Why Do I Want To Eat Everything?

This is not fair. I feel like I'm going to pull my hair out. I'm only 5 days out of surgery and on my clear liquid diet. But I want to eat everything else! My mom came to stay with me for the week. She brought all of her food and snacks with her.  Everything she eats, I want to put in my mouth. Today, I asked her if I could have a potato chip and just suck on it. I felt like a drug addict for real.  Its so sad.  I'm meeting with my surgeon tomorrow and I want to ask if I can progress to soft foods now instead of after the protein shake phase. Why do I want to eat every thing? I'm craving things that I didn't even want before this thing started. Help!

The answer is probably as simple as "because being on a liquid diet sucks."  Sorry :/  

Sucking on food and spitting it out is a slippery slope toward disordered eating, so I'd skip doing that.  

I am 2 weeks post op and I have cravings as well. The most important thing to remember is it is just all in your head and not to give in to the cravings. You were so used to eating foods like that before that naturally your body will still want them. I just try to distance myself from people when they are eating things I shouldn't be eating. I know its not always possible to do that, but it does help.  

I'm going on 5 weeks out and have not had any cravings, but if I had during the liquid phase I would have alternated liquids. When wanting salty, drink broth, when crazing sugar have a protein drink/crystal ligh****er enhancer/etc. 

It's by no means the same, but you're at least supplementing rather than giving in to the poor food choice, or as Gwen said, setting yourself for poor food relationships. 

My biggest obstacle the first month was my head.  I had cravings, felt sorry for myself, wanted stuff I never wanted before.  Once I got past that, and I got to the stage where my diet expanded, it hasn't been much of a problem since.  Honestly occupy yourself with managing your diet, exercise, and life.  Food can never been the center of your universe again.  It shocked me how important it was to me and the lifestyle changes I had to make.  You can do it.

The mirror crack'd from side to side,
"My curse has come upon me" cried,
The Lady of Shallott!

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Just suffer through the the diet stage, you don't want to damage your sleeve by going to soft foods too early. It's a pretty fine line between puréed soup and soft foods, but I'd still give it the time your surgeon specified. 

The good thing is, when you do get to eat food again you'll be stuffed after a few bites! 

Two small bits of advice from a rookie, I'm only a month out- don't graze endlessly (unless maybe it's on pure protein to make your protein goal), and drink water between meals when you feel hungry.