Peculiar British approach!

When I was banded in 2006, I had no pre-op diet. On this board there is a range of pre-op diets, low cal, shakes and one meal, liquids only. But I now find that the majority of UK people being banded have to do a week or so on nothing but skimmed milk and yoghurt!

This was certainly not the case for anyone in the UK back in 2006! And none of those I know who have been banded for three years or more did it. And I have never heard of it on any US board! Or Australian, And the Canadians on here never mention doing it! 

Anyone ever heard of it?  Why only the Brits and why only recently?

If it is skim milk and no/low fat yogurt it is a diet that does the same as our Liver shrink diet.  Good for them they are improving their odds of less complications from fatty liver.

Skim milk and no fat yogurt is on may of our acceptably liquid diets.

Hope that helps Kate.

(some here still do nothing but, I haven't heard of a COE that doesn't)

Back in the olden days of 2003, I had to do a 2-week low calorie/low-fat diet, but could eat anything within those parameters, and a 2-day liquids-only diet.

In  2009 I had to do 4 weeks liquid diet no sugar was allowed, mostly wanted me to due clear liquids but I did (potato soup) sometimes.

My pre-op diet was 30 days of skim milk 3x a day plus all the non calories fluids I could stand. That's what really irks me when people accuse me of not "trying" or following "the rules". I survived that with a minor cheat of 2 slices of skim milk swiss cheese for 2 days mid diet. Otherwise I didn't cheat at all and I loathe and detest skim milk. According to I think it is the Amer. Soc. of Bariatric Surgeons none of us need a liquid diet, just a super low carb diet to shrink the liver. I think they do liquid diets because they figure we aren't  all smart enough to do low carb. It amazes me how few people especially pre-ops are even aware what a carb is much less low carb. Anyway my surgeon makes ALL patients no matter what surgery do this skim milk diet. I think it was started as a RNY pre-op diet.

Yep they think we are too stupid.  Sad thing is going thru the process not smart enough and then with hard learned knowledge, the average person they get really aren't capable to do it on their own.

That skim milk and yogurt routine is ridiculous also because (guess what?) dairy products contain plenty of carbs.

I spoke with my Bariatric surgeon about pre op diets.  He says that many are just "stupid tests" for the patient.  they end up entering surgery in a weakened state, physically and emotionally beat up.  A TRUE LIVER SHRINKING DIET  is ultra low carb.  NO fat restriction and NO calorie restriction is needed.  IF you stop the carbs, you liver will shrink unless you have a medical reason for it not to.  A Fatty Liver is different.  NOT all obese have FATTY Liver Disease.  Many people who are in excellent condition and perfect weight have Fatty Liver Disease.  It is not caused by obesity. 

the whole Pre-op diet topic infuriates me.  To ask a patient to go 2 weeks only drinking skim milk and eating yogurt is just insane.  I had one doctor who asked his patients to do NO Calorie, clear liquids for 2 weeks.  That meant all of those artificially sweetened drinks - sf jello sf popsicles and sf tea.  Nothing more could be consumed!  Seriously?  Tell me how nutritionally sound that diet is!

Mine was 30 days pre-op, too. It was very similar to yours. I thought I'd lose my mind after a week... but I was determined to stick to it. I think I might have had a piece of cheese or something, too, but for the most part, I stuck to it. I was too afraid of NOT doing it and then having my surgery canceled.  It seems so cruel, doesn't it? It's not good for a body, it can't be.

I followed the rules, too. No doubt about that.  I got used to the liquid diet after a while, too, strangely enough. It prepared me for my time banded, at the very least!  All liquids, all the time.

I hadn't heard of the skimmed milk and yogurt thing.

In 2007, my pre-op diet was 4 weeks of a 1200-calorie low-fat, low-sodium, real food diet, then 3 days of a clear liquid diet.

For my revision (at a different hospital) in 2012, I only had to do one day of liquids, but first-timers had to do 2 weeks of full liquids.