Struggling with Liquid Diet

Has anyone experienced headaches when starting the pre-op liquid diet.  I do great for 2 meals but one meal I always screw up.  I have not eaten carbs or sodas or sweets but I cant' stop eating hot cheese popcorn.  I feel like if I can't do the liquid diet what makes me think I can do what I'm suppose to do after the surgery. 

get that hot cheese popcorn outta the house/office/view.  That is your first step.   I know the liquid diet is tough but it is going to do wonders for shrinking your liver so your dr. can do the surgery with ease.  Doing the liquid diet will prepare your insides also for the surgery and yes..mentally you gotta start now getting in the mode of your new journey.   Hang in there...  IT IS GOING TO BE SO WORTH IT!!   Connie

Thursday is my surgery date - so I'm just about done with the 2 week pre-op liquid diet.  The first 3 -4 days were absolutely horrible and I had headaches and just down those first couple days.  Once you pass the inital hurdle, you will feel better.  I haven't had the surgery yet, but I am already feeling better.  Hang in there.  It does get much easier after the first few days.  By the way, throw away the popcorn!!!  I had to do that with Chex Mix.  This is a really hard time of year to be doing this too. Tell everyone with all their Christmas snacks to eat it fast so you don't have to look at it.  I know it's about to drive me mad.  Oh well, it will all be worth it in a few short hours. Good luck and Happy Holidays!!!  --- April

The headaches are normal at first... your body is detoxing/withdrawing from all the crap we tend to put in it. If you are having headaches you should be drinking an *additional* 2-3 glasses of water to help. As for not eating carbs - popcorn is carbs... and Im guessing because of the cheese its fat :-) post-op you will have a tool that will be the key to your success. As for now its up to you - you have to keep your eye on the prize... is eating the popcorn worth not having WLS? Is eating the popcorn more important to you than losing weight? Is eating the popcorn worth staying obese? Ask yourself these things then make a decision. 14 days is a long time, but what the surgery will give you is worth toughing it out... in reality its a very short time based on the amount of life you will be given by losing the weight.

Actually, hot cheese popcorn would fall squarely in the "carb" category.  You need to get it out of the house if you can't stop eating it.  The diet gets easier after 2-3 days, if you follow it.  Eating the popcorn is going to prolong your misery actually.  Your body is craving carbs because it is used to getting them, the more you eat the longer it takes for your body to adjust.  What got me through the liquid diet phase, which I had to do for a month, was water and chewing gum.  Don't drink the water within a half an hour on either side of your shakes.  Then drink a lot, it'll keep you feeling full.  The chewing gum helped me get the chewing sensation I needed.  You can do it! I hope some of this makes sense/helps. Take care and good luck. Ellen

Nothing to add to the great advice you've already been given.

Just a support and letting you know that even though it's tough, it's absolutely worth it.

As they said, keep your eye on the prize and get the popcorn outta reach!

Barb

The headaches will go away once you detox from the carb cravings and the only way that is going to happen is to stop eating those carbs!  You might also be withdrawing from caffeine which also takes about 3 days to leave the system.  Did you drink lots of caffeinated sodas?  If you don't shrink your liver with the low carbs preop diet, then you may have to have an open procedure rather than a lap and that means a whole lot tougher recovery! Keep at it, you CAN do this!

It does get better.  The first 3-4 days were the worst for me, but I just kept plugging on.  Get rid of that popcorn.  If I had to eat something my NUT let me have a green salad.  It was crunchy and satisfied my urge to chew.  :)  Good luck!!!

Listen to the great advise you get here from the resident "been there, done that" crew.  I had to do a 2 week liquid diet too and I lost about 10 pounds which seemed to get me in the mindframe that I need to be in for the after surgery diet.  Of course, after surgery, you don't really want anything to eat! Toss out the popcorn and keep drinking the water.  Like Ellen, I chewed a lot of gum during those 2 weeks.!  Hang in there, you'll make it.  Alice

My doctor did not make me do the pre op liquid diet BUT I had to do the no carb diet and I know how hard it is to put all that stuff down BUT you can do it!!! get rid of the popcorn and try to up your fluid intake as much as possible. Best of luck to you!!

Darcie