I really need encouragement and suggestions

I know I shouldn't be complaining, I have lost 51 lbs in 3 months and I love that.  What my problem is, I feel like all I do is drink water and try to get in the protein I need.  I still do not like 95% of food, even the things I loved before surgery.  I try to get in as much as possible, but I feel like my whole life revolves around this and most days I get  in only 50 oz of liquids and maybe 50 gms protein.  I feel bloated all day long and I hate getting up in the morning because I know that I have to start all over again!! Is anyone or has anyone gone through this? I'm so depressed right now that I am crying, Please help

 Hi Deb,

I'm sorry you're feeling down. What if we look at this in another way.

I consider this phase as practise. There are many changes that need to happen over the long term and what we are doing now to ready ourselves, is practise.

I don't know if you've ever done this yourself or perhaps, you've seen one of your children or another person do this...but when you really want to get "good" at something, many of your skills come from practising...doing the same "good" things over and over again so it becomes second nature.

Practise is hard! It can be boring and because it is often an individualized activity, it can be lonely. But, for every day you've practised, it's one day closer to reaching your weight loss goal. More importantly, it's one day closer to being able to know how to maintain the weight loss.

Part of the practise is trying new foods and flavours. Another part is letting go of the old ones or tweaking them to your taste. You must persist to find something you like -- it's practise.

On the protein, here's what I do to get me to keep on drinking fluids plus get in protein: Mix 2 oz of protein into 8 cups of water. Get a water bottle that will hold it all. Add ice, and keep adding ice drinking it until it's gone -- that's 46 grams protein and at least 64 oz protein. I use syntrax nectar and I like the fruity flavours in water. I can't taste the protein -- all I can taste is protein water.

You are going to be just fine! For now, we have to practise, practise, practise. 

I wish you only the very best,
Cheryl

Hey Honey,

It's pretty normal how you are feeling.  You may be suffering from depression, because we have always used food to self-medicate.  Now that food is taken away from us as a coping mechanism, we have to find other things to replace it with.

I know it probably doesn't help to hear this - but it's actually a GOOD thing that you still don't like 95% of food.  That means your sleeve is working! 

Mourning the loss of food is an important part of our healing journey after the sleeve.  I hope you can find a way to accept your new reality and start to see this is as freedom from food, and not just a loss of food!

Hugs,
Mel

Thank you for your encouragement and you both are right, practice, practice,practice, and I am mourning the loss of food.  It's like losing my best friend. Your words have helped alot. Thanks again

yep, i remember feeling that way too. plus all the vitamin and calcium and other pills. its hard but it will get easier in the next month or two. so try to just stick it out and you will be glad you did. protein gets easier as time goes by. Some times you have a bad day and don't get all the protein in and go oh well, thats just the way it is today. tomorrow is better. AT three months you think you will never eat again. a couple of months later thats different. and keep trying different protein drinks till you get one you like. I finally got the cheapo costco stuff which i had resisted for a long time. I add a little bit of good quality dry unsweetened coco to it and it tastes much better.  i actually like it. cuts the sweet yuck taste and covers up protein. good luck and hang in there. it will get better. D