Hello all i'm on day 5 of my pre-op liquid diet:thumbup:, my surgery is next Friday Oct.24th:thumbup:. The Optifast is not bad at all and i like all the flavors, i have Jello, Water,crystal light, and sugar free icepops. not too found of chicken brooth:closedeyes:. i've can along way from day 1 that left me sick and although it's getting better as the days go along , i did cheat and had a small can of chicken noodle soup:drool:. i felt like that would do the least damage and would be better than a heavy meal.

I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE CHEATED A LITTLE BIT ??

AND IF SO WITH WHAT????

Dr.Ernest Rehnke

Palms Of Pasadena

St.petersburg, Fl.

Hi, I think there are some differences in everyones pre op liquid diet. My doctor told me I was supposed to have 2 Protein shakes a day and a light dinner ( 3 oz protein, and a veg). My nutritionist gave me something a little different adding a small fruit inbetween the shakes. After a few days, I started adding some protein in between the shakes ( just a little, like 1/2 cottage cheese). I know someone else who went to a different doctor and had no pre op diet except for the after midnight nothing to eat prior to the surger. Having said all of that, I think that if you have to tweek it so it is more suitable for you, then it might be okay. The liquid diet is good as it does prepare you both physically and mentally for how you'll eat right after the surgery.

Hope this was helpful

honestly... yes, i cheated. i did MORE than cheat. i just stopped the pre-op diet about 5 days into the 12 days. i ran the risk of my liver not being shrunken enough but everything turned out okay.

you have NO idea how many "last meals" i had! so... you're not alone! just try as hard as you can to stay on track.

Yes!!. Actually I posted a video about this exact subject on YouTube. I had my surgery last Monday (October 6th). I had to do a two week liquied diet. I "cheated" once and did my own plan on nine of the other 14 days. On the cheat day, we had a bbq and I ate a small plate of food. On the other days, I decided to eat eggs for dinner. So every night except the first day and last two days I ate 3 scrambled eggs for dinner. I drank an EAS Protein shake for Breakfast and maybe lunch and then had the eggs for dinner. I chose eggs because they had the same nutritional makeup as the shakes.

I don't recommend not following doctor's orders but I knew I could not do 14 days with no food. I at least wanted to shrink the liver so I didn't eat any carbs or sugars and like I said the eggs (which were soooooo good) had the same nutritional make-up as the shakes.

I ended up loosing 16 pounds and my surgery went well--thank God. I asked my surgeon how my liver was (I didn't tell him about the eggs) and he said it was fine.

I looked all over when I was on the diet to find someone that would say that they had cheated. I never found anyone.

Good luck and stay strong. (By the way, I live in Miami)

I DID! I lost 15 pounds anyway during my 3 week preop diet. But I'm the "HORRIBLE WARNING" you hear about. My liver was still too fatty. I had surgery on 8/11 and my liver was too thick and fat to be moved out of the way. My Doctor told me his options were to "open me up" and do traditional surgery, lacerate my liver!, or close me up and let me try again. He picked #3. Can't tell you how absolutely TERRIBLE it is to come to in surgery and be told "your liver was too fat, so they couldn't place the band".

Of course I started out very large (larger than most bandsters) but that isn't always a direct tie to liver size.

He did tell me I was his first patient that he couldn't band because of the liver (wow did THAT make me feel better LOL...but what it did do was motivate me) I lost 17 pounds in the ensuing 2 1/2 weeks doing exactly what he told me and was banded 8/29.

SO I say do what your doc says. Many get away with it so I thought I would, too. Boy was I wrong! chicken noodle Soup probably won't hurt but it probably didn't really help you either! Hang in there!

It's worth it!

I cheated. I was called in to work during the middle of the night, and passed a small line at Krystal's. I knew with the line that the Krystal's were going to be fresh. I ate 2 cheese Krystal's on day 6 of my liquid diet. I have to tell you the truth and say that they were awesome, but I felt so guilty after that. I also had to start over the entire process of not feeling so good without the carbs.

FINALLY! Some words I can relate to. I didn't cheat on the liquid diet before hand as I only had 5 days, but I'm only 9 days post op and took a bite of CHEESE TODAY. I could cry. I put a message up and asked for any october bander to join forces with as a support person, but no takers. I don't think this board is working out for me or maybe I should just go to the general forum as I've only been in the smashing pumpkin area.

I don't think this board is working out for me or maybe I should just go to the general forum as I've only been in the smashing pumpkin area.

You should visit all parts of the forum. There is so much information every where. I enjoy reading in the forum for my month, but that isn't the only place I go. Lurk and enjoy! Sorry to highjack your thread for a minute Tyme2GetRite!

FINALLY! Some words I can relate to. I didn't cheat on the liquid diet before hand as I only had 5 days, but I'm only 9 days post op and took a bite of cheese TODAY. I could cry. .

i didn't have a pre-op diet; but it's probably more important to not cheat on the Post Op Diet - as your healing & the band is settling in place.

i did advance to solid foods a few days earlier - but that was after my appt w/my surgeon & he told me to take it WAY slow.

check out the food/nutrition forums - there are a BUNCH of food suggestions for all phases of the post op process.

FINALLY! Some words I can relate to. I didn't cheat on the liquid diet before hand as I only had 5 days, but I'm only 9 days post op and took a bite of CHEESE TODAY. I could cry. I put a message up and asked for any october bander to join forces with as a support person, but no takers. I don't think this board is working out for me or maybe I should just go to the general forum as I've only been in the smashing pumpkin area.

Don't CRY! but don't cheat any more! That nasty (and it is nasty for most of us!) post op diet isn't for torture but to let our bands heal into place. One bite of cheese probably won't hurt but if you eat stuff you have to chew your stomach churns like a washing machine to aid in digestion, and that churning can pull some or all of your stitches loose. At 9 days post op 1 bite probably won't hurt you (not a doc, but logically it seems to me like you'll be ok) but get back on your post op program and stick to it. You'll make it; most of us hate it but get through.

That's what they call "bandster hell"...

First of all, I am sorry you have to be on a Liquid Diet! That sucks!

There are so many variations to the pre-op diet, it's insane. BUT the one that works to get the liver the smallest is the Ultra-Low Carb, High Protein diet.

I don't advise anyone to go against their doctors' orders or to cheat, BUT if you feel you must and can't resist, then I say cheat with something that has zero carbs! Eggs, cheese, meat... NO CARBS! The carbs will just work against you and your liver won't get smaller.

Just my opinion - from knowing that the liver is where glycogen is stored, to shrink the liver, you've got to stop eating carbs. No calorie or fat restriction is needed, just stop eating those carbs!

Good Luck!!!

I have to agree with last post... I did stick to the Optifast diet - I don't know if any of you have ever tried the Xenical tablets, the ones that stop your body digesting the fat - if you eat a fatty meal on that you can have the globules of fat floating around the toilet bowl! Sounds Yucky I know... but when on the Optifast diet pre op I noticed for the 2nd - 5th days that the same thing was happening, so believe it was the fat being used/discarded from the liver (and elsewhere) this stopped after the first week. I was on the Optifast for a month before hand, and did cheat on 2 weekends, but only had protein and some very light salad while having a meal with others... certainly no carbs and as little fatty food as possible. My surgeon said the preparation had paid dividends and the operation was made faster and easier and made for better placement because of the reduction in the liver... you can find a site on the web if you input 'fatty liver' and it shows you the difference .... certainly worth the effort for me. Cheers, Trish

ok, I'm back on track....drinking shakes and softs only. The thought of my stitches coming out DID IT FOR ME! THANK YOU RESTLESS MONKEY ~ I owe you for the kick in the backside. We all need those every now and again!

WOW~ luluc, I noticed your amazing weightloss and it's inspiring. How long did it take you to reach your goal and did your surpass it? Thanks!

ok, I'm back on track....drinking shakes and softs only. The thought of my stitches coming out DID IT FOR ME! THANK YOU RESTLESS MONKEY ~ I owe you for the kick in the backside. We all need those every now and again!

I know it's HARD! I honestly (at 53 years old, and I'm TOUGH! so not a drama queen) sat and held a can of fat free refried Beans (mushie!) and CRIED because I wanted them so badly LOL but I followed my docs orders.

Hang in there; you're almost through the worst!

so eggs are strictly protein right? My surgery is on 10/24 too! I'm on day 2 of the liquids. why can't we eat lettuce and eggs?