Suggestions for liquid diet
Hi Everyone :) I had my information session for surgery here in Nova Scotia on June 9th, I need to lose 100 lbs to get into the right BMI so they suggested I do the liquid diet until I can lose all the weight. I just need suggestions or anyone that has done this to give some advice I would appreciate it greatly! I am looking to make myself a meal plan for a week so it is straight forward and all figured out so I don't have to stress about food!
Hi! I was at that session as well :) I did two weeks of the liquid diet right away, started June 10th. Now I'm trying to stick to the other meal plan as closely as possible. There are definitely some local folks who were in the higher BMI range who could give you some great advice, I'm sure! Can you email ([email protected]) me and I'll try to connect you with them? This process is long and difficult, I would love to see you get connected with some amazing support peeps! :)
Hi. I've been doing the liquid diet for just over a week now. I've been experimenting with various flavors of protein powders mixed with skim milk and frozen fruit (2-3 times a day) and then soup once or twice a day. I supplement with yogurt and jello for snacks.
I won't lie, the first day was utter hell. I went to bed at 8:30 just because I was so miserable and cranky. :) The cravings were really intense. Push through, though, because it definitely got better with each day.
Walmart has the best pricing on protein powders and some great flavors. (Walmart brand is $19.99 for 900g and Six Star is $23.99 for 900g). I've tried vanilla, chocolate, and salted caramel. They also have strawberry and cookies & cream and a double-chocolate. I went through about 1 and 1/2 900g containers in a week.
It was fun to mix flavors...peanut butter, strawberries, cherries, pineapple with coconut extract, blueberries. Salted caramel with apple tea.
Walmart also sold a shaker bottle for $3.97 especially made for protein powders that works amazing and is great to go. It has a separate compartment that threads on the bottom of the bottle that holds the powder. I do use a blender, though, when using frozen fruit. You can also add ice to blended drinks to increase the volume if you need it.
One thing I realized this weekend, though, they are higher calorie than recommended. Protein powder should be between 18-24g of protein and max of 120 calories. Most protein powders I found were 30g of protein and 180 calories. Quick fix is to reduce how much you use. 2/3 of a scoop brings you into the correct range.
I got a great "recipe" for jello that helps make it more than just an empty treat. Start jello as normal, dissolving the sugar-free jello into a cup of boiling water. Separately mix 1/2 cup of cold water with 2 scoops of protein powder. Add this to the jello mixture and a cup of ice. Pour into 4 containers. You now have a sweet treat that is kind of like a mousse consistency and also has 15 grams of protein. Its really nice. (I use vanilla protein powder with this but plan to try chocolate with the cherry jello).
Soups are my break from sweet overload. That was my biggest problem with the liquid diet - shakes are sweet, yogurt is sweet, and jello is sweet. I keep a ton of flavors on hand. Note, that most have chunks of something, especially the nicer cream soups. You will need to either strain them or blend them. (I just got a hand/immersion blender at Walmart for $12 recently).
I've also thought about trying the unflavored protein powder in soup to see if I can super-charge the protein but 1) not sure what the consistency would look like and 2) not sure if it will taste good.
After a week, I'm finding the protein shakes surprisingly filling. I'm only eating a single cup of soup at a time - 2 cups is too much. I still get cravings sometimes but usually only when I'm hungry. Once I fix a shake, I'm usually feeling better.
Apparently you can also eat cream of wheat but it just doesn't seem appetizing to me, personally. I've also avoided the pre-mixed protein drinks and Carnation instant breakfast because they can be expense or just not have enough protein. Its the protein that's going to make you feel satisfied so try to have some with every meal.
Hope this helps...and don't forget your water :D
