Sunday, November 27, 2016

What I've learned about liquid diets


Here's a little background. Several women in my office decided we would go on a liquid diet to support one woman we know who was undergoing gastric bypass surgery.

Her doctor required her to go on a liquid diet for two weeks before the surgery, so about six of us decided to join her. (All of us in varying degrees could stand to lose some weight, so the effort was not completely altruistic.)

She (we) could have Premier Protein shakes, chicken broth, jello and sugar-free popsicles.

Day one: no problem. The shakes were tasty; the chicken broth, not so much. I didn't bother with the jello or popsicles. I thought, "This is a breeze."

Day two: harder. I was losing my focus. My brain was fuzzy. People were asking me if I was okay. I think the problem was forgoing sugar. I'm one of those southerners who (as a friend likes to say) "just needs a little somethin' sweet to get the taste (of breakfast, lunch, supper) out of my mouth." That little sugar habit was deadly. (See previous post.)

Day three: fail. I decided vegetables were needed or my brain was going to atrophy. So I added green vegetables to my diet. But nothing else. For a week, I did without meat and alcohol and sugar. Fish eventually entered my diet, however. Mostly canned.

Friday the following week when I attended a dinner ball: epic fail. "Are you a vegetarian?" the server asked.  "Why no," I answered believing I would get a fish option. No further questions came my way, and a while later, a juicy fillet was plopped down in front of me. It was delicious. But it was the first real meat I had eaten.

Before this, my friends and I who were on the diet were bragging about how meat was unimportant. We could live without it. Sheesh.

I should have. The next day, my belly suffered a great deal. Oh, and did I mention free wine was flowing at this particular ball?

At that point, I completely fell off my liquid diet, but I did try to go back to salads, vegetables and fish only.

Then came Vacation One: a holiday with my sisters and mother. Food and copious snacks and some alcohol entered the picture.

I tried to get a handle on that when I returned home, but chicken and a little pork (and even once some pasta, horrors) found their way into my diet.

Enter Thanksgiving. A trip with friends sealed my food fate. My willpower needs Jesus.

So today is the day after, and I'm going to try again. Though I have a lunch scheduled in about two hours. I will eat salad. I will eat salad. I will eat salad.

I've learned that I think differently when I'm not eating like a glutton. I'm kind of uppity.

I've learned that the allure of food is mighty and that it takes strength (or doctor's orders) to give it up or to eat healthily.

I've learned (during my pre-surgery check up) that my cholesterol is a little high, but that didn't stop me from buying some cheese while on vacation.

I've learned sugar makes my joints hurt, and that it's to my great benefit to give it up. Even if that means "getting the taste out of my mouth" with Russell Stover sugar-free candy. Even if that makes me poot.

I've learned I have the will to continue. Today for breakfast I'm had a Premier shake. And tomorrow I will too. Dammit.

P.S. On the ankle front, I've had two CT scans because the first one didn't take. They are looking, I believe, on how to make sure of proper alignment with the knee. I know absolutely nothing else, so will call the doctor tomorrow since surgery is Dec. 9. I have found some comfort in an ankle-replacement Facebook page. For better or worse, that's where I'm getting the bulk of my information. Oh, and I bought a knee-scooter off Craig's List (for about what I could have purchased it new, I found out today.) But it's in good shape. I picked it up in Lake Geneva where I was vacationing.

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