Question:
starting over, will it help?

Thanksgiving was not kind to me , or better put I was not kind to myself. it isnt that I really ate to much, just all the wrong things. I am very swollen and have gained over 5 pounds. i am sure it is mostly water but I cant seem it get it off. I have also noticed that in the last week or 2 I can eat alot more than ever before , with no ill effects and that scares me. I started today with nothing but liquids. I am on my forht protien shake and I am really hungry.I would take a water pill, but the last time i did it lowered my BP so bad i passed out. besides that it caused me to retain even more because my body thought it need to hold on even tighter. my main question is how long should i stay on liquids , before my pouch goes back to the way it was last month? and besides water and shakes what else can i have to help this process along. thank you guys so much for always being here for me and all of us when we need it.    — terri R. (posted on November 30, 2003)

November 30, 2003
I am in my fourth day of detoxing from popcorn. Down 5 lbs. 1. The doc said my fatigue and pain would be helped with proper sleep. So instead of getting up and doing things when I wake in the middle of the night, I stay in bed with my eyes closed. Guess what, I do fall back to slepp. AND, I feel more energetic so. 2. I have been getting more exercise. 4. I found a new snack, it is called Just The Cheese. I get it from Netrition.com. It has 300 calories a bag. 20 grms Protein and 2 carbs. It is baked cheese and provides the crunch and salt I crave. I was eating about the same calories in popcorn, twice a day and all carbs. You can do this yourself I hear, but when I panic it helps. I posted this on my Off Track group: address below: Post message: [email protected]
   — faybay

November 30, 2003
When ever I had to go back to liquids I did 2 days clear...2days puree..2 days soft. It always did the trick for me. DON'T FORGET YOUR WATER AND PROTIEN!!!!!!! Good Lux
   — Robert L.

November 30, 2003
When I need to get back to basics I do 3 days of shakes and cottage cheese and it seems to do the trick. 3 days is usually enough for me to get and carbs out of my systemand off my mind more importantly. I usually drop a pound or two as well. I will repeat the urge for you to drink plenty of water too. That seems to be more and more the key as I get closer to goal. Lap RNY 1/15/03 277/156/150ish
   — Carol S.

December 1, 2003
I've heard of lots of post-ops restarting by going back to the beginning-clear liquids, full liquids, pureed and then soft, and others doing just protein shakes for a few days. That would be pure torture for me. When I gain a few pounds, I up the exercise (heart pumping cardio only) from my norm of 3X a week to 4, up the water, and ensure that I eat good lean protein at every meal, lower the carbs(salads instead of sandwiches) and change the snack choices (from mini candy bars to SF popsicles or a handful of pretzels or fruit). I continue to eat every few hours, and within 4 days, the pound or two I gained is gone. Going to all liquids just seems so drastic to me. As to how long you can stay on that, quite a while, I'm sure.
   — Cindy R.

December 1, 2003
You are not alone. Getting off track over Thanksgiving happened to me as well. It once again showed me that this is only a tool and it's up to me to use it correctly. For me, I would do two shakes a day and stay on the high protein and no white carbs. This always seems to get me back on track. 280/153/140 Best Wishes~
   — Heather S.