supportive, he eats away from me and hides food so I don't feel any further distress and jealousy. I know why I'm doing this but I don't know how I'm expected to do this for a whole 4 weeks.

Any advice or support is welcome. If anyone is doing the same atm for their March surgery please let me know, maybe we can buddy up!

Thank you all ❤️

xKirstenx

Edited February 18, 20242 yr by xKirstenx

4 weeks?? I honestly haven't heard of that. When I started, my bmi was higher than yours and I had to do 2 weeks. I feel like 4 weeks is a bit excessive. Did you ask why you have to have no food for a month? I know every surgeon's office is different, but that really seems excessive to me. What does the dietician say?

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....?

6 minutes ago, KathyLev said:

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....?

Hahaha! Nothing wrong with being a bit of a silly goose! Proper made me giggle

8 minutes ago, KathyLev said:

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....?

Literally, same!!! I clicked so fast..... lol

18 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

4 weeks?? I honestly haven't heard of that. When I started, my bmi was higher than yours and I had to do 2 weeks. I feel like 4 weeks is a bit excessive. Did you ask why you have to have no food for a month? I know every surgeon's office is different, but that really seems excessive to me. What does the dietician say?

I should add that I'm in England, UK and I think the guidelines differ from the USA ones.
I think in the UK there are brackets for each BMI and 60+ is 4 weeks. The others include 3 weeks, 2 weeks, and 1 week depending on which BMI bracket you fall into.

They stated it's because the higher your BMI the more fatty your liver and harder to move during surgery (especially with a keyhole) and thus could cause the surgeon to abandon and I still get charged. I suppose it ensures that the chance of that happening is minimal as long as I stick to it. I do feel like it's harsh though. I feel like I could have gotten away with 2 weeks since I eat fairly well with my partner anyway.

1 minute ago, xKirstenx said:

I should add that I'm in England, UK and I think the guidelines differ from the USA ones.
I think in the UK there are brackets for each BMI and 60+ is 4 weeks. The others include 3 weeks, 2 weeks, and 1 week depending on which BMI bracket you fall into.

They stated it's because the higher your BMI the more fatty your liver and harder to move during surgery (especially with a keyhole) and thus could cause the surgeon to abandon and I still get charged. I suppose it ensures that the chance of that happening is minimal as long as I stick to it. I do feel like it's harsh though. I feel like I could have gotten away with 2 weeks since I eat fairly well with my partner anyway.

WOW. No offense, but I'm glad I'm not in the UK. There's absolutely no way I could do 4 weeks. 2 weeks pushed me to my very limits. By the time I couldn't do it anymore and was ready to just give up, it was the day before surgery! I give you all the credit in the world. Just hearing 4 weeks would have absolutely put me off from the surgery. The fact that you're doing it is extremely admirable and impressive. We'll all definitely be here to support you and cheer you on. If you can do 4 weeks of this, you can definitely stick to the bariatric diet after.

8 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

Literally, same!!! I clicked so fast..... lol

You're all just sat here thinking I have an LSD addiction ;-; ?

1 minute ago, xKirstenx said:

You're all just sat here thinking I have an LSD addiction ;-; ?

I mean, you titled the post that way lol What else does LSD mean? I was over here thinking "this isn't the forum for that...how do we even help her? I better click on it and see if there's anything I can say, but I doubt it..." I'm having this internal debate with myself and you're over there talking about a 4 week pre-op diet LOL

1 minute ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

WOW. No offense, but I'm glad I'm not in the UK. There's absolutely no way I could do 4 weeks. 2 weeks pushed me to my very limits. By the time I couldn't do it anymore and was ready to just give up, it was the day before surgery! I give you all the credit in the world. Just hearing 4 weeks would have absolutely put me off from the surgery. The fact that you're doing it is extremely admirable and impressive. We'll all definitely be here to support you and cheer you on. If you can do 4 weeks of this, you can definitely stick to the bariatric diet after.

No that's fair to say! What kept you going on the day before surgery? When you felt you couldn't do it anymore?

Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot. I have no one around me who understands and my partner is a fit, tall man who eats for England (literally 2 mains and 3 desserts style) and is a long-distance runner, so he will never understand. Really helps just knowing someone gets it, even if you're thousands of miles across the world!

2 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

I mean, you titled the post that way lol What else does LSD mean? I was over here thinking "this isn't the forum for that...how do we even help her? I better click on it and see if there's anything I can say, but I doubt it..." I'm having this internal debate with myself and you're over there talking about a 4 week pre-op diet LOL

That's so funny hahaha! We call it the Liver Shrinkage Diet in the UK, it's not known as anything else. So here's me writing shorthand thinking everyone will understand, but apparently not ?

Just now, xKirstenx said:

No that's fair to say! What kept you going on the day before surgery? When you felt you couldn't do it anymore?

Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot. I have no one around me who understands and my partner is a fit, tall man who eats for England (literally 2 mains and 3 Desserts style) and is a long-distance runner, so he will never understand. Really helps just knowing someone gets it, even if you're thousands of miles across the world!

Honestly? That it was the day before surgery. If it was 3 or 4 days out, I might have given in. Just being honest. When you have a large stomach and have a really high bmi, going to all liquids and shakes and having calories super low isn't a realistic long term situation. The hunger was on another level. I kept reminding myself that I needed to do this for my kids, my granddaughter, and ultimately myself. I was tired of all the pills I had to take, tired of all the health issues and mobility problems and joint pain. For the most part, that worked. When I stopped caring about that stuff, I started forcing myself to look at my body in the mirror and really see what I looked like. I reminded myself that the surgery would help me not be fat like I was, not look like a butterball turkey, not look like my face and neck were gonna pop. By the time THAT quit working, it was the day before surgery and I knew that I was about to be on the other side of this. Seeing that I was losing weight before the surgery because of the diet really helped, too....

In case you're wondering if it's worth the struggle..... My before and after pics, so far....

3 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

Honestly? That it was the day before surgery. If it was 3 or 4 days out, I might have given in. Just being honest. When you have a large stomach and have a really high bmi, going to all liquids and shakes and having calories super low isn't a realistic long term situation. The hunger was on another level. I kept reminding myself that I needed to do this for my kids, my granddaughter, and ultimately myself. I was tired of all the pills I had to take, tired of all the health issues and mobility problems and joint pain. For the most part, that worked. When I stopped caring about that stuff, I started forcing myself to look at my body in the mirror and really see what I looked like. I reminded myself that the surgery would help me not be fat like I was, not look like a butterball turkey, not look like my face and neck were gonna pop. By the time THAT quit working, it was the day before surgery and I knew that I was about to be on the other side of this. Seeing that I was losing weight before the surgery because of the diet really helped, too....

I feel the same. I was explaining to my partner that it's just liquid that doesn't even touch the sides. On top of that all the shakes are sweet, not savory, so it just feels like I'm having rubbish sweet shakes and nothing else. Sleep is the only time I feel okay because I don't feel the hunger as much. I just feel like I'm struggling on day 3 never mind another 25 days.

I think maybe writing down the positives/reasons I'm doing it when I feel like I can't do it anymore or I'm tempted might be a good way to go. To remind myself. I think I'm going to weigh myself once a week to just see the scale down a little. Any weight loss is positive reinforcement.

Thank you for sharing, it really helps!

14 minutes ago, xKirstenx said:

I feel the same. I was explaining to my partner that it's just liquid that doesn't even touch the sides. On top of that all the shakes are sweet, not savory, so it just feels like I'm having rubbish sweet shakes and nothing else. sleep is the only time I feel okay because I don't feel the hunger as much. I just feel like I'm struggling on day 3 never mind another 25 days.

I think maybe writing down the positives/reasons I'm doing it when I feel like I can't do it anymore or I'm tempted might be a good way to go. To remind myself. I think I'm going to weigh myself once a week to just see the scale down a little. Any weight loss is positive reinforcement.

Thank you for sharing, it really helps!

Write down your current health issues, struggles, anything that your weight is causing you trouble with. Then write down as each thing gets a little better during the diet. Also, definitely weigh yourself once a week and look at your entire body to remind yourself where you started, see where you're at, and envision where you want to be. Try to move your body more. I know at your current weight, it can be hard. Try to do some floor and chair exercises. Maybe ride an exercise bike. Do water exercises. Anything at all, more than you normally do, will help you so, so much. But don't try to do anything taxing since you're so low calorie. You should be able to have broth, right? I loved vegetable, chicken, and beef. Jello is also allowed on an all liquid diet. Try some of that and see if it helps. Also maybe cut some of the sweetness out of the shakes by adding a little unflavored shake mix to it. Can you add any fruit to the shakes? I noticed that if I made a shake and added frozen strawberries and blueberries (or raspberries and blackberries, depending on what I wanted) it actually cut the artificial sweet taste way down. I hope some of this helps!!

43 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

In case you're wondering if it's worth the struggle..... My before and after pics, so far....

Wow! You look amazing. I can't imagine how much better you feel within yourself, confidence-wise, mentally and physically. This is defo something to look forward to. Never been thin, or even just a little chubby, so this is going to be so important. Thanks for sharing!