Today begins Day Four of the two-week pre-surgery diet. It's going really well!
The biggest issue, by far, is having to drink an enormous amount of liquids each day -- and the corresponding gazillion trips to the bathroom. I often feel bloated with fluids. Protein smoothies (2 @ 30 ounces), electrolyte drinks (16 ounces), vegetable juice (8 ounces), and water or other clear liquids (64 ounces), and I'm not even counting my standard four cups of coffee.
I am usually quite under-hydrated, even more so while working at home. (At work I keep a water bottle on my desk, but not at home.) When I was younger, I used to say, if it doesn't have caffeine or alcohol in it, why drink it? Ha! Although I've outgrown that notion, I've just never gotten in the habit of drinking a lot of water.
Fortunately for me, I never drink carbonated drinks of any kind, or anything with added sugar; both are off limits. I know for many people, that is a big adjustment, but for me it's a non-issue.
I can eat one solid meal each day, within the guidelines. I'm eating a green salad, and a small portion soup I made in the Instant Pot, with chicken, vegetables, and brown-rice pasta. I'm experimenting with having this meal at different times during the day, to get maximum bang for the buck. I think lunch works best.
The caffeine step-down is going pretty well. I often feel I'd like another cup, but haven't felt any desperate cravings, and so far, no headaches.
The liquids are a challenge. I'm working from home, and I know that if I'm in my home office, there will be a huge disincentive to continually go downstairs and get fluids. My workload is pretty intense right now, and I won't want the constant interruptions. To counter this, I'm working at the kitchen table, which has its pros and cons.
On the plus side, I'm very near the fridge, with all the liquids I need. It's been cold lately, so I can make a fire in the wood stove and easily keep it going. I can let the dogs in and out all day, which is annoying when both Allan and I are upstairs in our respective offices. All good.
The downside is I've lost my great workspace. After two days using my work laptop without connecting it to my large desktop monitor, and sitting on a kitchen chair all day, I was already feeling the effects on my eyes and back. So yesterday we brought my great office chair and the monitor downstairs, and I set up a satellite workstation.
Also: fantastic timing, doing this while I'm working at home! I'm not sharing this with my co-workers yet, so I'm glad to have this privacy.
I also weighed myself for a baseline weight. Then I asked A to hide the scale and give it back to me on December 1. I'm going to try monthly weigh-ins on the first day of each month. The number itself will remain private, but of course I'll post the amount lost each month.
I am so glad that it is going well! Sending you hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteIt sure sounds like you are doing well with this diet---that's terrific! Have you felt any effects in terms of energy level?
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy! Knowing it's short-term, and that it's for a safer surgery, makes it pretty easy. I'm trying not to think about real fasting for 48 hours before surgery.
ReplyDeleteI'm not noticing any changes in my energy levels.
One thing I do notice: I drink every drop of coffee in the coffee maker now!
ReplyDeleteI make a small pot (4 cups) of coffee every morning, and normally I will often feel I've had enough, and will leave 1 cup or a half-cup in the pot. But now that the caffeine content is limited, I am draining the pot. :)