Liquid Diet madness setting in

I started the pre-surgery liquid diet last Thursday, and I'm 5 pounds down but already starting to lose it a little mentally.  I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so these vanilla shakes are ok but I really just want something savory, or with some flavor.  What do I do?  I'm starting to doubt I can make it through this without "cheating", and if I can't even do that how can I handle the changes after the surgery?  Help!  Any ideas for ways to sate that craving without falling totally off the wagon?  If I do just chuck it and go eat a chicken sandwhich, is all lost? 

Add stuff to the vanilla shakes for different flavors.

Add a little coffee, or some Maxwell House International cafe mocha mix for a mocha shake.

Buy some of those da vinci or torani sugar free syrups, the kind made for coffee drinks, and make whatever flavor you like.

Get some plain protein powder and mix it in broth for something savory.  I'll tell you the trick so it doesn't get lumpy.  Mix the protein powder in an ounce or so of room temp water until it makes a smooth paste, then stir that into your hot broth.

Unjury also makes a chicken soup protein powder - they sell samples on their website.

Is all lost if you eat a chicken sandwich?  Honestly, probably not, if it's just one.  However, it is really, really important that you shrink your liver, which is why they recommend the pre-op diet.  If your surgeon starts operating and your liver is too big, he may have to convert to an open surgery, which means it'll take longer to heal and you'll have more pain.  I also know one woman that cheated on her preop diet and her liver was very fatty and when her surgeon went to move it (they have to move it during the operation), it broke in half.  Seriously.  They had to glue it back together somehow.

It broke in half? Oh my goodness.  Thanks for the suggestions about mixing plain protein into broth, I think I'll try that.  This lady at my surgeon's office scared me because she said that if my liver is too big they will just not do the surgery, and now I'm terrified that even if I do everything "right" it still will be too big.  I appreciate the help!

Yeah, it broke in half.  I'm sure that is not common.  But geez.... as far as they know, she is not going to have any long term problems due to it but I don't think they know for sure.

If you follow the prescribed diet, it would be pretty unlikely that your liver would still be too big.  The surgeon certainly does not want to be opening people up and then closing them up again without doing the surgery (although I've heard of that happening) and unless he's a brand new surgeon, he has experience to know what type of pre-op diet shrinks a liver.

Can you have just plain 'ol chicken broth... even if its just a little????

I'm gonna have to I think, I suppose just making sure I get enough water should be enough to counteract the sodium, and make sure it's reduced fat.  Otherwise if I drink nothing but these shakes I think I might go crazy.

Fat free beef consumme was my saviour.  I was sick and tired of the sweet things I was eating during the pre op diet.  I even simmered the broth with some veggies, and strained them out, and added a little tabasco.  It really did help,  I drank 2-3 cups of this a day while on my liquid diet.

Good luck!  You can do this!!!  And don't worry about after surgery..... I am 10 days post op and have had NO APPETITE for anything.  I almost have to force myself to get everything in.

I'm right there with you except I did freak out and ate off the diet plan on Saturday. Afterwards I felt so guilty and cried for a good hour.  I definitely won't do that again!  Can you have creamed soups? I've found tomato soup made with skim milk to be a life savor and use this in place of my dinner shake. Also I've discovered I love my vanilla protein mixed with straight orange juice, blend it up with ice and it tastes just like an orange julius. We can do this we just have to stay strong.

Ooh, Tomato soup is a great idea!  If I make it at home I can control how much salt is in it at least.  I'm at work right now, and finally made a command decision that I would put off the shake I brought for lunch until late afternoon and instead went to our kitchen here and got two slices of lean sandwich turkey, put in each a half slice of reduced fat provolone, a pickle slice, lettuce, and spicy mustard, and rolled it up. Then I found some leftover cucumber salad and got a little bowl of that.  That can't be too awful, and I already feel better.

I think I'll be heading to the store tonight for broth soups and consomme!

Watch for ready to eat tomato soups. They are loaded with sugar.  You do not want that.
Chicken stock - get that and some  good tomato paste.  You can mix that together and make the soup.
During that stage we were allowed to have some "calorie free food": i.e. pickles (the one with no sugar added), fresh celery stock, green lettuce (but not within 3-5 days from surgery). 
Getting a good pickle - after all those sweet stuff was like a dream come true. 
Chopping the celery (1/2 cup)  and adding that to the tomato spicy protein soup... was a great change. 
Again - you do not want to eat anything 3-5 days  before surgery... but until that point - some "calorie free" stuff may help to stay on track.