Losing the Liquid Diet Willpower
I quit sugar and caffeine on the same day after watching several documentaries on NetFlix. I felt run down, slept all day, headaches, nausea, body aches, and dizzy for about 3-4 days. On the 5th day it was all done and the new found energy that I had was amazing. I work on a substance abuse and we talk with out patients about addiction to sugar and caffeine. these substances are addictive and can be difficult to withdrawal from. Good luck!
You will make it through! I went this too. The two days before surgery I was almost in an altered state of consciousness. I felt so out of it, but I had to make the goal of 18 pounds prior to surgery (liver shrinking). I did make 20 pounds, went through the surgery July 27, and then had 2 whole weeks of clear protein and 2 more of full liquids protein. For some reason, it has been much better after surgery. The first 3 days afterward are super hard for everyone to get the required fluids/protein in, but then it gets easier day by day, and the great thing is I am not hungry and don't feel that lethargy that I had before. Now it's just a habit and I tell myself "It is what it is." I move onto pureed foods this weekend, and I am glad, but I'm proud of sticking with the program. I have only lost 12 pounds since surgery (not one of those super losers who lost 20-30 pounds in their first month), but it's 32 overall in the 8 weeks since my consult. Keep focusing on why you are doing this. It also helped me to think about all the people in our world who feel this feeling all the time and I would tell myself that I am, at least, doing this voluntarily.
Totally with you in getting tired of the protein shakes. Here's what I do to keep it new.
Definitely the sugar free popsicles - find some fun flavors! And shop around for different brands of protein shakes. I use one brand until I get tired of protein shakes, and then I try another brand so it seems like something new and different. Also, try adding flavorings to change things up and make it more exciting, like adding cinnamon to a vanilla shake, or using a vanilla or chocolate shake as creamer in a cup of black coffee. You can even get root beer flavoring to add to a vanilla shake so it's like a root beer float!
Most of the shakes I drink are milk/whey based. When I was on a completely liquid diet, I felt like I had "milk mouth" - bad breath from the constant dairy. I found it was refreshing to rinse with a minty mouthwash a few times a day. Plus, it was a nice "taste break".
Also, are you taking any vitamins? I found that I felt much better when I was getting enough B12 and iron. I took the B12 in the morning to get me going and took the iron at 5pm when I felt like I was lagging behind.
