Pre-op diet from hell

In preparation of surgery, every WLS patient must succumb to the dreaded "pre-op" diet.  This can consist of and be many things.  Some people are on it for a month, two weeks, three days, or not at all.  Sometimes it's all clear liquids or just reduced calories and fat.  Regardless, it blows.

I'm fortunate enough that my doctor isn't one of the ones who requires a longer amount of time to be on the diet.  Also, my diet plan allows some vegetables, thin soup, and protein drinks.  I basically need to stay under 1,000 calories a day, absolutely no fat, and get 50g of protein in.  No easy feat especially when protein shakes taste like butt and you can't add anything flavorful to them such as peanut butter (too much fat le sigh).

So I present to you the main staples of my pre-op diet of doom:

Carnation Instant Breakfast, SODIUM FREE chicken and beef broth, and sugar free jello.  Guess what, they all taste terrible, ugh.  I would also have a tomato-broth-vegetable type soup for lunch and eat a lot of cucumbers because it was one of the permitted vegetables that happen to be my favorite.

But, I've survived, much to my surprise, with minimal cheating.  What?  You didn't think I wouldn't cheat here or there?  Granted, I cheated on egg whites.  Such a badass, right?  It was only the first day and I don't really have a good excuse but I felt really bad about myself afterward and tried to be the best I could be for the rest of the diet.

Which leads me to this conclusion: I think pre-op diets are bullshit.  I get that the night before you should be on clear liquids but the pre-op diet varies so much from doctor to doctor, how can it really be beneficial?  They claim this diet is to shrink the liver, can you really shrink the liver in a few days?  Internet research (I know, I know, I can hear your groaning now) shows that no, it takes something more like 3 months to shrink your liver.  But, I decided to be a good sport and just deal with it.  However, my husband just made bacon and eggs for dinner and I think he's actually trying to kill me.  My apartment smells like bacon and I'm ready to eat the damn couch.

Tomorrow is the big day for me.  I am the first case of the day so I have to be at the hospital by 6AM which is good and yet sucky.  I'm looking forward to being done with surgery and beginning this new journey.  I will return to you a sleeved woman!