When is solid proteins OK

[Pablo52 4]

I had my sleeve on 12/1 and have had no problems. After a week I felt good enough to resume most all regular activities. At my one week post op my doctor said I could go back to the gym and do what ever I felt comfortable doing. My problem is I want to start eating real food again. I'm supposed to be on puréed food for another 2 weeks and I'm having a hard time. Some other literature I read people were starting solid foods at 4 weeks. My main concern is tearing the staple line and having a leak. I don't go back to my doctor for another 3 weeks and don't think I wait. I don't feel like I'm getting the fuel my body needs to be as active as I am on Protein Shakes and puréed foods. What is the realistic percentage of tearing the staple line if I add some solid Protein like baked fish or chicken breast?

[Sgt7546 69]

I was sleeved the same day as you. Last week I was released to soft foods. Since then I've had chicken breast, streak, burger, and eggs. Each of those have been about one ounce at a time, chewed to oblivion, and tolerated well. My NUT confided that if you chew something enough it becomes puréed.

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Edited December 28, 2015 by Sgt7546

[FrankyG 1,450]

You're ready when your doctor and nutritionist say you are. If they want you on a specific diet, it is very foolish to not follow it. You've just had major surgery and need to follow what they told you to do.

Even if you think you can handle it, your stomach is going to be swollen and healing for months. Seems dumb to me to advance to solids so soon just because you are craving them; aren't cravings really what got you to the point of needing weight loss surgery? Why on earth would you listen to that little voice now?

Advancing too soon may mean you'll either stress your stomach out, or minimum not be learning your stomach's new "full" signs and how to eat properly.

Eating small amounts of liquid, then puree, then soft, then solids is important because you're relearning how to eat food and breaking your old relationship with food as well. Not following the proper steps is setting yourself up for a possible issue down the line because you are so impatient.

Not a good idea to skip steps if you wanted this for long-term success.

[Dub 10,070]

I was sleeved the same day as you. Last week I was released to soft foods. Since then I've had chicken breast, streak, burger, and eggs. Each of those have been about one ounce at a time, chewed to oblivion, and tolerated well. My NUT confided that if you chew something enough it becomes puréed.

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Exactly !!!!!!!!!

[Pablo52 4]

You're ready when your doctor and nutritionist say you are. If they want you on a specific diet, it is very foolish to not follow it. You've just had major surgery and need to follow what they told you to do.

Even if you think you can handle it, your stomach is going to be swollen and healing for months. Seems dumb to me to advance to solids so soon just because you are craving them; aren't cravings really what got you to the point of needing weight loss surgery? Why on earth would you listen to that little voice now?

Advancing too soon may mean you'll either stress your stomach out, or minimum not be learning your stomach's new "full" signs and how to eat properly.

Eating small amounts of liquid, then puree, then soft, then solids is important because you're relearning how to eat food and breaking your old relationship with food as well. Not following the proper steps is setting yourself up for a possible issue down the line because you are so impatient.

Not a good idea to skip steps if you wanted this for long-term success.

Thank you for your concern but I was asking for a "realistic" time frame from other sleeve patients on being released to solid foods. There are many other bariatric programs that allow solid foods sooner than mine.

I don't appreciate being called "foolish" or "dumb" concerning a question about my procedure.

My question was pretty specific to tearing the staple line, and I was asking for you to question my long term success. If my doctor had me following the MIST program manual then I would have not been released back into the gym as early as I was. Just trying to get input from others that have gone through the same procedure.

I'm a former competitive power lifter and college athlete my body is used to receiving 200-300 grams of Protein a day. As I stated in my original post " I don't feel like my body is receiving the fuel "protein" it needs for my activity level. It has nothing to do with cravings but more to do with increasing my Protein level.

[DivineRN 4]

I personally was moved to soft foods yesterday. I am 3 weeks out. I was also trying to get all of my Protein in via liquid avenues but I also worked out heavily prior to surgery and was getting at least 150 a day of Protein. My soft food diet entails boiled chicken mashed to death, tuna, tilapia, cod (any other soft fish) turkey meatballs...basically anything you can mash up with a fork. Beans will help also because you can puree those to a Soup. Today is the first day in three weeks I have gotten 54 gms of protein and the day still isn't over so I'm hoping to hit 70 by days end. It is hard. You feel like you are either eating or drinking every hour to get your nutritional needs in. It gets frustrating because there is no blanket answer. One thing I have learned is doctor's use the diet they pick based on how they did your procedure. Every surgeon has a different technique and the post op diet facilitates the healing of the staple line. Now research I have read has leaks occurring 1 out of 100 patients. You have to know how to read your body and follow it's cues. Initially a leak will happen within 3 days, after that it can be attributed to excess tension on the staple line. The problem at this point is our nerve endings are not heeled yet and we may overeat and place tension on our suture line without even knowing it. I know it's hard, but this is going to pass before you know it! If it gets really bad, take the meat you want to eat and run it through a food processor. It will give you what you need. Considering we both have been in the gym, I know you know that there have been some protein products that we have had to just choke down. I will say soft fish is very easy to mash with your tongue. I hope this helps.

[McButterpants 2,846]

I traveled out of my area for surgery - my surgeon approved soft scrambled eggs and yogurt immediately. My local doctor, however, is much more strict with her patients. So I actually regressed when I got home and followed my local doctor's instruction of liquids, then puree's. Did it suck? Yes. But I said I would follow her plan and that's what I needed to do.

I know it's tough and you want to eat regular food, but you need to follow your doc/nut plan. Just because someone else's doc says to eat food immediately, doesn't mean that's the right thing for everyone.

[DaisyAmy 561]

My plan is for regular foods at 6 weeks. I'm on puree now. I'm hoping at my appt Monday, they might tell me I can start mushy earlier - they let me start puree 1/2 a week earlier. Might be worth a phone call to your dr?