Liquid Diet BLUES

I am on my first day of the pre-op clear liquid diet. I keep thinking of food, all I want to do is eat horrible things and I have this little voice in the back of my head saying "if you can't even get past your first day..what makes you think you will make it through this post op?!?!" I still want to go through my VSG, but I'm finding this too hard to do and IM NOT EVEN HUNGRY!

I don't know HOW I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN! All i can think about is food and it's only my first day pre-op!! HELP

The memory of my preop diet makes me laugh now.  It was so hard and I had a 2 week stint!  By the second week, I was on cruise control.  Before you know it, you will be in recovery.  Hold on!

It's a pain in the ass, but it's NOT the end of the world. It gets easier in a day or so. The truth is most people, at post op are FAR from hungry and most don't get hungry, true hunger, in several months. In my case I think it was about a year, and even today I still have to question myself.

The liquid portion of this little adventure can be a challenge because for the first time in a long time, perhaps EVER, we CANNOT do what we want to do. If you want the brass ring (which isn't that far off) you have to stick it out. Food cravings are a ***** carbs make us crazy and eating them makes us want more. You're (we all) consumed with eating, mindless, unconscious eating, and now that we actually have to PERFORM this little preop task, it's almost unsurmountable.

BUT YOU CAN DO IT. I looked at it a little differently preop. Yeah it was 'hard' to a point. But what is 'hard'? Truly? It's hard bending over to tie shoes. It's hard climbing a flight or more of stairs. It's hard fitting into a car or airplane seat.

No, scratch that.

HARD is being in Afghanistan. HARD is not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from. HARD is running out of gas when it's 110* and no cars in sight. HARD is running a marathon. HARD is graduating college.

Find something to keep your mind off of food. You already said it, you're not hungry. So, don't be! Don't give in. You are going to be rewarded by a new lifestyle, and in retrospect it's EASY.

Hard is what you make it. Pull up your big-girl panties and JUST SAY no to food. Remember, it's only for awhile.

All I can say hun is do something, go for a walk, do housework. I couldn't come on here much, not even sit down for long. It is a hard job. Afterwards you are not even interested in the fluids but know you must drink them so you do not get dehydrated.

So once again, get up and do something to take your mind off of food. I found it hard going through the airport and the smell of food, both pre op and post op oh the head hunger on the way home.

I feel your pain I start Monday on clears, and surgery is on the eighteenth, I am so excited.

The pre-op diet was horrible.  Mind you I've never been to Afghanistan but being hungry every minute of everyday sucked.  The best advice i can give you is keep busy. Get out and do something, anything because if we could ignore hunger or think it was no big deal none of us would need wls.  This is the worst part.  Afterward even if you have hunger you have a tool to stop you from going overboard. The third day has always been the turnaround for me on a liquid diet.  Just get through the first two and it will be easier.  Not as easy as post-op, but easier than today.  Remember if we could do this just with willpower, none of us would be here.  Good luck

I haven't had my VSG yet, but had to do liquid fasts for two other surgeries. It sounds totally gross, but look for disgusting food pics on the Internet- moldy cheese, maggots on rotting meat, food poisoning, etc. This helps me get my brain out of a craving loop sometimes- a different way to look at food. I've heard Buddhist monks sometimes use visualization techniques like this while fasting too.

U can do it .. it does get easier everyday.. on my first day on the liquid diet two weeks ago i was ready to pull the plug not because i was so much hungry.,. but because of the terrible headaches i had they lasted for about 3-4 days then disappeared ... good luck to u...

During my 2 weeks liquid diet I was never hungry (physically hungry). Did I want food, YES!!!!!!!!! I love to work out so I spent a lot of time at the gym and Zumba classes. So stay busy and avoid TV as much as possible. Those food commercials were the hardest.

Now I'm doing clear liquids (VSG 9/29/11) and I am sick of sipping, forget about the chick broth, and when this phase passes I don't ever want to see another protein drink! But it's all a temporarily thing.
 
I'm so excited I get to have cream soups Sunday, yeaaaaaaa!!!!  

Good luck

How long is your preop diet? And are you allowed anything other than clear liquids?

Mine was 2 weeks and I was basically on a slimfast high protein diet with high protein shakes and a small meal at night. But everyones surgeon gives different orders.

The good news is, you can and will survive it and you will be so glad you did. So just stick with it, and Good Luck on your surgery!