cheating on pre-op liquid diet

My surgery date is Aug 8 and I had to start the liquid diet this past Wed. They have me on 4 slim fast a day along with water, sugar free jello and popsickles! Ive already cheated several times! Im so worried if I will be able to control myself after the surgery!

I also had to do a two-week liquid diet, and I'm not going to lie - it sucks.  I did not cheat on it at all, and one of the reasons (aside from needing to prove to myself that I had willpower, which has been an issue in the past) is that it makes the diet that much harder.  You have to get through those first few days of carb detox and such (which are absolutely awful) before it gets easier, and cheating will prolong that agony.

I know it's hard, but you can get it under control.  You really should do so NOW, because cheating in those early post-op phases could actually do a lot of damage to your healing stomach.  Not only that, the earlier you get into these good habits, the easier it's going to be down the road.  Of course, this is all parrotting what others have said, as I'm only 4 days post-op, but I believe it's true.

Try to get back on track and remember that there's light at the end of the tunnel!  You can do it!

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

You're welcome, and trust me, I felt your pain. :|  That pre-op diet is a *****!

 Everyone seems to have a different pre-op diet.  My dr only requires two weeks of low carb diet.  He said that's enough to shrink the liver.  If you are cheating, at least try to minimize carbs.  Your liver has to be retracted during the surgery, so it's a safety issue.  And it's probably not a bad idea to be honest with your dr / nutritionsist.

I am not sure if you have been told the reason for the liquid/pre-op diet or not, but you could actually be putting your self into jeopardy because of your not wanting to comply with the actual reason for the diet in the first place. You have to do the pre-op diet to lessen/get rid of most of the fat that is currently covering your liver. The surgeon will have to ever so gently move your liver out of the way to be able to have access to do your surgery on your stomach. The liver is extremely delicat and can be damaged very easily. The surgeon does not want this to happen so is having you do the diet to make it easier for him to do his job "safely". You have to remember that it is what is best for your health. If you can not comply, you are definitely  putting your self in harms way, and maybe you should rethink your strategy for surgery.  I am not sure, but maybe you need some help getting your head into the right mindframe to do this, because if you can't handle the pre-op for only the 2 weeks, how will you manage afterwards. I don't mean to come off rudely, I just wonder if you really know deep down how important it is for you to do the pre-op diet before you have the surgery.
I have not had my surgery yet, so it is not like I have any experience, but I am terrified of surgery in general, so I know I will be doing everything right to make sure on " my end "  that it will go well.  I truly hope your surgery goes well for you!

I feel your pain. I am also on pre op diet. I am starving most times because I did pre op diet for second time and change of surgery date. I am sure u understand what you do diet for but we are human. But you must make a decision and do the right thing for your safety. First time for me was much easier than the second go around. Good luch to you. Friend me if you like my surgery date is *August 10, 2012.So excited and scared at the same time

 The preop liquid diet is one of the hardest parts of this journey. It's not easy, but I have some advice based on my own experience.

1 - Always keep in mind that it's temporary. You're not going to be on liquids for the rest of your life, so don't let a week or two of liquids overwhelm you. This is for your health, so if you have to do something tough to better your health and it only lasts a week or two, no biggie, right? 

2 - Be prepared. Don't go ANYWHERE without enough liquids to get you through. Don't leave the house without several liquid options. DON't go to work without several liquid options. Don't let others talk you into eating when you should just be on liquids.

3 - Variety. I had to do 3-5 low calorie, low carb, high protein shakes per day plus all the low-calories liquids I wanted. So I mixed it up. Tried a bunch of different shakes. Drank broth, crystal light, tea, powerade zero, water, sugar free popsicles.

4 - Take it one day at a time. Don't think about the multitude of days you have to do this. Just think of today. Sometimes I struggled so much that I had to take it ONE HOUR at a time just to make it through. Do whatever you have to. And again remember that it's temporary!!

5 - You can do this. Go in with the attitude that you WILL succeed! Because you can and you're worth it!

6 - Avoid situations that are likely to derail you from sticking to liquids. During my preop liquids phase, I went to some social events, but not others. I had a work golf outing and a work lunch that I attended and brought my liquids. I survived and was fine with just liquids. But, I avoided eating out with the hubby or family or friends for that week. It was just too hard. This isn't a good long-term strategy, but again, this liquids thing is temporary! 

7 - the most important part! The first three days are the worst. Your body will be detoxing from carbs & caffiene. You may have typical withdrawl symptoms like headaches, irritability and mood swings. Fight through it! Stick to the low carb liquids. Once you get past day three, it'll get a lot easier, but don't break the cycle once you've detoxed!!

You'll feel so good about yourself when you do it and don't cheat. And your doc will have an easier surgery if you stick to it. ANd it's all for your health! You've got this!

Thank you so much! That was very helpful!