I know that long term "grazing" all day-even on small amounts-is a definite no-no. But I am 3 days post-op and am so unclear about when and how much I should be eating Now? I know a lot of people have food problems right after surgery-but I have been lucky so far. It seems I can tolerate anything I choose to have (I am on full liquids). I have limited myself so far to broth, Jello, Water and shakes. should I just have those available and take a spoonful or sip whenever I want-or should I be trying to set up a mealtime schedule even this soon? My doctor is one who wants you on three meals no Snacks, nothing but water in between meals. I am worried a little about Protein as I can't stand another Protein shake (I was actually on Carnation Instant breakfasts, with added milk powder, which aren't that high in protein anyways).

I just don't want to start up any bad habits that I will have a hard time breaking.

So at the beginning did you just eat your 2 tlb and then wait a few hours or did you take a spoonful or sip whenever you felt like it?

I'm four weeks out, and I pretty much just ate or drank when I felt like it. I was (and am) also like you where I could tolerate pretty much anything. Now, at four weeks, I can eat two scrambled eggs comfortably....many on here still can't do one and they're 4 or 6 months out! And, yes, my surgeon used a 32 Fr bougie, a little one

But, I have to tell you, I eventually got into trouble just eating whenever I felt it was time. I eventually starting grazing, bad. But I called it 'topping off'. Because I can only eat 1/3-1/2 cup of whatever at a time, I would wait a while till it settled and started to move through my little tummy, then would go back and have a couple more bites out of the fridge, or whatever. Mostly with seafood or egg salad. I'd heat up some pureed Soup, drink/eat it, have some more an hour later. I was getting into trouble since the main reason people fail at bariatric surgery is because they graze, or eat constantly, to overcome the loss of binging, or eating large amounts at a time. We still want our food till we mentally adjust!! And then, because of this constant topping off I was doing, my stomach never really emptied so I couldn't drink my fluids like I was supposed to. Vicious cycle. Didn't help that I was eating fine and not having any issues....felt almost normal.

So, needless to say, I had to pull myself together and at about 2 and a half weeks out, I started a routine. Breakfast around 8, drink lots, snack around 10, drink lots, lunch around 12, drink, snack at 2 or 3, drink, dinner around 6. Drink lots more, maybe an evening snack. Now sounds like a lot of eating, but I'm almost always under 800 calories a day...snacks are a Laughing Cow soft cheese wedge or a string cheese, meals are a little under 1/2 cup of something soft. It was a lot easier when I was back at work with a regular routine and schedule.

So, I guess to answer your question, right now it's important to hydrate and nourish yourself as much as you can, so I wouldn't worry too much about three square meals a day, etc, but be aware that you will need to probably set a schedule for yourself as you advance and are able to take in more volume and calories. You don't want the "I'll eat whenever" to become a habit, or you may regret it later and find it really hard to break. I had a hard time breaking it just after a couple weeks!!

Good luck!!

Thanks to both of you. I'm four weeks out and have had the same questions and similar experiences. I'm also able to eat a 1/2 cup of food and do find myself wanting to top off. Great advice!

My Dr. has me working on 3 meals a day with a snack in between each meal. And drink lots of liquids all day (except with meals No liquids then)! Egg salad is real good & I made turkey chili today & pureed it .Loving my food processor! Fat free refried beans with low fat shredded cheese was real good too!

I'm really glad I read this post. I realize now that I too am "grazing" or "topping off" mostly at night. I just started cooking again (the family was tired of quick fixes and soup and sandwiches) and find that I am back in the habit of tasting a bite here and there while sipping my Protein shake.

I guess I knew full well that what I was doing was a no-no but I was just in denial about it. This post brought it to the forefront of my brain so now I have to acknowledge it and correct it.

Thank you DebiC!

Shae

I started off really well at 6 meals a day with water/tea/sugar free drinks in between. Then moved it down one meal at a time to 3 meals and one 50-100 cal snack by about 7 months out. At a year out I am not being careful. I too top off and was just thinking today I need to break that habit today, so no more.

Anyway, at 2 weeks I say do what you have too to keep your energy up and get in the minimum. But start making those good habits as soon as you can.

I, too, just realized from this post that I've been "topping off" in the evenings.

No more of that.

I do great as long as I stick with my Protein first . . . I get full enough, and for long enough, that I don't really care to "top off" or graze.

Afternoons are most difficult for me, I find I crave a carby snack around 3-4 pm and it's tough to stay away from the candy dishes people have at work. I have been trying to remember to take some extra sliced cheese and a few pretzel crisps with me to work, so I can stave off the craving for sweets with a little carbs and some extra protein.

I ate between 6 to 8 times a day,my surgeon says its ok and normal just make sure you eat protein and not carbs I am almoast 6 months out and still eat about 6 times a day and don't always stick to just protein and have still been going down on the scale.

Debi-c....Not sure what you're NUT or Dr's told you, but according to mine, on the all liquid phase you might do a little 'grazing' because you need to get fluids and nutrition in, especially when you're less than a week post op. I had no issues keeping fluids down or getting them down, I did experience fullness, though. My first week went sort of like this... Shake, yogurt for breakfast, Shake, broth, Jello for Lunch, broth, pudding for dinner. Never the first week did I finish what I set out for the entire meal, so if I didn't finish my yogurt or pudding, I finished it as a snack between meals. The shakes weren't hard at first, but they became that way just because I was tired of all the sweet stuff. By the near end of week two I was ready for puree. My first meal was refried beans. They were the best refried beans I ever ate.

I am a week post op today. I have been on clear liquids this week and am supposed to move to soft/pureed foods today. I will able to have cheese, yogurt, pureed beans, and eggs. I am supposed to have two meals a day and no snacks. I can have a protein drink at breakfast and then lunch and dinner, but no snacks!

I am a week post op today. I have been on Clear liquids this week and am supposed to move to soft/pureed foods today. I will able to have cheese, yogurt, pureed Beans, and eggs. I am supposed to have two meals a day and no Snacks. I can have a Protein drink at Breakfast and then lunch and dinner, but no snacks!

I could not get in enough calories at first to do this. It is a fine line between setting good habits and getting in enough to sustain a full days work every day. Early on even eating six or seven times a day, I barely got in 400-500 calories some days.