Not A Good Start to the Weekend

Bit down today - having to eschew going out with friends for another in our 20 year tradition of meeting every Friday evening for dinner. On the liquid diet I don't know if I can face sitting there while everyone else guzzles and slups and chews up their starter, mains, and dessert. Bit of a contretemps with the partner this morning and everything and everyone is just annoying me. I'm angry with every noise, every coworker chewing and smacking their lips on their Friday doughnuts, while giggling about how they need to be careful as they wipe the sugar crumbs and squirted cream filling off their faces. I want to be free of people's agendas, the ones they consciously push and the ones they don't even know or care to know they are pushing.

Today I wish I were on a desert island far from other people who don't know/care what their actions mean to others. Yesterday (day 2) on the liquid diet went okay, maybe it was still a novelty, but when I got on the scaly scales this morning, I hadn't lost a bloody ounce.

You are doing great! Friends and family do not understand the difficulty of these situations unless they've walked it personally. I'm glad you're putting you first.

Keep thinking about the surgery and why you want it, keep looking to that. Liquid diet is hard enough on a good day without trying to do it sitting at a table with others who are eating with abandon. Now, that's just torture.  If they're good friends they'll understand. You don't take an alcoholic to a bar when they're in rehab, same idea.

I'm lucky, my hubby did the liquid diet with me for two weeks and we hermited ourselves just to stay focused. Doesn't work for everyone but in our case most of our gatherings with friends revolve around food and I just couldn't. I didn't want to, too hard.

As for donut time, go for a walk, get some tea, make a phone call, trip to the bathroom. If they are near you, move them. You're setting yourself up for success.  You got this! It will get easier.

I appreciate that, MissNexxie. I honestly do.

I honestly think the pre-op liquid diet is the hardest part of the process. I'll admit to slipping up more than once (not that I would advise that). Liquids on the other side of surgery are a whole different ballgame. I could care less about eating at all and actually went out to dinner several times with my family and sipped on my protein shake. Got a few strange looks but I didn't care. haha. I get the food pushers also - I stayed with my parents for a couple of weeks after surgery and my dad kept offering me bites of things like his fried chicken finger salad. On what planet did he think I could have that a week after surgery (or would want it for that matter). But, in the end, you have to give them a bit of a break - they haven't done all the research that you have about this surgery or have the food issues that we do and may not even realize how hurtful/difficult their comments and food-pushing can be for us.

Bottom line is to hang in there; I'm not sure that this ever gets "easy" but soon you'll have a shiny, new, remodeled stomach and this part will be behind you. Oh, and the scale will do what it will, don't worry much about that (I know, easier said than done!).  Good luck!

I think I'm going to have problems with my mum and dad with food pushing too. Thanks for that insight - good to remember it does get better.

Decarbing is not for sissies!! Getting off the sugar train is hard!!  My secret weapon? Sleeping. It takes about 3 days for your body to get over the shock you aren't feeding it instant carbs and sugar anymore..so I slept as much as possible to not only get ready for the surgery but to spare everyone else my crappy mood. 

As far as restaurants go, I can understand it may be hard to watch others eat while you sip. This is going to be something you definitely will deal with in the future though, so try not to get into that weird head space of feeling deprived and then rewarding yourself with food. Find something else to do..take a walk! do some gardening! hit up the zoo!  Food will no longer be your comfort and entertainment: it will be the fuel you need to do all the things you haven't been able to do in so long. Why not start with that attitude now?  

Cheer up! The pre-op diet is the WORST. Tough it out, help your surgeon by shrinking that liver and meeting your mandatory weight goal for surgery!

Colleen 

Oh, he's very strict - if you admit to cheating, the surgery will be postponed.

Oops I took a nap, sorry! :) Seriously, that sounds a good idea for me and those around me. Better than wanting them dead!

I'm not sure why I did not have a hard time with the pre-op diet (only 2 weeks, and the last 2 days were liquid) but I guess I was so convicned I had to do it right or face cancelled surgery, I just did it.

On the other hand, you do still need to go about in society, work, family et al without snapping their heads off! My suggestion: if you can find a bottle of l-tryptophan (amino acid-the thing in turkey that leaves everyone mellow after Thanksgiving dinner) it helps stabilize mood and it might be all you need to adjust the 'tude.  I take it everyday for "mood" reasons but you might find it helpfull to get thru this difficult adjustment.

eyes on the prize....

I might try that - I might also try Valerian. Something to keep me from homicide.

In social settings, I find that if I hold tightly to my cup, glass, etc with both hands, that I can do ok.  It makes me concentrate on the liquid in the vessel and I tend to verbally socialize, more.  I have discovered that it doesn't matter WHAT I am eating or drinking, as long as I am eating and drinking right along with everyone else.  Hang in there......it will all be worth it !