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I'm 2 weeks post omega loop bypass today (from previous sleeve) and on purees, thank the heavens. Liquids was getting a bit old!! It's been a while since I've done purees. What are your fave recipes to get through this stage?

Try to keep food moist by adding sauces & gravies. In the beginning I ate a lot of mince dishes like savoury mince & bolognese (without the pasta) & some casseroles/stews which are more on the sloppy side & are more easily eaten & digested. In time this won’t be as necessary but dry or coarse food may still cause you some issues at times. In time you will find you can drink with or closer to when you eat. This is an individual thing though - some can, some can’t. But, yes, in the first months while you’re eating so little it is vital you properly digest your foods & get every nutrient. Drinking while eating washes the food through your digestive system more quickly. This video helps explain it: In the beginning I used to sip on my shakes & soups for ages. I’d dilute them to thin them out & because they count as liquids you are helping to ensure you meet your fluid goals too. I didn’t have more serves than I was supposed to & this is an important consideration. There will be times when you have to make the best choice possible from the food you have available. For example you could have eaten the broth & not the martza balls in the deli soup or strained it when you got home. If you’re cooking you choose the ingredients you add so you could just not put potatoes or rice in the chicken soup you made. In the beginning this can be even more difficult because of your limitations but there are ways around it. Taking food with you to eat is often the easiest. Remember too that as well as all the sutures & staples holding your tummy together, a lot of nerves were cut so messages aren’t getting through or aren’t getting through in the same way so you may not know if you are actually doing damage. It takes about 8 weeks to fully heal so it is important to stick to your plan in regards to food choices, portion sizes, etc. It’s there to protect your healing tummy & support your recovery. This may seem a lot & it does take time to work it all out. We all slip or not make the best choice at some time. It’s all part of the learning. You just have to not make it a regular thing. You’ve got this. All the best.

I haven't lost any more weight. I've been going to the gym and even got a walking pad for Christmas that I use but it's just not coming off. I lift weights at the gym 2 to 3 times a week an hour at a time and do at least 2 miles 2 times a week while I'm at home. The last three weeks I cut my calories way down which sucks with how much I work out. For example I did an hour of intense weight lifting today and only consumed 1104 calories and 104 grams of protein. On average I'm only consuming 1300 calories and getting between 70 to 100 grams of protein. My food through the day consists of small meals or protein shakes from 6 am to 6 pm. Like a protein shake for breakfast, one after the gym on my lunch, some low cal soup, jerky, piece kf fruit, etc For dinner (around 7 pm) I have a majority of my calories, usually baked chicken strips or shrimp, etc with a side and then bed at 10pm.. It's just not coming off. I get I could've tried harder through the last year but man this is just tough. I can't even say I've gone down in clothes sizes any more. I just don't know. I do have a one year post op appointment on Tuesday and I'm terrified and ashamed that I have virtually nothing to show for it. What am I missing?

Hi everyone! I just found this forum after doing a Google search and very happy I did. This is my first post and just looking for some advice. I had gastric sleeve surgery on Wednesday 12/7. Did 2 weeks liquids and last week started soft foods. Since I started on soft foods last Wednesday, I haven’t been able to eat too much of anything without getting that “stuck” feeling or way too full feeling. Then, everything started grossing me out. Like all foods other than chicken broth. On Christmas I had about 4oz of stuffing and that was it. That went down pretty good but I didn’t eat more than that bc I’m not supposed to. Then yesterday I got a quart (32oz) of Matza ball soup from a diner in the morning and ate off that all day which went down perfectly fine. I didn’t eat it in all one sitting but all throughout the day. Then today I had homemade chicken soup that had soft veggies, potatoes, rice and bits of chicken. I had about 2 cups of that throughout the day. At this time I’m not supposed to be eating carbs but I slipped up w the potatoes, rice, matza and that bit of stuffing on Christmas. I’m feeling so guilty and worried I fucked up already 3 weeks in. I really struggle not to eat and drink at the same time too. I usually have a drink w my food because it makes the food go down better. I don’t chug but take small sips. Do you think I’ve stretched my new stomach out and ruined things? I was doing so amazing since surgery but it’s just been these last few days I been making bad choices and feel like I’m overeating and eating the wrong things. I’m wondering if it’s bc I got mY period 3 days ago which makes me super hungry. Could that be why my carb cravings went up? Anyone else not be perfect in the beginning? Do you think I’m too far gone? Please no mean comments. I’m already beating myself up as it is. 😔 Thank you. ❤️

I did the Mexico self-pay, even with my insurance the process was almost a year long before approval, and estimated costs out of pocket were still more than going to Mexico. I wouldn't touch semaglutide with all the issues with it and weight loss. It works for some, but the friends I know who have done it have all put back on all their weight and 20 pounds after they quit it. Too many issues that can happen with it, stomach paralysis, rotten food in your stomach, etc. If you have HSA/FSA there are ways they will cover your surgery in Mexico or go towards the cost. I had a lady in my surgery group in Mexico that was able to use her HSA/FSA completely, I know she said she had other paperwork etc she had to do and get approval before hand as it was out of the country. I believe Go Light Bariatrics has a financing option, and I want to say it was interest free.

I can relate to being afraid of gaining weight after working so hard to lose it. We all deal with that here. But it's a fine line between being mindful about it and developing disordered eating habits. I can speak to this because it happened to me. I was dropping weight like a champ, then I hit stall after stall, and each one lasted longer than the previous one. And I would panic. And I would restrict the amount I ate, I would kick up the intensity and frequency of my work outs. I would have anger and confusion and fear anytime I either didn't lose or I gained a little (turns out, I'm one of the ones that gains 3-5 pounds during a stall and then just sits there for weeks and weeks. Then when the stall breaks, I drop like 6-7 pounds all at once). I had to actually go to a therapist that specializes in bariatric disordered eating (not easy to find, btw) to get my head on straight. And it's still a struggle sometimes. Especially since these last 11 pounds absolutely fight me tooth and nail and just don't want to come off. I said all that to say just be very careful. I never started out intending to have these issues. I thought I'd have the surgery, lose the weight, get healthy, and bada-boom bada-bing, life would be great. But it's never that cut and dry, is it? We can become obsessed with losing the weight, seeing how low we can get the scale, getting into that lower size, looking thinner, never gaining weight again, getting that bmi just a little lower.....and before you know it, you have a whole new eating disorder that's even harder to get out of and we're doing even more damage to our bodies without even meaning to. And we can justify what we're doing because HEY, we got off our meds, we're getting healthier, we're losing the weight, we're EXTENDING OUR LIVES damn it!!! And that's harder to overcome and harder to recognize and going too far than being obese is. We knew we needed help. We knew we were doing wrong. That's why we had the surgery. But now? Now it gets harder to see what we're doing because HEALTH!! WEIGHT LOSS IS GOOD!!! NO MORE MEDS IS THE GOAL!!! JUST A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT OFF CAN'T POSSIBLY BE BAD!!! So please please just be really careful with where you're at now and where you're wanting to get to. Lastly, on the days you're working out (especially the really hard weight days) increase your protein and calories. Your body thinks it's starving, so you need to reassure it that you're not. The heavier the work out, the more your body needs. You can't run a car without gas and you can't run your body without food. So give it what it needs, in the amounts it needs, and it'll do what you want it to. Make sure you also have a larger amount of fluids than you normally would on those days, too. Dehydration can really do a number on the body, as well.

Fortunately most of these are not permanent effects though very annoying at the moment. The only exceptions are the constipation which may always be something that occurs at times. And feeling the cold can continue. Head hunger will be a constant battle - surgery doesn’t fix that. It just seems worse at the moment when your diet is so restrictive. You always want more the things you can’t have more. Most of the others pass over a few months once things become more settled. Hormones start to rebalance, energy picks up, you’re eating more & a wider variety of foods, etc. Watch the blood pressure drops though. Get up slowly, avoid too warm showers, keep your fluids up, add a little extra salt to your diet. Add some soluble fibre to your shake, a soup, a smoothie, etc. to help with the constipation. Try not to let it get away from you. I’d take a stool softener if I got to a 3rd day without movement.

Hi! After week 4 it seemed like everything finally changed for me. I no longer was feeling sick and was able to start keeping water and soft food down. I felt great and was able to walk longer distances daily. My doctor said in about 5% of WLS patients they deal with the nausea and just feeling down around the 3-4 week mark but it won't last long. Oh, also I had my labs done at my 3 month post-op and they were perfect. I'm currently 4 months post-op and down 61lbs! It's amazing how much better I'm feeling. Best of luck to you and I hope things start turning around for you.

So this could be your body’s set point. The weight your body is happiest at & will continue to gravitate to this weight despite your efforts to lose more. Remember if you reduce your calories & increase your activity to lose more weight, you will have to continue to eat fewer calories & be more active than you are now to maintain the lower weight. And this isn’t sustainable as you’re already experiencing & your body will fight you the whole time. This becomes a head issue. You’ve lost about 100lbs. That’s an achievement. Plus you’ve built muscle which weighs more than fat too. Look back on how you were before there surgery - general health & status of your cop morbidities, mobility, ability to do the things you wanted to, self confidence, etc. What have you gained or regained with this weight loss. Don’t fear your appointment. Take in your tracked food intake (there could be something you’re missing) & your activity. Ask what else you can do. Ask if this is it for you? Ask what else you can do. Maybe raise whether the GLP-1medications would be of benefit. Do you see a dietician? Because of your intense weight training, you may need to be consuming more & by reducing your calories you have put your body into starvation mode. Even with all this, don’t give up yet. Many of us continued to lose well into our second year albeit very slowly like grams not kilograms a week or month (ounces not pounds). All the best.

So i started my liquid diet on jan 4th my surgery is on jan 18th. The night before i had my last meal ( i wont even say what it was or your stomach would flip ) then day 1 in the morning wasnt as bad because of the night before. But man nighttime on day 1 the headache hit i felt weak im watching the clock like im back in school waiting for the bell to ring lol. Day 2 in the morning i wanted to give up, i thought i am insane for doing this to myself but i found the will power to push through it. Now its day 5 and its really amazing the difference from day 1-2 to now. Is it still hard yes, but only when i see and/or smell real food which is daily i have kids lol. Im on a 2 week liquid diet im allowed 5 shakes a day with water, broth, jello ( their were other options but those work for me best) in between the shakes. This is literally the longest 2 weeks of my life lol. Anyway just wanted to share my journey so far im also new to the board, oh and im getting the sleeve in case i forgot to say! So far ive lost 10 pounds on this liquid diet which i know is probably water weight but im already feeling lighter. Anyone else on the liquid diet who wants to share their experiences?

OP you really must stick to your plan one week post op. Yes it is really difficult for some people and I'm sorry you're one of them. Solid food a week after surgery can honestly be dangerous. You won't feel full because the nerves to your stomach have been cut and sutured and you need to let them grow back. This is why you can eat anything. You CAN, but you SHOULD NOT. Drink drink drink. If you meet your fluid goals I suspect your hunger will be easier to ignore.

Your feelings are valid @Nan CC, surgery is stressful and the idea that we have done so much for so little loss in the beginning is discouraging and depressing!! I have some thoughts to share about your experiences... 1. That hunger you are experiencing is normal. It doesn't go away for everyone. I woke up in the recovery room ravenous which pissed me off because all they kept saying is I wouldn't be hungry! And I ended up more hungry than I'd been in years!! The first two months I was hungry all the time. True hunger. I think it is because the body is panicking and trying to figure out what is going on. Plus we've been lied to, that growling sound is often not hunger, but just our system digesting and moving air and fluid through our system. After surgery our internal digestive process sounds louder to us for some reason. Maybe because we are paying more attention?? I don't know. But I had true hunger constantly. One thing that will help this is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). Our tiny tummies are still making enough acid for a normal tummy and that can irritate it as it heals. That gnawing hunger can often come from this and gets worse at night... 2. No, you aren't supposed to automatically feel full with 1/4 cup of food. A lot do, but not all by any means. The reason for this primarily is because all the nerves that communicate fullness to us were cut during surgery. It takes at least 3 full months for those to heal enough to accurately communicate again. The 1/4 cup portion size is to keep you from inadvertently overeating and stressing your healing stomach. At about 8-10 weeks you may notice you can eat more, that's because the internal swelling has gone down. By then you should be able to start gauging your fullness signals. They are often different post op and can look like sneezing, a congested or runny nose, hiccups, pressure in your breastbone, nausea, etc... By 3-4 months out you may be eating more like 1/3 to 1/2 cup of food at a time. Not everyone progresses that way, some have high restriction all the time and have to stick to smaller portions. But the key here is to start building that relationship of listening with your body and learning that the feeling of hunger does not mean you are starving. If you are eating 1/4 cup of food 5-6 times a day, you are getting enough nutrients for your stage in the process. As @AmberFLmentioned, I suggested Millie's sipping broths (you can get a sample pack of all the flavors on Amazon) they help a LOT when you want something, the warmth and savoriness can really soothe the extreme hunger until it balances out on its own. 3. Stalls are normal and can happen early and often. I lost about 15 lbs in the first 3 weeks and then proceeded to stall for 6 weeks and gain and lose the same 4 lbs!! I was horrified and really worried my surgery wasn't going to work. I lose weight VERY slowly, my body is resistant to losing, and I have diabetes and such like you, which I think makes losing hard too. This stall was normal, even though it didn't feel normal. DS patients are known for losing dramatic amounts of weight and my surgery weight was 307, there was no good reason for the stall. But my body needed to take a break and recalibrate and heal, so it did. Finally after those 6 weeks I SLOWLY started losing again. Then at the beginning of February the weight loss finally started to pick up! A lot of people lose a ton at the beginning, I didn't. Apparently my body needed 3 months before it felt safe to start dropping weight steadily... All you can do is get good movement, good sleep (sleep is crucial to weight loss), good hydration, eat every few hours, and stay off the scale for a bit...it will break when it is ready to. 4. Hunger does eventually return to normal, or whatever is normal for you... I'm almost 4 months out and mine is back to what is normal for me. I still have to eat every 3 hours, if I don't I feel drained and irritable and my weight loss slows... I drink plenty of fluids during the day, it helped with the hunger. I feel my fullness signals clearly now, I think all that healing is finally done. I just have to eat slow enough to allow those signals to get to my brain (it takes longer than you think!). Broths, milk, coffee, tea, flavored waters, all these will ease hunger pangs, but the best cure is time and learning to heal your relationship with your hunger so you can feel it and not feel stressed about it. The great thing about eating every 3 hours is the next meal is around the corner, so I can drink something and tell my system to wait until mealtime. This helps heal the insulin resistance too by allowing your body to go through the full insulin response cycle post meal. I'm sorry this feels so hard. I hope your stall breaks soon! And I hope it helps to know you are not alone. ❤️

For me Gatorade lime cucumber has been my go to , bottled water and the protein shakes I got are premade . I also have a timer set for 30 minutes to remind myself to sip something. And it’s time for another calcium chew. Idk about you but they remind me of starburst texture but chalky. I went out and did errands now I’m tired. And I was told by my dr the pure liquid diet for 30 days

I’m at weak and beginning soft foods. I have this terrible taste in my mouth since my VSG. Anyone else experience this? If so, how long did it last and how did you get rid of it? I can’t stand to eat or drink because of the taste!

Hi everyone! I had my surgery on Tuesday! I stayed two nights because they did two procedures. Taking out my lap band and doing the gastric bypass. He removed a lot of scar tissue, but that was expected. The pain isn’t as horrible at this point. I’m only on Tylenol because I’m allergic to opiates. In the hospital they gave me IV and pills to drink. Heparin and antibiotics. I’m really bruised up on my arms and generally sore from the neck down. Even my thighs 🤷🏻‍♀️. There is absolutely ZERO interest in any kind of food. I am able to drink more than I should. They want a few ounces at a time, so I need to slow down. Walking helps get rid of gas above and below. It’s uncomfortable so far not painful. I have meds for that and nausea and reflux. All to take as needed. Oh! I also had a Foley catheter for the first day. No staples, I have glue. So I can’t shower until Sunday! 🫣they sent me home with bath wipes. I’ve had some broth and most of a protein shake today so far… I’m promising my self not to weigh myself at home. I’ll wait until my follow up. Any questions, I’ll answer if I can!

I just wanted to say it sounds like you've been through a lot, and I hope the plan you're starting now with the enzymes will have the results you need. It must've sounded like a dream come true as an obese 19 year old to get to eat all you want and not worry about weight gain, but it starts to sound like a nightmare when you're told you must eat thousands and thousands of calories every single day or you could die. That's terrifying. And then again, taking the enzymes could mean gaining more weight than you wanted, and that's not great either. My only advice is to keep a really close eye on things and work with your doctor and nutritionist as much as you can to get the right balance of working out, food choices, and medications/enzymes to get yourself healthy again.

I eat all kinds of cheese at least once a day. A ounce piece of blue cheese and a chopped apple or grapes are my very fav right now for my last snack/ small meal of the day. I only eat full fat foods with the exception of full skimmed milk. I have used the skimmed milk so long I find full fat milk too rich.

PCOS is absolutely something that will make this harder. I have it, and I've had to fight for every pound lost. PCOS causes, among other things, weight gain without the real ability to lose the weight. It just holds on to it. While there's no actual "pouch reset" per se, there is the option to get back to basics with what you eat, how much, how often, and how you move your body. It's more resetting your mind and reminding your body what it's supposed to do and not do. For me PERSONALLY, on non work out days, I eat around 1100 - 1200 calories, 25-30g of carbs, 50g or less of HEALTHY fats, and 60-70g of protein. I will drink 64oz of fluids typically. On work out days, I eat 1300-1400 calories, 40-50g of carbs, 55-65g of HEALTHY fats, and 80-90g of protein. I'll drink 90oz of fluids per day, with at least 20oz being either a Propel electrolyte water or a Gatorade Zero. For work outs, I started off small in the beginning. I walked on the treadmill, rode the exercise bike, did water exercises. Once I lost my first 60 pounds or so after surgery, I started adding in walking around my neighborhood and light arm weights. When I hit 100 pounds down, I increased my arm weights to full blown weight training, added in core/strength training, and kicked up my cardio. While I still keep to my eating schedule, I change up what food I eat based on the kind of work out I do that day. And I switch it up, meaning I don't do cardio on Monday, core training on Tuesday, weight training on Wednesday, etc... I change up the order I do my work outs and what types of core exercises I do or cardio I do, etc... Keeping my body confused about what I'm doing each day makes everything I do more impactful and makes more of a difference. I also make sure to take my multivitamin every day, I take a collagen & biotin supplement, I take a fiber supplement (on top of the fiber I eat because constipation and I are old frenemies at this point), I take coq10, echinacea, and I am sugar free as much as possible (or at the very least, no sugar added, and when I need a sweetener, I use monk fruit sweetener) and salt free (if I absolutely need it, I use pink Himalayan salt). I also drink green tea every morning for my caffeine as well as because it's a mild appetite suppressant (sometimes I have one at lunch, too, if I'm just dragging at work, but that's on top of my normal fluid intake).

You should be able to take a stool softener or Miralax to relieve the constipation. It isn't unusual for people to have some digestive issues on the shakes, they are heavy in protein and low in fat and fiber, two things that usually help regulate our stools. Make sure you are getting in at least 64oz of water daily. Some surgeons have strict rules about the shakes you can use pre-op, others just give guidelines. Premier Protein ready made shakes are the only ones I was allowed to have pre-op (or Bariatric Advantage, but they are AWFUL). I like their Cafe Latte the best, though the vanilla and caramel are good too... I've had just about every flavor they make out of boredom on the pre-op diet and they were all passable, though I recommend you drink them cold. My least favorite are the peanut butter chocolate and the winter mint. If you can drink whatever shake you want, Ghost makes some tasty protein powders! I also like the Syntrax line in general, just pay attention to getting the correct whey your doctor wants. I love Seeq, they sell sample packs on their website and they taste like juice! I think the watermelon one is the best... I also like Genepro powder, it is tasteless and dissolves into just about anything so you could put it in sugar free liquids. And Fairlife does ready to drink shakes that are pretty delicious! They mess with my stomach for some odd reason, but I know a LOT of bariatric patients that buy them by the case. You can usually get them individually at Target or some grocery stores. As for the cooking, I'd just excuse myself as much as possible... Yes, this is your path, and yes, it is your struggle, but I think asking our partners to have empathy is important too, they may not understand how hard it is... Electrolytes once a day help a lot with cravings, be sure they are sugar free. Having a variety of shake flavors helps too. And just being honest with your family if you can and saying "Hey, this is hard for me, and I might be grumpy around you when you are eating food or I'm having to cook you food. It isn't personal, I'm just hungry!!" LOL

**Update** Hey everyone! Sorry for being MIA for a while. I really appreciate all your responses and well wishes. I will be 2 weeks post-op tomorrow, which is kind of nutty to think about. My 9 day post-op follow up appointment went really well. Incisions are healing well, and they seem quite happy with my food diary. I started my bariatric vitamins about 4 days post-op as well and been doing great so far with those. I use Paravita bariatric multivitamin 3x daily and I take Vitamin D3 2500 IU one drop daily. Plus of course the medications needed temporarily prescribed by my surgeon. I got to say though that it's been HARD going through Christmas day and not being able to enjoy our traditional Christmas breakfast, or our amazing turkey feast. Least I got to smell it though lol. I feel a lot more strong, so I have been able to have a lot more normalcy in my life. I make my family their food, while also preparing my clear liquids and full liquids. Unfortunately I'll be on the liquids until January,10th as it is 4 weeks with the gastric sleeve. Then eventually pureed foods, then soft, then finally regular healthy eating for life lol. I am making turkey soup today with our turkey carcass, onions, carrots, celery, and some seasoning, so I can at least enjoy the broth of our Christmas dinner my spouse and out kiddos had yesterday lol. I hope you all are well. I am fighting my brain and always will, and I am still having some regretful thoughts over having this surgery. I am taking one step ahead at a time and trying to look towards the positives. As I've said in other posts I just was so set on Gastric Bypass for my acid reflux issues, and I liked that it could be reversed if needed, plus I hear it has a higher success rate. So when I found out they gave me the sleeve, I just been having mixed thoughts since, and now I can't go back even if I wanted to down the line. So it's been weighing on me a lot. Please know I am not trying to discourage anyone from WLS, and the sleeve can be just as successful, everyone is different. I also thoroughly did my research on WLS prior. Lots of great things about these surgeries. I hope you all are well and that you all had a very Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays if you celebrate. Much love. ✌

I had surgery on December 4. I rapidly lost about 13 pounds. Since my appointment on the 19th I’ve only lost an additional 4 pounds. I’ve been drinking more water add I’m still on soft foods. Is this normal or not? I’ve also been utilizing my treadmill and weights three times a week.

Thank you for understanding as a GERD patient. My doctors never wanted to fully check what pain i was going through all these years and it had me pissed off. I wanted bypass, but yes what you said the dr felt by repairing my hernia it would subside. I feel since i've been on these meds for so long my body and stomach got use to it. Eventually I will get the bypass cause i'm still on meds and I still watch what i eat as a GERD patient.......no grease, hot or spicy foods. I do cardio, running and weight training and mix it up. My belly is the hardest to lose. Once again thank you for understanding me as others really dont understand what we go through its not weight that causes us pain, and we gained weight because we couldnt exercise due to the pain.

Hey all. So, probably for the past week now I've been feeling down on myself. I saw my weight go up a little and then came back down a little. I know that's normal It's making me think I gained 50 pounds when it's only like 2 to 3 pounds. I'm scared of gaining weight back, but im still making bad choices and it's making me hate myself for it. I'm not hitting my water and protein goals and I haven't since surgery.. it's hard for me for some reason.. I don't like water enhancers. They're either too sweet or just gross. My bad choices are (please don't be rude or negative, we are supposed to help each other, not make each other worse) I snack on chips, crackers, chex mix type of stuff, popcorn, some chocolate (not always, not every day and yeah most of the time it doesn't make me sick). I can drink soda with no problems and I HATE MYSELF FOR EVEN ALLOWING MYSELF TO DRINK IT. I can, most of the time, drink regular iced tea. Almost everyday I don't eat breakfast. And even if I do I find myself snacking later. Why? Is it because of the lack of protein and water? When I eat my meals, I can eat more than 4 ounces. Usually I don't eat everything on my platw/bowl, rare times I'm able to. I think some of the times I feel like im forcing myself to eat it. I drink with my dinner meal and my night time snack. Sometimes my lunch/breakfast. I know what I got to do before it gets out of hand more than it already is. I'm failing myself and before I know it, I'll be a bypass failure if I keep it up like this. I need to weigh my food out. I need to stop drinking soda. I need to stop drinking at my meals. I need to chew better. Stay away from the foods that got me this way in the first place. I need to focus of the protein and water goals. I feel like the foods I need, I don't reach for and I just grab whatever is easy. Any body meal prep? Why is it so hard to figure out what you want to prep? I feel like it would help. God I feel bad about myself.

I think 4 weeks of liquid shakes only is a bit excessive. I was told by my surgeon that I could only drink 3 shakes a day for 2 weeks, but when I did my research on liver shrinkage, what I found was that the goal was deplete carbs. And you can do that with things other than protein shakes. Like actual protein. So I asked my surgeon why I couldn't just eat chicken breast and eggs all day, every day. He explained that it wouldn't be nutritionally balanced enough, plus after the surgery, my stomach wouldn't be able to handle solid foods for weeks so it was good "practice". I took all of that under consideration, as well as discussions I read about other people's pre-op diets, and went a bit rogue. I would choke down 2 shakes a day (instead of 3), then eat chicken + non-starchy veggies for dinner. I also drank low-sodium broths frequently because I REALLY don't like sweet things. During the last ~5 days of the diet, I switched to recommended 3 shakes per day to get in that "practice" the surgeon talked about. That slower transition was so much easier for me than going cold turkey. I'm 2 months post-op now and down 42 lbs so I guess it's working. Not saying you should rebel like I did, but you should at least ask your surgeon to explain his reasoning and maybe bring up some of the above points. See how he reacts.

I understand fully what your saying. I was shocked too at how much less pain the surgery was compared to my gallbladder. I didn't really have too much anxiety, as I did excitement and finally had it done. when I came to in recovery I had to wait for a room to open, so I was there for a couple hours and my nurse was wonderful!! she was so kind and got me extra pillows and talked with me the whole time. All the staff was wonderful through the night and the next for going home I was home by I believe, 10:30 am. Why did they say you cant have soup or pudding more than once a day ? I can have soup just have to have it cream and strained before having it, I wonder why they stated that. I am sorry that they said that. I feel hungry all the time too, I am just trying to get fluids in and get at least one protein drink in a day at this point. I don't want to push it. I find It hard when my kids are making food not to just taste it to make sure it taste alright lol , but so far I have been good. I have slipped and took a very very small bite of some chicken wing dip and just made sure I chewed it really well. I sat okay. So I was glad. I really hope that you are able to get your medicine soon. I am on my own medicine and glad that I have it through this , I don't think that I would make without it.