Surgery Wednesday, pre-op did not go well

My surgery is scheduled for this Wednesday and I am beyond nervous. I had issues with the pre-op diet they wanted me on (their food from the company that one of the doctors owns). They gave me an alternative plan, protein shakes and meal replacement bars, but I cannot get past the texture of protein bars. Crunchy or chewy. I kept it simple with the protein shakes and canned tuna or chicken for dinner instead of their heavily carb pasta dinners. But I feel like a failure already. I have had moments of weakness quite a few times and had a corndog once and a slice of cheese pizza once. It worries me that if I have these moments NOW, how will this go after surgery? Food is and has always been a comfort to me. I was never an overeater (as in, I never gorged myself), but it was always eating the wrong things that kept the pounds on. Snack cakes here and there, fast food, and eating out more than we should.

I just hope I can get through this. I'm worried they will know that I didn't follow pre-op the way I should have, even though I lost 17 pounds the past 2 1/2 almost 3 weeks.

How did you all handle situations like this?

I had RNY, but I can relate to your post. I did not like my surgeons choice of pre-op diet, either. Textures and smells got to me in the beginning. I found a protein shake I could tolerate and drank 4 a day until I could figure out what I could eat (all I did was drink shakes for 4 weeks even though my plan said I could progress to real food much sooner). It was a slow process for me, but after a few months I figured out what worked for me. By 6-8 months out I was eating a regular diet.

If you have a good protein drink you can tolerate, I think you will be fine. You can do this. Hang in there!!

As you have already figured out for yourself, their whole pre-op diet is nothing more than a money stream for them, not a benefit for you. Any low cal diet for a couple weeks would strink your liver, and some DS surgeons (including mine) require nothing ore than clear liquids for one day before and do just fine with whatever liver you have.

I will send you a pm with more info, but sorry you went through this.

Larra

I'm almost 4yrs out, below goal, and I've never had a single protein bar. They always seem to be very carby and loaded with junk - I might as well indulge in a candy bar! Don't be too worried about that aspect. Be mindful of your eating habits and know that you'll likely have smelly gas and diarrhea if you junk post op

You're not a failure and my opinion (just that as an old timer) is the BS pre-op diet is just that. This does nothing to teach you about eating post-op with the DS. I didn't do anything like this before my DS - I was actually on a farewell to food tour before my surgery.

You have to learn what foods are appropriate for a DS way of life. I am 15 years post-op and don't touch protein supplements, and haven't for years. My goal was to ultimately get all my protein from food. It's a process - a marathon. Takes time to learn. It's not easy but so worth it in the end.

There's nothing to "get through". You're changing your life (for the better). Eliminate the word "diet" from your vocabulary. You're never going to be on a diet again. You're simply going to eat for what's appropriate for your new anatomy. It's all about the choices you make.

Try not to be nervous. Have faith in your surgeon.

Oddly during my revision to the pre-op choices was between a low calorie diet or a liquid diet... I chose the liquid diet because I knew I wouldn't cheat on it. I had a list of things I could have and that was that. Leaving me up to my own healthy choices I wouldn't have lost any weight. It's like post-op you know what you can and can't have right after surgery so you don't. Once you get further out you learn what keeps weight on and what helps lose weight.

Keep all that to yourself, they can't tell by looking at you or by cutting you open. They just see the scale. My surgeon would say just having lost during your pre-op diet makes your chances of success post-op better.
If you are feeling bad hold on to that.

Food choices pre-op have nothing, literally nothing, to do with how you are going to eat in the first year post-op. The focus is on eating to stay healthy and lose, hydration, protein first, vitamins.

Some of those food yearnings may never go away but won't be on your mind as much as they are now. You might also find that when you get to the point you try something like that you'll be surprised that it isn't as satisfying as you remember it.

People have different takes on protein supplements. First your taste may change a lot post-op and may change more than once. None of the bars were good for me the first 6 months and none of the pre-mix protein shakes I tried were things I could keep down ( too thick at that point )

A lot of people start out with a protein shake because the first couple of months it may be hard to hit your protein goals. Small, healing stomach, no real taste for much food, etc. As you've seen not everyone but I would say a significant portion add to their protein totals that way now and again.

Personally, at over 5 years I still do Optimum Nutrition 100% whey a couple of times a week, mixed with water. I just lately have been able to stomach Premier protein shakes but they absolutely fill me up to an almost uncomfortable level.

I did mostly beef and cheese sticks for the first year snacks before I started to try the protein bars ( no room earlier mostly ). I started to get a yes for something sweet. I did quest bars for a while but too chewy for me I now do protein crunch bars maybe a couple times of year when I get them on sale.

Celebrate what you lost and know that you are headed for a lifetime change. It's not a diet you are changing your body and you are going to learn how to work with those changes to help you achieve your goals.

I do tend to go on and on - Good luck - the DS is a great tool.

Pete

Remember your goal is 30 grams of protein a day for the first 30 days, then 60, then 90 the 3rd month. You will have a very tiny tummy. Vitamins can wait for the first few weeks. Sip, sip, sip every 5 min to stay hydrated. You NEED 64oz of water a day, you might have to change from cold to warm or room temp. Smells that you used to love can make you feel sick. Normal.

I had to watch what protein I took as whey made me very gassy. Eggwhite protein was better. Also, I had to avoid anything with sugar alcohols, anything ending in (*itol).

Egg or tuna salad was very easy to eat a few bites and back in the fridge. I put a spreadsheet on the fridge to keep track of my water and food. Look up Val's Ricotta Fluff.

You can do this!