Dr says I don't need to do Opti b4 op. Did anyone else not have to do opti????

Just remember - the second you eat something outside of Opti or plain veggies, your body will likely come out of ketosis & you have to start again. Uggggh.

Good luck!

I will try to do opti. Starting tomorrow. I have done 12wks of opti before. I did it for weightloss. I did lose weight. It was just such a chore. I went to a pre op clinic on wed. She told me I should follow my dr instructions. I just feel guilty not doing opti. However, atm I feel like I will never be able to eat like this agan so I should make the most of it. If it will improve my chances of a successful operation I really should do it.

Opti is not a pre surgery weightloss diet - my surgeon didnt care if I lost weight over 2 weeks prior or not. Its simply to reduce friability (not fryability! :p) of the liver - a dangerous condition which causes glucose to change the liver's state. The liver should be small and bendable and not bleed easily. Bleeding of the liver is a BIG issue. Reducing all carbs and keeping them down to below 800 day forces body into ketosis - the body feeds off the liver, reducing its size & therefore danger levels.

I used ketodiastix from pharmacy during Opti to make sure that was happening. 6 kg weightloss was just a byproduct.

If you dont have to do it, dont worry about "dieting". The change is so great, the idea of slowly "coming off food" for a few weeks before will seem funny in comparison :) Plus you lose ghrelin post surgery, so have no hunger usually for months. Why torture yourself beforehand? Either do Opti for your liver OR just eat normally - eating small portions will be easier post op, no need to be uncomfortable and starving beforehand when you have a lifetime of happily eating less.

Fyi tho i wouldve done full Opti even if surgeon didnt ask. Why take this risk?

I didn't have to do Opti either and was told to just make sure i didn't put on any more weight prior to surgery.

Funnily enough we were on a cruise three weeks before surgery and then I had to go back to NZ for my fathers funeral but what I did whilst on the cruise was have Opti for breakfast each day and then in NZ and until surgery most days I tried to have to meals of Opti and a normal lunch or dinner.

I knocked off soft drinks and alcohol two weeks prior but even on the cruise I hardly drank as again I didn't want to put on any further weight.

The advantage I believe to at least doing one meal a day with Opti to start and trying to get up to the three just prior to surgery is so you don't have to deal with so many 'withdrawals' but then that depends on what your diet is currently. I was a massive Carb person and I do suffer when I take the Carbs out of my diet initially. I didn't want to deal with the headaches etc etc when changing diet as well as trying to heal.

Good luck with your surgery and in the end do what you feel comfortable with.

xx

Sapphire wrote:

I don't have to do Opti. However I am going to do 2 weeks of Opti commencing Tuesday to not only kick start weightloss but to get accustomed to a liquid diet.

thats a good reason to do it if the doc says you dont have too.And it doesnt have to be opyi as long as its a VLCD shake,i think tony ferguson is one people have liked.

I was supposed to do opti but the doc had a cancellation and i got to go in 3 weeks earlier than planned.
shelly

No pre op diet for me either.. I did try a liquid diet too but just didnt have the motivation!
I did a high protein low carb (ish) though!

Good luck with your sleever journey!

Elaine

Thanks for that. I just feel like I am not putting in the effort. Even though I am not required to do opti. Have been on Opti for three mths before and lost about 15kg it was not pleasant. I feel like I should do it and I know I could but because dr said I didn't have to, I am not motivated at all to do it.

I don't have to do Opti. However I am going to do 2 weeks of Opti commencing Tuesday to not only kick start weightloss but to get accustomed to a liquid diet.

Hi Rizzo,

Depending what your BMI is some surgeons don't worry about optifast.

There is no harm it having it as you will lose some weight and it does reduce your liver size which apparently makes it easier for surgery for them to lift it during the procedure.

I was meant to do two weeks on opti and then surgery was bought forward and the surgeon didn't worry about it. Surgery went ahead with no problems.

Goodluck with your surgery.

Take care

i didnt have to do opti first.

I am getting sleeved on the 29th of June. My dr says I don't need to do optifast. I feel like I should.