Pre-Op Diet: Sounds easy (insert sarcasm tag)

Hi friends:

I saw my nutritionist this week and she went over the 2 week presurgical diet. It looks the same as many of the diets I've read on here.

2 protein shakes a day

One meal of protein and non starchy veg

Up to 2 snacks of a protein and veg or protein and fruit

No caffeine OR decaf (whine)

No sugar, alcohol

I've already cut out caffeine but I really like decaf! I'm going to have to find a nice herbal tea to have in the mornings. Any recommendations?

Exactly how *****y can I expect to get on this diet? I'm debating whether to ease myself slowly into it the week before or go cold turkey.

I think you are lucky. I had 6 months of supervised weight loss on program, then had to do 1 week liquid where i didn't get any food, only liquid.

I also had to get rid of caffeine several months before the surgery.

I am also looking enviously at your menu choices. I am on Day 9 of Optifast and water and would give my kingdom for some chicken. :)

-Joanne

I had to do two weeks of shakes. It was unpleasant but worth it. Just look for the positive things that will come out after surgery. 

Sorry, I realized my last post (which was supposed to be funny) might have been dismissive. What is working for me is to just go cold turkey and do it. I did cut out alcohol and caffeine before I started the Pre-Op diet, although I did slip on the coffee a few times.

Go cold turkey.  It is only two weeks and will help your body to be in a healthy state for surgery.  I had to do a clear liquid diet so yours sounds so easy to me.

It depends on how *****y you usually get. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Most people have a really tough time for three or four days. After that, it's easier. Kicking the crap carbs to the curb is the hardest part.

Honestly, the hungriest I felt was a couple of weeks AFTER surgery. I don't know if it's just because I was a month without solid food by then, or just head hunger, or what, but it drove me a little crazy. Once I could eat, just a little, hunger disappeared completely for several months. That's the time you really need to make the most of your weight loss.

The first 3 or 4 days are very ****ty. After that it got easy.  Keep your eyes on the prize. 

It IS easy.  This is similar to the pre-op diet I had, only we used Slimfast shakes and meal replacements (3-4 of them a day) plus one lean protein, low carb veggie meal a day.  By day 3, I was sick of Slimfast and taking just one shake or meal replacement a day along with my allowed meal.  I was also super busy at work getting ready to be out for surgery, and the diet didn't really bother me.

If you've already cut down your caffeine, you may have a little carb detox, but that's it.  Like Grim said, post-op recovery diet is much harder!

My pre-op was two weeks -- at Christmas.  I was allowed 4 shakes a day, black coffee/tea and crystal light.  They allowed broth if you were really miserable.  Let's just say that I suddenly loved broth.  I was really miserable for the first 3 to 4 days.  After that, it really got a lot easier.  Honestly.  

I drink a lot of coffee -- going cold-turkey off of coffee would have been pretty hard.  However, I can see an advantage as my post op plan didn't allow coffee for the first three months due to the acid.  It was pretty crappy to go without caffeine/coffee during recovery from surgery.  It would have been a lot smarter to prepare before.

The pre-op diet WAS really hard.  But it was worth it -- and barely memorable now in a life full of post-surgical victories.  You've got this.