I am struggling pre op

Thanks people's. I am finding it odd that I am not actually overly hungry, it's more the habit of getting food all the time I struggle with, but that is a battle I will win.
as for tastes, you are right, it's funny how everyone varies. The only food I have tried so far that I can palate is the berry bar. I haven't tried any of the desserts yet.

I know it's working, I am losing kg and cm, so am determined to see it through. I made the roast vegetables tonight with a small amount of chicken which I really enjoyed.

I also need to check with my doc to see if I can adjust my diabetes meds cos my bsl is lower than it's been in 3 years....

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to reply, I am going to get through this, just gotta trial and error...

Hey Rominus,  I feel for you as it can be tough.  I think some of it is probably mental as well as the taste.  I feel that having time to get my head in the right place before the fast was very good for me and with you only having 4 days, I can imagine it is a bit of a shock to the system.  Whilst Optifast is pretty crappy stuff, the fact that it contains all the nutrition that you need is probably pretty important to you if you are doing it for 4 weeks.  The key is to find the ones that you can handle, or find ways to make yourself cope with them a bit better.

It is so interesting that we are all so different as Cool J's tastes and mine are totally opposite.  I really disliked (to the point of actually gagging - seriously!!) the berry crunch bars and all other of the crunch bars, but didn't mind and still don't mind the plain chocolate one which is quite dense and similar to a protein bar.  I also couldn't handle the chocolate desert (even though I'm a total chocolate lover as it tasted really artificial to me) but the lemon creme desert was a blessing - it was my favourite item - but I was allowed a couple of fresh strawberries or 1/2 a passionfruit to mix in by my dietitian!

I agree on the shakes thing - They are vile!  I found the best way for me was to add an extra 100 to 150 mls of water, which is a load extra, but firstly it was positive on the fluids front, secondly it filled me up a bit more and helped me to avoid being hungry, and thirdly the taste was more palatable as it wasn't very strong.  I had the original chocolate one.

I would suggest the following items as good fillers in between Optislush:

- A mixed vege soup with a variety of free veg and added some Massel brand vege stock powder.
- A fry up of onion, mushroom and tomato with a tiny squirt of spray oil (very tasty!!!) and good served over other veg like fresh steamed asparagus
- A stir fry of free veg with a bit of soy sauce
- Raw crudites: snow peas are the best, but also red capsicum, celery, green beans, etc.

I know it is tough, but if you don't stray from the diet then you should soon go into a "not so hungry" mode.  I did experience a bit of the light headedness but found that once I made sure to eat more often, it settled down.

I'm sorry that the "taste thing" is probably the issue - at least your honest, lol.  I hate to say it all superior like, but you might just have to bite the bullet and force yourself to persevere.  It might feel miserable forthe next 3 weeks but if you Google "before and after gastric sleeve" as an image search, there is some mighty fine inspiration - I did this regularly and it helped me stay focused, lol.

Best wishes!!!

Hi rominus!!

I have found having my vegetables that are allowed during the day, helps me keep energy levels higher and prevents the dizziness throughout the day, which enables me to keep working.

Also, the Optifast chocolate dessert is absolutely divine, so you could have that for one of your meals instead of a shake or soup. The berry crunch bars I think are nicer than the chocolate ones but everyone's different I guess.

Good luck!!

Hi Rominus,

The pre-op diet is certainly challenging. I can remember holding my nose and trying to chug the optifast down as I couldn't stand the taste. 
The first three days were particularly bad as you are going into ketosis and have that shocking headache, as well as feeling sick and tired. It usually does improve a bit after that.

As a diabetic is is really important to get your diet right. Do you have a Diabetic educator/nurse or nutritionist who oversees your diabetes? Wouldn't hurt to contact them to see if they have any suggestions. If not ring your surgeons surgery, we pay them good money so they may as well start earning some of it, lol.  I know that some 
people who haven't been able to cope with the Optifast have been given a low cal/low fat diet to follow instead. The aim is to shrink the liver down and 
really you can do this with a number of types of diets. 

Good luck and hang in there,

cheers Nini

Hi all, great supportive site you have here.
I am into day 5 of my optifast and I am struggling big-time. I have not cheated, but I am light headed, nauseas, and I am totally struggling to finish a serve of optifast. I have never liked shakes of any type, and am trying the bars and soups but am only able to eat half a serve. I have tried curry powder, veges etc and I just can't stomach them. It's a taste issue more than anything I think.
I work in emergency services, and am light headed to the point I don't know if I should be at work. I have a 4 week fast, and am having protein and vegetables at night. I have had a couple of miso soups instead of optifast, and I really enjoy them.
My bp is ok, I am diabetic, and I have lost 3kg. I just don't know how to move forward cos I can't do this for 3 more weeks. I only had 4 days from seeing the doc to starting my fast so it's been very rapid. My BMI is 32.5