Start 348

Surgery 312

Current 279

Surgery was Nov 4 so I'll be 9wks as of Tuesday.

I took little down time at surgery going back to work the Monday following my surgery date. I have pushed myself through nausea and find it still a battle at times depending on what I have consumed. I am on soft cooked veggies, crackers, cheese. And will be able to thankfully add in fish, chicken or lean ground beef this week. I've had issues getting in fluids and Protein. It does get better so I continue to try each day. My problem? I'm in a funk I hit a stall and no weight movement off the scale and I am hungry. I am very hungry then over the past week I have been unnaturally sleepy and tired I guess this is more a vent than anything. I am just a bit frustrated. I went to the local gym to find out about classes that would benefit me and was told they wouldn't let me join without a note from my dr. Go figure however I understand. I have always looked at this journey as positive and I've had the patience needed to get me here. I've added a fitbit to my assisting tools on this journey. And as I said earlier I'm just in a funk, tired and hungry finding no food options that seem to satisfy. I've got a call in for my dr. However wanted to reach out to see if anyone else came across this within your own journey and if you found anything to help with energy or hunger satisfaction?

Thanks in advance!

I've been working out since week 3. I find it gives me energy. My advice would be track what you eat to make sure you are meeting your Protein requirements before adding cracker, veg & fruit. I make sure to get in my 60+gm of protein and 64 ounces of fluids daily. Between that and working out regularly I feel more energized than I have in a long time and I am rarely hungry other than when it's time to eat.

The other thing I would advice is to step away from the scale. It will make you nuts. I only weigh myself once a month at the doctors. However, if you just weigh at home, do it no more than once a week at the same time of day. That said, if you are on track then look for other NSV's. Take your measurements and compare.

Edited January 3, 201511 yr by BLERDgirl

Really. Crackers, veggies, and cheese are not going to make you feel better. Did your doctor give you that diet? You need Protein and Water, lots of both, as these will help to repair your stomach and whatever else was cut up. You have to realize that your body went through a major trauma (I admit, that's easy to forget as we heal), and it needs your help.

Carbs fill you up too fast and curb your appetite for short periods of time. Instead of that, eat those soft cheeses (ricotta, cottage, string), sugar-free yogurt, kefir, soft eggs, and even pureed meats to up your protein. Plus, make sure your water tastes good. I drink bottled water because my tap water is really hard and tastes lousy, so I drink a couple of quarts a day. That flushes lots of the garbage out of your system and also helps with the healing process. Water also curbs my appetite.

If you can't get to a gym right away, go out for a walk. Even a brisk trot through the mall is good when the weather is bad. Bring along your string cheese for a snack and always tote a big bottle of water. You'll feel better in no time. Keep us posted on your progress.

Just for added info I'm not having the crackers except for maybe two should i allow myself Peanut Butter as I'm not allowed any raw veggies yet. What I am actually eating is veggies... Such as soft cooked cabbage, broc, spinach, I allow myself cottage cheese or occasionally a pepper jack cheese stick which has 5 grams of Protein. And Protein drinks as well as Greek yogurt . I am unable to do just plain Water without adding some kind of crystal light or something of that nature. I keep a log of food mainly because I'm finding the things which I am unable to eat without getting sick so they are off the list. First surprise was egg. I have issues eating an egg... Soft scrambled or poached any type seems an issue for me.

As for exercise I should add that I'm a supervisor in a large distribution center. On average I'm walking 2-6 miles per day just on a light day during normal work hours. I'm wanting to add in the gym time so that I can simply up my caloric burn to help in this process. Simply because this is part of my normal day and I still consider myself fat I'm wanting to add in something to burn calories

Thank you for the info. It is appreciated.

Edited January 3, 201511 yr by athena3127

@@athena3127 Are you using an app like My Fitness Pal to keep track of your protein intake? You should try to get between 60-70 grams a day. I felt pretty crappy when my protein wasn't as it should be. Also, I learned that my body does not like aspartame . My weight loss would stall and sometimes increase by a couple of pounds if I drank too many flavored waters. Regarding the crackers...they are really not good for you even in small quantities. I read somewhere that someone tried jicama instead for the crunch factor. Just need to make sure to chew it up at least 25 times. Hope this helps and you feel better soon.

Athena3127, sorry you're in a funk but that's really "normal" and to be expected. Many (most) of us go through that, and it's ok to feel that way. And glad you are "venting" your feelings. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Remember that you are going through a MAJOR life change--changes that will continue big time during this first year. Your "hunger" you are experiencing can also be some "head hunger" going on, not true physical hunger. As we adjust our eating habits getting away from all that sugary and carby food, our bodies (and especially our minds) will still "protest" and want it. Just do your best to stay on your Bariatric Eating program and the hunger pangs will lessen as you keep feeding your body what it is intended to be fueled with (healthy, natural, and nutritious foods).

When I think I am hungry, I first check to be sure I am not just thirsty, and drink a little 8 oz Arrowhead bottle. We often mistake hunger for thirst. Work on finding a way that you can learn to do plain Water. Plain water is best for our bodies; it keeps our metabolism revved. Would it work better if you always had ice water instead? Getting in your Protein and required fluids is always toughest right at first. You're not doing anything wrong--it's always hard at first. Just do your best. Just remember that will remain the most important thing forever as a WLS patient.

My program did not list processed carbs like crackers, etc. at your stage (9 weeks). The more you can keep away from those processed carbs, the less you will crave them. The processed carbs really do stimulate hunger. The more you eat the more you want. It is one of the lessons I learned early on.

If I may just offer you a word of encouragement--our REAL goal is total health. The byproduct is a healthy weight. Establishing our new daily healthy eating habits makes the numbers on the scale happen automatically day-by-day without us having to worry about what the number will say. Once a week weighing is (or even just once a month as another poster suggested) a good rule of thumb.

You are doing fine. You knew this wasn't going to be easy. But you were up to the challenge or you wouldn't have done it. Hang in there. Stay connected to your medical team (and here!).

My doctor said to get in a Protein drink in a day to make sure you hit your protein marks. It might be hard to get it all by food from the beginning.