terrified of my pre-op diet

I was told yesterday that I would have to be on "the" pre-op diet for 2 weeks. I have been reading on here for a few weeks, and saw that some people have had to diet and others haven't. I was holding onto hope that I would be one of the few that wouldn't. NOT because I am not committed, but I have found in ALL of the millions of previous diet attemts that this is where I fail. I eat like a bird, then after a few days I am STARVING, so I "make up" for the time lost eating :( I want this surgery more than anything and will do what I have to do, but am FREAKING out about not being able to do it..2 weeks is an eternity when you are hungry :( Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

I'm on day 10 of my pre-op liquid diet - which honestly sucked the first 3 days! Now I'm fine for the most part. My advice to you 2 - things
1. keep focused and remember why you are on this diet - I strongly believe 2 weeks of uncomfortable is worth a life time of happiness and well being
2. Don't eat everything at once - spread your food apart. I believe that's the only way I made it through the first 3 days (which are the hardest)

It is do-able...try not to freak out. It's a little harder the first few days. Just keep drinking. Keep your eye on the prize...it's so worth it! Hang in there.

For me the pre-op liquid diet was the hardest part of this whole journey.  Having said that, I didn't even have to do it.  My doctor told me that because I am a lightweight, I didn't have to go this route.  However, I still chose to do it.  I used it as an opportunity to get the right mind set about this surgery.  I did not want to think that this would be easy  and would require little from me.  I was willing to give this my all and this was one way to show that to myself.  It also helped to get me used to drinking the protein shakes and relieved me from having "food funerals".  I lost 13 lbs. during those first, really hard two weeks.  My surgery was a breeze and I had almost no pain or even discomfort afterwards.  My doctor told me that part of why everything went so well had to do with the shrinking of my liver that I had accomplished by losing those 13 lbs.   I guess I am telling you that yes, this is really, really hard, but if you go into it with a good attitude, it can put you into a great state of mind and body for the surgery.  I would not want to have to do it again, but I am glad I did it.  Looking back at it gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment.  I wish you strength and courage and determination for those first two weeks.  It can be done and you can do it.  This is not easy but very worth it.  Good luck and Merry Christmas.

I agree with Elina.

I think the pre-op diet is extremely good for preparing you for the mental portion of your journey.  You're going to have to say goodbye to a lot of delicious, horrible food that you love, and it's much easier to do so before you have surgery, than after.

Don't be terrified - welcome it.

You may even feel like you're starving for a few days - but it's only two weeks.  Not even quite half a month.  Surely you have been through more difficult situations in your life - you can ace this!  Just take each day at a time, and do that fourteen times in a row.  All done!

Thank you, everyone!

 I was very afraid that I would fail at it.  At one point into it I did a terrible cheat (went to 5 Guys with the hubby) and felt even worse.  I got some great advice and a gentle wake up call from posters, and looking back on it I wouldn't change a thing.  it did so much to help me!  

1.  Had a long and WAY overdue talk with the husband about us enabling one another.  We will need to keep working on it, but now when he keeps bugging me about going to get something I can just bring up enabling and he redirects to more positive choices both for me and for him.  We need more work, but this little episode is serving as the foundation for both of usmaking better life long choices!

2.  It helped me ease into the post-op eating.  Honestly, post op has been a thousand times easier for me with the eating, and I absolutely needed  the preop diet to help me begin to adjust before the important recovery phase.  

3.  My recovery has been an absolute breeze so far.  I cannot confirm or deny if the preop diet shrinks the liver, makes it easier, blah blah blah or if that is documented by research.  It really doesn't even matter though.  I absolutely feel more prepared because of the path that I took.  

4.  I lost over 30 pounds before surgery (some before that two week stint).  What a great launch to the post surgery me!

You can do it.  If you start to struggle a bit try posting here- it was wondefully helpful for me!  I think each year on my surgiversay I am going to buy 5 Guys, leave it in the bag, and torch it to remind me that each decision can be a good or bad choice, and one bad choice doesn't have to take the wagon off the road.  Hang in there!

I'm less than a week post-op, so still very new to this life style change!
I was afraid I would fail at the pre-op diet, but had been told I had a fatty enlarged liver and that if it was too large, the doctor would not be able to complete the surgery (could not get to the part of the stomach needed because of the large liver).  My fear of failng at not being able to have the surgery after all this tortuous preparation over-rode my fear of the pre-op diet.  It was low carb, high protein and I like protein, so that helped.  And at least that didn't have to be measured in little cups!  I only lost about 6 pounds during those 2 weeks, but any decline on the scale is welcomed!  Keep remembering this is the first step, and just keep filling your stomach with the foods you "can" eat to fill you.  Good luck to you, and may we both soon join the group who are thankful they chose this route!!!