I start my liver shrinking diet on Aug 30 and I wanted to see if anyone knows about adding spices to the broths and such and also adding sugar free pudding mix to the protein shakes. I have seen a few recipes where you add like 1 -2 tsp of sf pudding powder to a shake just to flavor it a little different. Just asking, of course I will ask at my pre op class as well. Just trying to prepare and go on and buy a few things.

Herbs & spices have little, if any, caloric content. However, they can pack a lot of flavor! Unless your surgical team tells you otherwise, feel free to use them liberally!

Good luck. You are not alone.

Thank you @DaleCruse!

I am currently on day 5 of 14 pre op diet. For me, the first 2 days were crazy hard. I found myself sleeping a lot just so I wouldn't think about how hungry I was. By day 3 I was too busy to fret about food, and by day 4, it was just a regular day. I haven't added anything to the protein shakes so far. I'm drinking premade premier shakes which have several flavors. Besides regular vanilla and chocolate, they have bananas n cream (my favorite), caramel, cookies n cream, strawberry n cream and peaches n cream. I may mix the peaches and vanilla together next time bc it's just too peachy for me. I also have some crush drink mix that I plan to add into vanilla when I remember. It's suppose to taste like a orange creamsicle.

As for broth, OMG I hate broth. (I had to live on Broth for an entire month after lapband issues years ago) I haven't added seasoning. Never thought of that. I will try that tonight. Maybe I can make some sort of tortilla soup flavor or something. I did have some tomato basil and some French onion soup. Just the soup. Nothing added extra. I'm just not a soup fan. I'm in Texas and it's just too dang hot for hot soup. Now, I did have a crazy salt craving the 2nd day and I sprinkled just a shake of trader joes everything but bagel seasoning on my hand and licked it. lol I was desperate. And it was just seasoning. But it hit the spot.

LOTS of water. I'm drinking crystal light and zero vitamin water. I'm also allowed 1/2 cup of fruit and 1/2 cup vegetables a day. So I've had watermelon or cantaloupe for my fruit, and I got a bag of salad mix (with none of the good tasty carb stuff in it) and I divided that up in containers. I stir in 1/2 a tsp of FF dressing just to give it a little taste. Oh, and there's also jello and popsicles. Haven't resorted to that yet.

Seriously, the first few days are crazy hard but you CAN do this. You have to make yourself busy or sleep to not dwell on it. When I woke up this morning, I saw that I've lost 10.2 lbs since I started the liquid diet Thursday. So 4 full days! I know not everyone is the same. I know it was probably mostly water weight since I'm not bloated feeling anymore. But still, to see the loss, it gave me a little more will power. Good luck!!!

Wow newlife! Sounds like you have got this covered! Congratulations on the pre surgery weight loss! I am a soup person (I can have soup literally anytime 110 degrees or -10) lol. Are you having RNY or sleeve? I am having RNY on September 13. So excited to be sharing this journey with you! I am in Charlotte NC. Keep in touch!

Well, I didn't think I had it covered last week when I started. I thought I was going to die. HANGRY is an understatement. LOL My poor kids and husband were hiding from me.

If you can do soup, you've got this in the bag. I went to Whole Foods and Trader Joes (which I rarely shop at) and bought sooooooooo many soups since they had more options then my standard grocery stores. But still, I've hated them all. Except the la madeline tomato basil soup that I had to add water to.

I'm doing RNY. I had the band for 2 years and then it dislodged after a stomach virus. I had to have it removed immediately in 2015. I loved the band. LOVED IT. And then I hated it. And I gained back the 70lbs I lost plus more. So now I'm going to a new surgeon with new goals, and a new mindset. I learned nothing with my band and how to use the tool. It was such a simple "fix". But with RNY it's not simple.

You are having surgery the week I go back to work!

I am so excited I can barely sleep at night! I have always been a big girl but I quit smoking in 2006 and that started the weight gain. Then I quit my job to be a stay at home mom in 2008(9) and that made it worse. Then in 2015 our daughter committed suicide at the age of 18 and depression and stress was the last straw. I now weigh 333lbs and can’t even remember being less than 300 anymore. I am still a stay at home mom and my son does online school so I am basically a homeschool mom too. I am also active with my church. I love to cook so I have always looked for ways to change things up - thus the questions about SF pudding and spices..... lol..... I am so sorry about your band turning on you like that! It sounds like you have had a rough go of it but seems like you are on the road to recovery both physically and mentally! When is your surgery date? Will be sending prayers before during and after!

Stay the course Darlin, we are going to,make it through , ME and YOU! I am nearing my wait for my RnY, I know what you mean about. HANGRY it is a real true condition, but I also have been having Tearful Thelma-itis, the cover is off of my emotions, and they are fraying. And everything is happening at once. I Hate Things that don't stay,in neat tidy rows.
My landlady is trying to sell my house, I don't have the money to buy it but I don't have the money to move. Thought I'd call the Section 8 housing in my community, whew for 2 people ( my son Tomkitten and me) you have to be bringing in over a $1000 a month, excuse me, if I had a thousand I'd be trying to bribe my ?Loving landlady to let me stay where I've lived for 18 years.
And that's just one,in a line of worries. Its sad that Bariatric Surgery, where I get punctured like a cheap dartboard may be the HIGHLIGHT of the next several weeks.

Frustr8 I don’t know if you are a pray-er or not but I definitely am I am praying for you. I understand those financial issues all too well. God will pave the way if we just trust in Him.

Thank You Mitzies Mom --just taking it day by day. I hate this, I like everything in neat little rows, then nothing feels out of control.

I just added pepper to my chicken broth. I loved my chicken broth time!! However, I am starting to get sick of it... I really cannot wait for the cream soups after surgery

On 08/16/2018 at 21:03, jultrim18 said:

I just added pepper to my chicken broth. I loved my chicken broth time!! However, I am starting to get sick of it... I really cannot wait for the cream Soups after surgery

Hey jultrim18! Thanks for the reply! When is your surgery scheduled? I love broth especially beef but was worried I would need variety. I’ve been looking for the flavored broths but haven’t found them except online. Are you having sleeve or RNY?

7 hours ago, Mitzimom said:

10 hours ago, jultrim18 said:

I just added pepper to my chicken broth. I loved my chicken broth time!! However, I am starting to get sick of it... I really cannot wait for the cream Soups after surgery

Hey jultrim18! Thanks for the reply! When is your surgery scheduled? I love broth especially beef but was worried I would need variety. I’ve been looking for the flavored broths but haven’t found them except online. Are you having sleeve or RNY?

My surgery is today! I am currently freaking out. Anyways, if you know how to make beef soup, you can just drink the broth! I bet that is so much more delicious than the canned stuff. I love making broth soups like chicken and beef, but I was just too lazy!

On 08/17/2018 at 07:43, jultrim18 said:

Hey jultrim18! Thanks for the reply! When is your surgery scheduled? I love broth especially beef but was worried I would need variety. I’ve been looking for the flavored broths but haven’t found them except online. Are you having sleeve or RNY?

My surgery is today! I am currently freaking out. Anyways, if you know how to make beef Soup, you can just drink the broth! I bet that is so much more delicious than the canned stuff. I love making broth Soups like chicken and beef, but I was just too lazy!

Me again still fighting to good war and slogging forward to surgery Currently my favorite 2 brands are Premier Protein and Muscle Milk. I still have 1 container of Svelte French Vanilla and 1 Avant EDGE French Vanilla. those are soy-based, Premier Protein and Muscle Milk. Find myself gravitating toward the more funky/kicky flavors, So I have caramel and Peaches and Cream premier protein, Strawberry, Blueberry and Strawberry-Banana yogurt Muscle Milk. Of course chocolate variety are out because of my allergy, but I DON'T like Vanilla very much. Goes back to my baby Frustr8- hood, Mama Frust and Daddy Frustr Made a Lot of Vanilla Milk shakes. And Vanilla to me is uninspiring, it's Thick, White and tasteless. Guess I could throw some berries in there and blenderize the snarf out of it, but today I don't want to throw it in and take the stick blender to it., then have that container to wash.
True confession- if I suddenly was gonna turn bad. And required eternal punishment , the two ways I would be tortured? Washing greasy nasty dishes throughout Eternity or working in Satan's Counting house and My drawer would never count it right!
Good Thing I'm God's Little Lamb isn't it? Some days it's hard to keep my little sheep legs moving fast enough to keep up with the flock! A very good thing Jesus Christ is my Good Shepherd and won't let me. be hurt or injured any other way.
After my surgery I'll probably head for bone broths and other savory flavors, I will be protein-shaked to my core. Still I remain grateful for This final opportunity to change my life for the better. I was fearful I would remain. sorrowfully obese, in pain, and seeing the Death Angel looming ahead. Told Sister Jean once I always wanted to be a martyr until I found out how rough the initiation was. Bet she wished I'd gone outside and played outside of tagging along with my Catholic cousins . But she had saintly forbearance and said I made them study their catechism better to stay ahead of me.A Win- Win?

I used Unjury Chicken Soup protein mix when I was sick of shakes (used it for the liquid portion, too). Scoop of mix into a cup of hot water made a decent-tasting soup. Better than broth, in my opinion. I used a liberal amount of cumin (not spicy, smells like tacos) to give it a Tex-Mex flavor. 20 grams of protein, not bad.