Question about pre-op diet - ThinnerTimes

sherry7 · 05-02-2008, 06:00 PM

Can someone explain to me what the 14 day pre-op diet consists of? What are you allowed to have?

I don't have my pre-op appointment until May 16, which is the same day I'm supposed to start the pre-op diet. I'm really wanting to go to the grocery store BEFORE that, because I don't want to go to the store while I'm starving to death, lol.

I can pretty much figure chicken broth, beef broth, and SF jello should be on my shopping list. Maybe I'm allowed SF popsicles too? Not sure about small amounts of fruit juice? Are protein shakes included on the 14 day pre-op diet? What else should I shop for? If I get something that turns out not to be allowed, I'm not overly worried since my husband or son will eventually eat/drink it.

I'm really dreading this phase, but if I'm prepared for it ahead of time, I know it will go a lot smoother for me. Thanks for your help.

mistymee · 05-02-2008, 06:13 PM

My assigned pre-op diet consisted of two protein shakes a day, SF jello, SF popsicles, broth, water.. non-caloric non-caffeinated beverages and one small meal a day.

Seems many aren't allowed any meals outside of the protein shakes & broth and then there was someone I was reading today that said they aren't even allowed the protein shakes.. though I was at work when I read that so I couldn't respond.. If that were me, I would call and confirm that no protein shakes are allowed..

Seems to me a clear liquid only diet for two weeks prior to surgery just doesn't sound very healthy at all.

sherry7 · 05-02-2008, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

My assigned pre-op diet consisted of two protein shakes a day, SF jello, SF popsicles, broth, water.. non-caloric non-caffeinated beverages and one small meal a day.

Seems many aren't allowed any meals outside of the protein shakes & broth and then there was someone I was reading today that said they aren't even allowed the protein shakes.. though I was at work when I read that so I couldn't respond.. If that were me, I would call and confirm that no protein shakes are allowed..

Seems to me a clear liquid only diet for two weeks prior to surgery just doesn't sound very healthy at all.

Thanks Kel. I would be thrilled if I were allowed to eat one small meal a day. That wouldn't be half bad.

sherry7 · 05-02-2008, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

......and then there was someone I was reading today that said they aren't even allowed the protein shakes.. though I was at work when I read that so I couldn't respond.. If that were me, I would call and confirm that no protein shakes are allowed..

Seems to me a clear liquid only diet for two weeks prior to surgery just doesn't sound very healthy at all.

I read that same post just awhile ago...I think it was Momof3 who has this situation. That seems weird to me too, even with my limited knowledge of pre-op diets. With no protein intake for 14 days, wouldn't your body start burning muscle rather than fat?

mistymee · 05-02-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherry7

Thanks Kel. I would be thrilled if I were allowed to eat one small meal a day. That wouldn't be half bad.

I don't think I've seen anyone else with that as part of their pre-op diet..

I feel kind of lucky about that.. Doc wanted me to lose between 10 & 15 lbs.. I lost 11.. I was allowed 1 meal a day, and I did *not* have to drink that nasty drink that so many have to drink.. thank GOODNESS...

KarenInKali · 05-02-2008, 08:23 PM

It's all different - are you sure you have to do a 2 week pre-op diet? Although I had to lose 10-15 pounds before I could even get my pre-op and surgery dates, I only have to do a 2 day liquid diet before surgery. Check with your surgeon's office to make sure!

sherry7 · 05-02-2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

I don't think I've seen anyone else with that as part of their pre-op diet..

I feel kind of lucky about that.. Doc wanted me to lose between 10 & 15 lbs.. I lost 11.. I was allowed 1 meal a day, and I did *not* have to drink that nasty drink that so many have to drink.. thank GOODNESS...

Well, I won't get my hopes up for the 1 small meal then, lol. When you say nasty drink, do you mean the stuff in the green bottle that makes you poop? I thought that was necessary to clean all of the poop out of your intestines so it wouldn't fall out while they're operating on you. Otherwise, you'd be full of sh*t, lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenInKali

It's all different - are you sure you have to do a 2 week pre-op diet? Although I had to lose 10-15 pounds before I could even get my pre-op and surgery dates, I only have to do a 2 day liquid diet before surgery. Check with your surgeon's office to make sure!

Hi Karen. My surgeon doesn't require a specific weight loss (but you can't gain), but I have lost 19 lbs so far. My pre-op appt is May 19, exactly 13 days before my surgery, so I'll find out for sure then about the pre-op diet and what it involves. I just thought I'd find out some more info now, so I could go ahead and do my grocery shopping for it. I'm 99% sure that I'm going to have to do it, because when I had an appointment with the surgeon 1/2 way through my 6 month plan, I asked about it and he said he does require it of his patients. (I had thought I might get lucky and not have to do it quite as long since my BMI is "only" 42.3) My surgeon is very involved in research, and was telling me that one of his recent studies was the role of the pre-op diet and what useful part it actually plays in the WLS process. So, since I'm a human research "rat", I know I'll definitely have to do the pre-op diet, lol.

KarenInKali · 05-02-2008, 09:15 PM

Ahh, I see you have done some of your research regarding the diet already then! It's just so weird that we can be on here and all of us have different things that are required from our surgeons. I was looking at a different thread today where people were saying how long before/after they eat they aren't supposed to drink water... the average is 30 before, 30 after, but I saw so many different things on there...

sherry7 · 05-03-2008, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenInKali

Ahh, I see you have done some of your research regarding the diet already then! It's just so weird that we can be on here and all of us have different things that are required from our surgeons. I was looking at a different thread today where people were saying how long before/after they eat they aren't supposed to drink water... the average is 30 before, 30 after, but I saw so many different things on there...

I saw that thread too about the water Karen. Someone, I can't remember who now, said they were allowed to drink immediately after a meal.

Honestly, I believe that one was a case of bad communication, and I wonder how that person is doing at losing weight because of it, because their meal is getting prematurely ejected from their pouch because of the water.

I think many of the differences we see on the boards are in how/where the doctor was trained and how up to date he/she is with the latest information. We have to remember that some of these surgeons do WLS as a very secondary thing in their practice, and maybe only do a few cases a month, or even a few cases a year. So naturally they, (and the people who work for them) are probably not going to be as knowledgable about the dietary changes/requirements as a surgeon who does WLS as his primary thing, and has performed thousands of them already. This is just my humble opinion, but because of this opinion, I chose to drive an hour away for all of my WLS stuff, and will continue to do so for my post-op care. I could have did this minutes away from my home, but I didn't have a high confidence level with the drs/staff/hospital like I do with the dr/staff/hospital I eventually chose.

splendifor · 05-03-2008, 07:15 AM

hey sherry

My pre-op diet was 5 protein shakes a day - no meals.. broth, sf jello and popsicles and that's about it

something that helped me get ready was doing a shake as a meal replacement for the weeks leading up to the pre-op diet.