Doing a liquid diet 9 mths post op? Is it helpful or useless?

[marfar7 1,532]

Saw another post about this (actuallt it was about the 5 day pouch test) and it brought up more questions for me: Is our new stomachs stretchable and if so, will doing like 7 to 10 days of liquids bring us back to the restriction I once had? I've read both that u can and can't stretch ur stomach. I've read that since we don't have an actual pouch, the test won't work on us. I've also read that u CAN stretch it and a time of liquids can bring u back (even tho scientifically it sounds impossible that u can shrink the stomach by doing just liquids). If we could shrink our stomachs so easily, why would we have 85% of our stomachs removed in the first place.

After a 4 mth stall (I eat the wrong foods in small portions but notice myself becoming hungrier and eating more) I decided to try 7 to 10 days of liquids only to give it a shot (altho I haave doubts that it'll work). Started yesterday. Drank Protein shakes and Tomato Soup and literally starved. Coulda eaten my arm yesterday. When I read a couple posts about the liquid diet being unneccessary, I rethought my diet. Then I got on the scale. Lost 3 lbs. Haven't seen the 140's since getting married 2 yrs ago (after which my lapband slipped and I gained 34 lbs). So now I'm a little undecided on what to do. I'm pretty stoked about the loss.

My plan is to get to my goal weight (most likely 135-140) and then Ill be able to easily maintain it with my Portion Control. I've been able to maintain my current weight for 4 mths fairly easily.

Not sure what to do now. Advise? And yes, I know I'm sposed to track my food, Protein first, lots of Water. So plz don't just give that advise....

[PdxMan 4,292]

Doing any of the "fad" diet things will be just like what happened on all of our pre-surgery diets. Every diet I did, I lost 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks. I later found out this is more related to burning through the glycogen stored in the liver. This makes sense to me because I wouldn't maintain that diet and within a week, I would gain that 10 pounds back.

Now, did I really lose 10 pounds of fat and then immediately regain 10 pounds of fat?

No. It is all a deception of the glycogen burn. So, sure, you can go on the liquid diet for 10 days and yes, you will drop 10 pounds. I can pretty much guarantee it. But then, what do you think will happen when you re-introduce your regular diet? So, then, you start thinking, "I know, I'll drop the 10 pounds and then I'll go back to following the guidelines." Well, you are still going to regain the weight as you will be still be storing all the glycogen you lost during your liquid torture.

You say that you are eating the wrong foods. So, like I suggested in the other thread you mention, how about just going back to the basic guidelines? Get back to a lifestyle you can maintain. Is it your plan to continue eating the wrong foods and then every few months do a 10 day liquid routine? Surely you can see this is not healthy.

Think long term sustainability, not short term gratification.

[VSG AJH 499]

I've read several times over the last few years that there are some health benefits to liquid fasts from time to time. It can increase a sense of mental discipline, and it gives the stomach and intestines time to relax and restore. Will it affect your sleeve, encourage greater restriction, etc.? I genuinely have no idea. Could a healthy liquid/raw juice/ Protein Shake fast help you overcome carb/additive cravings? I think so, which is why I think some docs have patients do liquid fasts pre-op (to reduce intense, sometimes physically painful cravings post-op). I think as you decide what you need to do for yourself, you should research the benefits of liquid fasts in a general sense, rather than liquid fasts on relation to what if might do to or for your sleeve.

Edited April 3, 2014 by VSG AJH

[marfar7 1,532]

Doing any of the "fad" diet things will be just like what happened on all of our pre-surgery diets. Every diet I did, I lost 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks. I later found out this is more related to burning through the glycogen stored in the liver. This makes sense to me because I wouldn't maintain that diet and within a week, I would gain that 10 pounds back.

Now, did I really lose 10 pounds of fat and then immediately regain 10 pounds of fat?

No. It is all a deception of the glycogen burn. So, sure, you can go on the liquid diet for 10 days and yes, you will drop 10 pounds. I can pretty much guarantee it. But then, what do you think will happen when you re-introduce your regular diet? So, then, you start thinking, "I know, I'll drop the 10 pounds and then I'll go back to following the guidelines." Well, you are still going to regain the weight as you will be still be storing all the glycogen you lost during your liquid torture.

You say that you are eating the wrong foods. So, like I suggested in the other thread you mention, how about just going back to the basic guidelines? Get back to a lifestyle you can maintain. Is it your plan to continue eating the wrong foods and then every few months do a 10 day liquid routine? Surely you can see this is not healthy.

Think long term sustainability, not short term gratification.

Ur right. I guess I was trying to take the "easy way" out and not take responsibility for getting the weight off the healthy way.

woke up ready to eat my arm this morning. After 48 hrs, I'd had enuf. Had 1/2 an egg and 1/2 pc of bacon for Breakfast. I guess the 48 hrs of liquids helped fill me faster (last week I could eat 1 egg and 1 pc of bacon). It's actually probly cuz I actually slowed my eating, which I normally don't do.

Thanks for ur opinion. I KNEW it was a dumb idea but I had visions of grandeur, sine I lost most of my weight during the 4 week liquid phase. I starved for 2 days for nothing. Actually, I lost 2 lbs. Hopefully I can keep them off.

.