Question:
Has anyone cheated in the liquid diet 3 week period before surgery

iam 355 lbs and having surgery aug8 i have to drink optifast 3 weeks before i will finish week one tomorow but have cheated already not big just a few bites here and there they told me no food but its hard only zero calorie liquids i cant find anything other than diet op and zero nestea and a few crystal lights i keep chewwing the food and spitting it out after 5 days of liquids does anyone have any ideas i am in canada thanks    — cathacus (posted on July 24, 2008)

July 24, 2008
You need to stay focused on your surgeon's protocol. Try iced tea, they too come in flavors. I have a decaf instant, a peach flavored instant and one other I can't recall at the moment. If you think the pre op is hard, wait until after surgery. It's best to wean yourself off of caffeine, sodas, sugary foods, etc. prior to surgery. Once you've had the surgery, then it gets serious. So the better you can do as your surgeon wants now, the easier it will be post op. You'll have at least one week of a liquid diet post op. You might try some sugar free popsicles now, as those are allowed as part of your liquid diet post op. DAVE
   — Dave Chambers

July 24, 2008
I NEVER HAD TO FAST BEFORE SURGERY .. WHAT'S THE REASON THEY TOLD YOU TO FAST?
   — Jamal Young

July 24, 2008
Every surgeon and doctor have their own ideas and protocol as far as pre and post op diets. They would not give them to you unless they had a good reason. I agree with the above poster....if you can not handle this 3 week diet then you are really going to have problems post-op. This is tool given to us to use to get healthy. It is not magic, there is a lot of hard work ahead of you. That is why wls patients highly resent being told they took the "easy" way out. There is nothing easy about this surgery no matter lap band or especially RNY and other types of weight loss surgery.
   — Gena L.

July 24, 2008
Every surgeon and doctor have their own ideas and protocol as far as pre and post op diets. They would not give them to you unless they had a good reason. I agree with the above poster....if you can not handle this 3 week diet then you are really going to have problems post-op. This is tool given to us to use to get healthy. It is not magic, there is a lot of hard work ahead of you. That is why wls patients highly resent being told they took the "easy" way out. There is nothing easy about this surgery no matter lap band or especially RNY and other types of weight loss surgery.
   — Gena L.

July 24, 2008
Has anyone not cheated? Many patients who are significantly overweight need to fast to shrink the liver to make the surgery safer.
   — nancycarle

July 24, 2008
A friend's mom told me recently that she did that after her RNY ... She would be craving fried chicken, so she would go to KFC to pick up lunch for her coworkers, and she would get herself a piece of chicken ... She said she would take a bite, chew it until she couldn't get anymore flavor out of it, and then spit it out. If that's all you're doing, and you're not swallowing any food, I would think you'd be okay ... But you should talk to your surgeon's office - maybe they can suggest some different stuff for you to drink. Stay strong! It will be soooo worth it when your surgery date comes around. You are doing something wonderful for yourself ... Positive reinforcement goes a long way ... If you have a support system (family and friends, people here on OH, etc) USE THEM! That's what they are there for! And if you need some support then let someone know! You will do great!
   — lauren_marie

July 24, 2008
Remeber, it takes approximately 21 days to learn a new thing. Do not beat yourself up for cheating but recognize it and address the issues. We all cheat now and then .... get it?
   — sor09

July 24, 2008
On the liquid diet we were given...we were told that SF jello and SF popsicles count as liquid...at least you get a bit of flavor in your mouth... Just keep reminding yourself how much better you're going to look and feel at this time next year ;-)) Good Luck to you !!
   — debz_58

July 24, 2008

   — ohbearly

July 24, 2008
I send you my support and encourage you to stick with it. Remember you are not "fasting" - Optifast is food. If you are on Optifast 900, you get 900 cal/day. I did the program for 12 weeks and only had a couple of soup dinners (planned) during that time. Dropped 113 pounds, but I know men tend to lose more/faster. If you stick with it you should kick into keto-acidosis and feel some less hunger. If desperate, replace a shake with the equivalent calories in healthy food, for example some chicken breast and a few green beans, etc. Plan it and you'll do fine. I'm on Optifast again now, leading up to RYPG surgery, to drop weight pre-op. It's safer and healthier - and you'll need to be on liquids post op. Good practice. FYI I am having a small healthy dinner every Sunday with friends to enjoy all the fresh veggies of summer. PS, chicken broth has 10 calories per can - it's a great hot drink at dinner to give you something savoury as a break from the shakes. Best of luck! (PS I'm in Canada too, just south of Ottawa). Cheers. /Mike
   — mountainmike

July 24, 2008
Look at the benefits of sticking with their program they way that it was designed. After the surgery you'll look back and see that you made it through and that staying with their program helped you you kick start the rest of your life. I had rny 2 1/2 months ago and have lost 94 lbs. You can do it. Stick with the drinks. Everything that you need to sustain you is in there. Walk, shop, call a friend, spend time with a loved one but occupy your time FULLY until your surgery. God bless you and i'll be thinking of you. You will win and surgery is a tool to help you be a concourer over the struggle. Willard
   — webbrown1977

July 25, 2008
If you are going to cheat (which I did to) eat protein. I ate very lean chicken breast. I only ate a few bites but it was enough to satisfy my wanting to eat. Or try to eat some sugar free applesauce. Do your best to stay way from high calorie foods. I know it is so hard but another plus to a liquid diet is you will drop weight before the surgery and be that much closer to your goal. Good luck on your journey.
   — willish

July 25, 2008
Our stock answer is if you want to loose weight follow the doctors orders.
   — Ira Sansolo

July 25, 2008
It's a very good idea to stick with the doctor's recommendations. Each surgeon has his own program. However I will say this...I found that the program that my surgeon had me on was making me sick. My blood pressure was bottoming out, my blood sugars stayed in the 200 range and I was constantly dizzy and almost passed out. I modified the diet to keep myself healthy for the surgery. I was on 2 protein shakes a day and one "sensible" meal, no carbs. I eliminated one of those protein shakes and added a second sensible meal (no carbs). I immediately felt better. My blood pressure stablized and my blood sugars came out of the 200's immediately. I felt normal again. In this case I had to listen to my body. If you are feeling "sick" and can't function....talk to your doctor and see it you can modify the plan. If you are cheating because you can't control your "head" hunger...get a grip and get it under control as soon as you can, it will be harder for you later, and you don't want to sabotage yourself.
   — Senji

July 25, 2008
The doctors suggest a liquid diet before surgery to shrink the liver, following these instructions are important on your surgery day, they can perform your surgery with less complications. It is very difficult to do this when you are used to eating food, but it is sooooo worth the fight. I am almost 4 months post op and I have lost 85 pounds. Stay strong! You will be amazed in a few months how much better your life is. Good Luck and God Bless
   — bubbleybabs

July 29, 2008
You definately need to get use to drinking and eating differently. It changes your sense of taste(it did to me) and ability to eat or drink most of what I ate in the past. I had my surgery last July. Had horrible complications, had to have surgery the next day to have the stomach removed that was left. I was in ICU on a respirator for a week. I threw up almost everything I ate for about 6 months. Still to this day can't and wouldn't eat fried foods, carb. beverages or any kind of meat. Two weeks ago today i had Complex ventral hernia repair with mesh to repair the huge hernia I developed. I have lost 117 pounds, but just wanted to let you know that for some who have this procedure it is forever life changing and can be deadly. Good Luck, my prayers are with you.
   — avastrole

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