Question:
Will cheating on the liquid diet prior to RNY really make a difference?
I haven't ate steak or anything, but I did have fried fish last night. I only have to do liquid for five days before surgery and I don't even have the will power for that. My surgery is this Friday! — MelindaS (posted on April 14, 2008)
April 14, 2008
Just remember that this liquid diet is ur part to help the surgery process
less difficult for the dr.!!! Ur liver is in front of ur stomach so the
liquid diet actually shrinks ur liver making it easier to get to ur
stomach. I also cheated two days before and had steak so i noooooooo how
hard it is! Hang in there! U CAN DO IT!!!
— TanyaMay
April 14, 2008
Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! The purpose of the liquid diet is
to shrink your liver to make it easier for the surgeon to work around it to
do the surgery. So yes cheating will make a difference, but I think the
bigger picture is your concern about being able to follow the diet short
term. The good news is you won't feel like eating for awhile after surgery,
but there are people both in my support groups and on OH that have said
they feel llike eating soon after surgery. I would suggest either
contacting your nutritionist or psychologist to discuss this. A reminder -
you can also have SF popsicles and Jello, broth, etc. as fillers! Good
luck!
— obeseforever
April 14, 2008
okay, to be honest, it probably won't make that much of a difference unless
your BMI is very high...don't ask me how high. The only reason I'm saying
this is because I've read online how some doctors don't require ANY liquid
diet prior to surgery so then you wonder, how important is it? I will say
this, you'll have less block up in your bowels and you will probably lose a
few pounds beforehand (if you do the liquid diet) which then means that
your liver will be smaller and thus easier for the surgeon to work around.
I realize it's hard though.....been there done that.
Chris
— cjjordan
April 14, 2008
Let your doctor know. The diet is to shink the liver and to was out your
small intestines, as if you are having a RNY the small intestine will be
cut and solids could fall out nd cause infections. They can also tell you
to take a beverage that you can buy at the drug store or suppermarket the
day before surgery and that will clean the small intestine also. Its hard,
but it is worth it. Best of success to you.
— William (Bill) wmil
April 14, 2008
Keep cheating and you will have to be cut open instead of RNY.
— Joanc
April 14, 2008
You can do it!!!!! I'll support you through all the five days that you're
on the liquid diet....just write me...ok? I had to do that for 14 days...it
was torchure! Just do what the doc says to do and you'll be just fine!
ok...but keep focused....Don't let anyone try and discourage you
either....ok? YOU CAN DO IT!!!
— LindaA
April 14, 2008
This surgery will take all of your will power at times during the first few
weeks after surgery. I suggest you use all of your will power to follow the
surgeon's instructions. If you don't follow them, you may be in for some
bad experiences. The surgery is still only the tool for weight loss, and
you're in charge of the tool--in other words, you have to make the correct
decisions.
— Dave Chambers
April 14, 2008
You need to seriously think about what you just said. If you do not have
the will power to follow the instructions for 5 days how in the world are
you going to follow them for a lifetime. This is not an easy process. I am
almost 11 months out and it has been a tough road to lose this weight but
You need to know if you are really committed to changing your eating for
the rest of your life. If you want to talk you can e-mail me at
[email protected]
— Alvernlaw
April 14, 2008
I agree with everything everybody has said. One positive beyond all this is
that your weight loss before surgery will be added to your loss after
surgery. Not like a normal quick diet where you will gain it back in a
week. You will easily loose 20-25 pounds right after surgery. If you loose
10 pounds or more prior to the surgery you can just add to that 25. That is
a lot of incentive to me.
— jannmyers
April 14, 2008
well for me personally i didn't bother with the liquid diet....when the
nutritionist told me i had to do that i said to myself "yea right with
a normal stomach...your high" lol the day of surgery the surgeon
asked me if i did it and i just looked at him and laughed and then he
laughed...i don't think personally these surgeons expect people to be able
to do this damn liquid diet before surgery, i just think they tell you to
do it to cover their butts...but hey that's me...and my surgery went fine
and 130lbs less later i feel great! good luck
— lizzie42
April 14, 2008
Smiles...I would say follow what u r to do now, just like the Dr. says and
follow them afterwards as well...gotta get tough gal....people say this is
an easy journey, what a joke...I am 2.5 yrs out and work and do the program
daily, of course I have seen my goal and passed it...but I do follow my
Dr.orders before and afterwards....smiles
— txblonde
April 14, 2008
Personally, my surgeon did not require the liquid diet. I did try some
fried food about a week before my surgery and found that it wasn't worth
all the fuss. I hand't eaten fried food in so long(I had been very loyal
to my diet plan for more than 4 months before surgery) and the fried food
made me sick! I thought I was prepared for what was to come after surgery
and I had a rude awakening afterward. I'm only 6 weeks out and I have come
to realize that you need to be very loyal to the diet plan that your Dr.
sets for you, other wise you'll have many problems and you'll feel
terrible. I was told repeatedly what I needed to do, but after surgery
it's easy to do the wrong things if your not careful. You may not be
hungry for a while....but there in NOTHING IN THE WORLD that will stop that
"Feel good feeling" that you get when you put something in your
mouth that's a trigger food for you. You need to make sure that your mind
has over come all that and follow your Dr's and dietician's suggestions.
Good luck to you.
— deebunny38
April 14, 2008
I'm sure you realize now after posting your question that people have very
strong opinions on this. I only had to do a liquid diet 2 days prior to
surgery, and it was murder for me. I would chew and spit food....just
because I needed to chew something. Bad habit, don't recommend it. I did
eat a bite or two of dressing the first night, but not the second. My liver
was still very enlarged, and the surgeon told me some people have large
livers, and mine was healthy and he managed to work his way around it. If
your surgeon is experienced and skilled, they usually will. You will not
require an open surgery as opposed to a laparoscopic one unless there are
other major issues. Most would prefer to stay lap rather than risk cutting
you all the way open. However, keeping all this in mind, it's much better
for you to stick with the liquids the best you can. Especially the last
two days...prior to surgery. That 5 day liquid diet isn't going to shrink
your liver by the way. It takes more time than that. My surgeon told me
that. That's why they had me working on losing 10-15 pounds 3 months prior
to surgery. The liquid diet is a good way to make very sure you're cleaned
out and that you drop some weight as any weight off helps tremendously with
your recovery. You'll make it dear.....and come Friday..... you'll be
starving...but so glad of your accomplishment. Keep yourself busy so you
don't think about eating as much....and journal how you're feeling...that
too takes time away from wanting to eat. Best of luck to you!
Hugs...Cheryl
— Cheryl K.
April 14, 2008
I have serious concerns about your question. It is necessary to follow
your surgeon's orders for you to have the best surgical and post-operative
experience. When we commit to WLS, we commit to do what we are told and
follow a certain set of rules and make changes for a lifetime. If we make
the committment and make these changese for life, we will reap great
rewards. If we cheat and learn how to work around the rules and our tools,
we will suffer the consequences. I understand the liquid diet is hard, you
are starving, going through carbohydrate withdrawal and anxious about your
upcoming surgery. I've been there. Try to do the right thing, even though
it's hard and you'll do fine. Find a support group, post on OH and ask for
help. You can do it. One hour, one meal, one day at a time.
Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC
— DawnVic
April 15, 2008
The requirement for my surgery was liquid only for 2 days (48 hours) prior
to surgery AND if I were to gain even ONE pound from my pre-surgery weight
taken a month before-hand he would not do the surgery. He does this so that
the liver shrinks and, he says if we can't keep from gaining weight in that
last month even with the 2 days liquid diet then we are "not
ready" for the life change. Hang in there and try to stick with your
liquids. You can do it!!!!
— Fluffee
April 15, 2008
Melinda, please don't take to heart what some of the well-intentioned
(albeit somewhat strident) peers have suggested in their responses. First,
being on clear liquids for a few days before RNY is important because you
don't really want much of anything in your stomach when it is being cut--
and the less that is in your intestine, the easier the procedure is.
Secondly, having a supple liver is critical--- now, as long as you are not
asking your liver to process alcohol or fats, it will shrink and become
more supple. Lastly, all the rules that are imposed on some level
encourage us to become more conscious of everything that passes between our
lips-- that, more than anything, empowers us to learn to treat food as a
source of nutrition and not as an emotional crunch or boredom-relieving
device. If it were an easy task to accomplish, none of us would need
surgeyr in the first place, so don't fret that you are troubled about how
you will make it through a few more days of clear liquids. Of course, now
that you will hopefully stop beating yourself up for having some fried
fish, buckle down and try your best because the mistakes you make over the
next few days can have a health consequence.
— SteveColarossi
April 15, 2008
my doctor told me to enjoy food up until 5:00 pm the night before. My
surgery was scheduled the next day at 9:00 am. He said no need to be on a
diet before. I read some of the other posts and got nervous when I saw
people were on diets before the surgery. I called him and he said no need
my bmi was a 48. But I would listen to your doctor.
— shadow1102
April 15, 2008
Melinda,
I have to agree with Steve. Some people who mean well are also judgmental
as well. I don't think 1 piece of fish will hurt. I am still preop and have
lost 18lbs. The dr was happy and said when I go to my education class on
22nd, he wants me to lose even more probably mostly liquid until surgery on
May 5th. Now comon, I have lost weight already and practically starving and
he wants more. I will try my hardest to follow his advice, but if I wind up
cheating a tiny bit, I will not beat myself up because I have done well up
to this point. feel free to message me if you have any questions or need
support
— bikermama
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