Pre-Op Liquid Diet: Down 10 lbs but this is rough!
I think that a liquid diet could be a weight loss miracle. Not because of the weight you lose on it, but because if you went off it and onto a regular diet, even really healthy food would be insanely delicious.
My official surgery date is June 11, which means that last week I started my mandatory two-week liquid diet. This is required by my surgeon for all patients over a certain BMI, though he told me he’s thinking of requiring it for everyone – because it’s not to get you down to a certain weight, it’s largely to shrink your liver. Apparently when you lose weight the fat around your liver is some of the first to go, which makes the surgery easier because it’s easier to get the liver out of the way.
The dietician gave me the specs for the diet, which isn’t full liquid. It could certainly be worse, as at least I have options, so I can to some degree pick what I feel like eating – which I have to do every two hours. The basic plan is this: two Bariatric Advantage protein shakes per day, and eating every two hours from a list of approved foods. These include: sugar-free pudding, unsweetened applesauce, gatorade, light yogurt, and fruit chillers. I’m also allowed to have reduced sodium broth and sugar-free jell-o whenever I like, as well as calorie-free drinks. So basically, this is what my diet has looked like this picture.
The protein shakes are not bad, and there are a few ways to make them more than just “chocolate” or “vanilla”, the two protein powder flavors. The diet plan says I can either make them with milk OR yogurt OR fruit. Usually I use milk so that I can make them in a shaker rather than a blender, though using frozen strawberries or bananas is really tasty and makes the shake thicker and more ice cream like. Mostly I’ve been putting in either a tablespoon of PB2 or some sugar-free syrup (usually hazelnut) or some coffee. Having coffee or peanut butter flavor helps cut the sweetness a bit.
I’ve been averaging about 900 calories per day on this. I wasn’t required to track what I’m eating, but I thought it would be nice to go ahead and get into the habit, so I’ve been keeping track on a spreadsheet. Plus I see the surgeon and dietician tomorrow, and I’m very proud of myself for not cheating. Because let me tell you, it’s HARD. The hunger has varied from day to day, but one of the most difficult things is that everything is sweet. If it wasn’t for the chicken broth I’d be having even more trouble. I generally prefer savory to sweet food so having to eat sweet things all day is not fun. Though I at least do appreciate that I have some freedom to choose different things – what flavor of pudding, ha.
This is making me even more anxious for my surgery, because even though I’ll be eating even less than this for a while, at least at that point I shouldn’t be hungry, and will be on my way to getting back to normal, healthier food.
The Right Size: Alice's Adventures in Dietland 