Hello...I'm new to this forum and had my surgery March 12th! And boy do I have some questions!!! Well I lost 12 the first week, and now I am at a standstill. The Dr said wait 6-8 weeks and then I will notice a difference. I am not hungry although I am eating (very little) but the pain when I eat is HORRIBLE! Feels like the food sits in my chest like a rock and it hurts. Also, there's no way I can get my protein in right now...impossible. Do you have any suggestions for me??? The Dr said it will get better, but it makes everything so difficult. Are you experiencing any of these "problems"? ANYONE??? PLEASE HELP!!! Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

Hi, hopefully you will be able to get some good help here.

What are you eating at two weeks out, and how much? Many of us did not eat solids for quite a few weeks. If you are eating solids and they hurt, perhaps back off and go to liquids.

Did your doctor give you a schedule for incorporating types of foods back into your diet? For example, my doctor's plan is five weeks of liquids, then a soft foods for a few weeks. Then, solids as tolerated.

Some solids are especially hard to deal with. Many people have a hard time with chicken, surprisingly.

As far as pain, when I have any of that (rare) I stick my chest out a bit. It seems to alleviate that.

Hi...thanks for responding. I am currently on a puree diet for the next 3 weeks. Even a puree diet when I swallow it hurts and I can only eat about 4-5 bites of anything. I am afraid because I just can not get the protein in and I am already starting to worry about hair loss if I do not get enough protein! I know it will get better, but it is quite the challenge eating right now!

Four or five bites of anything is plenty right now, from my own experience and what I have read here. Do try extending your chest when you eat (stick those boobs out - lol) to see if that helps.

Are you getting your protein in with shakes or are you just doing foods?

I love the Premier Protein shakes. You can get 30g of protein in just 11 oz. It makes it so you have to drink less to get your protein (more protein per ounce than most). I am also very concerned for hair loss so I am a stickler for my protein. So far, so good.

I am over three months out and I still do protein supplements. I recently got sick with some sort of bug, and threw up. Since then I am really tight and can't eat too much, or I hurt. The surgeon told me to revert to liquids for a week or so. Maybe try more protein shake and less "food" for a while?

Amanda is right on. We all can only eat 5 -6 bites at this stage. If the puree is bothering you a lot, go back to liquids for a few days. Your stomach might not be ready yet and needs a little quiet time. It's so hard to be patient with the process, but worth it! CONGRATs!