I'd be grateful if people would share how long after their operation they were told to stay or chose to stay on a liquid diet. I'm trying to gauge if what I was told is reasonable. I'm a week post-op and starving.

If you were brave and stayed on liquids for a while, do you have any easy recipes to share? I can't drink anymore ensure, boost or Atkins shake (and low sodium chicken broth is making me gag too...).

Thanks for you feedback!

Jo

I was on liquids for three weeks after surgery. I found I had tremendous issues with powdered Protein shakes, and I stopped trying to drink them. Not only were they sickly sweet tasting to me, but I had incredible gastric problems after the fact. Using soy milk and similar liquid to mix them with did nothing to alleviate the lactose-intolerance type of issues I was having. I finally settled on Muscle Milk Light ready-to-drink shakes from costco. They tasted fine, they weren't too sweet (to my taste buds), and they gave me the protein I needed. I've since graduated on to Premier Nutrition ready-to-drink shakes (also available at Costco), and they're still a part of my daily diet. I drink one shake every morning on my way to work.

I didn't go for fancy recipes or anything else. I was told I could only have Clear Liquids or a "simple" Protein Shake. No pudding or Instant Breakfast or pureed fruit or whatever else added in. So I toughed it out, and managed to get through it. I found that drinking 2 ounces of shake every hour, from the time i got up to the time i went to bed, worked well. I could "knock it back" in a hurry, and I was done for another hour. Then I drink Water or Crystal LIght the rest of the time. Drinking 2 ounces of shake every hour for 16 hours a day gave me 32 ounces of protein shake every day, and it wasn't that hard to do.

One thing I found interesting was that my taste buds were all kinds of screwed up after surgery. Everything tasted sweet - even unsweetened liquids. It was weird. It was several weeks after I started back on solid foods that things began to taste normal again, and that only happened after I had "retrained" my sense of taste. I've never had such a problem, before or since.

Hang in there. You can do it, and you'll be better off for having followed your doctors instructions. Good luck!

Dave

I was on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery and then 2 weeks of mushies. I followed the doctors orders because I was scared of any problems with slippage. At the end of the 2nd week of liquids I was hungry!! I ate non-clear liquids, like bisque Soups (this was ok by my dr), but never veered of course of the liquids.

You completed 2 weeks of liquids before surgery, you can handle an additional 2 weeks. Just think of all the extra weight you will loose!

I was on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery and then 2 weeks of mushies. I followed the doctors orders because I was scared of any problems with slippage. At the end of the 2nd week of liquids I was hungry!! I ate non-clear liquids, like bisque soups (this was ok by my dr), but never veered of course of the liquids.

You completed 2 weeks of liquids before surgery, you can handle an additional 2 weeks. Just think of all the extra weight you will loose!

I was on clear liquids for a week and then on thick liquids for four weeks for a total of five (yes five) weeks. It was really hard but I made it through them. I ended up taking soups and blending them up to drink. I recommend the Bean with Bacon Soup blended up. Its tasty.

2 weeks clear liquids followed by 2 weeks full liquids.

I was on clear liquids for a week and then on thick liquids for four weeks for a total of five (yes five) weeks. It was really hard but I made it through them. I ended up taking soups and blending them up to drink. I recommend the Bean with Bacon soup blended up. Its tasty.

I had my surgery last Monday and the dr put me on clear liquids for a couple days and now full liquids, cream soups, thinned cream of wheat, sugar free fudgesicles/popsicles, and stuff that consistency. Good luck!

I WAS TOLD TO DO LIQUID ONE WEEK, THEN DO MUSHIES. SO IT DEPENDS ON ONE DOCTOR . WHAT YOU CAN DO ASK HIM WHY DID HE RECOMMEND ANOTHER TWO WEEKS. WE ALL WANT THE SAME RESULTS SO ASK QUESTIONS . I HAD MY SURGERY IN NYC . STAY ENCOURAGED!!!!! I JUST HAD MINE 5 DAYS AGO.

I was banded by Dr Ortiz in Tijuana. He had us on 3 weeks of liquids, 7 days of clear, and since we were in MX most of the first seven days and the hotel had yummy homemade chicken broth and tortilla soup broth and popsicles, we did pretty good. After the first 7 days of clear, it was full liquids for two weeks, so protein shakes, creamy soups, etc. Friday is my first day of real food! I'm kind of scared to eat! LOL!

My MD puts patients on mushy first. I guess this works. We'll see.