My surgeon didn't require me to do a liquid diet before surgery -- (yeah.. Fleet's instead.. so nasty).. and I know that the liquid diet helps reduce the size of your liver so it is easy for them to get around it once they get the instruments in there..

I know it TOTALLY sucks, though. I've done all-liquids for other reasons and it's hard.. but if you stick with it, you'll get over the hunger hurdle soon.. your body will go into ketosis and you won't feel hungry anymore.. your energy will continue to be low -- make sure you're taking your vitamins and drink LOTS OF WATER.. believe it or not, water is a natural appetite suppressant. It sucks because it doesn't taste as good as whatever craving is attacking you at the time.. but it does help.. and staying ultra hydrated will also help you with headaches plus you won't see a giant drop immediately after surgery from water weight and then get upset when it slows down.. you'll have a more steady weight loss..

just stay the course.. You're going to do great!!!
Stef

I only had to do a partial liquid diet for the week prior to surgery and if it helps any, it was the hardest part of the whole journey. Just keep telling yourself how it it worth it and you will get there. You will be hungry and tired but you can do.

I had to do a 2 week liquid diet. It's extremely important for you to stick to the diet. If you don't lose enough fat in your liver for it to be easy for them to move it over enough to operate laparoscopically, they will have to open you up completely to get your liver out of the way and that poses a higher risk for complications.
I ate fat free, plain greek yogurt with 2 sugar free popsicles or a spoon of jello powder mixed in it for flavor. YUM! AND it's high in protein.

Hey everyone...I'm about a week out from surgery, my date is the 19th, so today is my first day of the liquid diet. I'm really not looking forward to this week as it's only day one and I'm pretty hungry and tired. I guess I'm just used to a protein packed breakfast so I'm feeling a bit sluggish at work this morning. I know I have no choice and I just have to struggle through this last hurdle, but do any of you have any suggestions on how to make the best of this time?

The pre-op diet phase was the worst for me. My surgeon required a 2 week preop of 2 protein shakes a day with a small meal of dense protein and a non-starchy veggie. The day before surgery was clear liquids only and nothing after midnight the day of surgery. There is really no way to get around just pushing through it. I was allowed to use SF popsicles and SF jello...those were my life lines! They are still going to be your friends in the immediate post op phase too. You can do this! So excited for you!

I agree with everyone else, the liquid diet does suck, but when you look at it this way, it's one (or two) weeks out of your entire life. I'm hoping that having the surgery has added at least 20 years to my life span. Two weeks of a liquid diet seems like a really small price to pay for 20 more years of life!

I think my saving grace was the sugar free Popsicles. I think the sweet was nice but the trick was the cold on my stomach often shut down the hunger.

I had not thought of the cold popsicles dampening the hunger. I will keep this in mind as my two weeks are coming up. I have surgery on the 28th...

Thanks!!!

Wow, Onaughmae, I feel like a wimp for complaining about 1 week when you had to struggle through 2. Way to go! I can already tell that SF jello is going to be my saving grace this week...it's the closest I will get to chewing, haha. Thanks for the support!

You are very welcome You can do this! It actually gets easier as the days go by. After my surgery my doc required 2 weeks of full liquids only. Protein shakes and strained soups. Once I finally got to where I could eat something the first thing I tried was a little cottage cheese. It was the best thing I had ever eaten and I savored every bite of that 1/4cup!

I have been told that by the time you get to the soft food phase you enjoy that first bite of food...

I had to do 2 weeks of a liquid diet. Sugar Free Jello will be your friend.. as it gives you something to chew. I also found.. as odd as it sounds that gum helped me to keep from getting so hungry, because again I was able to chew on something. After that water water water. The first 3 days were the hardest for me... then it seemed to get better.
Oh, and as for the first bite of food.. the BEST blended Pinto Beans of my life!!!! I know it sounds gross.. but I swear they were awesome.

My doctor said one week before follow the two liquids and a small dinner. I actually did something different.

1. I started South Beach diet two weeks out. I had to eliminate my loves - bread, pasta, and starches.
2. The week before instead of having shake, shake, meal, I had shake, meal, shake. That worked out best for me because I needed to feel normal at work. Plus, I was super hungry. My protein shake has 30 grams of protein, so I sipped on it as long as I could.

Good luck, you can do it!