Should I Start My Pre-OP Diet Early??

shellbell99 · July 6, 2008

So I have my surgery scheduled for 7/23. The doctor wants me to go on a high Protein, low fat, low carb diet for 1 week. I'm so anxious to get going that I want to start sooner and maybe do the diet for 2 weeks, but is this really a good idea? I want to make sure I balance my enthusiam with reality here...

mphsmommy · July 6, 2008

Go for it. I plan to have surgery at the end of August, first of Sept and I am starting my high protein/low carb diet tomorrow. I would love to be down 25 - 30lbs before surgery.

RedTulips3 · July 6, 2008

I say go for it! The first week is hard because you're weaning yourself off from carbs but by the second week you should be in the swing of things. This way the week before your surgery you won't be so miserable from craving all the carbs. Plus, if you do it for 2 weeks, you'll lose more weight and you'll be closer to your goal!

I didn't have a pre-op diet but from the time between my initial consultation/decision to get the band and the date of my surgery was actually 5 months so I used it to my advantage and did Atkins and lost 60lbs! I love how I feel when I get rid of the carbs and I figured the more I lost then, the less I'd have to lose later. It was one of the best decisions!

Good luck with your surgery!

Northwest_Nance · July 6, 2008

I started my pre-op diet early, but that was because my doctor told me he wanted me to lose 10 pounds in seven days. He assured me I could lose that much weight in seven days but I didn't believe him, and he's known to postpone surgery if you don't lose the weight he asks you to lose ahead of time. My problem was that I'd also been anxious to get things going so I had already just lost 10 pounds in the previous month.... and I was afraid I'd already lost the "easy" pounds that come off quickly in the beginning. Anyway I started my pre-op diet about 3 days early and it's a good thing I did, because I didn't hit the ten pound lost marker until the morning of surgery!

If you think you can do the diet for two weeks, I don't know of any reason why you shouldn't.... it will just put you that much further ahead of the game!

terrasmom · July 6, 2008

NO, do not start your pre-op diet early!! Just follow your physician's instructions to the letter instead. You will not help yourself by crash dieting before surgery. You further have a week or more after surgery too of just liquids. It will be sufficient to make the pounds fly off quickly.

BansterNYC · July 6, 2008

Yes - you can start it early. However, don't think because you do, that you can "cheat" at any point once you start. If you're going to start early, then stick with it up to surgery date!

karri68 · July 6, 2008

Were i had my surgery at it is manatory 2 wk pre-op diet now you have to loose 5% of your body weight before they will do the surgery.If you get the surgery date and you haven't lost it, he will cancel your surgery.So i say go for it and start it early if you want.