I am now seven weeks into the ten week night real estate class that I am taking. The first part was kind of rough and took some getting used to. Likewise, I am three days into the seven day liquid diet leading up to my surgery this Friday. And likewise, the first part was kind of rough and took some getting used to.
The liquid diet is just as bad as it sounds. It’s like the day before a colonoscopy, except there is no clean out required. So I guess that is a positive. The objective is to shrink the fatty tissue around the liver which makes the surgery more easy, or less complicated. So far, I’ve lost 6.1 pounds in these past three days.
The liquid diet allows about five protein shakes per day, which includes these Premier protein drinks, or smoothies made with protein powder and either a half cup of fruit or milk. I can also have soup broth, one protein bar which is the size of your thumb, and sugar-free Jell-O. So far, other than one beer Saturday night after my band’s gig, I have followed the liquid diet to a tee. I guess you could argue one beer should be an allowable exception on a liquid diet weekend. I’ve tracked all my food intake in MyFitnessPal, and my calories have ranged from 575 to 996 over the three days. Carbs have been 54, 54 and 28, which is incredibly low compared to the usual reasonable goal of over 200.
Recently, my band Old Play got asked to play again at the local restaurant Sophie’s. I was reluctant to do this because the gig was going to fall on Saturday night, which was day two of my liquid diet. But we have been without gigs all year long due to Covid, and we played there three weeks ago and they liked us, and invited us back. So I wanted to support that if it all possible. After all, I have played gigs while sick many times!
When I talked to my dietitian on Thursday, she warned me that the next two days would be very rough, with flulike symptoms. And she said that she felt I would probably have a rough time doing the gig on the night of day two. She said it takes about that long to get to ketosis. But she said that I would likely wake up Sunday morning with a new feeling of euphoria. Indeed, the first two days of the new routine were the worst. Actually the first 36 hours.
I didn’t sleep particularly well Friday night, suffering through some restlessness as well as some headaches. I got up Saturday morning around 9 o’clock and practiced through the setlist. I was thankful that we were only doing about 28 songs, compared to the 37 we did three weeks ago. Then I went back to bed for a few more hours, which was very unusual for me. Once I got back up I still felt a little tired, and decided to have a cup of coffee. I usually only have one cup of coffee a day, and I was trying not to drink caffeine that during this time, because that was advised. Anyway, the cup of coffee helped. That seem to invigorate me, my headache subsided, and I continued to feel a little bit better throughout the day.
The closer we got to the gig, the better I felt. It was sort of a bummer to have to carry to the gig my cooler loaded with a Premier protein shake, Gatorade Zero, water, and a mug of warm beef broth soup. All the wings everyone was ordering in the restaurant certainly tempted me, but I stuck to my regimen. The gig went pretty well, and I felt pretty good throughout the evening. The allergy symptoms subsided, and though I did feel a little weak due to the lack of usual nourishment, I survived. I was glad to be home, and get to bed, while my painful hip arthritis kept me tossing and turning that night.
Yesterday - Sunday - was a day of recovery. I stayed in and studied my real estate textbook and took some practice tests. Of the three days, I actually ate less on Sunday than I did on Friday and Saturday. At the end of the day I realized I only had four of the five protein meals that I am allowed. I guess because I’ve gotten used to eating less. I did go to the pool and hang out with some friends, and even did a little real estate studying while at the pool. I even read a bit of Camino Island by John Grisham. Lately, reading for pleasure during the day has been a rarity. I guess I took on a lot with the real estate class, while having a full time job and learning new songs with the band.
The worst part about this phase is the boredom of the selection of liquid foods. Nothing is particularly satisfying taste-wise. But I know this is temporary and the reward will come later.
This Wednesday, I have my Covid test, which is required pre-surgery. Then I also have a dentist appointment. Then Thursday I meet with the doctor in a video call. And then Friday is the surgery. I’m hoping the week passes quickly and I’m glad I’ve turned the corner on the ketosis (and the real estate class). I’m not sure I would call my current state euphoria, but it’s better than the way I felt Friday and Saturday!
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