I am not handling this well at all! It's supposed to be one week of nothing but Water, broth, skim milk and Protein shakes (sugar free Jello counts as water apparently) but I haven't been doing the Protein Shakes that much because they are just terrible, which of course has left me hungry and I cheated and had creamy Soup with corn and rice in it!

I'm SO upset with myself for doing this, I told myself time and time again, for weeks that this was the most important thing for me to do and STILL.... I was just so starving and just didn't know what I was doing. I'm now SO scared that my liver won't be small enough (only 4 days to go!) and they'll convert to open or just not do the surgery at all etc etc.

How can I fix this? And how/should I stop beating myself up over this? This is really the worst way, emotionally, for me to start this whole process. It feels like some huge setup for failure for me

Also, on a related topic... WHY can't they just do an ultrasound or something to get an idea of the shape/size of the liver before going in there? Wouldn't that make a lot more sense?

hmm well that would make since as it seems but I am not sure they can see the fatty slime in the ultra sound. The liquid diet is very hard for all of us trust me I finally had my surgery yester day and I did 10 days liquids 2 days clear. I dont like soup without anything in it so I only dranks to KO protein water and atkins drinks. They actually are good. I didnt like they other protein drinks. So dont beat yourself up just tell yourself you have to do this and do the liquids the remainder of time you have. You dont want them to open you up just to close you back because of your liver or worse complications because of it. My surgery went great. As you can see I was banded maybe 15 hrs ago and Im online lol

All of the doctors are different. If it makes you feel any better my doctor just requires 2 days of clears before my surgery. You can do it.

A fatty liver is a fragile liver - fat isn't strong tissue, so the liver can actually be damaged. What's more a fatty liver is a big liver, which means it's harder to manipulate during surgery.

The larger your start weight, the more fat there is in your liver. If your doctor has put you on that diet for a prolonged time, he's obviously wanting to reduce any risk, including the risk of converting to an open procedure; some surgeons will refuse to do the surgery if you haven't lost enough.

So it's clearly in your best interests to stick to the diet - do it, it's important. And it's one of the times you'll be losing weight fastest!

Protein drinks are not fun - they're a kind of medicine, really. I like - really, I guess I should write that "like" - Isopure premade fruit punches. They taste Gatorade-y, but pack 40 g protein into 20 oz. Good for preop, good for post-op.

I don't think one slip is that big a deal. But try to focus on the fact that this surgery is important, that you want your surgery to go well, that straying from the diet may radically affect your surgery.

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, PILGRIM!!!

I am not condoning cheating but if you have done well so far, I really don't think that this one slip-up has done that much damage. Just get yourself back on track and don't allow any more.

Did you buy any Fiber mix? That can help with the hunger

Just 4 more days!

OMG this is almost exactly the same post I submitted when i was pre op 6 weeks ago.

You will be fine. Don't neat yourself up over it. Drink lots of Water that will help flush your system. I had BURGER KING in a panic a week per op thinking OMG I will never eat a cheese burger again ahaha.

Has your doc recomended a certain type of Protein shake? I drink BOOST vanilla High Protein. I mix in a little bit of chocolate syrup 1/4 of a TSP and its just right. Mix in a ice cube or 2 and its even better. I drink 4 a day.

You will be fine!!! Cream soup with rice and corn isnt bad at all. But to be honest I was having 1200 plus liquid calories a day in protein shakes a lone plus 1 carnation instant Breakfast a day 2 cups of low sodium broth and jell-o like i needed it to live. I was full it was just my triggers going off. plus I was PMSing which did not help.

THINK POSITIVE!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!

XOXOX

Barbie

I remember how miserable I was during my pre-op diet. I ordered (at my doctor's advice) boxes of powdered shakes (can't even remember the name- must be a repressed memory) and they were HORRIBLE. I kept myself busy, drank lots of Water and clear soup and cheated a little. Don't beat yourself up. My cheat was much worse than yours. But I was fine on surgery day and it has been a wonderful experience ever since.

IT IS WORTH IT. Stay focused, stay busy. Good luck!

Don't beat yourself up PennyLane! I too had a HARD time with the pre-op diet. I did cheat here and there as well and my surgery was a great success and i'm no worse for the wear right now, not that I'm condoning that but I know that were all food addicts and if we weren't, then we wouldn't be having the surgery, right? So, hang in there and get yourself back on track, I have faith in you and I know you can do it!!!

IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN!!!

Like the others said, even if you had an entire day of being off the plan, just get right back on the plan and drink as much water/crystal light as you can to flush yourself out.

I didn't mind my medifast diet 2 week that much but there were days when I could not win (family pressure to 'go out to dinner' etc.).

I doubt most people are perfect on the pre-op.

You have 4 days. THOSE ARE 4 DAYS you can be perfect. Go to sleep early, get movies, go shopping..do anything you can to stay away from temptation and it will go fast.

Thanks, all, for the support I do fully understand why I'm on this diet with the liver and all and that's why I was so upset with myself. There's no other way to explain how it happened other than for the moment it took to make the decision to eat it, I didn't really care about the consequences.

Kind of like how it used to be with cigarettes--in my big picture thinking, I wanted to stay as far from them as I could but in my "decision moments" I had a million excuses/reasons why "just this one" would be alright. I am honestly embarrassed to "out" myself as a former smoker--I really don't know what I was thinking even trying one in the first place ever.

Anyway, I'm back on track. Today I had two SF Jello cups, a glass of skim milk and I'm working on a cup of chicken broth right now. I still can't bring myself to make a Protein shake but I know I have to and that's a goal for the next few hours. The problem with those is that the very first sip I took was SO terrible (and reminiscent of my recent bout with bronchitis) that I gagged and it all came back up....and I'm pretty sure we all know how hard it is to ever eat anything again that's made you react that way. I'm working on it though, slowly but surely.

Also, Capitol Chick, we're practically twins. Close in age, surgery date and weight (I'm 5lbs more than you are right now) :Banane03:

I am on day 3 of Optifast 900 and having trouble with the texture of the drinks. I have tried adding lots of ice but that doesn't help. Any suggestions? I am sticking to the veggies and water and have lost 7lbs already. My surgery is scheduled for July 29th

I think we go to the same clinic :wub:

I started with the Optifast 1st week of July and will have surgery in Toronto the 25th.

In the beginning I had problems and thought I can't do it, but I got used to the texture of the drinks and enjoy them now. I am glad I don't have to do that in the winter though.

I have the Optifast for Breakfast. I use cold coffee instead of just Water and six to eight ice cubes in a blender. It makes about two cups of drink and tastes a little like a frozen, blended cappucino.

For lunch I stick to veggi Soup or salad with spritzer as dressing.

I usually drink my next shake (same way like the breakfast shake) around two pm. Like an afternoon coffee. Blended with enough ice, less water and a few straberries (in the Vanilla) you can mix something similar to a sorbet an even eat it with a spoon.

For supper I stick to soup, again.

I take the last shake just with cold water (and sometimes some berries) as a "night cup" with a nice book or a movie. Yesterday I even forgot, because I didn't feel hungry.

I hope that helped!

~Kat

Your comparison to cigarettes is perfect, I truly believe that to some of us food is as strong of an addiction as cigarettes are to smokers. Trouble is, we can't live without food so controlling it is harder because it's all around us. Please don't beat yourself up for being human and making a mistake, you are in a stressful situation and you've done beautifully. Maybe you can find some different protein drinks that taste better to you. I just got my surgery date and I'll be starting that very soon so I'm off on the quest to find something I can tolerate this weekend.

I wish you the best of luck in your surgery and in the next few days leading up to it, you can do it! :wub:

Thanks Kat,

I have been trying them with the coffee, crystal light and flavoring but I am still having trouble with them. I am not allowed soup or fruit on the diet I am on - I will keep trying but it is a slow go. Good luck with your surgery on the 25th and I am looking forward to hearing from you on how it went -

Found some recipes on another site that I thought I would share:

Boston Cooler

8-10 oz diet gingerale

1 pkg vanilla Optifast

Tropical shake

12 oz Water

1 tsp rum extract

1 tsp coconut extract

1/2 tsp cherry extract

1 pkg strawberry or vanilla optifast

Chocolate-Covered Cherry

10-12 oz diet cherry berry soda

1 pkg chocolate optifast

Lemon Cookie Shake

8 oz water

1 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp butter extract

1 pkg vanilla optifast

Creamy Cherry Shake

1 tsp cherry extract

1 pkg vanilla optifast

12 oz water

Orange Creamsicle Shake (best when frozen or slushy)

10-12 oz diet orange soda

1 pkg vanilla optifast

Creamy Chocolate Shake

10-12 oz diet chocolate creme soda

1 pkg vanilla optifast

Creamy Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake

5-6 oz diet cherry berry soda

5-6 oz diet chocolate creme soda

1 pkg chocolate optifast

Almond Mocha Shake (frozen or hot)

8-10 oz coffee

1 tsp almond extract

1 pkg chocolate optifast

Creamy Nut Shake

6-8 oz water

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp butter extract

1 pkg vanilla optifast

Root Beer Shake

12oz diet root beer - cold

1/8 tsp root beer extract

1 pkg Optifast vanilla

Pinch of cloves

Other Combos:

6-8 oz diet Dr. Pepper & 1 pkg chocolate or vanilla optifast

8-10 oz diet raspberry creme soda & 1 pkg strawberry optifast

8 oz diet root beer & 1 pkg vanilla optifast

Different doctors require different things but the idea is to shrink your liver and to calm down your stomach (stomachs move around when digesting food). Most non-solid foods do this, both my wife and I would cook soup and run them through a blender and the doc said it was fine so you may want to try that.

Some Protein shakes taste better than others - keep looking, you'll find one (for me it was Slim-fast high protein shakes)

My doc had me on liquids 2 weeks before and 3 weeks after -- although I admit I cheated starting about a week after. Be VERY careful a couple days before and a couple days after - thats not the time to cheat, it can cause serious problems