feel horrible on pre-op liquid diet

Jeannie, Try mixing SF jello powder in, just a tablespoon or so, mix them in the blender w/bananas, strawberries, sf choc syrup.  You can do all sorts of things.  My favorite way to mix was the vanilla, and use diet orange soda instead of water, and a little ice, tasted like and orange cream slush from sonic.  Blend it in the blender till ice is crushed.  Have to play with them, I was miserable on them.  You can also mix pudding w/them and freeze them a couple hours, and they make an ice cream, sort of.  I also used lots of broth and c/f diet coke as a filler.  Im not a sweet eater, never have been, so I had to have the broth.  Chicken noodle soup broth was wonderful and I fed my hubby the solids. If you have any more questions, just yell, Baker is strict, but he is wonderful.  And the aftercare w/him is second to none.  Ive never met Dr. Gibbs, and Im sure he is wonderful, but Baker is my favorite doc of all times. Hope this has helped, Rhonda D

Thank you all for the tips and encouraging words!  I am feeling better tonight.  Not nearly as tired and no more running to the bathroom!  Did you feel tempted to cheat at all?  I ate a pickle a few days ago...I feel really quilty about it but it had 0 calories....Tonight I had Ramen noodle broth...not sure if that is ok because it tasted too good!  What are the things that Dr. Baker might cancel over?? Do I not get to have caffeine forever??  I'm glad to hear that Dr. Baker is regarded so highly.  The first time I met him he was really nice but asking me why I didn't walk, etc....The second time he wasn't as nice...really serious and intimidating...but I know he really is great.  He has such a good reputation and that makes me feel good.  Thanks again!  Jeannie

I had the urge to cheat, but didnt, b/c my hubby watched me.  I was really weak when it came to food the first 2 or 3 days. Ive been told that  a pickle was ok, but I had no solid food the whole time, scared I would not lose at all.    NO, you dont have to be caffeine free, he recommends it, but I cant do that.  I did b4 surgery, b/c it causes you to retain fluid.  I drink full strength tea and coffee now, cant do the caffeine free. Things he might cancel over?? If you smoke and dont quit, he will NOT touch you. If you are on Cpap and dont bring it with and have not been using, he will send you home, If he finds out you have been eating food, he wont touch you, other than that, I dont know.   I know hes real big on you starting now to exercise, and starting your healthy habits, b/c that shows him you are dedicated.  Of course, you have no choice but to be healthy now, lol. The ramen noodle broth is ok, but remember, high in sodium and will cause fluid retention, but one a day is not so bad.  I used reduced sodium chickn noodle, and my sister made homemade tortilla and I drank the liquid from it.   I also forgot to mention that I used fresh frozen strawberries in my shakes,  made them wonderful.  Ill try to think what else I did.  Hard to remember that far back, lol.  Its only been 13 months or so, but my memory is not so good!!! Hugs, and hang in there, Rhonda

He is strict, but only because he cares.  He asked me to, why I don't walk.  Halfway through my 4 weeks of shakes, I had to come back in for a 2nd pre-op, so he can check my progress.  The first pre-op he scared me, he wanted to know why I didn't do this or that, etc.  I was 400lbs he said I was high risk and was reallt concerned.  I left there crying. 2nd time, he was all smiles and praises.  I had lost 20 lbs so far on the shakes, he says, why couldn't I do this before, and I said I didn't know.  I showed him my chart for walking.  I also measured my hallway (my apartment building is on the inside, it used to be an old hotel) I live at the end of the hall so it is a long hall, and I showed him that x amount of round trip walks was x amount of feet.  I printed a map of my area of town and had measurements written, so I knew if I walked to walgreens and back it was so far (I think like 3/4 mile) and also each block around my building.  he was impressed.  I was so full of pride and felt so good after my 2nd pre-op.  I felt like a kid who cleaned their room and wanted their mom to come and say how good of a job I did, LOL. Don't cheat on your liquid diet.  If he opens you up and sees even the tiniest piece of food, he will close you back up without even doing the surgery.  I don't want to even imagine going through all that pre-op and then only to wake up from surgery and he didn't do anything because of a tiny nibble of something.  The shakes are there to shrink your liver making it safe for surgery and also help you lose weight for surgery AND to prepare you for what your life will be like post-op in the beginning.  Because after surgery while your still on the first stage or 2 of the diet, trying to eat a pickle can harm you horribly.  And like horselady said, his aftercare  is wonderful!  He is all about you, when you see him after surgery!  He will praise your weightloss, and praise anything else you are doing.  He makes you feel good about yourself.