Pouch is too small

[Jaez 10]

I feel like my stomach is ridiculously too small. I'm a month post sleeve and I'm full literally after 4 bites maximum. I don't know how I'm suppose to get my Protein in when I eat so little. I'm lactose intolerant now so I can't drink my usual Protein shakes so my nutritionist recommended I try a soy based one. I found one but it's 11oz for 20g of protein. I find I can only drink 5 Oz and that's me sipping on it all day in between drinking Water. I made a hard boiled egg today for Breakfast. It took 20 minutes to eat a quarter of it. I had chicken for lunch and again took 3 bites and was full, didn't even bother trying to eat my broccoli. I'm chewing slowly and not drinking 20 minutes before and after.

Does anybody else feel like this? I must admit I'm starting to get annoyed by it. Granted I have lost 27lbs in one month but still I really want to eat.

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[Sophie74656 1,572]

your pouch is not too small...you are still swollen inside. Most people have all of their swelling go down about 6 months post op and then you will find you will be able to eat a little more.

[Ryan TN 348]

What Sophie said. Also, you don't have a pouch if you had the sleeve done. You have a sleeve. Keep drinking your Protein. Also what helped me when I was at your point, no kidding, I used a kiddie spoon, would take a bite, set my fork or spoon down and chew. It makes you slow down.

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[Sophie74656 1,572]

What Sophie said. Also, you don't have a pouch if you had the sleeve done. You have a sleeve. Keep drinking your Protein. Also what helped me when I was at your point, no kidding, I used a kiddie spoon, would take a bite, set my fork or spoon down and chew. It makes you slow down.

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yes to the spoon thing. I bought myself a bunch of tiny dishes and baby spoon. It helped a lot. Take a bite and set your utensil down. If I am eating by myself I read a book while I eat. I read a page, take a bite. Or I do something else while I eat that will help me eat slower

[Ryan TN 348]

Also I know all surgeons are different. But I wasn't cleared to eat chicken when I was at your point. I started out on a pureed consistency foods like scrambled eggs, yogurt, refried Beans, then progressed to canned meats like tuna and chicken. And forget about trying to eat broccoli, focus on Protein and take your Vitamins.

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[Jaez 10]

Sleeve and pouch were interchangeable I thought. Nonetheless I'm eating pretty slow and I use the small spoon at home but today I was at work on my 30 minute lunch in the break room so I didn't want to break out my toddler spoon and have people asking a bunch of questions.

My doctor has me on soft foods not so much pureed. I had chicken salad so it's pretty mushy. And my broccoli was overcooked and mushy too. I take my Vitamins but really kind of over the Protein shakes. I was hoping to just get the Protein from food but that's not looking too good either. He strongly advises against yogurt because of the sugar content, pretty much he said "no sloppy foods" like oatmeal, yogurt, and mashed potatoes,that don't really contain a lot of nutritional value.

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[Christinamo7 4,042]

retty much he said "no sloppy foods" like oatmeal, yogurt, and mashed potatoes,that don't really contain a lot of nutritional value.

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wow, did they really say that oatmeal, yogurt and potatoes don't have a lot of nutritional value?

[Jaez 10]

Yup he's pretty strict. He told me no fruit! I said that's not possible for me. Then he gave me a whole speech about the sugar content in fruit and that's why children are obese and blah blah blah. I'm just like whatever I'm going to have fruit as soon as I get my weight control.

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[Christinamo7 4,042]

children are NOT fat from eating fruit.

they are fat from eating too much sugar and processed foods. but not from eating real food.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

You don't have a pouch, and no, that's not an interchangeable word. Sip on your Protein shakes all day if you have to. Skip the broccoli for now, it's too fibrous, mushy or not.

Oatmeal and potatoes aren't a great choice, but a high Protein Greek yogurt is. Go for something like Greek Light and Fit. Retried Beans are a good choice as is your chicken salad. I am three years out and still have a hard time with hard boiled eggs, but I can eat them cooked scrambled and very wet.

SF pudding with Protein powder stirred in is an option, as is seafood salad, crab cakes, hummus and guacamole.

I am three years out and my restriction isn't much looser than yours. I thank my surgeon for that every day. I WANT to eat at times and I am so glad I can't. I never want to be fat again.

This is my new normal and I Celebrate it every day.

[KristenLe 5,980]

Yup he's pretty strict. He told me no fruit! I said that's not possible for me. Then he gave me a whole speech about the sugar content in fruit and that's why children are obese and blah blah blah. I'm just like whatever I'm going to have fruit as soon as I get my weight control.

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Well - your surgeon sounds like an ass! I'm sorry but fruit has NOTHING to do with why children are obese (or anyone else for that matter). You probably have to stay with Protein shakes at this stage to get all of your Protein in. Try making some of your own and maybe you'll be able to tolerate them better (and drink more of them). Why don't you also get some protein Water or protein liquids (not milky) to help get more protein in. I don't think your stomach / sleeve is too small - you'll probably be wishing it was smaller in a few months once the swelling goes down and you're able to eat more.

[jaxmom 644]

Yup he's pretty strict. He told me no fruit! I said that's not possible for me. Then he gave me a whole speech about the sugar content in fruit and that's why children are obese and blah blah blah. I'm just like whatever I'm going to have fruit as soon as I get my weight control.

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Ok this just goes to show you how different doctors are. This is what my surgeon told me at my post op appointment:

Don't eat if you are not hungry. If a day, two goes by and you aren't hungry, don't eat. (At this point I asked "what about the Protein shakes though?). He said NO. He followed that up with if you are ever hungry, the only thing I want you to eat is fruit. No nuts, no carbs, just fruit.

Trust me I had to go over this all in my head a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but this is word for word what my doctor said 2 weeks post op.

Btw I'm drinking shakes to get Protein and lots of Water. I have had watermelon and pineapple no issues.

Its amazing how these things vary, it's almost comical. Almost.

Just thinking... Kids obese from fruit? Huh. I've visited a lot of Latin American countries where there are fruit vendors on every corner and you see people snacking on fruit like Americans snack on chips. They were all incredibly healthy and fit.

Good luck!

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[Jaez 10]

Yeah my surgeon is a jerk but he was the closet one that was in network so I was stuck with him. He also was indifferent when I told him I wasn't getting in my Protein shakes. He said don't worry about it but everyone else is so stuck on getting in the Protein.< /p>

The reason I'm kind of fed up with them is because it took a few different Protein Shakes to find one that wasn't too milky or too gritty. I loved the Premier Protein shakes before surgery now I think I'm lactose intolerant because when I drink them now I get bad diarrhea, stomach cramps or I end up throwing them up. So I tried to find some other ones with no milk but they only have the powder ones which I'm not sure how to make. Mixing it with just Water seems disgusting so I'll take the one person advise that said to mix it with sugar free pudding and give that a shot. I think pudding has milk in it though so not sure how that'll work. My nutritionist said don't give up dairy all together just try small amounts but honestly when I was drinking those shakes and it was going straight through me I almost got dehydrated so I'm a little weary of trying it again.

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[LipstickLady 25,682]

Your surgeon does seem a bit off but I am not sure how your issue finding a good Protein shake is his fault.

[Jaez 10]

Your surgeon does seem a bit off but I am not sure how your issue finding a good Protein shake is his fault.

I didn't say it was his fault I just mean he wasn't really worried about me having Protein shakes once I told him my issue.

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