Pre-op Diet Day 1

[Guest jodbug65]

So...Not only does the stuff taste like vanilla/chocolate flavoured CHALK, but I've got the worst cold I've had in years and I can't take anything except Tylenol! I think I'd rather die right about now! Lol! I can't even lay down without coughing and my head is aching and I just want some cough syrup! Lol! Any advice? Anyone have this issue when they started their pre-op? Any suggestions?!

[Kittycat]

Hi Jo, wow 2 weeks to go...how exciting!!

Yeh..Optifast shakes suck!! I had difficulty with them too..I added 2 TSBP of unsweetened cocoa and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to thicken it up and I was able to get it down.

Good luck baby!!!

[BandDiva]

So...Not only does the stuff taste like vanilla/chocolate flavoured CHALK, but I've got the worst cold I've had in years and I can't take anything except Tylenol! I think I'd rather die right about now! Lol! I can't even lay down without coughing and my head is aching and I just want some cough syrup! Lol! Any advice? Anyone have this issue when they started their pre-op? Any suggestions?!

Try putting Sugar free Hersheys syrup in it! Hang in there! You can do it! (we all made it through, lol)

[Guest jodbug65]

I think I could handle the crappy shakes under normal curcumstances, it's this cold that's making me ache for those comfort foods and medicines! I just want some chicken noodle soup and a big old swig of cough syrup lol

[JazzyJude]

Hi Sweetie,

Sorry you are not feeling good. Also, you can try to add the Sugar Free Hot Chocolate. That may help with the taste.

As far as the cold, take lots of Vit C and Enchasea (sp?). This helps without having the medicines in you. Also take some zinc lozengers to help with any throat issues.

Hope this helps@ Hey, only 2 more weeks to go!! Yea! I had mine last week and trust me, time will fly by!

[julieburns]

I think I could handle the crappy shakes under normal curcumstances, it's this cold that's making me ache for those comfort foods and medicines! I just want some chicken noodle soup and a big old swig of cough syrup lol

Why don't you take some cough syrup? I didn't think it was off limits

[1rod47]

OMG You have 2 long weeks of this.

Get Something That Tastes Good. I did 2 shakes a day and one LEAN CUISINE ( OCC option 2) is that what diet your on?

My Shakes where Glusera or Ensure, High Proten. Either one Tastes Great. The Ensure has 5 more calories than recomended but I Lost weight quickly and didn't have the hunger issues. I also took a Cromium Pecolanate for the Hunger Panges.

I'm going to miss the shakes, I'm suppose to get protein from solid food now. If your sick, take whatever it takes for you to get to feeling better. You need to be on top of your game for the next month for an smooth transition into the next stage of your life.

Good Luck and study the posts on this forum. IT IS YOUR HOMEWORK. YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS ADVENTURE. You have a team now :lb11:

[doinitagann]

Hey there,

i also did the ensure high protein shakes. I lost 10 pounds in the 12 days I was on it. So it could not be all that bad. They taste actually pretty good. I am sure you could do some cough syrup or at least some dayquil and nyquil. It does not have that many calories. don't torture yourself during this time, it will only make things worse. You need to be excited, not miserable. Trust me, the next 5 weeks are hard enough. If i can do it, Anyone can.

[shrty835]

I did option 2 from the OCC, For the shakes I did the Whey high protien chocalate caramel flavor. great flavor. Got it a GNC get the Discount card and on the first seven days of the month you get lots of discounts. Time will fly, stay foucused.

[Guest jodbug65]

WHOA! What kinda GREAT diet are you all on?!??!??!!! Mine is this stuff called Optifast....It's powdered so when you mix it up, it's chalky. And I'm not allowed to have anything except raw or steamed vegetables!!! So three shakes a day supplemented with 225 calories of raw veg. And of course none of the veggies I like. Nothing red (bye bye tomatoes) nothing orange (bye bye carrots) no peas, no beans, no corn, ALL of the stuff I like! So basically, I get to eat beet roots, kale, cabbage, spinich and green onions. SOOO lame! I WISH I could have a Lean Cuisine!

In any case, I called my patient coordinator today and I wasn't allowed to have anything except Tylenol/Aceteminophen (Spelling?) so she re-scheduled my surgery for a week later. Sooo, I got to go off of the Optifast and take some serious meds today- feeling a little bit better thank God! I also have a history of bronchial infections, so usually my colds don't go away without cough medicine and sometimes inhalers so they were concerned my lungs wouldn't be back in shape for my surgery!

On top of that, I have to do THREE weeks of this diet when I start again next Friday- most people are 2 weeks but I guess because I'm so gi-normous, I have to do three!

Did anyone else do the Optifast/Raw or Steamed veg diet? Any suggestions? I don't think I can eat steamed cabbage for three weeks straight! There must be some kind of exceptions? I didn't have an option of diets to choose from...I've been trying to get a hold of the dietician but of course, she's on vacation. Help! Lol!

Thanks for all the advice guys!!!

[Iluvmyboyz]

You are funny!!! I don't think that you have to do a longer pre-op diet because you are so ginormous. That is just silly!!! They have 3 pre-op diet options...I am not sure exactly what they consist of but I went with the 3rd option which was only 1 week long and it was rough but at least it was short.

I just went through all of my saved emails from Dr. Miranda and Lori from the OCC and this is what I discovered. I got desperate during that week and so I emailed them alot and asked several questions. I think this info makes this pre-op diet not so difficult.

This is the 1 week pre-op diet...

You are supposed to have 3 weight loss shakes per day. Any brand of protein shakes that are under 220 calories.

You can have up to 4 lbs of leafy greens per day with salad spritzer (Yes I typed 4 lbs) Can you say rabbit???

You can have 1/2 cup of either zucchini or sugar snap peas per day

You can eat sugar free jell-o.

You can substitute Minstrone or Vegetable soup for one shake per day

I bought the Slim Fast Optima and I thought they were totally gross. The best flavor was French Vanilla but I had to add lots of water to them to try to get them down without gagging. They were just super thick and rich and I liked them a tiny bit better watered down.

Also, Lori told me that one night when she was on the pre-op diet she was desperate and threw a piece of grilled chicken on top of her salad.

Once I received a few more ideas, it didn't seem so bad. So, I am sharing these pre-op ideas straight from Dr. Miranda and Lori. I think it helps a ton and I swear I emailed them and asked so many questions, they probably thought that I was crazy. LOL : )

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! It goes by pretty fast. I even went out one night on the pre-op to my favorite Mexican restaurant for my sisters birthday and I sat there and drank water and just focused on the new life ahead of me and knew that it was worth it!!! They all assumed that I wouldn't go to dinner because I couldn't eat, but I was not going to miss out on my sis's birthday dinner.

I lost 13 lbs doing this pre-op diet so I personally know that it works. Dr. Miranda was very happy and complimented me on sticking to it and losing that much weight that quickly.

If I can do this anyone can. I have failed miserably at every diet out there. Spent lots of money trying to lose weight and failing.

You can do this too!! Good luck and I hope you start feeling better soon!!! I hope this helps

Natalie

[Kittycat]

Hi Jo, when is your surgery scheduled now? Will they let you change the shakes or not? Mine would not let me..I replaced a shake with a homemade veggie soup with all non-starch veggies. So that I could have something to eat. I lost 12 lbs in 2 weeks.

Feel better!!!

[Guest jodbug65]

Nope, I sure can't change the shakes! Lol! My surgery is now scheduled for November 13th and with the help of cough syrup and my inhalers, I'm feeling MUCH better! I know what to do when I have a cold to get better and steamed cabbage and Optifast weren't going to cut it! BUT I found something SUPER cool Cathy! My clinic has it's own forum so the people on there have asked the dietician (who replies to questions) about various things to eat while on Optifast and there's some GREAT stuff on there! All kinds of cool ideas so my next time around (next Friday) it won't be hard at all!

Anyone else forced to do Optifast should check it out:

www.obesitysurgery.ca/forum

There's all kinds of stuff and the dietician has approved most of it- INCLUDING diet Jello which was like sweet sweet music to my pudgy ears! They also have this yummy recipe for soup on there Cathy so I'm definitely making some of that!

Thanks for all the advice and the support guys! I think my next time around won't be so rough! Especially because I won't be all depressed and sick on top of having to drink that crap lol!