I have a bit of a conundrum and the advice of you experienced people may help

So I am still on first week of the 2 week "shakes only" diet and my surgery is on July 10th. This is my issue:

I am extremely hungry but also very constipated and without any solid food intake whatever is left in me due for evacuation has become a hard dam that is causing me some pain and discomfort. I have tried the softeners and laxatives with no luck. I wanted to know if this would completely ruin the weight loss of the 800 cal thing if I was to have 1 normal meal of some grilled chicken to get everything moving so I can be empty and comfortable until surgery date.

The reason I am even considering this is only because this last month I lost 30 pounds on a chicken and fruit diet and from there I went straight into my 2 week pre-op diet. I figured since I already lost almost double what they expect me to lose from the 2 week pre-op diet that I could maybe have this 1 meal to help make me feel more comfortable. Feeling better would really help during this last week that I have to affairs in order before the big day. I am of course extremely hungry too but this really isn't an excuse or a license to slip up and have more than the 1 meal I mentioned.

I appreciate any advice you guys can offer from your experience. Thanks.

Talk to your doctors office and see if they can give you something. I take Mirilax to be regular and I had to start at 3x daily for a few days to get everything moving, then stepped down to twice a day for a few days. I'm now take it once a day and if I have an off day, I take a second dose at night.

no, eating chicken won't make you go. Chicken is protein and protein in the quantities we eat it is constipating.

You may have to take a dose of laxative every am and every pm until you go but check with your surgeon to be sure.

Be aware if you are having problems with condtipation now,you likely will after surgery also. Be getting a bowel protocol together now for after surgery, for the long term.

Are you drinking plenty of fluids? I learned from a pharmacist a while back that stool softeners and laxatives need water in order to work properly. I used to have chronic problems with constipation, but now that I understand the role of hydration, I can usually keep things moving with water alone.

Given your current situation, my suggestion would be to drink 2 liters of water in a four-hour period. Yes, that's a lot, and you will "slosh" when you walk. But it should make a big difference. I discovered this last time I had some blood work done. They had trouble getting any blood from my veins, so they told me to go drink as much water as I could, and then come back. Not only were they able to do the blood draw, but my bowels moved smoothly for the rest of the day.

As I'm sure you know, hydration is super important post-WLS. And since it seems that you are prone to constipation, hydration will be triply-important for you. So start now to build a habit of constantly sipping water (or other low-calorie fluids). You will be glad you did after surgery. Also, all tha****er will help take the edge off your hunger during the pre-op diet.

Yes, even before diet the only thing i drink all day everyday is water. I don't exaggerate either when I say I drink only water either no coffee, no juice or soda jus****er. I probably go through almost 4 gallons a week so I don't think hydration is my problem

4 gallons per week is only 18oz per day, which is not nearly enough. At a minimum, you should be getting at least 64 oz (half a gallon) per day.

I apologize, after reading your reply I noticed my typo. I meant to type 14 and not 4 gallons. Sorry about that ?

Exactly what I was about to suggest. I also used to struggle with constipation and found that otc laxatives just didnt do the trick and would severely upset my stomach and give me bad cramps.

A few years back I started being thirsty all the time and it seems since I've had a constant craving to drink a crap ton of water- but it really helped with my digestive system and like you said, gets things moving! I'm also on an opiate medication and they are notorious for causing severe constipation. With just drinking enough water alone I think it will really make a difference. I sip it and drink it all day long and have no issues anymore.

Good luck to you,

-Kailey

And sorry, I didn't see your response that you already drink a lot of water.

This is good practice for your post-op diet. If you do not follow your post-op diet to the letter, you can literally rip a hole in your stomach and suffer life-threatening complications. So now is the time to get your head on straight and do what your medical team tells you.

Call them up and ask what they recommend. You may need a different type of laxative, fiber supplements, or possibly an enema at this point.