Week 2

[Blossoming1 18]

I wanted to list my experiences to see if others have the same and what they have done

I have not experienced dumping yet. I often forget to not drink and eat at the same time. I was surprised I am ok.

I am hungry often.

Getting Protein is a nonstop struggle.. I found out split pea Soup has a lot of protein so I put it in a blender and eat it. Muscle milk, and Protein Shakes with fresh fruit. Protein shakes, if they are to thick, hurt me.

I have ate vegan for three years. I am not super excited about not eating vegan. But, I feel in the first few weeks it is easier and I am ok with that. BUT I took a bite of scrambled eggs and it HURT. I am scared to try dairy because I have not had these things in over 3 years. Before surgery if I accidentally ate dairy, meat, etc it hurt my stomach. Has anyone had experiences with trying it after being vegan for awhile?

I am moving to soft foods and I would like some ideas. I saw people eat oatmeal and potates and both are on my list of foods to avoid.

Ideas? Please share your experiences with me.

[Arabesque 7,631]

Not everyone experiences dumping & fewer do with sleeve than bypass. You may never experience it. Dumping occurs from eating high fat or sugar. Can occur with high processed simple carbs & dairy but less common again.

If your shakes are too thick add more Water or milk. I used to double the water to my shakes.

I cannot stress enough to follow your plan & your staged returned to eating diet. It is in place to protect & support your healing tummy & digestive system. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. All because you drank or ate something without an issue doesn’t mean you should. You could have just been lucky.

There are several vegans on this forum who successfully lost weight & maintain their lower weight. You just have to be careful to meet your Protein & other nutrient goals. There are so many plant based protein alternatives you can choose from. Your dietician should be able to guide you about your options if you have concerns. If eating meat & dairy upset you before surgery they still will after surgery.

Are you experiencing real hunger or head hunger? Wanting to eat a specific food or texture or flavour is head hunger. A lot of the area in your tummy that produces the hunger hormone Ghrelin was removed plus because of the nerves that were cut during surgery, the message to say you’re hungry doesn’t get through to your brain or if they do they are often different. And they won’t until you are fully healed. Head hunger is very powerful & is usually what drove us to eating in the past so we think that feeling is real hunger.

[catwoman7 11,285]

dumping isn't very common in sleevers. About 30% of bypassers dump - so even there, it's not the majority. I don't know what the percentage is in sleevers other than it's a lot lower than 30%.

also, plans vary a lot among surgeons. Some are low-carb, some are ultra-low-carb, others don't care about carbs at all and stress balance instead. So yes, some plans would allow potatoes and oatmeal, others would not. The best advice is to follow your own clinic's plan.

Edited March 23, 2023 by catwoman7

[mcipanda 121]

Hi Blossom, really sorry to hear you’re struggling. Have you tried hummus? I heard many vegans talk about having hummus at this stage to get their Protein. Refried Beans are another option. Instead of going all out with dairy, I wonder if you could ease into it (sprinkle some cheese on refried beans, for example). Unflavored Protein Powder is something you could add to split pea Soup or other vegan friendly Soups to kick up the protein content. Just some ideas because I know it can be hard. Be sure to blend up larger chunks and sauce up things like eggs. I learned how to make “runny eggs” which are fully cooked scrambled eggs with cheese and cream. If you can’t do the cream, I wonder if you could add cashew milk? Anyways, I hope you’re able to find a good balance for yourself.

[Blossoming1 18]

The split green pea Soup he buys me has 39 g of Protein. I have been blending it and eating small cups throughout the day.

Will refried Beans give me gas? I use unflavored protein powder in most things. I think its gross, but I still use it. I don't miss cheese, so I would be ok without cheese. I will look for more high protein Soups.

I am happy I posted that. I needed to hear that I need to be more gentle. I think I am experiencing head hunger and I dont like feeling out of energy. I can feel when my body needs nourishment. I am happy I read to take it easy and not rush. Those two bites of scrambled eggs hurt.

So far, I have been following my plan. I miss eating food and I need to not swallow so fast and take smaller bites.

I am learning and trying.

[Blossoming1 18]

When I see pictures of what people eat. I eat a lot more then that.

I probably have 10 sugar free popsicles a day, they never hurt my stomach and I like them.

My servings are always small, very small, in fact most of the time I am eating with a baby spoon, to be cautious. If I take to big of bites, it hurts me.

I am still doing Soups, I tried refried Beans yesterday, and Protein Shakes a million popsicles.

To much food?

[Arabesque 7,631]

Portion size is & always will be a consideration but more so in the beginning because of the many nerves cut during your surgery I mentioned in my previous post. It can be easier to eat more than we actually should.

I was advised 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from puree slowly increasing until I was eating about a cup around 6 months. Check with your dietician about portion size (& calorie goals) as plans do differ. I certainly couldn’t eat more than what I was advised & took ages to eat it. I sipped on my diluted Soups & shakes for a couple of hours. During the liquid stage I are two ‘meals’ a day. Not hungry or interested in any more. From purée I ate three meals & no Snacks. One or two snacks (fruit or soft cheese or yoghurt) were added later around third month a think.

Ten popsicles seem a lot. Are you eating them for their Fluid content or because you’re looking them as food & maintaining old snacking/eating habits?? While they contain no added sugar they do contain sweeteners - artificial or sugar alternatives like Monk Fruit. Therefore they are still feeding your desire for sweet foods. Some develop a sensitivity to sugar alcohols (the artificial sweeteners ending in ‘ol’) & experience bloating, diarrhoea, etc.

I couldn’t have potatoes either but could have rolled oats from purée (instant to begin so easier on the tummy & very thin & milky). Took me three days to eat a serve & it was the only carb I ate (except the bite or two of vegetables I had). We all need a small amount of carbs & oats are considered a better carb. I’ll say it again plans are different.

[Blossoming1 18]

I had 1/2 Protein Shake, we went to a sushi restaurant 4 oysters smashed, miso Soup serving, blended up another soup when home,4 fish bites smashed with popsicles through out the day

i feel like its a lot now. I'm always trying to meet my Protein goal

popsicles dont hurt ever & I like them

i think im struggling with my eating habits

I am out of town at a conference next week. Im concerned because they asked me my eating preference and I said vegan. I'm worried about getting my protein. And having nothing to eat.

only thing that hurt today was the fish bites