liquid diet.

OK.  IM GETTING MY DS DONE 10/25/2012  THIS LIQUID DIET IS KILLING ME.  I HAVE BEEN CHEATING HERE AND THERE WITH A LITTLE VEGGIES AND A LITTLE FRUIT, AND HAVE BEEN EXERCISING.  I HEARD THAT THE SURGEONS WANT YOU TO LOOSE SOME KIND OF WEIGHT BEFORE THE SURGERY TO SHRINK THE LIVER?? IS THAT TRUE?  ANYBODY, PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT YOUR  DIET THAT YOUR SURGEON PUTS YOU ON  BEFORE THE DS PROCEDURE.

I feel your pain, I had the same diet.  Of course, I had the same doctor!  I will say that the first few days I did cheat, the solid liquid only diet upset my stomach, but after about the 5th or 6th day it got better.  You kinda get used to not eating real meals.  I alsofound that it helped if I left the room while others were eating. 

The nice thing is . . . as hard as it is now, later it won't be.  You will be on liquid for 3 weeks after surgery, but then you won't ever care or want to eat. 

Are you changing up the shakes like the suggest to make them more appealing?  They sell instant coffee in indiviudal serving packets, those make the chocolate like a mocha, and adding a *small* amount of crystal light really does help with the flavor.  Raspberry ice is good in chocolate or vanilla. 

I was a revision from band to DS, so this was my second time on the liquid diet, I had to do the same thing last time.

Also, remember to get some sugar free jello and the popsicles.  You can pretend to chew it . . .

Hey Julanie.

i see that you had your surgery done by dr. kim in september?  i havent spoke to anyone that has had the DS by Dr. Kim.  how is the after care with dr. kims office?  please let me know how things are going for you now after surgery. 

so far it's been good.  Both me and a friend had DS about 3 weeks apart, she's doing very well, as am I.  I love his staff, Dr. Kim himself is a little abrupt and quiet, but a good surgeon.  He did my lapband, which actually started leaking so it had to be removed.  The hospital he uses for revisions also has an amazing staff.  I'm only a few days away from soft food, he's a little more cautious that other surgeons from what I can tell . . . I'm on chewables for now.  I'm about 5 weeks out and just getting to the soft food stage per their directions.  I'm not overly happy with my loss so far, but I know I need to get over it.  I've lost about 25 lbs, and stalled for a week. hope that all the walking around at the state fair while not eating the crap I would have eaten in a previous life will help get it jump started again!

No pre-op diet requirement here...many docs don't require it at all nor a 3 week long liquid post-op diet. I think these things are leftovers from the stomach stapling days and they don't know what to do to update them or are too lazy/busy to update them.

Do the best you can and if you need to eat something make it a dense protein and always low carb.

--gina

I just had the DS a week ago and had to do the 2 week pre-op diet.  The first few days killed me too.  But once you get past the first week it does get a little easier.  Just stick with it.  I cheated a bit too with steamed broccoli, homemade low carb turkey chili, and tiny bit of stewed chicken.  I felt guilty as hell, but all items were low in fat, low in calories, and low carb.  I was given a limit of 700-900 calories a day with less than 40g's of carbs a day.  Even with those few cheats mixed in, I never went over 750 calories a day. 

I know it's tough but if you feel you have to cheat a little, make sure it's a good choice.  I managed to lose 16 pounds on my pre-op liquid diet.  Shrinking your liver is something that they are concerned with.  Personally, I stayed with it as much as possible because I wanted to reduce my risk for complications and if this diet would help then that's what I needed to do..

Chin up!!!  Take it one day at a time.  You got this!!!

 If your surgery is laparoscopic, then yes, they like you to shrink the liver so they can maneuver around it.  I had my DS open, an the only thing I had was no food after midnight the day before.  That alone was worth the scar!

You will be thankful.  My surgeon does not believe in the liquid diet before hand.  My liver was so large that he had to make 2 more incisions in my abdomen.  He did it lap!  So, you will be so glad you did the liquid diet!  People that I have "physically" met outside the internet seem to have less complications than those of use who did not do a liquid diet right before surgery.

Hang in there!  You can make it!

Here's the thing---the liquid diet isn't going to shrink your liver. That takes MONTHS. What the pre-op diet does is deplete the glycogen stores in the liver, making it less 'slippery' and hard to handle. There's no real virture in a 'liquid' diet---what you need to do is to eat a hgih-protein, low-carb diet. Therefore---cheat if you must, but cheat by eating meat or dairy, NOT fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies have carbs, meat and dairy doesn't.

My surgery is on Oct 23.  I started on a 2 protein drinks and a "lean and green" meal on Sept 26 and lost 16 of the 20 pounds they asked me to lose. 

I am now on my 5 day pre-op diet of  sf jello, liquid yogurt  (2 cups a day for the first 3 days) broth and chamomille tea.  Now I am down 18 pounds.

I have not cheated but I did take 2 days off for our anniversary trip - kept it low carb but I did drink!

I feel your pain.  I am cooking for my husband and planning and shopping for his meals while I am gone to Mexico for a week.  I am hungry and tired - the worst for me is no Advil for a week - I feel like I was whacked all over with a bat!!

I hope I can stick with it for 3 more days - I intend to stick with it for 3 more days.  The light at the end of the tunnel is that after surgery I won't feel hungry.  Plus drugs.