Okay, day one was a breeze... three Bariatric Advantage shakes, one sugar free Jello & one greek yogurt, lots of Crystal Light & decaff coffee...

Starting day two... On the plus side, I'm not hungry AT ALL!! BUT, I feel like crap! I woke up with a major headache and sick to my stomach & some very uncomfortable diarrhea!! Making it worse is that I've got my three kids to take care of and now I'm babysitting my nephew and all I want to do is take some motrin and hibernate in bed and not venture too far from the toilet....

So I guess what I'm asking is... if I take Motrin will it help my headache? Will my body get used to this diet and Will the diarrhea get any better if my diet stays the same? AND finally... does the sick feeling go away?

Thanks everyone! I soooooo appreciate it!

Wendy

Sounds like you're on liquids? Still very low-carb (which is a GREAT thing!), and often the first few days of low-carbing can be uncomfortable while your system is kind of detoxing itself of the sugars and their toxins. Headaches and fatigue and a general state of "ickiness" are common too lol... don't worry, stick with it and it'll go away, and in another 2-3 days you should feel a huge burst of energy and feel wonderful! (Been through the Atkins thing enough times in the past to promise this. )

[eta] OH! And Motrin will help with the headache, but if you're within a week or two of surgery, check your guidelines or ask the surgeon about it first. Sometimes it's contraindicated because it can thin the blood like aspirin will.

I agree with Stacy, it's probably coming off of carbs that are making you feel like crap. It should pass within a few days. Hang in there ~ it'll be worth it!

Also I wouldn't take Motrin unless cleared by the surgeon, for me it was a no-no.

I'd call the surgeon/anesth to ask about motrin, tylenol would be safer i think (except the liver affects...i dunno) because it's not a blood thinner like motrin. have you been low carb before the diet? if not, i'd say most of this is due to carb withdrawal, which will last 2-3 days then get waaaay better on day 4 (for me at least). I didn't think i was gonna make it lol. I'd say you need a movie or park day to keep kids out of your hair, best of luck!!

Nikki

Yep, normal. You should be feeling better in a few days. I can totally tell when my body goes into ketosis now. I get ridiculously thirsty no matter how much I drink, my mouth taste like feet and I get a headache, but that means I'm about to lose a lot of weight - something to look forward to.

Just a thought... the sugar substitutes in Crystal Light, SF jello etc can actually CAUSE headaches and stomach problems in some people (I am extremely sensitive). If you only used those occasionally before the diet and are now doing them as your main nutrients, they could be causing a lot of the problems you are seeing. The Bariatric Advantage shakes have sucralose (Splenda) in them so it might be a good idea to remove any other sugar sub for the next couple of days and see if that makes you feel any better. It took me a long time to realize what it was that kept making me feel like crap. I hope the liquid diet gets easier for you. I know that the first two days were hard for me but I'm now on day 7 and doing quite well.

Do not take motrin - take Tylenol instead. At my pre-op teaching yesterday they told us the ONLY pain med we could take within 2 weeks of surgery is Tylenol.

It will get easier - you are going through carb detox... I'm about to join you.

Good luck - I'm on carb detox also. I've been through it before so I know what to expect but it can be a heck of a bumpy ride at first.

Also, I am echoing those who say Tylenol/acetominophen/paracetemol. NSAIDS are a no-no this close to surgery according to my doc.

Thank you everyone!!! Here I am on day 7 and feeling sooooooo much better! unsweetened applesauce is on my diet so I ate some of that and also snuck a banana the night I had most of my problems. As far as the bathroom goes, while it didn't stop, things slowed down considerably!! ;)I asked the nut about it and she told me to add some Metamucil to my shakes if it becomes a problem again.. I've been a type 1 diabetic for 26 years so my system is used to artificial sweeteners (I still have nightmares about saccharine! Hated that stuff!! LOL)

I did stop taking Motrin, the day after I posted this (I went for my pre-op testing appointment & was given my list of things to stay away from). But I gotta say it's ironic to me that we can't take Motrin because it will thin our blood, but my doctor gives a shot of heprin before surgery to prevent blood clots? hmmmm

Thanks again everybody! It's so nice to have a place to ask questions and not have to wait for the doctor's office to return calls!!!

Wendy