Hell is Other People

Well, it isn't really, but I've found that the liquid diet is easier when I don't have to deal with other people's food needs. Not that my friends haven't been good - we went to Pho on Phriday night so I could eat a big bowl of steamy broth while they had their noodles and things. DH and I went to Pho (again!) Saturday and he got take out Greek yesterday. What makes it 'hell' is that I find myself wondering what he will eat -- and therefore thinking of food and restaurants and things. Food's just as important/interesting to him as it was to me, whereas now I just want to shove the shake down the gullet and not even pretend that it's a meal. (We've no children so we eat out a lot, whenever the mood strikes, that sort of thing.) It's odd - in the grocery store, the smell (stink) around the rotissery chickens was revolting suddenly, all greasy and repellent, yet I felt very deprived walking past the pretzels. I think what was hardest other than the other people, was having my range of choice limited so much. In the DC metro area we have sooo many ethnic restaurants and groceries - Korean barbecue, churrascaria, Peruvian chicken joints, Pho (thank God) houses, seafood places, and they're all shuttered and closed to me for now. Mind you when they were open, I did the damage that the surgery is trying to fix, so maybe it's a good thing!

Just a few notes/questions if I may beg the collective indulgence - I'm losing weight much more slowly on my current liquid regime. Like a half-a-pound or less(!) a day while on two shakes and a meal I was averaging more like three-fifths of a pound or more. Why's that??? I've been having just shakes/Unjury Chicken Soup/Isopure fruity drinks (with no add-ins other than ice, SF syrups, made with skim milk), coffee with skim milk, water (flavored), broth, and jello and SF popsicles. Is it the milk? Should I ramp up water? Should I start exercising more regularly (= at all)?

Also a book I had been given talked about adding a tablespoon of SF pudding mix to your shakes to improve the consistency - has anyone tried that and does it work, and does it work on this liquid phase? I've asked my NUT but she takes forever to respond. I absolutely WILL NOT CHEAT so if a little SF pudding mix is cheating out it stays.

Sounds like you're doing much better, that's great news! I'm not strong enough to face as restaurants yet because all my eating issues are from the neck up. Once it was past my throat I didn't care. But I think about flavors and textures and smell, that's what got to me in trouble in the first place. Could be similar for you and your challenges around other folks. You are a strong man!

For the other part, maybe try to add another 8oz of water per day and a stroll around the block. Nothing crazy, just 10-15mins of walking. This will become so important after surgery. Just my 2 cents. Best wishes!

Good advice - back on my treadmill! I can probably do 30 minutes a day.

Oh, and never heard about the SF pudding thing. You said your doc is strict so if its not on the approved list, avboid it like the plague.

The SF pudding has 25 calories.  Adding a tbsp helps improve your shakes immensely.  I used them throughout my liquid stage and it make them so much more tolerable.  I think there's a cheesecake flavor that I really liked, along with banana.  Add a couple of ice cubes and mix the concoction up in a blender.  It will help break up the monotony of your protein shakes.  Good luck!

I do like the cheesecake flavour - I would make it with ice and then sit it in the fridge for ten minutes or so to 'firm' up. I want to try pistachio flavour with almond syrup.

Yes, the pistachio rocks too.  

I also added PB2 and Torani SF syrups to change up the flavors.

It's probably a combination of three factors:

(a) weighing daily isn't really that scientific so it will vary,

(b) diminishing opportunity, the weight loss rates does decline over time,

(c) salt combined with water (liquid) retention.

As I recall, I started out loosing well over 5 lbs a week, then saw it drop down to around 4, then 2.5 and so on.  The good news is you look to be doing fine so it should be anything to worry about.

I know in my mind that weighing daily is not scientfic, but...it helps me stay aware of what I'm doing if that makes sense. Also DH always asks! I'm just going to keep on keeping on for the time being.

Don't worry about the weight loss. As long as you stick to your plan, that's about all you can control.  Weight loss kinda ebbs and flows.

I'm pretty sure I tried the pudding thing once, and didn't find it helped at all.  Just added a different chemical taste.  But I can't imagine it would be against your plan to give it a try!