I am 1 month post op from Gastric Sleeve and am wondering what time everyone gets started eating and drinking water? I am on the soft foods stage and getting about 50-60g of protein in a day and 64oz of water. I really want to start adding in a protein coffee but think I need to get up earlier in the day or use that as my breakfast meal.

Can anyone share the meal schedules with me?

During the school year, I wake up at 5:30 to get my kids ready and usually drink a protein shake on the way to drop off around 7:30, 8. This is when I would have my coffee + collagen mixed in. The shake is my breakfast. I get home, do my exercises and cleaning and then eat lunch around noon. Dinner is usually on the early side around 5:30. I like giving my body enough time to digest before bed. If I get hungry between meals, I have a little cheese, yogurt or mixed nuts. Water consumption starts first thing in the morning. I have no issues drinking before I eat, but I wait the 30 minutes after.

Edited August 7, 20233 yr by sleevedinthe817

I'm a teacher so my eating schedule is pretty set. My breakfast is a protein shake with caffeine. My lunch time is usually between 12:30 and 1:15. When I get home I'll either have dinner right away and a healthy snack at around 8 PM, or I'll have a healthy snack and then dinner at about 7 PM. Sometimes, If I have a calorie/protein deficit at the end of the day, I'll add another healthy snack. As for water, I'm drinking that all day, also ensuring I get a min. of 64 oz.

Edited August 7, 20233 yr by CarmenG

I am almost 2 years out:

First thing in the morning (6-ish) I eat something very small (>100 cal) in order to get my meds down, take meds, wait 30 minutes to drink anything else, and that first thing is usually a coffee with a scoop of collagen in it. Over the next couple hours I usually try to drink 32 oz of water or some similar no-calorie fluid.

Mid-morning I have a small breakfast, or sometimes wait for lunch. Today it was a 1/4 of a half-baguette with ham, cheese, and mustard on it. (Total calories: around 250. The bread is 90.). Wait 30 minutes, start working on a second 32 oz of fluids.

Mid-afternoon (2:00 pm or so), I have a snack that comes in around 150 calories. Today it was some imitation crabmeat and cucumbers with a spicy dipping sauce.

I have dinner with my husband between 5 and 6; Dinner is usually around 300-400 calories (tonight it will be chicken tikka masala with cauliflower rice). I also try to finish yet another 32 oz of fluid before bed, which is early.

I do snack in the evening partially because we eat dinner so early; my evening snack resembles the afternoon snack, usually veggies with some kind of protein component like a dip or some cheese/lunchmeat, and I try to keep it under 200 calories.

Total for the day around 1100. 96 oz of water, one cup of coffee.

I have a delayed eating schedule. I don’t work any more which makes it easier to manage. I don’t have breakfast until around 8:30/9 because it doesn’t seem to sit as well earlier in the day. I ‘mid morning snack’ at around 1pm, mini snack at 3ish, lunch at around 4pm, dinner at about 6/6:30pm & final snack (protein bar) at 7:30ish. One thing about this whole experience has been to realise my old eating routines (like breakfast at 6am, etc.) didn’t work for me at all & I feel so much better for starting my day later & eating regularly.

I drink all day & night. I keep water by my bed & drink every time I get in or out of bed (which can be a few times as I pee a lot ?). I drink in the car (sip when I get in & out, at traffic lights, etc.)

PS - I watched a medical documentary last year that advised that coffee can inhibit the absorption of iron by 70 or more percent. So if you’re going to do coffee as part of your breakfast routine, may be best to leave your iron supplement,if you take one, to later in the day,

@Arabesque So glad you mentioned the iron/caffeine discrepancy. This morning, I went back to work and had a protein shake with caffeine, but I also take my Iron in the morning after breakfast. Now I know to switch my Calcium to the morning, and my Iron to the evening. Thank you!