MaHaBone

The cramping sucks but it does get better. It used to floor me, but 4 months out now I don't seem to cramp at all. You'll be learning a whole new way to eat and developing a new relationship to food. Take baby steps, chew thoroughly, and everything will be great!

Just bring lots of water with you!

Just got back from a family trip to Disney World. My surgery was 4 months ago but we booked the trip ages before that. At the time the meal plan seemed like a good idea, but now that my bandwidth for any kind of food is so low, and the eateries have such ridiculously huge portion sizes, I got a lot of puzzled, even wounded looks from waiters. We ate in "France" one night- I loved the French onion soup (my new obsession) but the entre was monster (half a chicken??) and frankly a bit bland. The waiter was quite galled (pun intended) that this fat guy was turning his nose up at the, not even taking home his leftovers. Anyhow, appealing to my devious sense of humor. All that said, if you happen to be planning a trip to Disney and wonder how the meal plan will work, I would say leave yourself off if possible. Nibble on the leftovers from your family and loved ones and you'll stay more than full. And avoid the World Showcase in Epcot- that place is just food and junky souvenir shops.

I had the same issues with fatigue, especially around the 3-5 week postop mark. Lethargic as hell, and what would normally be a 30 min nap slipped into 2-3 hour naps. I would say by about 8 weeks I was at a more stable energy level. I still have moments of sluggishness, but not quite so extreme and I can usually just bully through them.

Could it be possible you're trading some fat loss for muscle gain, netting out at less weight loss but better fitness?

Yes on #1 but no on #2. Short of an IV drip, I don't think I can get down 100 oz a day. :-/ Thanks for the reply!

I heard 12 grams of sugar was the threshold, so that's been my "speed limit" with sugar. From what I've heard, there doesn't seem to be any "maybe" about dumping- when it happens, it hits like a truck and you feel like reheated death. That said, I have definitely eaten some things that made me feel generally crappy, and not necessarily sweet or fatty things.

Had the same problem, especially 2-4 weeks post op. Just massive fatigue. I would take a nap, wake briefly, and before I could decide whether or not I should get up, I'd fall back asleep again. It will get better, both in frequency and severity.

Like others have said- eat slow and chew a lot! Make a point to put your food/fork/spoon down between bites. If you eat at your desk, take a bite, send some e-mails, then take another bite. It gives your stomach time to process, and it will give you time to react to any negative signals from your stomach!

Sounds like an issue to bring up with your doc, then. Possible ulcer?

Only when I eat to fast. Everything sorta "log jams" and I need to throw up the excess. Perfect example- I was rushing around and ate a couple crackers. Then I took too big a gulp of water. I instantly knew I jammed everything up and went to the bathroom. I threw up the water but JUST the water (ie, what was back up into my esophagus) while the crackers stayed down.

Has anyone used creatin powder in their protein shakes, to help retain or even grow a little more muscle mass?

I started nibbling on apple slices and baby carrots fairly soon, maybe 3-4 weeks post. Albeit very slowly and carefully. Peppers and onions too, finely sliced. I had a couple Kale chips before dinner the other night- which pretty much meant I wasn't having dinner. They filled my up for hours.

V8, just the classic veggie juice, not the fruity ones. Nice and salty, especially when you're sick to death of fake sweet protein shakes!

My advice with any new food is to take it very very slow. Make a cracker with cheese, nibble a corner off and set it aside. Let your stomach make up its mind on how it likes it. After a few minutes, try another nibble and so on. Take a nice long time to finish that one cracker, or any new food, and give your body a chance to give you feedback. All of my mistakes thus far have been from eating too fast.