How strict were you on the pre op diet???

I am having surgery next Wednesday and have not been so strict on my diet in the last week or so...I have a couple days to make up for it before starting my clear liquid diet 3 days prior. Were any of you "heavyweights" not too strict on your pre op diet and what was the outcome? Any tips you can give me?

i had 2 shakes and a lean cosine for 5 days ,I could have 1/2 fruit if my blood sugar was low or if I got a headache ,

 then the last 2 days where clear liquids and laxatives

 my surgeon never used a pre-op diet till he got a new partner and seen her surgeries go much easier so he started using one

my surgery went great I was told I carried my weight on the outside which is healthier and made the surgery easier

 I am a heavy weight but not for long

ps try to stick to your surgeons plan the best you can it is for your safety and health ,not just to torture you

I was on a 2 week pre-op plan and only cheated one time and that was eating on piece of weigh****chers string cheese.  Your surgery will go so much easier if you follow your Dr.'s plan.  I know it is hard but so worth it.  Good luck!

I didn't have any pre op diet requirements. Just a bowel prep the night before. 

I was very strict for the 2 weeks, on the last day before my surgery, I did eat a 1/2 a hot dog. The reasoning behind the strict diet is to reduce the size of your stomach and "defat" your liver so it will be also smaller and easier to get it out of the way. Hang in there you are almost there.

Two weeks, no cheating, followed it to the letter.  I maybe was even a bit stricter on myself than was needed.

I don't recommend you cheat at all, this plan is for your safety and recovery.  I'd get right with the program immediately.  You have 1-1/2 weeks of mental toughness to go but you've buying the rest of your life with it.  From that point of view it's a cheap purchase.

I recommend lots and lots of water with appropriate sweetners added.  That's your best tool.  I also recommend eating very small throughout the day.  Don't spend your full day's allotment on a single meal.

Sadly, if you're like me, you'll probably be hungry.  During that period I had what I'd call a low persistent constant hunger.  I was never really famished, but also never (never) really full either.  This is a good time to focus your brain on the calorie math.  Keep reminding yourself that you've eaten enough to fuel the body and that extra hunger you feel isn't about needing fuel, it's head stuff.

In 1-1/2 weeks it'll be over and you can move on...

good luck

I think this is excellent advice!  I too followed my surgeon's directions to the letter and had a very easy recovery.  It's not easy, but very worth it. 

Each surgeon is different on what they require on a pre op diet but you need to follow your doctors plan to a "tee".  There are valid medical reasons why you were put on your pre-op plan.  They are trying to get that liver as small as possible to get it out of the way to do the surgery.  No the pre-op plan may not be easy but having this surgery and getting to a healthy goal weight is not easy either.  If you think it is okay to cheat on the pre-op diet then do you think it is going to be okay to cheat on your eating plan after you have surgery????  You have to use self control through this whole process and it won't be easy.

What is done is done but you need to stick to your plan to the letter from here on out or you are not ready for this surgery and what is to follow.  I know that sounds harsh but you want to be successful and that means you need to change your lifestyle and one of those changes is to follow your plan.

My surgeon's office has opened two people up recently and had to stop and close them up because the liver was just too big.  They were going to have to wait until they lost some more weight.  They talked to them afterwards and found out that they did not follow the pre-op plan even though they said they had.

My tip to you is to get on track and plan on staying there from here on out!  I truly do wish you well in your surgery.

I followed it to the letter.  It was really really hard but I kept telling myself if I couldn't handle ten days of suckiness could I handle a lifetime of having to make hard choices?  (And this is what they stressed to us in our pre-op class as well.)  My surgery went really well and he was able to use the smallest incisions possible.  Knowing I could follow 10 days of hard choices gave me the confidence to know I could handle it after surgery and I think has helped me be successful after surgery.

I was given a 3 week diet, the last two of witch were liquid diet.  I knew that it would be hard to follow so I set up for small cheats that were low in calorie but covered important craving flavor profiles.  I also only allowed them the first two weeks and once 4 days before the surgery.  Only one cheat a day but mostly I had one every other day after the first few days. The two cheats I had was laughing cow light spreadable cheese (the garlic one) with one serving of wheat thins and I found some sugar free dark chocolate candy.  (time of the month)  The candy was an emergency option and I only had 5 total over the three weeks. (30 cal each)  I made sure that my stomach was clear for the surgery and in that time I lost 20 lb.  I have done really well health wise after the surgery and am following the diet to the letter now.  Early on I needed those cheats because I was still hungry and craving everything they helped me get ready for this part where I really needed to be strict and I can't cheat.  Everyone who had surgery with me had cheated but I would make sure you are strict the 3 days prior to surgery at minimum and if you can do more that would be better. I think the better you are the less likely you will have a complication.  I suggest you try to be as strict as you can and work out as much as you can.  This surgery will make you very weak for a while so you want to be as strong as you can when you go in.  I am sure you will be fine, just do what you can now to help your recovery.  Good Luck.