God, today was hard.

I recently had a setback on my pureed diet, and I had to go back to full liquids for a few days. I have been feeling very tired, and I am totally sick of drinking fluids, taking my Vitamins, and all of the rigamarole with this surgery. I'm tired of thinking about constantly sipping liquids. I'm tired of watching my family going out to dinner without me, and having to stay home and eat my boring food.

Today, I found myself just wanting to go out and get a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke with a chocolate milkshake. And knowing that that is totally impossible for me now just gets me down.

I am normally a pretty positive guy, but today I really have the blues about my limitations. I know I have lost 18 lbs in the two weeks since my surgery (and another 15 lbs in the month before surgery), and I am down two pants sizes and one shirt size, so I should be very happy. But it is hard right now.

I just want to eat regular food.

It happens! We're human! Don't beat yourself up for having human emotions. We have a tool not a fix all. As you get further out try to modify the bad foods into good ones. When I crave a burger, I take 1lb ground turkey and season it nicely add some diced red onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper with an egg then split it into 4oz servings and bake until done. Wrap it in lettuce or a sandwich thin with fixings and I feel like I've cheated but not really. Go out with your family. Don't detach from them during this process. Research the menu before you go. If you can't find anything suggest a different restaurant. Order plain grilled chicken, fish or steak ask for lemon to add flavor. When you get there. In the meantime, try ordering soups and focusing on the broths. You may not get much out of it but its a meal with your family. You have to enjoy your family while improving your health cause if you can't then what's the point? Disclaimer- My family eats at home 90% of the time since I had surgery but it took about 9 months postop to get there. The variety was better at home than at the few restaurants I can eat at. Good luck!

It IS hard! Eventually you will be able to eat "normal" food (note that normal is now a new normal, not french fries! lol). I also think you should go with your family. Get the Soup. If you go to an Asian restaurant, the Miso soup or the egg drop soup aern't bad. I think I ate Edamame early on. I would have that as my dinner while everyone ate whatever they ate. Try turning your Protein shake into a milk shake-like drink by putting it in a blender with some ice. Yeah, it's not quite the same but it's the best you will get right now, at these early stages. chicken broth really helped me because it has such great flavor. I would drink that like tea. And, also like above, when you are eating real food (but not for a long time I think) you can have a burger but not the bun and wrapping it in lettuce makes it so you can hold it in your hands and eat it like a burger. I have found a few restaurants who already had that option on their menus.

Hang in there. At the early stages, it is tough but once you start eating regular food, it gets easier because you don't feel as much like you are missing anything. You might also want to attend a support group or see a therapist to learn how to handle these things because they will always be there and it's good to get a real handle on it.

Best of luck!!

Thanks everyone. I am over my temporary insanity / pity party and I am back to a positive attitude. You all gave great ideas.

One of my favorite places to go is to our local Japanese restaurant. And yes, right now I could still go there and just get the Miso soup and only drink the broth. But it would be hell on earth to watch my wife and daughter scarfing up sunomono salad, steamed gyoza, tempura, and sushi and not be able to have any myself. So for now, I just stay home. Eventually, in a month or so I will be able to start having normal foods, and then I will be able to start enjoying edemame and maybe some sashimi (no rice). Then I will be fine, since soup and a few pieces of sashimi will almost certainly fill me up.

Until then, while I am on my liquid/pureed diet, I just have to tough it out. Its not easy, but I can do it!

And yes, eventually I will be able to have a cheeseburger, no bun, but with no fries and no milikshake. That will be fine. In fact, I'll probably get the chicken salad instead.

The first time I went out with my family to a restaurant post-op was to a Japanese hibachi restaurant. I was on soft foods so I drank soup and ordered shrimp and scallops. I was able to give away my rice before it even hit the plate and took home enough leftovers to have two more meals.

You will get there.

When I was on the pureed diet a day wanted something for a treat I made sugar free chocolate pudding with 1%milk and put my protein powder in it.....doesn't change the taste and gets some of your protein down also