Ol..d Timers and more recent timers
Old timers I need your expertise.
New Timers I need to know if you did the same thing.
I have been eating everything I want for the last month. Not gorging, but all of my favorite things and not really caring. I now feel so fat and almost sick of food (but of course I keep eating what I want).
I start my preop liquid diet 5/6/12 for surgery on the 16th. I keep thinking that i should start incorporating some of the shakes and dietary restrictions now to get used to them, but then I think that I will have to make the changes come preop liquid time and why should I do it 1 day sooner.
What do you all think?
New Timers I need to know if you did the same thing.
I have been eating everything I want for the last month. Not gorging, but all of my favorite things and not really caring. I now feel so fat and almost sick of food (but of course I keep eating what I want).
I start my preop liquid diet 5/6/12 for surgery on the 16th. I keep thinking that i should start incorporating some of the shakes and dietary restrictions now to get used to them, but then I think that I will have to make the changes come preop liquid time and why should I do it 1 day sooner.
What do you all think?
My doctor did not put me on a rigid pre op diet, but DID put me on a reasonable low fat low carb diet for several weeks prior to surgery.
The purpose of the diet was to reduce fat stores in and around my liver. She monitored my weight closely as well. Had I gained weight or not followed her guidelines, my surgery could have been cancelled.
I think many people have a "last supper" syndrome....actually for me it was a slice of pizza at Costco (yeah, you read that right)....and it wasn't even that good.
The purpose of the diet was to reduce fat stores in and around my liver. She monitored my weight closely as well. Had I gained weight or not followed her guidelines, my surgery could have been cancelled.
I think many people have a "last supper" syndrome....actually for me it was a slice of pizza at Costco (yeah, you read that right)....and it wasn't even that good.
You sound EXACTLY like me! I ate freely until the start of my liquid diet. I put on like 10 pounds in a short amount of time. I was so sick of feeling full and gross that by the time I started the liquid diet I didn't even have a big binge-filled day on the day before (like I thought I would). I just woke up that morning & started it like it was no big deal & I think it helped to not make a big dramatic deal about it. I actually started 3 days early because I felt guilty about gaining the extra 10 pounds!
I can tell you what I've learned as I've just completed day 12 of my 17-day liquid diet....... The first day was aweful, but in hindsight it was all in my mind. It was fear of the unknow. I was cranky and almost in tears by the end of the day. BUT- each day after that got easier & easier, so don;t get discouraged!!! I feel like getting all the carbs & sugar out of my system took a couple of days, but now I don;t crave them nearly as much, so the liquid diet is easier now. I don;t even think about it- I just do it day by day, protein shake by protein shake. And the weight is coming of nicely. I'm down 11 pounds! I think that strict adhearance (although hard for the first few days) actually makes it easier in the long run.
I find that, for me, the colder the shake is the better. I have Bariatric Fusion Chocolate, Cinnamon Bun, and Orange Cream. They are all ok. I've tried to keep it interesting by mixing chocolate & orange, chocolate & cinnamon, putting a dash of ground nutmeg in the cinnamon one. It's a little adventure, LOL!
Good luck, and don't get discouraged. If a carb-addicted binge-eater like me can do it.......!
I can tell you what I've learned as I've just completed day 12 of my 17-day liquid diet....... The first day was aweful, but in hindsight it was all in my mind. It was fear of the unknow. I was cranky and almost in tears by the end of the day. BUT- each day after that got easier & easier, so don;t get discouraged!!! I feel like getting all the carbs & sugar out of my system took a couple of days, but now I don;t crave them nearly as much, so the liquid diet is easier now. I don;t even think about it- I just do it day by day, protein shake by protein shake. And the weight is coming of nicely. I'm down 11 pounds! I think that strict adhearance (although hard for the first few days) actually makes it easier in the long run.
I find that, for me, the colder the shake is the better. I have Bariatric Fusion Chocolate, Cinnamon Bun, and Orange Cream. They are all ok. I've tried to keep it interesting by mixing chocolate & orange, chocolate & cinnamon, putting a dash of ground nutmeg in the cinnamon one. It's a little adventure, LOL!
Good luck, and don't get discouraged. If a carb-addicted binge-eater like me can do it.......!
My surgeon had no pre-op liquid diet (aside from the bowel prep and stuff the 18 hours prior to surgery)
What I did from the time I started to look into surgery, was begin to "live the life"
I started to avoid drinks with meals (I filled up faster that way!)
I started to try different protein drinks (couldn't stand them with milk, couldn't stand the smell learned how to enjoy them as well as possible)
I tried to eat only serving sizes based on the label
I stopped the "Evil Whites" .... white potatoes, white rice, white sugar, white flour
I chewed twice as much to improve that technique
I drank a LOT of liquids even though I wasn't one for drinking much prior to that time
When I ate, I tried to model my meals after the meals being consumed by people six months to a year postop (no point in modeling after the directly postop period)
I did lose my mum in January that year, so even though I'd done a pretty good job following the framework I set up for myself, I did sort of "fall off the wagon" (when you spend a week at someone's bedside and don't go home at night, you eat what you can)
I wanted to sort of have a splash out prior to surgery, but one of my problems I had even pre-op and a lot more now is that when I'm sick, I have no appetite. I got the flu six weeks prior to surgery and was so glad I had enough time to recuperate, but I was still sniffling the day prior to surgery, so my "splash out" meal was tasteless as well as being one of those farce type situations where the restaurant got nothing right, and what they brought was pretty awful. For months postop I mourned the super-yummy steak meal I never had prior to surgery.
Then I found that steak agrees with me more than any other meat and I have had gazillions of super-yummy steak meals since surgery, so all that mourning was just plain silly.
What I did from the time I started to look into surgery, was begin to "live the life"
I started to avoid drinks with meals (I filled up faster that way!)
I started to try different protein drinks (couldn't stand them with milk, couldn't stand the smell learned how to enjoy them as well as possible)
I tried to eat only serving sizes based on the label
I stopped the "Evil Whites" .... white potatoes, white rice, white sugar, white flour
I chewed twice as much to improve that technique
I drank a LOT of liquids even though I wasn't one for drinking much prior to that time
When I ate, I tried to model my meals after the meals being consumed by people six months to a year postop (no point in modeling after the directly postop period)
I did lose my mum in January that year, so even though I'd done a pretty good job following the framework I set up for myself, I did sort of "fall off the wagon" (when you spend a week at someone's bedside and don't go home at night, you eat what you can)
I wanted to sort of have a splash out prior to surgery, but one of my problems I had even pre-op and a lot more now is that when I'm sick, I have no appetite. I got the flu six weeks prior to surgery and was so glad I had enough time to recuperate, but I was still sniffling the day prior to surgery, so my "splash out" meal was tasteless as well as being one of those farce type situations where the restaurant got nothing right, and what they brought was pretty awful. For months postop I mourned the super-yummy steak meal I never had prior to surgery.
Then I found that steak agrees with me more than any other meat and I have had gazillions of super-yummy steak meals since surgery, so all that mourning was just plain silly.
~Lady Lithia~ 200 lbs lost!
March 9, 2011 - Coccygectomy!
I chased my dreams, and my dreams, they caught me!
Thank you so much for your responses! I have bee feeling really guilty and beating myself up for doing this (I am really good at beating myself up btw). Now I am going to relax and just eat normal but not worry that I may be eating pasta, or an occasional brownie. Do not really have a sweet tooth but LOVE my pasta and bread!!
I am going to relax now and await my liquid diet.
I am going to relax now and await my liquid diet.
How about making some small changes now? You can decide what changes to make. You might stop drinking with meals so you get used to that, you might stop drinking stuff with calories in it, you might replace breakfast with a good protein shake, you might cut back on the starchy stuff like bread and pasta, you might give up sweets or eat less of them, you might start measuring your portions and eating smaller amounts, etc.
I think making some changes now will allow you to get used to it more slowly and make it easier when you start your liquid diet.
I think making some changes now will allow you to get used to it more slowly and make it easier when you start your liquid diet.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
There is one thing I will tell you that I hope makes an impact....but first.
Yes, I am embarrassed to say that before I began my liquid diet I ate all of my favorite foods. People on here talk about having their last "big" meal - well I had a whole bunch of last big meals. I went to my favorite restaurants and ate without regard to the fact that I should be trying to lose weight before I began my 2 week liquid diet.
But this is what I wanted to express more than anything. It may not be an issue for you, BUT it ended up being my biggest mistake. Like you, my nutritionist told me to begin purchasing and trying protein shakes so that I could become accustomed to one and find a favorite. She told me this the Spring of 2009; I had surgery November 2009.
Well I decided I did not want to waste money trying various shakes when I did not even know if I would be approved by insurance. But once I was approved and started my pre op diet I was 100% compliant on my liquid diet because now it was time to follow the rules. I bought a shake that I managed to get down those 2 weeks thinking post op I would easily get home from the hospital and magically find my favorite shake to drink, not the one is used on the pre op diet. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
Post op I was lactose intolerant for a period, common, and just the smell of Whey made me very, very nauseous. I never ever drank diet anything pre op, so post op the artificial sweeteners were so strong tasting to me I gagged trying to drink shakes. We spent a fortune. We bought so many brands and samples. I bought Injury. If it was on the market, I was ready to try it. Post op I could barely get 30 grams of protein daily. If only I had done what I was told to do pre op before my liquid diet and find a shake I would use post op.
The only protein I managed for over 2 months, other than the small amount of food once the soft stage began, was a small amount of unflavored protein that would withstand high temps. I mixed 1/3 scoop and mixed it with chicken bullion cubes. Each cup of broth provided 8 grams of protein....not much, but i was all I could drink because I could not find a suitable shake. My energy was suffering as well. When I could start soft foods, etc., I began eating beans for protein.
VERY LONG STORY SHORT... your body will be altered post surgery, and things will be very different. You may not have one issue with the shakes and absolutely love each and every brand. I share this experience only because I spent a lot of time worrying about my very low protein consumption post op.
Begin now. Make sure you have all your supplies. Know which shake you will be using and get a supply of them...maybe more than one type in the event things change post op. One thing is for certain, your taste buds will experience change, and food will taste differently.
I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. I hope this helps.
Yes, I am embarrassed to say that before I began my liquid diet I ate all of my favorite foods. People on here talk about having their last "big" meal - well I had a whole bunch of last big meals. I went to my favorite restaurants and ate without regard to the fact that I should be trying to lose weight before I began my 2 week liquid diet.
But this is what I wanted to express more than anything. It may not be an issue for you, BUT it ended up being my biggest mistake. Like you, my nutritionist told me to begin purchasing and trying protein shakes so that I could become accustomed to one and find a favorite. She told me this the Spring of 2009; I had surgery November 2009.
Well I decided I did not want to waste money trying various shakes when I did not even know if I would be approved by insurance. But once I was approved and started my pre op diet I was 100% compliant on my liquid diet because now it was time to follow the rules. I bought a shake that I managed to get down those 2 weeks thinking post op I would easily get home from the hospital and magically find my favorite shake to drink, not the one is used on the pre op diet. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
Post op I was lactose intolerant for a period, common, and just the smell of Whey made me very, very nauseous. I never ever drank diet anything pre op, so post op the artificial sweeteners were so strong tasting to me I gagged trying to drink shakes. We spent a fortune. We bought so many brands and samples. I bought Injury. If it was on the market, I was ready to try it. Post op I could barely get 30 grams of protein daily. If only I had done what I was told to do pre op before my liquid diet and find a shake I would use post op.
The only protein I managed for over 2 months, other than the small amount of food once the soft stage began, was a small amount of unflavored protein that would withstand high temps. I mixed 1/3 scoop and mixed it with chicken bullion cubes. Each cup of broth provided 8 grams of protein....not much, but i was all I could drink because I could not find a suitable shake. My energy was suffering as well. When I could start soft foods, etc., I began eating beans for protein.
VERY LONG STORY SHORT... your body will be altered post surgery, and things will be very different. You may not have one issue with the shakes and absolutely love each and every brand. I share this experience only because I spent a lot of time worrying about my very low protein consumption post op.
Begin now. Make sure you have all your supplies. Know which shake you will be using and get a supply of them...maybe more than one type in the event things change post op. One thing is for certain, your taste buds will experience change, and food will taste differently.
I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. I hope this helps.
Thanks for your advice! I have been making some minor changes. I have the sample pack from Unjury and have tried some of those. I have another cheap whey protein from Meijer that is okay. I have bought some quest bars and tried. I have to choose between bariatrix essentials or carnation instant breakfast essentials sugar free for my preop diet. I am leaning toward the carnation unless anyone has other ideas.
I don't want to spend alot of money until after surgery because everyone says your tastse change so much. I am thinking of trying samples from vitalady also. I read posts here daily and try to take in everything to be sooooo prepared. Thanks!
I don't want to spend alot of money until after surgery because everyone says your tastse change so much. I am thinking of trying samples from vitalady also. I read posts here daily and try to take in everything to be sooooo prepared. Thanks!
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