Help!! I'm Hungry!!!!

[Vinnysgirl63 0]

Hi...

I had the surgery on Janurary 11, 2012.. I have been filled 3x and I am now at 3.5cc .. I have problems with keeping stuff down if I eat too fast.. I try to eat slow and that does not help much either... (Doc appt on Monday)

My menu consists of:

B: scr egg and a thin slice of ham

2 hrs later: Protein Bar

2 hrs later: lunch... chick/ tuna/ egg salad ~or~ low sodium swiss and ham without any bread

2hrs later: yogurt and some almonds

2 hrs later: dinner... I usually have 4-6 oz Protein and some type of veggie (but lately this is cut in half cause of not keeping it down)

Then.. Im hungry again.. I cant eat enough to stay satisified for 4 hours like my doc wants me to.. He tells me that if I eat at 7am then I really should not be hungry till 11am.. that worked when I had added 1 pc. of whole wheat toast, but he does not want me having carbs.. so I have cut them out completely... and IM HUNGRY! I have lost about 60 pounds so far and I do not EVER want to see that number on the scale go up again. I just feel lost.. maybe I am not eating the right types of food.. but I have no guidelines to go by and I just stay with what is tasty... I have tried to look for sample menus.. but everything just says eat protein.. I wish there was some type of planned menu for people with the LB!!

Sorry.. but I am just very frustrated... I try not to eat ANYTHING unless my stomach growls.. but that is hard sometimes.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated!!!

~Cindy~

[cmoody821 44]

Maybe seeing a nutritionist would help get a better understanding of the foods you should eat.

[Sojourner 2,446]

Hi...

I had the surgery on Janurary 11, 2012.. I have been filled 3x and I am now at 3.5cc .. I have problems with keeping stuff down if I eat too fast.. I try to eat slow and that does not help much either... (Doc appt on Monday)

My menu consists of:

B: scr egg and a thin slice of ham

2 hrs later: Protein bar

2 hrs later: lunch... chick/ tuna/ egg salad ~or~ low sodium swiss and ham without any bread

2hrs later: yogurt and some almonds

2 hrs later: dinner... I usually have 4-6 oz Protein and some type of veggie (but lately this is cut in half cause of not keeping it down)

Then.. Im hungry again.. I cant eat enough to stay satisified for 4 hours like my doc wants me to.. He tells me that if I eat at 7am then I really should not be hungry till 11am.. that worked when I had added 1 pc. of whole wheat toast, but he does not want me having carbs.. so I have cut them out completely... and IM HUNGRY! I have lost about 60 pounds so far and I do not EVER want to see that number on the scale go up again. I just feel lost.. maybe I am not eating the right types of food.. but I have no guidelines to go by and I just stay with what is tasty... I have tried to look for sample menus.. but everything just says eat protein.. I wish there was some type of planned menu for people with the LB!!

Sorry.. but I am just very frustrated... I try not to eat ANYTHING unless my stomach growls.. but that is hard sometimes.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated!!!

~Cindy~

Several observations...first, and most importantly...Are you measuring your portions for every meal?? People who measure their meals by volume generally do better post op...

Are you drinking and eating at the same time? There has been some recent discussion about this topic on the forum, but my doctor has told me that you will stave off hunger longer if you wait the hour post eating before resuming drinking fluids.

Different surgeons have instructions about diet and nutrition which we may find confusing. I would just like to share that I was advised that Protein Bars are never a good choice for a bandster; they lack the nutrition you need, and have way too many calories.

Almonds sound a bit harsh on the digestion; I wonder if there is a connection between the time of day you are eating them and then not tolerating your next meal??

The only other information I believe may be helpful is that I was told that every meal should have 3 oz of lean protein and 2 oz of a Fiber carb. I was given an entire book pre op to advise me through every stage of the first year post op. The book does give numerous examples of foods which meet the nutritional needs of a bandster.

Bread is only acceptable if it contains at least 3g of protein per slice. I find that carbs do seem to stimulate my appetite. The most effective way to manage hunger that I have found to date is to drink the free fluids which we need to have daily.

I hope you will feel better real soon!

[Pollyanna12 74]

Carole brings up the same points I would. Always measure and do follow. The no drinking before/after eating. I amconstantly starving too. In fact after dumping 50 pounds in 2 1/2 months my weight loss has ground to a halt. I have only had 2 fills and need more! Hang in there, try tracking your foods on a website that gives youcalorie. Protein, carbon info ( I use myfitnesspal.com) so toucans stay ontop of high protein low carb foods which keep you more full.

[2muchfun 8,928]

I agree with TXGirl..See your dietician/nutritionist. Make an appointment. It's worth the $50 to get professional advice. I did it back in March and went from a 3 month plateau to losing 22 lbs in the next two months. She was able to pinpoint right where I was making my mistakes. Prepare to be brutally honest about all the things you are eating though.

tmf

[Vinnysgirl63 0]

Well a couple of things to all above....

I have been trying to find a nutritionist that takes my insurance since I really do not have the means to pay for him/her out of pocket. (I live in NY and there is not dietician/nutritionist that will see me for $50)

I measure every meal.. and my doc does not want me to have anything that is more than 5% carbs/4% fat so this is very limiting on the carbs. I look at every label. .. I do not drink anything 1/2 hour before a meal and 1 to 1-1/2 hours after a meal... I am on 4oz Protein via the doc, 2 oz veggie/salad one or the other.

I am not hungry any other time than in the evening... today I upped my egg in the morning to 2 and I added some low fat cheese and tomato.. this seems to be doing the trick so far as that was 2 hours ago and I am not hurgry yet ... the Protein Bar falls within my limit of 4%/5% and I do not abuse them for Meal Replacements... but I will talk to the doc on Monday afternoon when I go for my weigh-in.

Thank you all for your posts.. it is hard... but I am prevailing.

~Cindy~