Bufflehead

Eating slowly will help you realize you are satisfied/full before you over-eat. If you over-eat, you are more likely to suffer the foamies, vomiting, general discomfort, and slow weight loss. Our stomachs are so small now, "full" or "satisfied" feels different, and especially early on, we have to eat slowly and pay careful attention in order to learn what that is. Chewing a lot will result in food going down that is less likely to irritate your tender new stomach and the vagus nerve.

Are you following your plan? All of our plans are so different, I think none of us can really tell you if you are doing something "wrong" unless you are doing something crazy like sitting down to eat a half a pizza and following that pint of ice cream and a six pack. If you are unclear about what your plan is, and how to follow it, definitely contact your surgeon or dietician. I will say that I am surprised someone so early out can eat four ounces of dense protein, let alone four ounces of dense protein plus a couple ounces of veggies. I couldn't eat that much right now, and I'm over a year out. But we all have different capacities. Just because I couldn't do it doesn't mean it isn't normal and right for you. The pain/discomfort in your chest is a signal you have eaten too much. When that happens, figure out how much you ate, and make sure you eat less of whatever that food was the next time you try it. I think the lack of energy is pretty normal -- you are still recovering from surgery and adjusting to a new way of eating and exercising. If your body feels tired, definitely feed it the sleep that it needs! But if you are concerned, again, maybe bring it up with your surgeon just to be sure. Good luck!

My surgeon doesn't want his patients eating soup ever again, because of the "drinking while you eat" issue. He seems to be a bit of an outlier with that though!

Almost everything has been easier than expected. My post-surgery recovery, eating and drinking (I was hitting my protein and fluid goals before I left the hospital, and haven't thrown up or experienced nausea since surgery), keeping on plan, having regular bathroom habits (TMI but this is an issue for a lot of people on that high protein, post-WLS diet!). I did take a little longer to get my energy back than I had expected. Also, about four days post-op, I had a tiny meltdown/pity party because I thought I didn't want to be OCD about planning my meals, weighing my food, and tracking everything for the rest of my life. I just wanted to be able to eat what I want, when I want, without having to document it five ways from Sunday and consider how it would help me reach my nutritional goals. That lasted about 10 minutes and I moved on. Seriously, just about everything has been super-easy -- even the rough patches, if that makes sense. It's nothing I can't deal with.

Whenever your surgeon says you can . . . definitely ask him, each surgeon has his or her own guidelines.

I wasn't permitted protein bars until 6 months after surgery, due to the high carb count. Even now I'm only supposed to use them in a pinch -- when traveling and so on. Protein shakes have been a regular part of my diet though. My mom struggles with underweight. Her PCP recommended protein bars to her as a healthy way to GAIN weight. Keeping that in mind, it never bothered me that my dietician ruled them out.

I've eaten spicy food from the outset. Try building your tolerance for spicy food without water. Enjoy the burn! Also, try alternating a couple of bites of spicy food with a small taste of something like plain Greek yogurt. That will take the edge off if you really can't stand it.

I used the regular hair fibers that you shake in from a little can. Shake them in, pat, and then apply hair spray. If you haven't used Toppik before, you may want to buy a couple of different shades - the one you think will match your hair, and one lighter. For some reason, for most people they end up needing lighter than what they thought.

If you are spitting up every time you eat, you definitely need to be in touch with your surgeon. You might need better anti-nausea drugs, or more guidance on what/how to eat, or to be checked for a complication such as a stricture -- but in any event, someone who is a medical professional needs to be taking care of you, not internet strangers! I guess I am assuming you haven't been in touch with your surgeon about this -- if you have and you haven't been helped, honestly I would try my PCP or even another surgeon for guidance.

You should ask your surgeon or dietician. Each practice has different guidelines. My surgeon doesn't allow any kind of raw veggies, including salad, until six months after surgery, but I know other practices have more relaxed timeframes.

I would purchase some samples rather than bigger cans. 6 cans of Unjury sounds like a lot! If you are going to purchase tubs in advance, maybe limit yourself to one tub of each of your two favorite flavors (for most people I guess that would be Chocolate Splendor & Chicken Soup). You don't know whether your tastes will change or what you will like or be able to tolerate after surgery. Places to get samples: https://www.chikenutrition.com/chike-variety-pack.html http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/whey-protein-samples.asp http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html Be aware that gas x strips are generally not that useful for the gas used during surgery - gas-x is meant to clear out intestinal gas in your GI tract, but the gas that will give you pain after surgery is the CO2 type gas that is pumped into your abdominal canity (NOT into your GI tract) during surgery. The thing that is going to help the most with surgical gas is walking and being as upright and active as possible. After your stay in the recovery room, try to be sitting up in a chair or on a couch in your hospital room, not lying in bed. That will help with your recovery and the gas. Sounds like you are planning everything well - good luck!

Not sure where you are but if you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have a case of prepared, refrigerated meats and meat meals - like fully cooked sirloin, BBQ pulled chicken breast, roasted turkey breast, lemon salmon - stuff like that. They also have similar things that are frozen. I rely on those a lot - I can just take 2-3 ounces and heat them up in the microwave. They also have great frozen veggies like broccoli florets, brussels sprouts, grilled asparagus, cauliflower & romanesco, grilled eggplant, and artichoke hearts, with minimal added sauces or butters. I use those - just take a small portion and either heat in the microwave or roast in the oven. Super simple, easy, and healthy. Trader Joe's also has turkey bacon, turkey hot dogs, and really good fresh chicken sausage. Their canned sardines are great if you like that sort of thing (I do but I know they are not everyone's cup of tea). Scrambled, poached, or fried eggs, or an omelet made with some cheese and diced meat. I also like to use the little packets of flavored tuna (ranch tuna, sweet & spicy, etc.) and make a little tuna salad. You don't need to put it on bread or crackers or anything, just eat the salad with a fork! Another super easy meal. Good luck!

Wow, well done you!

I wasn't allowed any fruit until 2 months out because of the carbs and needing to focus on protein. From 2 months through 6 months I could have soft fruit (soft enough to cut with a fork) but only after eating protein and it still had to fit within my max 60 carbs per day. So in reality I didn't eat much fruit at all even when it was permitted.

Do you mean you ate all those things in one sitting? If so, IMO, that's way too much. I can't really speak from experience since I was on full liquids for four weeks. But when I did start on purees (things like cottage cheese and yogurt) I could not have more than 3 tablespoons of food total for a meal, and meals had to be at least 3 hours apart.

second the recommendation for myfitnesspal - I will say that some of its customization features need to be accessed from the web rather than the app, but once you get it set up the way you want, the app does everything you want.

You may want to try something like Toppik or Nanogen to cover up those bald & thinning spots if you feel like they are visible to other people. I used those well before surgery just because I had already lost most of my hair (thanks, bad genetics!).

I could only eat about 1.5 oz of meat. At 10 weeks out I was only allowed 3 ounces of food for a meal, but no way could I reach that if eating anything dense such as meat, veggies, or scrambled eggs. Probably could have eaten more of something really soft like yogurt or cottage cheese, but it wasn't permitted, so I didn't try.

I haven't reached my goal yet, but when I do, this is the plan my dietician laid out for me: Increase calories by 100 for a week at a time. So, if I am currently at 900 calories per day, I would go up to 1000 calories per day for a week. If I am still losing weight at the end of that week, increase by another 100 calories. Repeat until I find my maintenance level of intake In maintenance, weigh at least four times per week (I plan to weigh every day) and track intake at least four days per week If I find myself either gaining or losing, make adjustments as necessary When I am increasing calories, try to focus on doing that by adding in foods with healthy fats and/or Fiber - nuts, avocado, olive oil, bananas. Try not to do it by grazing or over-eating.

Most Syntrax Nectar flavors mix clear with water. In addition to online shopping, I believe you can buy it at the physical Vitamin Shoppe locations. Vitamin Shoppe also sells the Isopure drinks mentioned above. I had to dilute the Isopure 50/50 with G2 or Powerade Zero in order to get it down, but it has great numbers in terms of calories/carbs/protein, so it will do you good even diluted.

I planned to take one week off and then for another week, work half days. I ended up taking two full weeks off and then the first three days back, worked half days. I underestimated my fatigue and the amount of energy and focus I would be spending on making sure I got all my fluids and protein in.

I went through something very similar. In fact with insurance company mess-ups and doctor mix-ups (my PCP, not my surgeon), I ended up waiting a year between my first surgical consult and my surgery! At times I thought about just giving up on the insurance process and paying out of pocket for a sleeve in Mexico. But I was persistent, kept going, and eventually got my surgery! In a way I am glad I ended up having to wait. I spent a lot of time educating myself about what was to come and gradually adopting the behaviors I would need after surgery in order to succeed (exercise, tracking food intake on myfitnesspal, using a food scale, stuff like that). When my surgery day came I was completely ready and my surgeon told me he knew I would do really well. So yes it is frustrating, but use this time to the best of your advantage. It will pass before you know it!

As @@BeagleLover said, look for whey protein. Isolate is best but I've not had any setbacks from using some whey concentrate. And some protein brands lie . . . "New Whey" protein shots are mostly collagen protein, which is basically worthless. As far as taste goes, everyone seems to be different! I can't stomach any of the premade shakes, but lots of folks love them. I stick to my powders. My favorite brands are Chike, Jay Robb, Unjury, Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar Sweets, Healthwise (cappuccino and hot chocolate) and New Whey Designer. You can buy samples at lots of different places. My recommendation is that if you are going to sample anything before surgery, make sure you get at least two samples of that brand/flavor because you will want to sample it again after surgery before committing to a larger purchase. Here are some places to get samples: https://www.chikenutrition.com/chike-variety-pack.html http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/whey-protein-samples.asp http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-starter-kit.html http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html https://vitalady.com/protein-supplement/ http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/Bariatric_Protein_Samples_s/35.htm Good luck!

I would start mostly with behavioral stuff - if you haven't already, commit to tracking all of your food on myfitnesspal or something similar. Get used to weighing or measuring all of your portions. Exercise (even if it is just walking) if you can for 20 minutes a day. If you want to do something dietary, I think you are right in doing something modest rather than something super strict that might lead you to "fall off the wagon" and beat yourself up. Maybe limit yourself to 1700 calories per day or something like that. Good luck!

Personally I think that as long as you are hitting your goals for calories and are avoiding trans fats, that counting fat grams is not that important. There has even been some work showing that eating a diet higher in fat leads to more weight loss. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0708681