Cravings

[Anacat 12]

When I reach 110 kg and I could not shed it whith dieting I’ve decided that I I need all the help I can get. I started looking In bariatric surgeries and I fed all I could find for two weeks. Then I decided to have the bariatric surgery so I went to the doctor and he told me that I qualify for a gastric sleeve. Next week I had all the investigations done and was scheduled for surgery very quickly, after just another week. I had the surgery on 3rd of April and I stayed in the hospital for three days.

The first day in ATI was pure hell not because I felt any pain but because I was very very nauseous from the naso-gastric tube they inserted. The second day I was moved in a normal room and got rid of all the tubes except the perfusions. I started walking and I felt just normal, no pain except for when I drank too quickly.

Now I am home, 11 days post op, and finished the first week of liquid diet. I’m now in the cream Soup phase for another two weeks. Then for another week I have to eat all the food in purée form.

My main challenge is that I crave other foods, like yesterday I felt I would kill for a bite of burger. It’s true, the hunger sensation disappeared, but the cravings did not. At some point I felt so so frustrated that I could almost cry. I know for sure that if I do not respect this post op diet and I eat something wrong, too solid, it just comes up and I regurgitate it... I also find it hard to drink all the necessary Water but I keep a bottle with me and try to do it. I take all the Bariatric Vitamins and minerals prescribed, take Protein supplements and do my heparin shots.

I lost 13 pounds in the first week and I hope that I will keep the trend even if it’s slower in the future.

My question to you is how quickly you started to eat solid foods after the surgery? How did it feel? Do you also have cravings? How do you deal with them?

Thanks and good luck to you all!

[GreenTealael 24,864]

How soon are you scheduled to move to solids? My schedule said 1 month or more depending on tolerance.

I think I was slightly hesistant and dragged it out just a little past that amd even then it was really more of a hybrid of softer style solids. You'll know when you're truly ready.

Stay strong and contact your Team to ask if you can accelerate stages, their feedback is crucial and sometimes surprising.

[Anacat 12]

Likewise, 1 month post op. ; I asked if I can move faster but they were pretty adamant that the stomach has to heal and to keep the schedule.

I plan to try in the purée week a mix of potato purée with grounded meat, see what happens. That would be Easter meal, for me being Orthodox the Easter is in 2 weeks, so it fits 😋

Wow, you lost so much! Congrats! Truly inspiring, hope to follow your example!

[GradyCat 3,692]

I started on solid foods one month post-op. The head hunger or cravings don't necessarily go away, but they're easier to deal with post-op than they were pre-op. Your weight loss will slow down to 1-2 pounds a week after the first month.

[zombieskayer 84]

I started solids one month post op and even after starting solids the cravings don't go away but you learn to cope with them. All I've wanted for months is a big juicy burger. You just learn to push it out of your mind.

[Healthy_life2 8,319]

10 minutes ago, zombieskayer said:

even after starting solids the cravings don't go away but you learn to cope with them. All I've wanted for months is a big juicy burger.

Real food sage - Are you allowed a lettuce wrapped burgers or turkey burgers no bun to fix the craving?

On 4/14/2019 at 1:55 AM, Anacat said:

When I reach 110 kg and I could not shed it whith dieting I’ve decided that I I need all the help I can get. I started looking In bariatric surgeries and I fed all I could find for two weeks. Then I decided to have the bariatric surgery so I went to the doctor and he told me that I qualify for a gastric sleeve. Next week I had all the investigations done and was scheduled for surgery very quickly, after just another week. I had the surgery on 3rd of April and I stayed in the hospital for three days.

The first day in ATI was pure hell not because I felt any pain but because I was very very nauseous from the naso-gastric tube they inserted. The second day I was moved in a normal room and got rid of all the tubes except the perfusions. I started walking and I felt just normal, no pain except for when I drank too quickly.

Now I am home, 11 days post op, and finished the first week of liquid diet. I’m now in the cream Soup phase for another two weeks. Then for another week I have to eat all the food in purée form.

My main challenge is that I crave other foods, like yesterday I felt I would kill for a bite of burger. It’s true, the hunger sensation disappeared, but the cravings did not. At some point I felt so so frustrated that I could almost cry. I know for sure that if I do not respect this post op diet and I eat something wrong, too solid, it just comes up and I regurgitate it... I also find it hard to drink all the necessary Water but I keep a bottle with me and try to do it. I take all the Bariatric Vitamins and minerals prescribed, take Protein supplements and do my heparin shots.

I lost 13 pounds in the first week and I hope that I will keep the trend even if it’s slower in the future.

My question to you is how quickly you started to eat solid foods after the surgery? How did it feel? Do you also have cravings? How do you deal with them?

Thanks and good luck to you all!

Hang in there you will feel better as your diet progresses.

1 month for solids. Cravings can be satisfied with healthy sweet and salty foods. Make sure the examples below are on your plan.

Salty - Jerky - chicken fajitas without the tortilla – Quest Protein chips and salsa

Sweet - sugar free cheese cake pudding with Protein Powder - Strawberries dipped in Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup

[Anacat 12]

Thanks you all!
Yes Healthy_life2, tricking the cravings with healthy choices is the the best. I already found some solutions. As I craved the meat taste I did the following (might sounds gross but it worked): I mixed some liver patee with boiled egg and thinned it with milk, and I had some creamy light cheese, eat just 3 spoons of the combination and I was happy :) Craving tricked :)

[FancyChristine15 810]

Yeah, unfortunately, cravings don't go away. I wish they did though! lol! I still get them regularly, but you just have to push past them. Hunger will eventually come back too. Mine did anyways.

[Anacat 12]

I reached apparently my 1st plateau. Lost 14 pounds 1st week, regained 4 and cannot shake them down. I eat around 700 kcal:
35% Protein, 35% fat and the rest mostly null carbs from veggies.
I still have to wait 2 weeks for starting exercising.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr

[anl1990 91]

Like others said, one month post op is around when I started eating more solid foods. By month two, my diet was pretty much completely open. It's hard, and I am so sorry you are struggling, but it does eventually get better. I personally tried to distract myself by staying as busy as possible - even if it was something as simple as watching TV, or reading a book. You can do this, though! You are stronger than you realize. <3