Venture pre-op

Going to use this as a little log of my pre-op adventures rather than clogging up my main thread which is here. Since I only just noticed this forum this morning...!

So, op date is 27th May; that's 12 days left. Today I started liver shrinking high-protein liquid diet which I will continue until surgery. Surgeon didn't request it, but I want to do it; it'll make life easier for them, reduce risks of complications, and give me a bonus weight loss to kick things off as I mean to go on. I want to do it as a personal challenge to prove to myself my dedication to this path that I am taking. Also, I'm hoping it might kick some of my cravings into touch in advance of surgery rather than dealing with them afterward when I'm feeling weak. We'll see!

Op day -12.
Strawberry protein shake for breakfast, 5.30am. Game plan is to aim for 3.5-4hrs between shakes. Made it to 11am! Storming it! Didn't feel any particular hunger any more than usual. Perhaps I am just used to stretching myself between meals at work. Next shake at 2pm, was a little harder to get through than the morning. Someone brought samosas into the office, why couldn't it have been yesterday! Managed to control myself and didn't have any, even when they were left next to the water cooler so there was no escape!
Spent a lot of the afternoon thinking about what I might have for dinner, maybe buy a thin soup or something.
Urge to eat was REALLY strong when I got home from work, felt pretty miserable about it all for a while, was contemplating eating the thick (probably unhealthy) soup in the cupboard, but thought that I probably shouldn't if this is a mind over matter exercise - I should have something that my body NEEDS not necessarily what I FANCY even if it might be OK. That's a slippery slope to cheating I think. I was counting the minutes until 5pm when I would let myself have another shake, but I got absorbed in something and didn't think about food/shakes until gone 6, then 7, and then well now it's 9.20pm and I'm still fine... I feel peckish certainly, but it's manageable head hunger, I think.

Interesting experiment. I have warned the office that I will probably be a total ogre next week after that long without solid food!

Doing well venture. Just remember this liquid stage is temporary. When inwas on liquids on my post op diet (i didnt have to do a pre op diet) i was miserable and counting down the days. Everything passes.

Sm


Xx

Thanks SM, I'm doing OK so far! I'm hoping that doing this liquid pre-op will make the post op less of a system shock!

Op day -11
Had a Weiner shake(!) for breakfast, my name for a recipe by Dr Weiner the surgeon on YouTube. Banana, cup of natural yoghurt, and 4 tablespoons of peanut butter (I used almond butter since I had that in the cupboard). Tasty! And good to get some more natural nutrients in i suppose!
Was busy outside working on the car today, didn't think about food at all until all of a sudden I could smell barbecue cooking...! Luckily it was lunchtime anyway so I came in and had a shake made with milk instead of water, a bit better tasting and some calcium.
Then spent most of the afternoon laying out in the sunshine. Just now put away another shake for dinner, these strawberry ones are dire!

Keep getting little mini fantasies about food in idle moments when I'm hungry, getting a shake in and finding something to occupy myself with seems to take care of it.
Still, I'm concerned how I'll be next weekend.

Hi Venture,
You are doing the right thing by starting to g e t used to a new eating regime but remember bbq'd meat is so healthy protein. Drinking those shakes for two weeks after the operation is tiresome - You will drink them despite not feeling hungry but to get protein in. Maybe give yourself a break for at least one meal of the day. I remember trying to consume more calories after the operation, really... get your strength up. You can still loose weight with high protein, low fat and carb diet.
I did not do pre operation diet at all.

Tules, luckily it wasn't my BBQ so no risks of eating any anyway!
Thanks for your tips I think I want to stick with it for now to prove to myself I can do it if I want to... I think having normal solids at this stage will leave me more open to cheating or my usual bad portion control. Total change like this isn't actually too hard (at the moment!) and I'm only really pining for food in the same way I would have done if I was eating normally!

Already down 7lbs since booking surgery!

Well done! My LSD wasn't all fluids so I was eating meat/fish with veg/salad, eggs etc. - low carb, low fat, low cal. Need to drink plenty of water too. I found Syntrax whey isolate a welcome change from milky type protein shakes. Good luck!

Op day -10

Another Weiner shake for breakfast and two normal shakes throughout the day. Weiner shake is definitely my favourite especially with a bit of ice, but I read a thing that recommends keeping carb intake below 60g otherwise you may not induce ketosis, so I'm going to stick to one a day. Really not a fan of my strawberry shake, it was better with loads of ice to give it more of an ice cream type texture but still tastes funny.

Really struggled with my demons today, I spent a good few hours being caught out by food fantasies in idle moments. I suspect it's because I wasn't really doing anything today. Looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow and keeping busy.

Also spoke to a friend who threw in the old "if you're doing so well at this, don't you think you could keep it up a few months and lose weight the normal way?"
This was a bit tough to hear, as she's someone who lost an inspirational amount of weight a few years ago but she said she went through a terrible time psychologically before she got the weight down and got into bulimia and so on.
She also got a bit upset about the risks, history of depression post-surgery and failure rates etc - then said something that made me think she might have got the impression I was having the gastric band not the sleeve. Which as I understand does have so many issues that the sleeve does not.
Anyway spent a little while doubting myself after that, and reading/watching negative stuff about the surgery. I also feel like I'm mourning food a bit, my brain is desperately trying to make me eat pizza and forlornly remember times where I've stuffed my face socially with friends and it's been fun, and how I wont be able to do those things anymore.
That's true to an extent, but I accept that the ability to do those things is what got me into this trouble. I'll still be able to enjoy stuff (after a few months) but in moderation which is definitely the way to be.

Hi Ventura,
The thing is, after the surgery you will not feel hungry...so will not yearn for pizzas. You will have the head hunger for a little while out of habit but that will go off soon enough.
I still think you should have at least one proper meal rather than shakes. Liquid stage is not just s t shakes anyway, you will have soup, juice etc. I cannot even look at protein packages now, I am worried you are putting yourself off even before the operation. My pre opening diet (which with my surgeons suggestion I did not follow) was a normal diet with porridge, eggs, lean meat and lots of veg.
Make sure you are strong for the operation and recovery. Ensure you take vitamins. After the operation you will have a few sips of liquid at a time. Take cordial/squash with you. I found in the first few days I could tolerate tea better - had herbal tea.
Good luck!

P.s. regarding your friends comments. Most of us have lost big amount of weight in the past....and put it all back on again, hence this operation to help.maintain. I did the Lighter Life with great success, and a year later put it back on and more....
So you are doing the right thing.

Tules,
Hasn't really thought about being sick of the protein shakes to be honest!
I just don't want to take in too many carbs and therefore not make the most of the ketosis period. I'll do you a truce: on days I go for a swim (mon-thurs) and need some more fuel anyway, I'll have a chunky soup for dinner afterward instead of a shake.

Re my friend, yes that's why I'm doing it too. I could lose some weight again by myself if I really wanted to, maybe... But I know I can't keep it off. And I also know I'm not driven enough to even get down to the weight I want in the first place. I'm grateful for this forum for support! I'm hoping she just thought I meant gastric band and once we clear that misunderstanding up I'll be fine.

Oh also I've been taking a multivitamin for the past month and I've just started taking b-complex too, should be fine

Evening check-in.

9 days to go. Single digits!
Not a great day for me. Was hungry all day (except the hour immediately after having something) and counting off the minutes until my next mealtime. Did a great session in the pool. Came home and had my chunky soup as promised, I'd been looking forward to it all day! But after that, well... I didn't get a full feeling. And then I got the urge to have another bowl... and I eventually couldn't fight it and gave in.

Now obviously this isn't the end of the world, it's only some bloody soup! Healthy soup at that! And I still did absolutely great for calories today. It's the principle that I don't like. I couldn't quite keep myself under control, when I've done so well until now. I don't know if it counts as cheating, probably not in the grand scheme of things, but I'm going to stick to my boring old shakes I think. Risk of temptation is too great for me clearly.

Also the soup was nice but it wasn't really worth it!

Are you drinking enough fluid, most of us didn't...and a pint of water sometimes does the trick

Definitely, if anything I worry I might be drinking too much! Around 3 litres most days.

Hi Venture! Your posts are great! It takes me back to my LSD fortnight. The food fantasy bit made me smile - I dreamt I was eating an all you can eat Chinese banquet and then dreamt that I dreamt I was eating an all you can eat Chinese banquet - weird! I was on slim fast shakes - 4 a day for 2 weeks (yuck!) and became desperate for something that wasn't sweet. Eventually I gave in and had a few teaspoons of chicken bisto. I was so relieved I cried!

And as for the extra bowl of soup... Don't forget your stomach is normal size at the moment. After surgery you may be tempted by more but you won't physically be able to fit it in. The sleeve is a great tool.

Tules said that you won't feel hungry but 6 months down the line I feel hungry quite often but still have reasonable restriction so am still losing although now much more slowly. I do have to be a bit careful as I can pack in around 1500 calories now if I don't make good choices.

I'm so excited for you. 9 days to go eh! You're going to be great and you are so well prepared. I'm reading your posts with interest. Hang on in there!

Thanks Pippa
The brain comes up with ridiculous things when it's addicted to something doesn't it. This is part of why I'm doing it, to have a hope of being rid of that. There was no biological need for the foods we were fantasising about! I hate having to second guess my own body.
How are things in the crazy fantasy department now you're 6 months out? Getting hungry is fine but if I can expect to get hungry and still crave junk then it may be an even harder fight than I thought.

Even being able to "pack in 1500 calories" is a great step when you think about it isn't it. Pre op I can do three times that if I'm really bad.
If I can have something that gives me a kick when I'm overdoing it sometimes that'll still be a game changer for me.

Hi venture I was on the low cal LSD diet and I are extra protein which was fine asking as it wasn't fat or carbs . My stomach was still a normal enlarged size at that point !

I made homemade lentil soup last night thickish ! And I can only manage 3-4 tablespoons max and I'm stuffed !!!!

Don't worry the sleeve assists with portion control stick healthy

Thanks JJ!

Op day -8 checkin.
Didn't feel too bad during the day today!
Had a chunky soup for dinner again. To be honest it's not been as good as I was hoping for either time. And I don't feel particularly full afterward even though I've consumed more volume than the protein shakes which do make me feel full. Can the stomach detect protein? Nowhere near as much in the soups as the shakes, maybe that's it. After sitting around for an hour or so it all went away, but I don't think I'll bother again. (I know I said that yesterday )

Went to the docs, told them about the surgery & asked for liquid form of my prescription. Had to park outside the fish and chip shop. The smell, oh god the smell! Torture!

Had a bit more "food-mourning" today, nothing too bad just a little stupid sadness in the back of my mind. It's kind of funny really, my subconscious clearly thinks I'll never eat again!

This time next week, I'll be in my hotel room waiting to go the next morning. Wow...

Cheeky weigh in this morning with a week of pre-op left, we are down over 8lbs since the start of this journey try and drop another few before they cut me up!

Venture said:

Cheeky weigh in this morning with a week of pre-op left, we are down over 8lbs since the start of this journey try and drop another few before they cut me up!

Click to expand...

Well done you !!!