I'm three weeks out from surgery (which has gone great). But I feel like I'm playing whack-a-mole with trying to eat, drink and take vitamins at the optimum time. Anyone have any pointers for me? I wrote a schedule out this am, but within an hour it was shot. And since I can't eat enough to get the recommended protein, I will have to have some form of protein during the day. Thanks for your help.

It is very overwhelming in the beginning, but it does get easier and become more routine. I had a schedule in the beginning as well. The only real tip I can give is drinking (and I am not so good at this) but sitting with an 8 oz drink in your hand and sipping every few minutes until it is gone. if you do this several times per day, it will help get the fluids in. I take my Vitamins with lunch (one multi & Calcium citrate) and dinner (other multi and iron). B12 is nasal spray once per week for me.

Try not to stress about it too much. Just do the best you can. It will all come together for you eventually.

Hoping others will chime in with tips because I could use some too!

Well this morning's first order of business was to have a protein drink. I got that out of the way, so now I'm not stressing about protein. I've never had much trouble getting in 64 oz. of liquids, but the amount of meals to eat is overwhelming. Especially when I have no appetite at all.

@@gigis - It definitely is overwhelming! I mix half of a container of low sugar yogurt with 1/2 scoop of vanilla Protein powder on most days which gets me 21g protein and that helps. I am hoping once I can actually eat more dense protein (meats) that it will become much easier to get it all in and not have to do shakes. I asked my nutritionist last week and she said drinking 2 shakes a day at my stage (3 1/2 months) was ok. (I had a set back with a stricture though so I am running a little behind schedule though.) My schedule is even a little more complicated because I have to take Synthroid in the morning and then wait an hour to take anything in PLUS I cannot have calcium (or most other vitamins) within 4 hours of Synthroid, so I feel your pain! I also have kidney stone problem (pre-op) so my endocrinologist took me off my calcium supplements as long as I was eating 2 servings of cheese or milk and 1 Premier Protein shake per day. SO MUCH TO REMEMBER!! ​

There's an app on my android phone called bariatric timer. You should check it out. It reminds you when it's ok to drink after eating, when it's time to eat...That kind of thing

I struggle with drinking enough. Every sip I take, no matter what the liquid, make me sick. It's like, i always feel beyond full and my mind tells me nothing else can go in. Eating I am starting to get the hang of, a little, but liquids. That sucks.

It is definitely hard! I have a lot of vitamins I have to take a couple hours a part. For that I'm taking the first set, setting my phone timer for 2 hrs, taking the second set, etc. Protein and water I'm still working on myself. Good luck!

For the Vitamins, I use the following schedule:

Morning: calcium citrate 500mg (Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites) + my morning prescription meds

Noon: Multivitamin with Iron (2 Flintstones chewable with Iron)

Supper: Calcium Citrate 500mg (Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites) + my evening prescription meds

On Saturday: B12 2500mg sublingual tablet (Sundown Naturals)

The first week after surgery, I really struggled trying to get in all of my Protein. I relied totally on Protein shakes to make it happen. In fact, I still do, and I am a little over two weeks out from surgery. I have one shake at Breakfast and one at dinner, and that gives me 60g of protein. I use the rest of the day to sip fluids.

Once you get to soft foods, you will probably be able to eat enough protein to wean yourself slowly off of the shakes. But until then, you just have to rely on them.