3 Weeks Post Op, Learning My Limits

[amcolling 4]

So I'm 3 weeks post op- I pretty much eat everything just little bits and nothing I know that will be rough to eat. When I eat I start to get tightness in my chest and I feel like there is a tree trunk going down sideways- I'm assuming-that is when I have eaten too much or too fast. My dietician says not too worry about measuring my food but eating until I feel full. I definetely know that my portions have dramatically decreased, this is with no fill yet. Still only lost five pounds. I feel like my family is expecting me to lose tons of weight and fast and I feel like I need to live up to those expectations since I am self pay. Any thoughts?

[lousianalady 44]

I am shocked at what your dietician has said. You are not supposed to eat until full, if you do that you are starting a bad pattern. Feeling full often will lead to throwing up. 3 wks post op is a critical time not to over eat. You need to heal.

[amcolling 4]

I haven't ever thrown up. I am pretty much healed. What did your dietician suggest?

[FLORIDAYS 3,040]

My dietician says not too worry about measuring my food but eating until I feel full.

Wow.... I never heard that. I was told to measure food and track calories right from the begininning. I wasnt supposed to eat more than 3-4 oz of Protein, 1/2 veggies and 1/4 starch three times per day.

[KristinsMommy 145]

I'm surprised your allowed to eat anything at three weeks out. You may feel like your healed but on the inside your stomach still has much healing to do. I was told to eat until I'm satisfied not full. For me eating until I'm full is a dangerous thing which got me to be obese.

[hely88 883]

Full is too much food for me. I keep working at feeling satisfied. I measure out my half cup for each meal and sometimes dont even finish that.

[amcolling 4]

I guess I meant satisfied- I'm not eating dangerously. I'm not eating more than a half a cup at a time since that is all I can handle. My dietician says you will drive yourself crazy measuring and weighing. I was very unsuccessful doing any of that- that is why I got the lap band. I felt I literally had no nerves to tell me I'm full prior to the lap band. That is why this was a good solution for me.

[PJ Geeser 108]

I have to laugh at your first comment some....when I came home from surgery, my kids expected me to be thin too. They looked at me and the littlest one said..".mom - you look terrible but I cant tell no difference in you".

My dr is very different from most...I didnt have to do a pre-op diet either...just midnight the night before. I had surgery on the 22nd, I am on mushy/ soft foods but he did say if I was starving to eat something with more substance, but to be very careful and CHEW well and I would be fine.

[amcolling 4]

PJ- if you don't mind me asking- what was your starting BMI? Mine was 38. I also only did the pre op diet for only two days. It is amazing how little I can eat now though- before I was an endless bowl. I know I will start losing weight but slowly.

[thinkt2013 74]

I just had surgery 11/6 and im supposed to measure all my meals and im just on liquids. 2-4 oz at a time. They sent me home with little once ounce medical cups.

[PJ Geeser 108]

PJ- if you don't mind me asking- what was your starting BMI? Mine was 38. I also only did the pre op diet for only two days. It is amazing how little I can eat now though- before I was an endless bowl. I know I will start losing weight but slowly.

Sad to say...48 - 280 lbs My doctors response was when I asked him about the preop diet- " I dont make my pateints do one...he said it is kind of an oxy moron to ask an overweight person to go on a liquid diet for 1-3 weeks...if they had the self control to do that then they wouldnt be needing WLS either as they have the willpower to do it on their own". True to most extent- it is just the sticking to that for long term that is hard. At least with the band...it is a tool to aid us. I do get hungry but yes usually 1/2 to 3/4 cup is it. I do measure to check myself on things. One night I made ribs in the crock pot..meat was so moist...scraped the sauce off..measured it 2.8 oz, that was all I had and was full. That stuck with me along time but as a whole I get hungry if I have an egg so to speak in a couple of hours

[amcolling 4]

Sad to say...48 - 280 lbs <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> My doctors response was when I asked him about the preop diet- " I dont make my pateints do one...he said it is kind of an oxy moron to ask an overweight person to go on a liquid diet for 1-3 weeks...if they had the self control to do that then they wouldnt be needing WLS either as they have the willpower to do it on their own". True to most extent- it is just the sticking to that for long term that is hard. At least with the band...it is a tool to aid us. I do get hungry but yes usually 1/2 to 3/4 cup is it. I do measure to check myself on things. One night I made ribs in the crock pot..meat was so moist...scraped the sauce off..measured it 2.8 oz' date=' that was all I had and was full. That stuck with me along time but as a whole I get hungry if I have an egg so to speak in a couple of hours[/quote']

I completely agree! I have zero self discipline. 14 days of a liquid diet would have been impossible for me. My starting weight was 220- now I'm 214.

[lousianalady 44]

PJ- if you don't mind me asking- what was your starting BMI? Mine was 38. I also only did the pre op diet for only two days. It is amazing how little I can eat now though- before I was an endless bowl. I know I will start losing weight but slowly.

My bmi was 38. I had no pre op diet either. I will warn you at 3 wks i could eat very little. At 4 wks i could eat a cow. The stomach inside the band is still swollen at 3 wks. One it goes down your open and feels no different than before surgery. This is the time some gain weight. After your first fill you get some but not much restriction. After my second fill i am almost at my post op feeling state. We are all different , Im just saying how its been for me

[lousianalady 44]

My doc said the reason they do pre op diets is so your liver will shrink and is easy to lift during robotic surgery. Our stomachs are behind the liver and the liver must be lifted in the air to do the surgery. He said rapid weight loss will cause the liver to shrink making the surgery easier

[Wgbem 138]

I am shocked at what your dietician has said. You are not supposed to eat until full, if you do that you are starting a bad pattern. Feeling full often will lead to throwing up. 3 wks post op is a critical time not to over eat. You need to heal.

I agree. Three weeks is too early to just say eat until full. I have been measuring since I started this process. I have also been tracking my foods so I feel it is about developing health habits and behaviors that will help you through your weight loss process.