Need help with liquid diet!!!!!!!

Hi all, Has been awhile since my last posting but if you all can forgive me, I could use your help. My daughter is having surgery on the 13th of April and is just today starting the 2 week liquid diet, my question is: What does that consist of and how in the heck can that be healthy to do for 2 weeks PLUS 2 weeks after? I quess it is suppose to be things you can see threw but how do you convince yourself to not eat anything for that long? And what about the hunger pains? I'm really confused about all this. I have still gotten nowhere with my surgery yet, after a year and a half but have not given up hope yet. Thanks for you help, I appreciate it.~~~~~~~~Tina

HI Tina, I know it sounds really difficult but if you are dedicated to doing this, it is definately possible & surprisingly not all that hard. Dr. G requires this for at least 2 very good reasons. 1. Our livers are very large. That comes with obesity. By going on liquids, the liver loses the fat quickly. If the liver is smaller he has much more room to work, allowing him to do it LAP instead of Open. Also it is easy to nick the liver when it is in the way. Smaller liver- less chance of injury to it. 2. It shows that you are really ready to do what you have to do to get thinner. If you have met with him also, you remember that he says he will do the best that he can do for you but you have to do your part. This is part of it. He also expects a whole lot more- exercising daily, taking vitamins for the rest of your life, not smoking, eating foods that are good for you & not junk and coming back for followup visits. Your daughter should have gotten a list of allowable foods to drink. They include water, iced tea, popsicles, frozen fruit pops, jello, clear broth, sports drinks, crystal light, juice (no sugar added), pop (before surgery), and NuBasics Juice drink. Believe me, after surgery she probably won't feel like anything else for awhile anyway. I found that I wanted to chew so I made finger jello with sugar free jello. Broth got pretty old so I would buy soup & strain everything out of it. It had more flavor. After the first couple days the hunger pains went away. I was so psyched up about the surgery I didn't want to do anyting to jeopardize it. One bonus about the 2 weeks of liquids. One of Dr G's requirements is that you not weigh more than 5 lbs more than you did on the day of the first appointment with him, often several months earlier. He will refuse to do the surgery if you have gained more. Most of his patients see him for the presurgical visit just days before the surgery, well into the 2 weeks ofliquids. You do lose weight. I lost 20 lbs. Is your daughter or you a member of the yahoo group that is set up for weghtloss patients in NE Iowa? If not send an e-mail to [email protected] This group consists mostly of Dr G's patients and is a wonderful source of information & support. We have all gone through this ourselves & are willing to help all we can. It's also very helpful no matter where you are in your "journey." Dixie

Dixie, What is Nubasics and where do you get it? I'll be starting soon also. I only have a tentative date..... Also, did you use all s/f before or did you vary it? Jane

The only place I know that carries it is in the pharmacy right next to Dr G's office. Maybe other pharmacies carry it also but this is the one I was told about. I believe it's probably a protein drink but never used it myself. My pop has always been sugar free but I think I ate some regular jello while on the 2 weeks of liquids. I believe that it was mostly important to use sugar free after the surgery. I hate crystal light so only drank juice. After surgery you will want to water it down about 50/50. It doesn't affect the taste much at all but will prevent dumping from the straught juice. Now tell, Jane, when is the tentative date? Inquiring minds want to know. Dixie