I am writing to anyone out there to see if anyone is going through what I am right now. My liver is very large at this time. My DR wants me to lose 30 lbs by Aug and also he will put me on a liquid diet 1 week before surgery. Yes, I am on a special diet and protein shakes. I just want to know what others are going through right now. It hurts to press on my stomach where my liver is and he said it's because it's so large. He said there is NO WAY he would do surgery on me right now.I have to wait until Aug due to my ins carrier. So I am following my diet and protein shakes. I just started on Monday. So I am looking for anyone who is new like me and having this same problem or went through the same problem. I am looking for all the help I can can get !!!!

Hello! Sorry you are having this problem. My doctor put me on a skim milk diet for 2 weeks before surgery. It was rough but he said my liver shrank nicely and I had surgery 2 days ago. So the diet consisted of skim milk 3 to 4 times a day and water, crystal light,and decaf coffee. I wouldn't attempt it before clearing it with your doctor first though. It is a hard one to follow ...... Good Luck!

I was told that whey protein helped to shrink your liver. I don't know for sure. I drank my whey protein shakes as instructed pre-op. You could go to a health food store and talk to someone. I know that the health food store near my house even let me taste some stuff when I didn't like the whey protein shakes that I got from my doctor. As a note, I finally decided it wasn't the shakes that tasted bad, it was only if I mixed them with water. Once I started mixing with skim milk they were fine.

I found that on the liver shrinking diet I was really hungry for the first week until my stomach adjusted to the new diet. I drank Muscle Milk for breakfast & lunch with lowfat cheese snacks in between. For dinner I ate healthy such as a chicken breast and broccoli. I lost 11 pounds the 10-days prior to surgery. No doubt if I had stuck to it longer I would have no problem loosing more. My BMI was also very high at 54. I was totally inactive for years before surgery and now exercise daily. I feel so much better just 1 month post-op. No regrets would do it again in a heartbeat. I have lost 24 pounds since being banded. Good luck to you! Hope this helps.

Hello, I just start my modified liquid diet last thursday so today will be a week. They told me I had to lose at least 15#'s by June 4 to shrink my liver but they said this is the only diet I will be on till my surgery. I drink 4 shakes a day and 1 very tiny meal which consist of 3 oz of meat and 2 servings of veggies. Oh I can also have 2 fruit servings during the day. It is very hard especially when I'm making my kids grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. But I am right there with you.

I know that with the band 3oz of meat and 2 servings of veggies is probably a lot of food but for me I'm starving.

I start my pre-op (liver shrinking) diet on monday. 1/2 cup cream of wheat for breakfast, a 1/2 cup yogurt for lunch, and 1/2 cup of creamy Soup for dinner. I also get to have 8 oz of Protein shake and milk over the course of the day.

My husband just got banded on Monday and did this 2 weeks of pre-op dieting as well. He lost 10 pounds or so. That is what our surgeon expects.

I wish you luck with your liver shrinkage.

This is great getting all of these suggestions. It seems everyone has done something different. I guess every Dr has their own way of doing things. I just hope what I am doing is right and I lose the weight. I will go on a full liquid diet 1 week before my surgery. Another thing that is bothering me is surprises. I have to pay out of pocket for a nutritionist consult and a psych evaluation. I also have to attend a nutrition support group and a lap band support group before I meet again with my Dr 6/12.Then I have to continue with the lap band support group for a while.Do you take a multi vitamin daily? I also want to know what fruits to stay away from?I know this is going to be hard because I have to cook for my 16 yr old son also. Like I said before he is overweight and he wants to lose weight,but I don't want him to eat the way I am doing right now.I just told him that things will change around here and the foods will be different. No more snacks or fast food......

With my kids I don't buy any junk food I go by the rules of julian if it don't come from a plant or have a momma then don't buy it. We eat pretty healthy but my problem is portion control. We don't eat any processed foods and for my kids I watch out for high frutose corn syrup so I found that if I don't have chips, cookies, ice cream, etc in the house my kids make smarter choices like fruit, raw veggies for snack and such. When they want a ice cream I just take them to go get a scoop at rite aid. And we only go out to eat about twice a month. But my kids don't have a weight problem and ever since we started eating this way my husband lost over 50 #'s.

My surgery date is 5/26/09. I am on the 3rd day of the pre-op diet. Mine is all packaged bars, drinks and soup. The total calories is 800. Today I am really hungry and have a headache. I am allowed a lean cusine if i get too hungry-- which this may be the day. I am glad I am not working today or I wouldn't be able to concentrate. I am supposed to lose 10# prior to surgery. Even though this is REALLY DIFFICULT, i am still excited about the surgery.

EP

I know I will also have to be on some sort of liver reduction surgery. Which i expect to start this week and follow it trhrough until the date of my surgery which has not been chosen yet.

I went about two weeks ago for a sonogram of my liver. All my other organs look good. just my liver is fatty. So, i need to reduce it's size by surgery date.

I feel as though it wont be hard b/c I feel like i could do a liquid diet.

It's along the lines of "dont break the seaL' as soon as you pee the first time after youve been drinking you pee alot and more often.

Well, the first time i eat durin the day... and bam I eat and i eat and I eat. No portion control. that is why i am praying that the lapband will teach me how to eat. I am excited b/c I've been reading up on post op diets and it says you learn to re-eat like when you are a baby. You start on liquids and work your way up. And clearly my mother didn't teach me very well so I have to do this all over again as an adult.

I am very excited about getting it done. i just want to be healthier, lower blood pressure, more time to play with my kids.

If you want to stay in touch i've madea blog ...

michelle514.blogspot.com