Having Trouble Eating

[lkcraig316 4]

So, I am finishing up my first week of soft foods. I have had chicken salad, tuna salad, fried egg with cheese, a low-carb casserole I found a recipe for, chili from our hospital cafeteria (where I work) and everything has gone down just fine. But I've noticed yesterday and today I do not want to eat. I made a fried egg with cheese for Breakfast this morning, took two bites and felt like that was it. I'm not hungry for it. When you feel that way do you MAKE yourself eat or just let it slide until your next meal?

Plus I feel like I need to sip something while I'm eating. Like I chewed my bite of egg until it was nothing but mush, but I just didn't want to swallow it. There's no pain, no queasiness, I just don't want it. But I feel like if I could sip some Water or unsweet tea I could swallow it easier.

I hate to complain because one of the side effects of surgery that I was excited for was no more hunger. But I know I've got to eat.

Any ideas?

Lisa

[lsereno 2,525]

Hi Lisa,

I'm on my first week of soft foods and I don't want to eat most of the time either. I just set my timer and slog through it. I really want to get away from the Protein drinks so I've been eating 3 oz of Protein per meal. I just can't face anything to solid first thing in the morning so I have 1/2 cup of greek yogurt (10 grams protein) for breakfast. I also have a couple of slices of peach, which I enjoy. Then I have a low-cal string cheese (8 grams of protein) mid-morning, 3 oz of turkey, chicken, ham, fish, or shrimp for lunch and dinner, and a Protein shake before bed. I've been making these with 4-5 strawberries, 4 oz of ice, 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk, 1/4 cup Water, and a couple of spoons of splenda. I am eating only my favorite foods, but it is still hard to eat.

I'm mot worried though because I've read of lots of people have problems early out and they resolve with time. I feel like my stomach is still healing, so I'm not surprised it's a little cranky when food gets shoved down there.

Lynda

[Don 5]

Scrambled eggs were one of my favorite foods, but 2-3 spoonfuls and I am in discomfort now. I am 2 months out. Never was wild about it before, but do like egg salad (not a sandwich), but egg salad by itself. I found a recipe in a weight loss surgery cook book that added celery seed and it is a bit refreshing change of taste.

I went to our favorite deli the other day and got some egg salad and it was rot-gut awful...the eggs were like rubber, so I will make mine at home from now on.

We all are different I guess.

Don

[meggiep 57]

I hear you! I never realized I would be learning to eat all over again. I told my husband they really ought to consider the first 6-8 weeks the recovery period since it seems like you are working from morning on to try to get all your Protein, Water, etc. and it is taxing! I am never hungry, and that is indeed what I wanted but then you do have to think about Protein and getting more from food and less from the gawd awful drinks.

I am looking forward to th day when I am eating regular food for my protein, fluids go down "fluidly", and I can NOT think about this sleeve! Just for an hour!

[To Be Thin 2011 80]

Hi Lisa!

First, Congrats on the sleeve!!! Second,, and I do not mean this rude at all, just being honest... I think it takes more time for our heads to catch up to our sleeve... You do need to eat, but.... you are eating.. your just not "over" eating!

Hope that makes sense... I was like you, concerned about eating, getting my protien,,, (i could not do eggs..yuck)..

I was forcing myself to eat ,, such an idiot. I wish I could go back to day 1 of surgery and I would so that all over.. I took everything so litterally, eating every 3 hours, making myself eat, it would take 45 minutes to get something down and I would start planning what I would eat next. I was actually making myself sick and had a few bouts of being on the bathroom floor in serious pain being sick from forcing the food. I went for my 1 month check up and told the doctor about this and he was NOT happy with me! He told me eating 6 small meals is a guideline, protien levels are guidlines, but in the first 6 weeks we are in healing mode, and its o/k. to not hit the Protein mark, or not eat 6 times a day... He looked at me and said "please stop forcing food!". He told me for the next two weeks to only eat when I am hungry, and to calm down on the protien levels.... It really, really helped.. like I said, I later felt like an idiot because I had the sleeve for weight loss and there I was trying to shove down food in me every 2-3 hours! UGH.. big mistake, lesson learned and I have been fine ever since. Point of all this, is I truly think it takes time for hour heads to realize we do not need the food like we did prior to surgery. It sounds simple, but it isnt.. those first few weeks after surgery are hard, you 2nd guess everything...or at least I did... Good luck to you... make good choices and happy losing!!!

[lkcraig316 4]

Thanks so much for all of your advice. After I posted my original post I came down with some crud--cough and laryngitis so I am going a little easier on myself for right now. I even allowed myself a little fruit juice. Weird to say but I seem to enjoy really strong spicy flavors right now but have trouble with the bland stuff.