sleevedllama

I am 7 weeks post op and my appetite is back. Not as ravenous as I once was, so that is good, but I am hungry more often than every 3-4 hours and really, all I want to eat is cheese. I'm also craving peanut butter. Both are okay in small amounts but neither should be used for protein. Hit me up with your ideas for meals at this stage that satisfied those savory/fatty/creamy cravings.

Well I've already lost my son's weight equivalency. Now I'm working on dropping my daughter's weight. So it makes sense!

Just wanted to put in a plug for Dr. Doyle and the entire Anne Arundel Surgical Specialists team, since I haven't seen her discussed on these forums. She is the partner of Dr. Alex Gandsas, who is highly regarded and is the main bariatric surgeon at Anne Arundel Medical Center. I saw both surgeons, but after progressing through 90% of the pre-op requirements under Dr. Gandas' care, needed to put my process on hold to deal with my mom's terminal illness. Once I was able to resume work and start thinking about myself again, but before I had returned to schedule a surgery date, I wound up in the ER with a gallbladder attack. The NP who treated me said I needed to be admitted right away to have the gallbladder removed. Once the Acute Care surgeon came down to see me, though, my attack had passed and luckily the Acute Care team is part of Anne Arundel Surgical Specialists. Dr. Brook Buckley saw me in the ER and noticed I was already a patient of Dr. Gandsas, and slowed that NP's roll by saying "we have options here." She saved me from two surgeries by referring me to Dr. Courtney Doyle, who scheduled an expedited appointment to review my chart and examine me for cholecystitis. Dr. Gandsas doesn't do gallbladder removals (unless absolutely necessary in conjunction with a gastric procedure), but Dr. Doyle does both bariatric and general surgeries, and was willing to allow me to finish the requirements for my sleeve and schedule a single surgery for VSG and cholecystectomy. Her bedside manner is excellent. She is friendly, spent more time with me than Dr. Gandsas, and made me feel less like a number and more like an individual patient. Post op, she was kind, caring, and firm about what I needed to do to recover. To me, that is the best balance - I want a surgeon with excellent bedside manner (something that is hard to find, in my opinion), who is open, honest, and willing to spend time to answer my questions. She totally fits that bill. Of course Dr. Gandsas and Dr. Doyle are backed by an excellent admin and dietitian team. I can reach the dietitian, admin, and Dr. Doyle's nurse all by e-mail and have my questions answered within a day. I highly recommend Dr. Doyle and her practice.

Way to go! I'm 7 weeks post-op and feeling very similar. Vitamins/calcium are still the hardest thing for me to stick to, but I'm feeling great and starting to get compliments on my appearance, which is a little weird, but helps me in my belief that even if the scale isn't moving, I'm losing! I've never been tied to a number - the goal weight in my ticker is just pulled off a chart and what I think is reasonable but isn't a sticking point for me - but I want to be healthy and feel good. Sounds like you are doing awesome! Congrats!

I'm probably not going to be well-liked for making this statement, but really, nothing has bothered my stomach to date except for potentially eating a bite or two more than I really needed. I've had lots of different meats, cheeses, yogurts, protein shakes, etc. and since week 3 (when I could hardly keep the shakes down and switched from ready made to powders), I've not really had any problems at all. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time with certain foods. It's so strange how different we all are with this.

Do you mean ketosis?

I've been doing this too -- either a tbsp. PB2 or a teaspoon of Simply JIF (lower sugar) with half a banana and a chocolate Isagenix shake & ice in the blender.

I haven't but that sounds good! Haven't tried any cracker or chips.

I think you're probably right. And I've been in a little bit of a stall for the past couple weeks so I wouldn't be surprised if my body needs some more fats too to just get things moving.

Not that it doesn't count, but I was specifically counseled to not use cheese as a protein source because it is high in calories and fat. Peanut Butter is okay in small amounts - for example, adding a teaspoon to a chocolate protein shake with half a banana - but is very high in calories. I'm supposed to be between 600-800 calories per day for the next few weeks, so a tablespoon of peanut butter is the equivalent of one meal's calories.

Oh, my hunger is definitely satisfied by that. I think these are definitely cravings and I'm looking for some redirection. My meals have consisted of soft scrambled eggs, lots of shredded chicken and pork, and minimal veggies so far. Can't do salads/raw veggies for a while (one more month maybe?). I know I can eat just about anything else, I'm just having a hard time staying away from these cravings every day.

I am off any restrictions - just following the plan: 60-70g of protein per day; minimum 600-800 calories; no bread, pasta, rice; low-calorie, low-carb recommended -- and 64 oz of water per day.

Wow, that is really interesting. I have been cautioned to stay away from crackers, pita, tortillas, bread of any kind, and to keep my carbs low - forever - and to focus on the protein intake. I don't know how you can get to 70-90g of protein without those things you listed! I can imagine you're frustrated.

Shelly's Ricotta Bake is amazing. You can add ground turkey (cooked with plenty of italian seasoning otherwise it will taste bland). Also Pioneer Woman's individual egg casseroles. There is also a whole forum for recipes on this site. I believe it's under Forums/Food & Nutrition/Recipes and then you can select your stage. Good luck! https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/shellys-baked-ricotta-324036 https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/individual-sausage-casseroles/

I wonder whether it is the lack of variety that is making you feel unsatisfied. I could not eat the same thing every day for that long and feel it, for sure. Why can't you have a variety of foods at this point? I'm on week 5 and my doctor just cleared me for everything except bread, refined sugars, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. I know every plan is different, but if you're in week 8, you should be able to eat a good variety now. That, combined with the protein, may help. Are you getting all your fluids in?

I am just beginning week two of stage 3 post surgery (date was 7/31) and I've been doing pretty well but I am SO tired of sweet! My protein shakes are all sweet (save for chicken soup, which I have once a day). It seems like all of the recipes for soft foods on this stage are for more sweet things -- and that grosses me out. I have been eating a soft scrambled egg once a day, and made the ricotta bake, but does anyone else have good suggestions for what I can eat for the next week? I think tuna is okay, so I will add that. What about other meats? Have you done ok with ground turkey, chili, or other more substantial protein-based savory recipes? Please share!

We were talking about food, not protein shakes. The point is that staying on 3-4 protein shakes per day isn't really sustainable. We need to learn how to eat with our new tiny stomachs and still get the 60-70g (or even 70-90g I've seen some recommend) of protein daily. 4 meals where you're only able to eat the size of one egg, which equates to 6-7g of protein, isn't going to cut it, even if you are eating only high-protein foods. We simply can't handle enough volume of food, so we have to rely on the shakes. I'm ok with that for one meal a day, maybe two, but I'm trying to incorporate regular meals (and I still don't feel like eating anything, I'm just tired of sickeningly sweet shakes).

Thanks @rs. I've been instructed to eat no more often than every 4 hours, so assuming I am getting 5g of protein per meal, that means I'm 40-50g deficient without shakes. I know a lot of people still do shakes for 2 of their 4 meals, which I can do. But at some point we've got to 86 those, right? Or turn them into snacks in between the meals every 4 hours? I see my nutritionist next week & will find out.

Isagenix Chocolate -- hands down the best protein shake I've ever had and it has 24g. It's not gritty when shaken in a blender ball bottle, but I actually prefer it blended with 8-10 ice cubes and 8-10 oz. water. The less water you use the more it blends up in the same consistency as a Wendy's frosty. Soy & gluten free. I don't sell it but I love them.

All good suggestions -- but I'm allergic to soy so edamame is out (and I have to be careful with processed foods too). Last weekend we went to the beach and I ate crab several times -- that was amazing!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm definitely ready to move on to more soft foods and fewer protein shakes, but I cannot figure out how to get my protein in through regular foods! I can't eat enough. I'm up to about 1.5 eggs (scrambled with a tiny amount of butter, and last night I put a single slice of avocado on top & mushed it in so that they'd be softer/creamier), I can eat a 2 oz portion of the ricotta bake, about 2 oz of oatmeal. Even with a 1/2 scoop of protein powder (which is really too much for such tiny amounts), anything but eggs nets me only a couple of grams of protein. I'm supposed to be getting 60-70g per day. Has anyone figured out how to doctor up the chicken soup flavored protein powders so they actually feel like food instead of broth?

Can't find that post but I'll play along. I've lost as much as my toddler son.

I'm not a huge fan either and I'm really tired of sweet things. I found the Bariatric Fusion chicken soup protein mix to be awesome for breaking that up. I just ordered a 2 lb. tub to get me through the next couple of weeks.

You can also get the Waterminder app, which works on the watch and the phone and helps you track and reminds you when to drink!

I've entered the soft foods stage and suddenly I'm feeling paralyzed. I cannot figure out how I can possibly get the amount of protein and drink the amount of water (the only two things I'm supposed to be tracking) through tiny amounts of food, while also being told not to eat throughout the day. For example, an egg has about 6-7g of protein -- and I have been able to eat only about 3/4-1 of a scrambled egg at a time. I'm supposed to be getting 21-30g of protein per meal -- but I can't eat 3 eggs. I also don't think I can bring myself to eat pureed meat. I realize that at some point I'm going to be able to eat larger amounts of food, but I am just trying to stick to the simple rules here and I can't wrap my brain around this. So my strategy today is to carry unflavored protein powder wherever I go and stick to my protein shake for breakfast & snacks, then add the unflavored powder to the other foods I eat. Any other strategies? I'm not craving food, but I would like to eat. I just do not want to go back to old habits! I'm determined to use this new tool I have correctly, to lose all the excess weight, and not to regain. But I'm feeling a little panicked at the moment.