This seemed like the best place to introduce myself and dip my feet into posting...

I'm 10 days away from my sleeve procedure (scheduled for April 26), and six days into a two-week liquid diet (actually 16 days, but who's counting, right?). The first couple of days went smoothly, but I've been craving food more the last two days. I thought it would be the opposite! It's not like I'm ready to raid the fridge or anything, but I thought/hoped that after adjusting it would become second nature. I miss food - it kinda feels like when your best friend goes away for camp in the summer. You know you'll be together again soon enough, but you just miss them SOOOO MUCH!! And I'm well aware that it will be quite a while before I'm eating "food" again in any definition of the word. pizza Hut commercials do NOT help, I've come to realize.

My pre-op diet consists of 4-5 Protein shakes a day, plus Water or Crystal Light to stay hydrated. I came here looking to see what other people's experiences were, how they dealt with things or distracted themselves, and for support and inspiration from their success stories.

Best wishes to all, wherever you may be in your journey...

Bill

This seemed like the best place to introduce myself and dip my feet into posting...

I'm 10 days away from my sleeve procedure (scheduled for April 26), and six days into a two-week liquid diet (actually 16 days, but who's counting, right?). The first couple of days went smoothly, but I've been craving food more the last two days. I thought it would be the opposite! It's not like I'm ready to raid the fridge or anything, but I thought/hoped that after adjusting it would become second nature. I miss food - it kinda feels like when your best friend goes away for camp in the summer. You know you'll be together again soon enough, but you just miss them SOOOO MUCH!! And I'm well aware that it will be quite a while before I'm eating "food" again in any definition of the word. pizza Hut commercials do NOT help, I've come to realize.

My pre-op diet consists of 4-5 Protein shakes a day, plus Water or Crystal Light to stay hydrated. I came here looking to see what other people's experiences were, how they dealt with things or distracted themselves, and for support and inspiration from their success stories.

Best wishes to all, wherever you may be in your journey...

Bill

Just a suggestion: try dropping the Crystal Light and see how that works. My NUT says that can trigger hunger in some people. If it's just cravings, that's head hunger and it's something you'll need to learn to deal with. I've had problems when hubby and daughter are eating foods - the smells just kill me. So I time a high protein Soup at the same time as their dinner and that helps.

Good luck! I'm 8 days ahead of you, getting sleeved on Monday.

I know this is HARD! I hated my 2 week pre diet but you will LOVE the WEIGHT LOSS!!! Hang in there and just think you are doing this for YOURSELF!!! You will be getting HEALTHY!!! You are getting you MIND ready for your surgery. I always THOUGHT I was hungry....MY MIND thought I was but really I wasn't. I'm 3 months out and 60 pounds down!!! You will be just fine!! ONE thing I did was go to bed early! If I sleep I wont EAT!!! LOL GOOD LUCK and KEEP US UPDATED!!!!

I feel for you. My friend who had the RNY and is in my water aerobics class warned me that the two weeks before is the worst of all- afterwards you are on your journey and have your sleeve to keep you from being so hungry- before you have every craving and you still have your big tummy! I start my two weeks on the 25th....not looking forward to it.

Just keep your eye on the prize!

Hi Bill,

I am one day behind you..this is my 5th day on the liquid diet...3 shakes per day plus liquids to hydrate and 2 cups of broccoli or cauliflower at night with broth...it is really difficult but we can through it. I keep busy and try my hardest not to think about the food (and I still have to cook for my family) which is hard but what gets me through like what Virginia says above is the Protein soup..unjury makes a really good one. Or try adding no flavor Protein powder to your own low sodium, fat free both. You WILL get through this! Cheers to us!

Best,

Vanessa

Thank you all so much for the insights and motivation! I'm really glad I decided to join this site - I'm kind of a private person, so I haven't really been advertising this to many people outside my close family and closest friends. It's nice to be able to compare notes and be reminded that there are others out there going through this with me right now.

I did lose like 12 or 13 pounds just this week on the liquid diet, so I'm pretty psyched about that! I've gotta get one of those little ticker dealies to track my progress!!!

I haven't gotten my date yet so I haven't started my pre-op diet yet and I'm already having problems. I promised myself I'd do low carb until the surgery but I'm having the dickens of a time. I don't even want to think about what it will be like the closer I get. I don't even know what KIND of pre-op diet they'll have me on.

But I completely know what you mean about craving something and not being able to have it. I remember once when I was craving sweets I started playing that little game Chocolatiers. I don't know what it was, but a game devoted to the production and sale of candy actually made me not want to eat any candy. But it was short lived.

They do have other little games. I think there's a few resturant sims in Facebook. You cook food and serve it and sell it and watch OTHER people eating it. You may be able to trick your brain into thinking that YOU're the one eating a huge plate of spagetti and not some imaginary person.

Other than that, I don't know. I find myself sleeping more just to pass the time.

Hang in there! Try to fast-forward the commercials if you can. And whatever you do, don't go pick up some fast food for someone else or sit in a restaurant while doing your fast. You might not make it...lol

It will all be over soon. Just try to keep busy. Good luck!

When I decided to have vsg, but didn't have the date, I started cutting thins out one a time. My big ones were slurpees and coke ( not even diet coke). I cut out slurpees first. Waited a week or two, then cut cokes down to one a day. Waited a week then cut them out totally. It sucked, but by the time surgery came, I had no caffiene withdrawls to add to my discomfort. Worked great for me.

I haven't gotten my date yet so I haven't started my pre-op diet yet and I'm already having problems. I promised myself I'd do low carb until the surgery but I'm having the dickens of a time. I don't even want to think about what it will be like the closer I get. I don't even know what KIND of pre-op diet they'll have me on.

But I completely know what you mean about craving something and not being able to have it. I remember once when I was craving sweets I started playing that little game Chocolatiers. I don't know what it was, but a game devoted to the production and sale of candy actually made me not want to eat any candy. But it was short lived.

They do have other little games. I think there's a few resturant sims in Facebook. You cook food and serve it and sell it and watch OTHER people eating it. You may be able to trick your brain into thinking that YOU're the one eating a huge plate of spagetti and not some imaginary person.

Other than that, I don't know. I find myself sleeping more just to pass the time.

how is the liquid going? I start my 2 week preop liquid on the 29th soo not looking forward to it..

I am just about to start week 4 of 5 of the pre-op liquid diet. The diet with my doctor is typically only two weeks but my surgery was postponed from April 11th to May 3rd so it continues. I am having 3 shakes per day, a control bar and a chicken breast, occasionally with some plain steamed veggies and SF popsicles.

I just keep telling myself only 2 weeks left and try not to think about it.

Hi Bill! I love your description of missing food--I haven't started my liquid preop yet but will on Thursday. I'm missing food already and it isn't even gone yet. Eyes on the prize, bay bee!! (There is a prize, right?)

Good luck in the remaining days of your preop!! This will all be a distant memory soon...we will remember our old friend Food fondly, but agree that our new friend Health is a better influence.

I feel for all who have to do a liquid pre op diet. My pre op diet was a week and it was just low carb so I was still able to have proteins and such. Soon you will be at your surgery and have already reaped some benefits from your pre op.

I've kinda gotten past the hump and limiting the Crystal Light has actually helped curb the cravings...I've been smelling food (the kids think it's hysterical) to get my "fix" from time to time, but I'm starting to mentally detach myself from wanting to eat it, which is a really good thing.

Going for pre-admission testing on Wednesday and spoke to the surgeon's office coordinator to confirm they've received all my clearances, results, etc. Looks like I'm a go for the 26th!! That's helping me keep focus too!

It's not as bad as I had feared - I'm not starving all the time when I drink my Protein shakes regularly, and Spicy - OF COURSE there is a prize!!! That's why I chose the FindingMe screen name...I am psyched about getting back to what I once was, and better!!

Chicadee - my heart goes out to you. I have been worrying all along about the possibility of my date moving and getting stuck on a longer liquid diet. Hang in there...May 3 is just around the corner!!!