pre-op diet frustration and Optifast rant

The pre-op diet feels like a jail sentence.  And I'm only on day 5.

I thought I was ready for the change, and I grossly underestimated it.  I am hungry all the time, irritable, and frankly have the "deprivation" feeling.  I am allowing negative/destructive feelings to sneak in -- as in, "I could eat a whole pizza right about now."  Then I kick myself for my lack of positivity and willpower.

I know this is normal, but it still sucks.

Oh, and I can't stand Optifast (the protein shake I got from my doc), for several reasons:

1.  It is very difficult to dissolve
2.  It has a slight eggy flavor
3.  It is chunky and hard to pour into a water bottle

The dissolution problem is big.  You can't simply stir it or even slo**** between two cups.  You can't even do two glasses joined together in a makeshift shaker.  There are only two ways this junk can dissolve, and that is with a blender or getting it in a sealed container and shaking the **** out of it for about a minute.  I can't take a blender to work.  I have finally settled on getting a large bottle of water with the big mouth (Aquafina has these), and pouring about 95% of the clumpy powder in there (the other 5% flies out on the floor).

Then I have to slam this stuff because of the taste.  And now, I can't even slam it because my stomach is starting to shrink ... last time I chugged it I got a sharp pain.

So wifey and baby bear and I are out of town for the weekend, and I'm hauling my OptiCrap to the Michigan wilderness for a wedding.  I tried to find a decent convenience store protein shake to no avail.  So we're at a pre-wedding get together and dinner is served.  I said f*ck it and had about 3 oz of lean pork tenderloin and nothing else bu****er.  It was damn good and somewhat satisfying.  But of course I was left with the lingering guilt and worry about pre-op cheating and had visions of my doctor having to do an Open VSG instead of the lap.

So this morning I'm back on the program, stitting in the motel breakfast area drinking my pitiful 'shake' while the other tourists pound their waffles and whatnot.

I am so ready to be 3 weeks post-op it's not even funny.

Don't feel guilty about eating the pork.  Optifast is a terrible pre op diet.  It is loaded with sugar.  I couldn't do it either.  I called my Dr and got permission to eat steamed fish or chicken with steamed low carb veggies.  I had an adkins shake when I didn't eat the other.

The sugar in the optifast is only going to make you hungrier.

Have you tried a shaker cup. You can get one at Wal-Mart in the protein shake section they are about $3.oo. They have a grate in them so when you shake them it helps break up the powder. I use an emulison blender/boat motor.  It long but  I throw it in my bag with my milk  and  my cup of powder and head to work. I have been on the shake diet for the last month and  will still be on it for another 3weeks. My dr uses the bariatric advantage products and they are very easy to mix. And the taste isn't that bad.
Hope this helps.
Bailey

Oh man, I feel for you!
Those shakes are NASTY!
And dieting pre-op SUCKS A$$.
There is nothing nice about what you are going though - I feel really bad for you.  Hopefully, it will be over soon!
Hugs,
Mel 

My doctor let me have any low carb meal replacement shake.  The atkins and low carb slimfast actually weren't too bad.  Maybe your doc would let you switch.

The liquids get easier by the day and I understand your pain.

Nectar is about the mos****ery easily disolved protein powder I have found and I like their chocolate truffle si03.com

Designer Whey is the only one that I know that carries water bottle packets but they are not high enough in protein to be a sole source.

I go about 50/50 on warm and cold shakes with about 8 oz of  luke warm chicken or beef broth and a serving of unflavors protein powder, the unflavored are pretty generic in texure and taste.

I have not traveled with my Magic Bullet blender but it is one of the best kitchen gadget investments I have made so far.  It is fabulous for blending, would depend on how self concious you are about people seeing you doing it in the breakroom but it could be easily carried to any room and is easily washed.

I bought a personal blender at walmart for about $10.  It makes the drink in a to-go cup.  You could try that.

It isn't very large or very noisy.  It won't crush ice or anything, but it will mix up shakes and smoothies.

It is a mindset. You just have to try to make the best nad realize that there is a light att the end of thetunnel. You will make it thru !

Go to GNC or look at it online. They have a mini blender for less than $20. It is the coolest thing. It has a go cup in it perfect for your car that you can mix your shake in. It's so small you could take it to work if you wanted to.
When I was on the same preop diet you are on I would premix my shakes in a regular blender & take them with me in a plastic premeasured bottle like you make juice in. I kept it in the fridge at work & I'd shake it up a little right before pouring out one serving at a time. If there's any left just take it home with you, fini**** up, wa**** & start over. It worked out very easy for me.
If I'm not mistaken you said you were a really ambitious one who was gonna start your diet on Aug 1st right? No wonder your burned out.
Good luck . Ps I looked it up for you Search- Fit & Fresh Blender

If your doctor permits it, you might try the Advocare shakes.  My husband and I both think they are very tasty and that is what his surgeon recommends.

And yeah, a Magic Bullet or generic equivalent makes all the difference in preparing the shakes.  My husband got somethng that was an equivalent of this at Target called the Bella something.  It is great!

I would also say don't worry about one slip - up.  As long as you are following a basically low cal diet prior to surgery, enough that you are actually losing sufficient weight, it is my understanding that your liver should be "good to go."