I found this website cause I was looking for ANY answer as to how to make the 10 day pre-op diet easier...and I don't think it can be! It's hard to feed four little kids and not want to suck all the peanut butter and jelly off their fingers! Help if you can!

It is true it is hard. But it's going to be hard after the surgery too. And then you will have a band in place that can make you feel not too well if you eat too much.

1. After about 3 days of true compliance your cravings for sweets and carbs WILL go away. No lie. That crazy drug addict feeling does pass.

2. Those feelings of needing to eat the PB&J or pizza (that's mine) or whatever -- will pass also. They are just feelings and you need to say to yourself "Can I handle this for the next 2 minutes.", "Can I handle this for the next 5 minutes" and so on and so on. Sounds rediculous but I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and this is similar to what they have to do. Trust me some days you'll be able to say "Can I handle this for the whole day" and that seems 100% doable. There are other days where "3 minutes" seems way too long. Do NOT take this on as a week long or 9 day long or 6 month long or 100 pound losing long task. You need to break it up into teeny tiny pieces.

3. Keep in mind that it's just food, it's not going anywhere and it never tastes as good as we thing it does. I know we all have unhealthy relationships with food -- but you can make the choice. And you can do it. I know you can.

4. Find something to keep your mind busy. I bought a dumb mindless craft project at a store. I didn't even care what it was I just wanted something to do with my hands. I'm sure it's harder when you have 4 kids -- but maybe that's the perfect time to start a very messy project like finger paiting.

5. Make sure you are having shakes w/enough protein (based first on what your doc says).

6. Drink a lot of water or crystal light

7. Plan out your food/liquid consumption hour by hour. I found this was very helpful -- I mean I made myself little charts while on LD like "6am coffee" "7am protein shake" "8am crystal light" --- and then I checked it off. It was easier, made me feel in control and didn't feel like I was awash in a big abyss of liquids.

Ok, those are my words of advice. I'm am a horrible dieter and I've managed to stay true to my pre-op LD (13 lbs down!) so if I can do it you can do it.

Good luck and stay strong.

That was excellent information! I've started my two day pre-op liquid diet today and I'm already struggling. I haven't even made through half the darn day yet. I've been dreading this moment and have said a lot of prayers in hopes that I'll be strong through all of this. I've never wanted anything more in my life so I've used that as my motivation to succeed. I've been miserable and fat for too many years and I'm ready to get back to a normal HEALTHY size. I'll keep the both of you in my thoughts and hope that your surgeries go well. Take care.

I will only add one thing to what trayrenee said...

Remember, you're talking 10 days. Most of us can endure 10 days - (I know, we are really talking a lifetime, and after the band, there will be new hunger challenges, but just looking at the pre-op diet, it is only 10 days).

Yup... you might get hungry, but hang in there - it will be alright.

I don't know how, but after a couple of days, you just stop being hungry. I'm on the second day of the liquid after 7 days of the low cal diet and I am forcing myself to even drink the Protein Drinks. I also feel as if I have more energy than I have in years. Hang in there, you can do it!

Maybe it's different for everyone, I'm not sure. I'm just grateful. I am a bit shaky and dizzy at times, and my patience is very, very thin. But I can handle that for 48 more hours!

Not sure I can add much to the great advice you already got, but I just want to reiterate what someone else said....after a few days of the pre-op, your not going to crave those things you were craving before....the first day of my diet I had to go to a baby shower and watch everyone eat ITALIAN FOOD....you know how hard that was? VERY! But I did it...I don't know how, but I just got through it....I brought a big thing of Water and just drank! Sunday I went to a birthday party and while everyone ate all this good stuff, I had soup...and it wasn't THAT bad! I have two kids, 7 & 3, so I understand where your coming from....my kids had PB&J last week and it took everything I had NOT to eat the leftovers...was I hungry? No, I just wanted to eat it because that is what I always do, finish THEIR plates! But honestly, if your following your pre-op correctly and eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours then you really shouldn't be hungry....your mind may want the sweets, or the pizza or the PB&J, but your tummy really doesn't! This has been my experience...today is day 11 for me and I haven't cheated once....this is coming from the cheater of ALL cheats! LOL!

HANG IN THERE...you WILL get through this!!!! GOOD LUCK!