struggling a bit...feeling 'blah'

I'm almost 4 weeks out, and sooooo tired of the full liquids diet!! I can only eat so much of instant potatoes, refried beans, string cheese and yogurt.  The last several days have been so hard for me, and I'm hoping this is normal.   I feel "normal"...by that I mean, I don't feel like I had surgery last month, my taste buds are waking up and demanding FLAVOR, and I'm starting to feel hunger pangs (which does make me nervous...I didn't expect to feel those already).  I've been craving pizza, salad, buffalo chicken (not fried, just skinless chicken breasts sauteed in hot wing sauce), tomatoes, MEAT....is this normal? This Friday is the one month surgiversary, and my foods will broaden quite a bit...and part of me is ecstatic, part of me is terrified.  LOL I know how to measure 1 oz of my liquids...how do I measure an ounce of broccoli? Or an ounce of pork chop? Since it's by volume not weight,  using my little food scale won't help. Anyway, just needed to vent, and hoping someone has been through this so I'm not the only one.  Physically I feel phenomenal...I've walked 44 miles since surgery, and am working out every day.  My energy is flagging a bit...I'm wondering if the B12 shot I got in the hospital is wearing off? But I feel good, and everyone tells me how good I look, it's the mental stuff starting to mess with me.  Plus today is our 7th wedding anniversary, and we couldn't go out to dinner...I told my husband I was taking a rain check for this and Mother's Day, and I'll collect by my birthday at the end of August.  It's just been weird.....

Amy-  sorry to hear you are as sick of the full liquids as I am!  I need flavor.  I am sorry to say that I have for the past weekend only ate 1 time a day.  I just cannot make myself eat especially when it is soooo bland. What yogurt are you eating?  I cannot find one with low sugars, so I am not eating yogurt. I hope your diet gets easier as you move on to pureed food.  I am always happy to hear from you, so that I know about what is to come. Best Wishes, Kim

Kim, Contact your nutritionist!  They may be able to give you some ideas on ways to "flavor up" your liquids and they can definitely help you with how to figure out portion sizes.  It sounds to me like you may not be getting enough protein or you wouldn't be feeling hungry already.  Also make sure you are following the "no drinking" rule.  That will make you feel hungry also.               Amy, You absolutely need to eat if you want to keep losing.  The same advice goes for you...contact your nutritionist for help.  Don't sabotage yourself because of boredom!  This journey has it's ups and downs for everyone.  You just have to work through the issues.  But you have to be proactive about asking for help and you have to ask the right person!                    You both and/or your insurance companies paid a fortune for your surgeries and this is part of what was paid for....getting the help you need to stay on the right path.  Don't get discouraged, work to find the solutions that will work best for you and there is no one better qualified to help you than your nutritionists.                  Good luck to both of you and keep moving forward on your paths to better health! 

Kim, thanks for your support! I'm eating Dannon Light n Fit, which is one the dieticians specifically mentioned in my pre op class.  I've had strawberry, white chocolate raspberry, blackberry and cherry vanilla.  There are sugars in them, from the fruits and milk, but it's no sugar added, which is key.  This month has simultaneously flown and dragged by, and now I'm down to just a few more days on the full liquids...I can see light at the end of the tunnel! Amy

I remember the liquid part of the diet well. It really hasn't been that long for me either. By the time it was coming to an end I just wanted to chew so bad I was going nuts.  I eat the Blue Bunny sugar free yogurt and I can get that at Super Wal Mart. You can get the bluebery bliss and the cherry vanilla both of which are really good. They have the key lime flavor too and I don't care for that but then again I don't care for key lime anyway. I pay 2 for a $1 here.

What you are feeling is very normal.  I done the same thing. I was so sick of the full liquid diet.  It will all be over soon and you will start moving up.  Have you tried any cream soups. You might try some of those and mix them with mashed pot. it kinda makes you think you have gravy. If you like cream of mushroom soup try that on your pot.  Are you mixing a little low fat butter, salt & pepper with you potatoes?  I even started mixing FF sour cream with mine and it changed the flavor a lot. The way I measured was to chop up my food and put it in your little measuring cup that you got at your pre op class until you get the amount your suppose to have, then just dump it out on your plate.  Pork chops I would do the same way, just cut them up in tiny pieces and put in your little cup. You will have to eat little pieces because pork chops are a little more dry and you may have some trouble with that.  You will learn after awhile how to eyeball your food and know how much without measuring. Dont give up, you are doing awesome. This is just part of it. It does get better.

Amy hi I have been in the same boat even when I went to my first appointment with DR.Jones and she suggested that I steamed some Broccoli and tired it to see if I could tolerate it. SO I steeamed it and put it in my mini chopper with seasoning. It was almost pureed so I did have to chew and it was great! I did it also with some green beans. You might give it a try! I have been having that " Head HUNGER " ever since the surgery. It has been so hard! I will say some prayers for you to have some relief from it. Good luck with it! Michelle J.

Thanks for the support! I by no means meant to imply I'm giving up...HELL NO! I've done too much work and made too much progress to give up...I was just looking for "I've been there, and it will pass".   My potatoes are pretty tasty, as I make them with chicken broth and garlic salt, then add a small pat of butter.  I'm just eager to chew...I miss cooking.  My husband's been doing pretty much all the cooking and I miss it.  I'm looking very forward to eating eggs and veggies this weekend! Michelle, I'm surprised you've been able to tolerate broccoli already...it's on my list for month 2, but not on the first four weeks' liquid diet list.  Thanks for the tips on how to measure the meats and such...that's pretty much what I had figured out, right down to cutting up the meat real tiny.  I just can't fathom pureed meat and veggies...the fruits I know I can cut down really tiny.  I'm just relieved to know that this is normal...I just keep trying to put it out of my mind and focus on the end goal!!

Your pouch is NOT hungry!  The hunger pains are in your head this early.   You are 3 1/2  weeks out, so if I wanted the meat, I would try it.  You will know very quickly whether or not you made a mistake.   I had meat prior to the 4-week mark.  It was shrimp salad!  It was heaven.