Question to all. Are you required to loose weight before surgery?

I am required to loose 30, been on the high protein diet, the first week it just flew off me, now even though I am really good and don't cheat ( well I had ONE candy the other day at work, surrounded by cookies and candies and christmas stuff) it's just slower coming off..... Is anyone else having these issues, does everyone need to loose the weight? Doc says it's for the liver to shrink it?

I was not told by my doctor that i needed to loose weight before surgery. all I was told was that just becaude I am going to have surgery it was not a licence to eat every thing under the sun. My surgery is Jan 16 and I only have to go on the liquid diet the day before surgery. doc said from the time I wake up on the 15th untill midnight i needed to have clear liquids. and the next day is surgery. well anyway that is what my doctor told me. warmly, Alice

hi- My doc - has me on a 2 week liquid diet b/4 surgery. I have to start on the 26th. It is to shrink the liver. I'm curious so see if I will drop any weight as well. Good luck w/ your diet.

I am also required to lose weight. Although, I started at 560 lbs. I needed to be uder 500lbs. to get the procedure. So I have dropped 65lbs over the last 6 months. First 3 months Protein and Vegies, Second 3 months all Protein shakes. Now approved for January 29, 2007.

Gina, I was required to lose just 10lbs and here is my diet and it has been 3 months to get 20lbs off but this morning I got on the scales and it said 250 woooohooo. At work I drink a protein shake for lunch and breakfast and sometimes I get a subway sub. I drink a gallon of water through out the day. I did lose like 5 lbs really quickly then struggled with the next 10 then the last 5 has come off in the last two weeks. I admittedly did cheat occasionally. You are just on a plat. up the protein and excersise and water intake and it should come off. I found the best thing for snacking if you must. fiberone for sweet tooth...make sure you drink lots of water with it though and sci-fit beef sticks.....they are awesome and I buy them by the box. Hope this helps!! Anna

My hubby had to loose the same amount. He also had the pounds fly off the first week. When he went in to weight in he figured I have got it made, I did the same thing I did last week and I should have the 30 off now. Well to his surprise he only lost 7 pounds. He was feeling like he fail. Then the doctor came in and said I can't believe you did such as awsome job this week. Of course his reaction was.... HUH, are you in the right room! The doctor told him after the first week most people are lucky to loose 3 pounds a week. Some people if they try extra hard loose only 5 a week. So don't be so hard on yourself! You are probably doing much better than you think. Yes, it is true the diet they use and your loosing weight is to shrink your liver. I didn't have to loose any weight before surgery. However, they put me on a high protein, mostly liquid diet for 2 weeks before surgery, to shrink my liver. I ended up loosing major weight the first week, only 3 1/2 pounds the 2nd week. MORAL OF THE STORIES: Follow the diet, don't be discourage by weight loss slow down. You are most likely doing an awsome job. Don't kick your self for the piece for candy. If that is all you did with it being the Holidays and you feel this guilty. You are going to be just fine.

Hi Gina, I am scheduled for surgery on the 9th and am not required to lose any weight. I have a 5 lb allowance that I can't go over or the surgeon will not do the procedure that day. So far I have stayed on point. While I was with Kaiser they did require the loss of 40 lbs, but I no longer have Kaiser (YEAH!!!). Not that Kaiser is bad, but I never could get past the 25 lb mark - I would just yo-yo up. Good luck. - Sally

Exactly, as you loose weight the liver will shrink and that is why some have their patients loose weight and some don't. I was on an appetitie suppressant this time last year and lost 20 lbs, gained 4 back. Jan 2nd I go for my pre-op meeting and I hope I don't have to loose any more weight prior to surgery. I'll also find out whether or not he puts me on a liquid diet and if so, I'll do what I gotta do. I'm getting excited at the idea of being non-fat for the first time in my life. But it really depends on the surgeon as to whether or not they require their patients to loose weight.

Sorry to tell you we're all required to in my doctor's group out here in AZ. It's 10% of your excess weight for us. So 100 pounds over, loose 10 lbs. It's just hard to do, but we have to for all the reason's they've mentioned here. It makes the liver smaller, especially if the surgery will be done laproxcopic, makes the instruments able to move about easier. All I know for sure is we have to do it. If we gain, they will re-schedule us. So try to be good, we need to be losers!