Post op struggle.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I had my surgery on 10/8. I am also having a hard time. My doctor instructed 3 weeks of full liquids but didn't really specify what liquids to eat. He was specific about what to eat when I started regular food but not the liquids. When you are so limited to what foods you can eat it is hard. I am so sick of sweet stuff !! I lost 5 lbs in the first week and apparently I am not making the best choices since I haven't lost anything in the last 6 days or so. The Soups I have been eating have not been low calorie but I am only eating a small amount of them. I can't really figure out why I'm not loosing though because I am tracking my calories and don't get more than 800-900 calories a day. Today I had a Protein shake for Breakfast, some Protein oatmeal for a snack. Soupy refried Beans with salsa for lunch and some potato Soup for dinner. Am I doing something wrong ? I got 48 grams of protein.. What do y'all think ?

48 grams of protein isn't enough. What is your protein target? The lowest target I have seen is 60. Mine is 100.

Getting enough protein and Fluid is critical for health, healing, and weight loss.

[amber5281 13]

How could you only get 300 calories a day? I can eat a lot. Perhaps my sleeve isn't as small as others ? I don't know. I got very little instruction about a diet. My one appointment with the dietitian consisted of her handing me some papers and telling me she was late for her dentist appointment. I was not given a Protein goal. Fortunately, a good friend of mine is a dietitian and I got some guidance from her yesterday and she gave me some suggestions. I'm just trying to figure this all out. Thanks for the advice.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

What was in the papers you were given? Do you have a manual? My program gave me a binder full of information that includes a whole section on the pre- and post-op food plans. Is your a Dietician friend familiar with a post-op bariatric patient's nutrition requirements.

[Dub 10,022]

My opinion......from very, very, very little experience.......is that you are not in control.

You are allowing your new stomach's capacity or restriction to be in control.

It just does not seem safe in any way for you to be stress testing your new stomach that way.

You need to be in control. Eat only what is safe and pre-measure the quantities you are supposed to have. Every bite has to count and should be of safe and nutritious food. Nutritious equates to being of high-Protein.

These sleeves may help us at some point due to the their restrictive purposes......but if that is the only thing that guides us then we are doomed to fail and having the surgery is a waste of time.

In time you will be able to eat a cup of food. If it's garbage food like Pasta then why did you bother with the surgery in the first place????

Again, my experience is extremely limited with the sleeve, but my understanding of the principles involved in this came through simply listening to my surgeon. Simple plans don't take a great deal of work to understand. It's a very straightforward process.....why go and complicate it ?

Those papers she handed you may very well be all the information you need at this point. Our post-op diet isn't very involved. It only gets that way when folks seem to want to go back to their old ways.

Tap into your motivations to have the surgery. Let them rally your discipline to adhere to the simple plan. Get back in control and stay there.

[kathysleeve 38]

I am 3 weeks post op and am on the soft food diet. I know I should eat healthy but because I can't eat much, I feel like I can eat a couple bites of Pasta and it is ok. I am making sure I get enough Protein in and all my Vitamins. I don't overeat, I'm just not making the best food choices. Did anyone else struggle with this? And is it a big deal since I'm not eating much and get all my protein?

Hi Heather,

I realize you will get many responses this post.

Here's my take. Yes try and go lower fat high protein, and low pasta,

But at three weeks you are still seeing what tastes good, what feels ok in your stomach.

Go for the protein but enjoy small bites of what you like. We don't do well when we feel deprived,

Your tastes will change, but do find moments to savor what does taste good.

I think I lived on Campbell's chicken noodle Soup with instant mashed potatoes to make it thick enough to stay in my stomach. I also had tiny bites of pasta. Still do.

It's in my DNA to crave pasta and sugar. I don't eat it all the time, but I do have it sometimes as long as I get protein. Also we cannot get the full amount of protein we need in that tiny stomach we now have. You will build up to it. It's a slow process, you will get there. We believe in you.

Trust your body, it knows what it's doing,

Hope this helps coming from someone who had the sleeve on 7/14/14. I have lost 95 pounds.

I feel wonderful. I have 30 more to go. Things are slower now, but it's coming off.

Good luck and many blessing so you,