So about this calorie thing?

Yes, you need calories or fuel form somewhere, where you would like it to come from is your butt.  :)  I am only joking a little here.  You want to create a calorie deficit and burn your fat.  You do not need any other nutrient except for amino acids (protein) and vitamins in your pills to sustain you for a very long time.  You are weak because you just had surgery, you might even be a little bit dehydrated and you are detoxing from carbs.  It is not most fun part of this journey, but you will get through it.

 The first week is the hardest and you won't get many calories for awhile and yes you will feel tired I remember going to the grocery store for the first time thinking I was never going to make it from one side of the store to the other and thank ful I had the basket to hold me up lol I think for the first couple of months I was literally living on 300/400 cal a day but it does get easier and your body adjusts so hang in there and stick to the plan I know a few who didn't they regret it at least give it six good months  best wishes 

Thanks everyone. I do get the whole fat burning thing. It just seems so unnatural to me that it's okay to take in 10-20 calories a day. I actually had a "healthy" diet before all this - mostly vegetarian with a lot of Thai and Indian with tofu and salads and stuff. I feel like I should be weak with hunger, but having had major surgery before I will take your advice and let my body tell me when it's nap time.

Some of this is, of course, very surreal at the moment. The thought that in 2-3 weeks I could be down as much as 30 pounds doesn't even seem possible (even at 20 calories a day).

How are you getting your protein in at only 20 to 30 cals a day? I was drinking 1 to 2 Cytomax protein drinks for between 200 to 400 cals per day and almost 80 grams of protein. Your body NEEDS protein to heal, so you should be supplementing with at least one drink a day. 

 The calories you need come from the FAT you are going to be burning.  The protein is to keep your body from breaking down muscle tissue for calories.

The milk and jello won't kill you, but it will prevent your body from breaking down the fat it needs.  

Your body will go after calories in this order:

1.  Simple Sugars (Lactose from your milk, sugar in your regular jello)
2.  Glycogen stored in body tissues
3.  Fat broken down via Ketosis
4.  Other tissues

You have to get and keep 1 as low as possible to force the body into items 2 and 3.  Ketosis is the state you need to keep your body in during the whole weight loss phase.

Hey---we had the same surgeon---kind of.
I had Menechery and McGill and, of course, follow up with Dr. McGill now.

You won't be living on 20 cals a day for long. Assuming your plan is like mine, you are on liquids for 2 weeks, 2 weeks of puree and 2 weeks of soft moving then to regular food slowly.

With your fluids, yes, cals are extremely low. Start adding in protein shakes, you will be adding calories. They increase on pureed when you're doing shakes plus pureed foods. The 1st 2 weeks are the most challenging but you will get through it.

You had surgery this past Monday? Shoot, they had me in the hospital Mon - Wed (note it was 2 years ago). I slept, walked and sipped until Friday and was feeling really good on the weekend.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 I just read your other post on this as well - and I would like to know what it is you are drinking that you think you are getting onlt 10 calories or so?  At three days out you should be on clear protein sources, like Nectar Protein drinks or Chicken Broth, etc.  

Are you ONLY drinking water, with no protein sources?

I am confused about this also. For my post-op diet, I was allowed only clear liquids, not even protein shakes. Today is one week, and today I was allowed to add in protein shakes. Yes, I thought it was strange also. I was probably having more like 1-200 calories per day however (sf jello, broth, sf popsicles..)

 Your getting calories that you need from your "stored fat" .. thats what its there for.  Going through this stage is one of the reasons why most of us loose so much weight in the first month.  Typically people loose more weight in their first month then other months unless they go on some massive exercise kick.