Changing the Pre-op diet

[SJB41976]

I am supposed to be on a 4 week 1200 calorie diet then 2 weeks of clears. I already know I'm not going to do the 1200 diet, rather I am doing clean eating/Paleo starting this week. So, instead of 1200 calories a day I am eating meats, veggies, and cutting out processed foods, sugar and wheat and most dairy. This is how I am hoping to eat most of the time post surgery.

Anyhoo...if I am doing this starting this week and my pre-op appointment is February 3rd and I continue eating Paleo until 5-6 days before surgery THEN do liquids there is nothing dangerous about that, is there. . I was wanting advice on only doing 5 or 6 days liquid instead of 2. I did 2 weeks when I had my VSG and it really SUCKS!!! And if I am shrinking my liver and losing weight eating Paleo then am I doing myself harm cutting the liquid phase in half??

Of course I'm not telling my doctor this, but to me, if I am losing weight and shrinking my liver before surgery (which I think is the goal of all this) then does it matter HOW I do it???

I'm not asking for permission, just 'what would you do'....everyone's pre-op diets vary so much it's hard to figure out WHY exactly!

Thanks!
Susan

 

[Clematis]

All I can tell you is what my doctor instructed: 2 weeks of Atkins (<20 gr carbs) with no calorie restrictions, then 5 days of clears.

All doctors have different rules.

 

[Clematis]

Oh, even though there were no calorie restrictions, I limited myself to 1200-1500.

 

[aaa]

Mine said 2 days of clear. That was all.

 

[BebeZed]

My doctor does a 5 day clears prior to surgery. It worked out fine for me.

 

[southernlady]

Same doc as you, @SJB41976 and because my BMI was only 35.2, the ONLY "diet" I had was the night before...nothing after midnight. IF it were me, I would do exactly what you are thinking.

 

[DSRIGGS]

5 days of clears was it and that was to shrunk and make the liver more malleable. That makes perfect sense to me, beyond that my belief is pre-op dieting is a pointless load of nonsense.

 

[duh_Mom]

@SJB41976 for me it was only 2 days of clear and 3 weeks of 800 cal - using all protein supplements. You may want to check your plan again related to the clear.
I followed it closely because I did not want any doubts in my head if something went wrong I would not blames myself with a seed of doubt that had I done something differently.

 

[SJB41976]

@duh_Mom I go February 3rd for the diet class so I'm sure they will give me the down low then.

 

[SJB41976]

oh, I see I said clear when I meant liquid. oops.

 

[Marquis Mark]

Same doc as you, @SJB41976 and because my BMI was only 35.2, the ONLY "diet" I had was the night before...nothing after midnight. IF it were me, I would do exactly what you are thinking.

Mine was exactly the same. I was allowed a light breakfast the day before, then when I got home magnesium Citrate to clean me out. Then nothing to drink after midnight. My surgery was at 2 pm the next day.

 

[southernlady]

Mine was exactly the same. I was allowed a light breakfast the day before, then when I got home magnesium Citrate to clean me out. Then nothing to drink after midnight. My surgery was at 2 pm the next day.

I didn't even have to do the clean out. And my surgery was first one in the AM. I ate light but normal all day before til about 8-9PM.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Before my revision Dr K told me to eat a cheeseburger if I wanted for dinner the night before surgery.

As I have said numerous times I think the diets other than short term clears to help with liver protection during surgery, are pointlessly unnecessary.... And I think deplete energy stores for not good reason

Additionally if the idea is to reduce weight and associated risk under anesthesia, does being 430 lbs rather than 450 really improve your risk profile enough to make a significant difference?

 

[SJB41976]

I agree with all of you. I'm going to eat Paleo (basically, low carb but not as strict as Atkins) until February 3rd and my pre-op diet class. Hopefully I will have lost a little weight by then and we will see what they say to do. I HAVE to buy the BariLife stuff for the 800 calorie diet, which I was told was two weeks and I will purchase all of that stuff at my pre-op visit.

That's going to be a long day, by choice. I'm having my pre-op appointment/diet class in the AM and all of my pre-surgery medical tests in the afternoon. That way I don't have to make two trips.

 

[southernlady]

I agree with all of you. I'm going to eat Paleo (basically, low carb but not as strict as Atkins) until February 3rd and my pre-op diet class. Hopefully I will have lost a little weight by then and we will see what they say to do. I HAVE to buy the BariLife stuff for the 800 calorie diet, which I was told was two weeks and I will purchase all of that stuff at my pre-op visit.

That's going to be a long day, by choice. I'm having my pre-op appointment/diet class in the AM and all of my pre-surgery medical tests in the afternoon. That way I don't have to make two trips.

I avoiding buying the stuff by saying I didn't have the money for it right then, that my payday was a week away. They told me to get it then and I just never did.