Liver-Shrinking Pre-Op Meal Plan

DESCRIPTION: This is a very effective meal plan that is designed to help you shrink the size of the liver to make your surgery easier and safer to perform. Shrinking the liver is achieved by having a very low-carb diet. However, an ultra low-carb diet is not a sustainable or healthy diet to follow over long periods of time. Because of this, it is not recommended to follow this meal plan for more than 3 weeks. This meal plan's sole purpose is to prepare you for surgery.

Please speak to our nutritionists or your doctor before following this meal plan. This meal plan is designed to be followed for 1 to 3 weeks prior to commencing with the 48-hour pre-op clear liquid diet.

AVERAGE NUTRITION FACTS PER DAY:

• Calories: 1,190
• Protein: 95 grams
• Carbs: 135 grams
• Fat: 30 grams
• Fiber: 28 grams

TIPS & GUIDELINES:

• Try to stick to drinking only water. Soda water (without sugar or artificial sweeteners) can also be a good option. Stay away from flavored soda water. Practice eating your meals without drinking any water, as this will be a rule of thumb for all meals after the surgery (since we want to fill our stomachs with food rather than water when we eat).
• You can replace the fruit in the snacks for any of the following: 1 cup of cantaloupe or honeydew melon, 1 cup of watermelon, or 1 cup papaya.
• Do not drink coffee. Coffee should be avoided at least 1 month prior to your surgery or as instructed by your surgeon.
• Try to not skip meals. It is important for your metabolism to get used to the new and healthy eating schedule. If you do, your energy levels may decrease slightly due to the lack of calories from the skipped meal or snack. This is something worth practicing too, since your diet after surgery will consist of 5-6 small meals per day.
• Do not use any oil unless specified in the recipes. For oils and spices, we highly recommend using the appropriate measuring spoons.
• Buy a food scale if you haven’t done so already. It is very important to use the exact measurements we provide on the meal plan. Our recipes give measurements in both volume/amount and in grams so you are able to weigh everything.

MEAL PREP:

We use meal preps mostly for grains so that you can cook all of these in advance for the week and save lots of time! For each week, we recommend you to cook the following in advance and store in the fridge:

• Brown rice, uncooked - 1/2 cup (90 grams)
• Quinoa, uncooked - 3/4 cup (130 grams)

You can prepare all these in a single day or as they show up in your recipes, and then cook everything for the week.

CHEAT MEALS:

• There should be no cheat meals during your Pre-Op diet. It is extremely important to follow instructions to the best of your abilities to get the best result possible.
• Ask your friends and family for their support and try to cook meals at home instead of eating out.
• When you do eat out opt for meals that are under 500 calories and are low in carbs. Salads may be good options, but they can be loaded with fat and empty calories. Make sure to ask for salads with dressing on the side, and without the croutons and cheese. A helpful tip is to lightly dip your fork in the dressing before each bite of salad. Ask the waiter to prepare you simple meals like some baked chicken accompanied with a bit of rice and a lot of vegetables.
• Foods you should avoid at all times during this stage include: bread, nuts, nut butters, juice, soda (not even diet), coffee, fried foods, junk food (such as pizza, candy, chips, cookies, etc.), processed packaged foods (can be high in added sugar and sodium).

VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS:

• We recommend adding 1 daily multivitamin pill or gummy to your diet. Recommended brand: Centrum.
• Although multivitamin pills are usually harmless, you should always consult with your doctor before adding any supplements to see if they are right for you.

EXERCISE:

• We highly recommend avoiding intense level exercises during the pre-op diet as it may lead to increased hunger or decreased energy levels. The diet by itself will help you achieve your goals.
• It is important for you to stay active throughout the day, but not at intense levels. Instead, remain active in your daily activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, parking a little further when going to the grocery store, and taking walking breaks or stretching breaks every 90 minutes at work (if possible).