Week 2 on EEN: Most start to feel better (clinical remission) around this time. I am meeting my nutrition goals, drinking 6 shakes daily, and I seem to be tolerating Orgain well. I have been noticing that I get an energy crash around 4 pm, so sometimes I space my last two “dinner” shakes out a little more (and drink them a little earlier) to help offset the fatigue. This may be due in part to coffee withdrawals, but I should be over those by now. It may be due to slight dehydration. I feel like I’m having to drink a lot more water than usual to stay hydrated. I am listening to my body and drinking more when I feel signs of dehydration: dry mouth, darker urine, fatigue, headache.

I am not having intense food cravings, although I do miss the act of eating. The formula is satisfying my hunger needs. One observation is that I don’t salivate before eating/drinking my Orgain. In fact, I’m not really getting the usual hunger pangs, I am instead nourishing my body based on the time of day: it’s 7:30 am, so I need to drink two shakes; it’s 11:30am so I need to drink two shakes; it’s 5:30 pm so I need to drink two shakes. Nourishment is much more scientific and based on actual need rather than pleasure. I miss the pleasure of eating, the physical response to a meal, I even miss going to the grocery store! I drive by my local Trader Joe’s and a bit of sadness briefly overtakes me. Then, I carry on with the rest of my day trying to focus on things that aren’t food centric. On to week 3!