One week ago today I woke up from surgery with my new gogo gadget tummy in me and haven't regretted it one itty bitty bit. I am so excited for the success this is going to bring me and I'm so excited for every story I read here on the VSG forums, knowing that everyone here will finally get the weight loss success we have all longed for most of our lives. We're finally going to be "normal". I can't wait until the day comes where I don't find myself looking around a room wondering if I'm the heaviest in it (and usually I am). It will be fantastic not to walk into a place and hope the seats aren't too small to sit in and the sheer embarrassment that is felt when you sit in a seat that you are not only crammed into, but have to worry about how to wedge your way gracefully out of it in front of a room full of people who will stare and judge you if you stand up and any part of that chair stands up with you. Those days will be gone!!!

I've noticed during my first week of full liquids that I have found myself wondering if I'm doing something wrong, because I have not felt stuffed at all by anything I've consumed. I've not felt hungry and when I start to, it's usually time for a meal or snack. I think it dawned on me shortly before I started writing this entry what exactly what happening - I was eating normal. Normal people don't eat until they are stuffed every meal - they don't fill a plate and eat it until it's gone - they eat until they are full and put the rest away. I didn't feel stuffed, because hello!!!! this is what satisfied felt like. How the heck did I get this long and not know what that felt like? Here I thought I was doing something wrong and doubting I was doing it right, just because my tummy wasn't begging for mercy. Wow, the mentality I let myself get into.

I am however and oh so thankfully happy to say, I am on the last night of my full liquid diet - tomorrow is soft foods!!! I've done fairly well on the full liquids as my doctor allowed a fair bit of goodies that helped me get through the week. I've had to consume 3 protein shakes a day (ugh, so tired of those after 3 weeks), but I could also have 2 snacks a day consisting of SF jello, SF pudding, SF popsicles, instant mashed potatoes, 98% FF cream soups, Cream of Wheat (tried it, don't recommend it for a few weeks ... the sleeve did NOT approve), Oatmeal and yeah, that's pretty much it. It wasn't horrible since I had 3 shakes and 2 snacks a day. I did find that I enjoyed combining 98% FF Cream of Chicken Soup with the instant mashed potatoes for a potato/gravy feel and I think it helped the potatoes go down easier and gave me some flavor.

So, farewell my faithful full liquids - you were good to me, but it's time we part ways. It's on to softer and mushier foods for me! I've scoured the interwebs for various ideas and recipes for mushy stages and have found a fair bit that I think will keep me somewhat entertained for the next phase which will last me 2 weeks. Wow, only 2 more weeks and I'm back to solid foods.