Now I crave EVERYTHING!

Yeah, Kinda stinks ( I know it won't last for long) that now I look at everything in the Kitchen and want it all... even if I would never turn to it before.

I am one day into my liver shrinking diet and I have a feeling these cravings are going to try my willpower. I was told that if these cravings come to have protein. I have a Beyond Burger in the oven (yes, it's 10:30 am) since I will be drinking my lunch around 2 since I am having something now. I had a protein shake this morning when I woke up at 6 and feel like my hunger is going to cause me to go nuts... I'm sitting here looking at the oven waiting for my patty to finish... Kind of like that old school Mervyns commercial where the lady is standing at the doors saying, "Open Open Open".

Do you guys have any additional suggestions?

Day 1, you're so focused on wHat you can't have. That is all the head! When I have head hunger I will change locations (go for a walk), do something distracting - puzzle, fold laundry, etc; have a warm drink (some times you are really just thirsty) and go to be early. I have gone to bed at 5 pm when I needed to, lol

Yeah, it got better by Friday. I know I am jsut being a baby about it. kids don't let me have too much quiet time so I feel like I am constantly on the go... and hungry

I think you will find things get a lot easier on day 3.

Day 5 was it for me. I went to the store and got some sugar free things and that got the edge off for me. I am ok, but I know my mind is telling me to eat more.

it does get better on day 3 ,BUT , if you eat off plan in those days you will be back at squat one. It won't be any easier the second time you start so grit your teeth and do this.

dronk all the liquid you can hold. Drink broth, Kellogg liquids. Have some liquid going down ALL.THE.TIME! That helped me!

I was able to eat unlimited SF Jello and SF popsicles, so I ate those with abandon since they were the only things I could have that somewhat resembled "real food". I was also allowed a limited amount of tomato juice/V8 and clear broth - I think it might have been a cup a day - so I did that every day as well. The sodium in them made me retain water, which made me feel a little more "full".

basically, you just have to white knuckle it. It'll get more tolerable by day 3 or 4. A lot of us can relate, though - many of us have gone through this.

yes, I got some of those this past weekend when I was going nuts, wanting everything. You are absolutely right- id did take some of the edge off! Less than a week! I am on more liquids now, broths and such until Thursday, then full clear liquid Saturday/Sunday and surgery on Monday!

My liver shrinking diet was much harder than what they do today. I was only allowed clear sugarfree liquids. So water, broth, sugarfree jello, diet gingerale, and diet juices. I drank some low calorie cranberry juice one day and my blood sugar went crazy high. The surgeon said he would not be able to operate unless the blood sugar came back down. So I realized the drinks had to say diet and have zero sugar.

The first two days were awful. By day three, the hunger and cravings went away and the excitement of getting the surgery kept me going. The first few days are awful, but just hang in there.

Congratulations on getting your surgery date and entering this phase of your journey. Everything said by others here should help during this phase. I do remember being super hungry at the beginning of my pre-surgery diet but it did subside after a couple of days.