800 calorie diet for 4 weeks--there is like no way to do this without going broke on BariLife

[writegirl]

I could have a faulty memory, but I thought someone here told the dietitian (or nurse) at Boyce's office that he/she could not afford those food products and would eat a high protein low carb 800 cal diet instead. That seemed to go over fine. You might try that approach. I would not buy any more of those food products from him. It is total BS. This reminds me of an HMR or Optifast program - blech.

I think I will keep it to myself and just do my own careful plan of high protein low carbs and use whatever barilife I have on hand that last week. I doubt that the NUT would put up much of an argument. I think they're trained to "offer" the barilife but not hard-sell it.

 

[harrietvane]

My pre-op diet, like many people on here, was 'Eat what you like until the day before, then liquids, then nil by mouth from midnight the night before'. This was both for my band and for my revision to a DS. Not following the diet is not going to change the outcome either way. You're just going to change the profitability of you as a patient for them!

 

[Charris]

The NUT was very cautious in her language stating that the BariLife is "The preferred method" and "They way you should go for optimal results" so, I don't think Boyce would actually stop someone from getting the surgery. Plus, the surgery is also the way he gets paid. I just take exception to the fear tactics in the take home folder of pre-op diet guidelines. I also take exception to the ridiculous cost of the barilife "supplements" (food).

o.k. as long as he is not saying you have to or else. CAUSE that is not right especially when some are scraping up the money by any means necessary to have the surgery for him to then say line my pockets with cash you have to buy my product line. HE can suggest all he wants as long as people have the right to say no I'm cool. Man was i irritated. lol

 

[writegirl]

I bet there are legal reasons why they "suggest" and not "command" but, at the end of the day, if I don't lose a substantial amount between now and my surgery date, they could refuse my procedure or delay it. So it is 800 calories for me...not thrilled lol.

 

[southernlady]

I bet there are legal reasons why they "suggest" and not "command" but, at the end of the day, if I don't lose a substantial amount between now and my surgery date, they could refuse my procedure or delay it. So it is 800 calories for me...not thrilled lol.

Yes, but lean meats and very low carb veggies. May as well eat salad for now as salad may become an issue post op. Just adhere to the 800 calories, logging every bite so you can prove you didn't exceed 800 calories a day.

 

[writegirl]

Yes, but lean meats and very low carb veggies. May as well eat salad for now as salad may become an issue post op. Just adhere to the 800 calories, logging every bite so you can prove you didn't exceed 800 calories a day.

I've been logging everything using the baritastic app --I can send the logs right to the NUT from that app if there is any questions about my adherence to a strict 800 calories. Yesterday I came in under at 725 calories. Today has been hard. I'm not hungry, but I have zero energy. I feel like my brain isn't engaged and I started getting cramps in my feet. It's not dehydration as I'm drinking about 68 oz of water. I think I am needing potassium, so I drank a G2 (gross!) and it helped, but I am still feeling way in a fog.

 

[Rhondajs]

So I just went through the pre surgery process three weeks ago. Being a revision, this is not my first torture diet. What they sold you is snake water.

What I did was follow a low carb/high fat/high protein diet. Cause really, this is how you're going to eat the rest of your life and you might as well get used to it. I only lost a few pounds but they gave me the surgery anyway. Just because you might follow an 800 calorie "MRE diet" (I LOVE that description btw) doesn't guarantee you're going to lose weight or shrink your liver.

Learn to take care of your new body before surgery is my advice. And as far as drinking coffee, if you don't like black coffee just add full fat cream (less carbs than milk). Or you could look into bulletproof coffee that was all the rage a few years ago.
Good luck and hang in there!

 

[writegirl]

Thank you! You are so right on the snake oil. I've been doing as @southernlady has suggested (and others also) and eating much in the way you've described. I'll use the crap I bought off them, but not as a sole source of my food and I am not starting that crap till the last week of my pre-op (up to the liquid part). I've been eating home cooked meats, broths I make myself, lots of low glycemic veggies and drinking a lot of water. I'm also on the two doses of Benefiber a day and that is, eh hem, an experience in itself. I've been strict about making sure I don't go above the 800 calories. I'm also cooking each night for my family. It's a hard knock life right now lol.

 

[Renzryd]

"Liver shrinking" is bullshit, too. Somewhere on this board @DianaCox (I think) talks about how stupid this is. (No sense searching for it as "liver shrinking" will give you a gazillion hits.)

But I do think it wise to limit solids a couple of days before any abdominal surgery because I wouldn't want the joy of pushing out poop immediately post-op and/or being profoundly constipated from the pain killers.

Just wondering since I saw you were an Esquerra patient. Do they give you anything to prevent or assist in the pain med constipation department at the hospital? 2nd stage DS on the 1st with Esquerra.

 

[Clematis]

No but I didn't have a problem. Remember you will not have eaten any solid food for 5 days. I first pooped 6 days later - a tiny amount and very soft. Most report diarrhea for first poop post-op.

Lest anyone think this isn't a big problem: Opiate constipation is a KILLER. 4 days after my body lift a month ago and no poop I ended up in ER with a blockage. If you want to know more about the horrror of this, PM me.

 

[Settledownnow]

No but I didn't have a problem. Remember you will not have eaten any solid food for 5 days. I first pooped 6 days later - a tiny amount and very soft. Most report diarrhea for first poop post-op.

Lest anyone think this isn't a big problem: Opiate constipation is a KILLER. 4 days after my body lift a month ago and no poop I ended up in ER with a blockage. If you want to know more about the horrror of this, PM me.

@Clematis this sounds awful! I assumed you were also taking stool softeners during your time on opiates when this happened - ? I am scheduled for surgery with a 4-5 hosp stay and am thinking of seriously reducing the calcium while I am on opiates during my recovery. Any suggestions to avoid constipation from surgery/opiates? I was wondering if the sugar from the Boost and Gatorade they recommend might help to loosen things up. Or, maybe I should just eat a donut when I get home.

 

[Rhondajs]

Good for you! It's hard to make dietary changes and you should give yourself a pat on the back for this! I'm curious though how they got 800 calories as a magic number.

Here's a good story for you. The last pre-op appointment I had with my nurse practitioner she asked me how I was doing. I must have looked rough and told her I was on the pre-op diet and PMS-ing. "How do you think I'm doing?" She physically, and probably unintentionally, backed up towards the door in the exam room.

 

[DianaCox]

No need to take calcium early out. Especially while on opioids. I didn't stray my supplements until three months out, because I was afraid of gagging. I don't recommend waiting that long, but a couple of weeks is soon enough.

 

[Clematis]

@Settledownnow I'll PM you as this is getting off topic for write girl's thread.