tell me about your pre-op diet....

I start my 2week full liquid diet on Thursday...whew! that is going to be rough. I plan on keeping busy with cleaning my house and organizing all of the things I need for the weeks immediately following surgery (Im not working outside the home now).

What do you have to do pre-op and how are you planning on helping yourself thru it?

 Sounds like a great plan.  I go for preop this Thursday and guess I'll start liquid diet next Tuesday.  That means I'll be on liquids the last two weeks of our school year, pretty stressful timeBut, I've been drinking protein shakes most days for breakfast and lunch during the school week since March so I think I'll be okay while there.  It is just once I get home and on the weekend that will be hard.  Has it gotten easier today since I've seen many post that the first three days are the hardest?  I hope it does get better, meanwhile, stay busy busy!

First, I had to follow a low fat, low carb diet plan to get off 20 pounds to get my surgery scheduled.  On Memorial Day, I start my 2 week protein shake diet.  

I definitely need to find things to do to keep my mind busy so that I don't turn to food during that time.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but why do they ask you to lose 20 pounds prior to surgery???

Several reasons have been given.  The primary one is that the surgeon wants me to shrink my liver as much as possible to reduce the change of complications. 

The other reasons that I have implied are that they want to see that I can actually follow a diet over a period of time, to keep me busy while I waited for my insurance approval, and to give me time to get adjusted to the new eating habits.  They are having me follow a diet with a protein shake breakfast and 2 meals that consist of 4 oz of lean meat, low-carb veggies, and 1 starch serving. 

In this way, I'm getting adjusted to a lower carb lifestyle so that my body won't be in complete shock when I go to liquids.  I was annoyed by the diet at first, but I'm grateful now.  Just going on the diet was hard on my system.  I can't imagine going cold turkey for surgery.

 That does sound like you will be better prepared for life after the sleeve.  I have heard that many insurance companies require a pre-diet.  I was grateful mine didn't but I have been cutting back.

Thank you for the answer.  It does make some sense!  I don't have to deal with an insurance company.  So I didn't know they required things like that! 

 2 shakes and 1 low carb/fat meal each day. I am so horrible at this!  Can't wait to be sleeved and where I HAVE to do things right!

 I'm not required to do a pre-diet but have wanted to try to change my eating habits before surgery.  I haven't done great at it.  I've read and feel it's good to change those habits prior to surgery but just can't seem to make it happen.  I've had lots of stresses these past couple weeks which I blame but need to find a different outlet for those.  Does all this mean that I won't do well with keeping the weight off after surgery or will the 12 months after surgery help me get my head around my eating habits?

Hi Wendy,

I am so sorry I can't help you, I am also struggling and wondering the same thing.  My surgeon doesn't require Optifast either but I WANT IT so badly you know to help me get started.

Maybe ask this question to a post op person !