2goldengirl

Hiccups!

At two months out, I am noticing occasional hunger - as in "empty". Not at all the same feeling I'd get when hungry preop. So when you say "all I want to do is snack", what do you want to snack on? Are you craving a particular texture? Bored with the choices you've been making? Is something else driving the snack attack?

Sweets aren't my thing at all, so these wouldn't tempt me. However - Huz absolutely loves ice cream. And he has a problem with portion control. He's working with an RD (he isn't a WLS candidate, he has some medical issues which means having to keep his weight down and learn to watch portions) who actually suggested he find something that was pre-portioned that he could enjoy. He buys a big box of the Skinny Cow ones from costco and has one most evenings. They're working for him. There is a lot to be said for pre-portioned servings in a case like this. As a sleever, though, I wouldn't make this more than the occasional treat, not enough nutrition for the room one would take up. That's the way I think about a lot of things these days, how much room a portion would take up inside a stomach the size of a banana.

I think there is a big difference between grazing and eating small amounts throughout the day. And I don't think of grazing at all in the early postop fluids-only period. Grazing: nibbling a bite here, another bite there, none of it on your food plan, not because it's time to eat, but simply because it's 'there", on the kitchen counter, in the lunchroom at the office, not tracked, and not eaten with intention. Not Grazing: measuring out a mini-meal's worth of Protein and veggies, tracking it, and taking your sweet time to eat it. I do this especially in the middle of the day. I may split my lunch into two even smaller meals (I'm two months out). I do this because I want my veg, and I can still only handle about 2 oz of protein, with no room left for the veg. If I split that in two, I can get in the 2 oz protein plus some veg. That isn't grazing, that's eating with intention, and tracking. Grazing can derail you fast. I haven't had a single Goldfish cracker though they're usually around here at the office. I know just how fast I would be looking for the fish crackers every day, and how easily I could talk myself into "just a few more". So I just don't go there. It's easier for me not to start at all than to stop once I've started.

Brilliant post! Now, what will you do to Celebrate this wonderful milestone? I'm a believer in owning them by doing something you wouldn't ordinarily do.

First, postop it's unlikely you're experiencing true hunger - your stomach is tiny and swollen. In addition, it's traumatized, so it isn't sending proper signals yet. Cravings and head hunger are quite another matter. One of the best posts I've seen about how to tell the difference between physical hunger and head hunger said that physical hunger is the kind where if someone offered you a plate of plain broiled chicken and broccoli, you'd eat it. Head hunger is when you see that fast food commercial on TV and think "I gotta have that now". Cravings drive a lot of people who are freshly postop batty. Some fresh postops do stupid things, like indulging their cravings. Don't. Just don't. Your stomach has been surgically assaulted. if there was ever a time in your life to follow directions, this is it. Get up, take a walk, make yourself some tea, get lost in a great book, take a nap, wash your face, do something to distract yourself from the cravings.

Yup, I was a 42G overflowing. I've lost pre/post op more than 35# and with my losses, my bras now fit. I'm on the tightest hook on them, though, and it won't be long before I need a smaller cup and band size. The smallest I've ever been as an adult was a 34D in my 20's.

I'm not sure whether to call them "smaller" or "deflated". But I've lost 3" around the fullest part and 2.5" around my ribcage.

Keep trying the doctor and get in as much Fluid as you can - if you're having diarrhea that alone will dehydrate you.

Oh yum. Smitten Kitchen has a cucumber/avocado salad dressed with Sriracha-mayo that is just wonderful. there is something about avocado and cucumber that really works well. Last summer we were in southeastern Europe. We had cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and olives at every meal and it was heavenly. Some of the feta we had was less crumbly and more creamy than what we get here. It was amazing. And wonderful fresh fish, grilled. No wonder the Mediterranean diet is so healthy and highly recommended!

Honestly, if you're having nausea despite Zofran. I don't know why they are limiting your fluids to 1 oz every 15" if you can swallow more - they don't want you gulping is all. Are you passing gas and/or stool yet?

But red Jello is the only kind worth eating. The others are all nasty.

Nope. You may not have as much pain as with other surgeries, but healing takes as long as it takes. there is no hurrying it. If you can tolerate fluids OK, get those fluids in, fluids kinda run right through your sleeve. it will get easier as the swelling goes down.

What makes you nervous about it? It's frankly, a pain in the posterior. But nothing to be afraid of. Yeah, you get hungry (though I found personally that it diminished dramatically after the first three days). and your brain will drive you a little nuts fighting the process and sending you cravings. But here's the thing. It's a chance to practice knowing the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. You'll be on liquids postop, too. And some people find they get cravings postop. having followed a liquid diet preop teaches you that it is possible to stay on liquids and survive. Huge numbers of posters here have been through the least entertaining two weeks of their lives successfully. You can, too. Good luck!

C'mon. You know the answer to this. If you're on a 2-week course of liquids, Anything that isn't liquid isn't something you should be eating. Period. Yes. This is hard. but honestly, it's two weeks out of the rest of your life. You need to suck it up and just do this. You're going to have to follow postop instructions, too. Those can be hard in a different way than the preop diet. And postop instructions last a lot longer than two weeks. You really need to ask yourself if you are ready for surgery. it's serious business, and if you aren't ready to take it seriously, it's time to take stock and ask yourself why.

First, what stage are you in? I can't tell from your description. some people are still on liquids 2 weeks out, some have graduated to purees. Second, you can't drive yourself crazy with the scale, especially in the first month. Your body has one goal right now: healing from surgery. Stay off the scale if you're going to judging your performance on the scale alone. Get out those postop instructions and follow them to the letter. If you are, then you're successful, OK? Protein and fluids first. Have you tried different temperatures of fluids?

I'm 8.5 weeks out now. My surgeon wants me to be at 1000-1200 calories/day, not less than 64 gm Protein, 64 oz fluids at this stage. Looking back this past week, I only made it past 800 calories one day - and that was a Nurse's Day lunch at work and I had two bites of cake (superb cake, and the only dessert I ever even consider among all the offerings available at work). Fact is, it's taking some effort even to get in the 700-800 calories/day I'm doing. I'm not a smoothie fan. I do have a Protein Drink first thing each morning. I have already included things like cheese and slices of avocado. My midmorning yogurt is 2%, not nonfat. My restriction is great. I made lamb stew last night. I measured out 2 oz of the lamb and added a small portion of the veggies and gravy. Once I ate the 2 oz of lamb, I could only eat one slice of carrot and half a slice of parsnip, and my sleeve was done. I'm not keen on the idea of adding Protein Bars just because I'm a fan of real food, but I'm thinking I may need to for a while just to get in the calories. Typical day: Bfst: Premier Protein drink Snack: Chobani 2% yogurt Lunch: 1/2 c. refried Beans with a pinch of shredded cheese Snack: Cheese stick Dinner: Taco bowl - shredded chicken in salsa, shredded lettuce, slice of avocado, light sour cream, shredded cheese Over the past month, I've averaged 70-85 gm protein, 30-60 carb 25-35 gm fat. No trouble getting in my fluids. I know 700 calories isn't enough from past experience. Any suggestions?

Excuse me very much, but "where I want to be" is where my surgeon wants me to be. This isn't information from someone wdoesn't know what they're doing. This is from my surgeon and Registered Dietician. The program I'm in has been doing WLS for 14 years successfully, thanks. I'm sure they know a thing or two. I haven't had any nuts, nor any peanut butter. I only use half portions of protein bars as a last resort. Had you bothered to read my original post, you would have known that.

Excuse me, but these are the recommendations from my surgeon. I DO happen to know that I stop losing at 600-700, have no energy, and can barely get through my workday. I'll thank you to not tell me not to follow doctor's orders! I am NOT asking for criticism of my surgeon's recommendations on this thread. If you can't swing with that, feel free to join another thread.

The first beef or pork I tried was meatballs, and they worked fine. I bought a bag at the market, so they were no doubt ground more finely than if they were homemade. I had some pork tenderloin a couple weeks later, no problem. I haven't tried steak or hamburger yet. Lamb stew over the weekend was fine. I'm two months out tomorrow. I think the trick is not trying things like this too soon.

Girth. Is that like mustard?

I have a real problem with anyone on the surgical team, be they surgeon, RD, or anyone else, who doesn't grant patients the respect of telling them the truth rather than dumbing it down and making draconian pronoucements. Lettuce is far lower in raffinose than, for instance Beans, broccoli, or cabbage. I don't know about your program, but refried beans were recommended to me as soon as I was on purees, as they're a good source of Fiber.

What techniques do you use to calm yourself when you get your panic attacks? Use them. The things you've mentioned can happen to anyone at any time, for no reason at all. Breathe. Relax. You're home. Sip your fluids, get some rest, and take some short walks, and breathe some more.

Too early to tell whether I will get any loss. I have been taking Biotin, I don't notice extra hair anywhere but on my head, it's definitely thicker, but not in the front where I'd most like it. I wasn't able to meet Protein goals until after the first two weeks, but nothing I can do about that now.

I may try a boiled egg - we always have them in the house and they're easy to take to work. I tried the deli meat trick and it just didn't add much in the way of calories. That, and the stick itself is grab & go, I'm usually trying to finish up my workday when I have it, and some days I eat it in the car on the way home. And the addition doesn't add much in the way of calories. Maybe I have to stick with another egg and a half a Protein bar. I am totally old school on those, I like the Balance Bar original Honey Peanut. They're so hard to find these days I have to order them online, but an even 200 cals and 14 gm protein. They aren't as sweet as most bars.