low calorie intake...bad?

[Megan_SF 2]

so i'm 16 days post op. i've lost a little over 20lbs! but i can see my weight loss slowing down....and i think it's my low calorie intake.

i have yet to get all my Water and Protein in....try as i may, it still hurts going down!!!! just a few bites of something (sf pudding, thick Protein shake, yogurt, even water!!!!) and it feels terrible....like i swallowed rocks and they're churning in my stomach.

does this go away? my calorie intake is only about 200-300/day, is that okay for the stage i'm at? i know i'm dehydrated....but water almost seems to cause me the most pain. am i sabotaging my weight loss?

it just sucks!! i'm not hungry at all....just thirsty, but again, drinking is so uncomfortable. does this get better with time?

megan

[MidwestGirl 8]

Hi, I'm 17 days out! :lol0: I don't know how much help this will be, but I had trouble getting Water down too. Looking back, I wonder if maybe it was because I've always been a water-only drinker so I used to take huge gulps and I think I just associate water with gulping. But anyway, I started adding crystal light flavors to my water and that works A LOT better for me. No pain going down, no pain in the tummy. They have loads of flavors if you haven't already tried this, and they're sugar free and I think 10 calories if you add one to 17oz. of water.

[Megan_SF 2]

Hi, I'm 17 days out! :lol0: I don't know how much help this will be, but I had trouble getting Water down too. Looking back, I wonder if maybe it was because I've always been a water-only drinker so I used to take huge gulps and I think I just associate Water with gulping. But anyway, I started adding crystal light flavors to my water and that works A LOT better for me. No pain going down, no pain in the tummy. They have loads of flavors if you haven't already tried this, and they're sugar free and I think 10 calories if you add one to 17oz. of water.

already tried the crystal light :-/ no difference

[Tiffykins 673]

The discomfort does get better as time passes. If you're discomfort with eating and drinking doesn't subside, you really should contact your surgeon for suggestions.

Have you tried different temperatures of your liquids? Warm liquids always worked better for me early out.

Did you have a hiatal hernia repair with your surgery?

Others have described the same thing you are experiencing and it sounds like the spasms they experienced.

Maybe getting something to relax your esophagus and/or stomach would help.

[Josephine 1]

At this stage try to up yourself to about 500 calories and you might drop a couple more pounds instead of hitting that dreaded week 3/4 stall.

[Megan_SF 2]

What about carbs too? Some of the things I can actually get to go down are really mushy oatmeal or mashed potatoes, I feel guilty about the carbs! And the dehydration....how does it work? I mean why does that cause a stall?

[thinoneday 445]

so i'm 16 days post op. i've lost a little over 20lbs! but i can see my weight loss slowing down....and i think it's my low calorie intake.

i have yet to get all my Water and Protein in....try as i may, it still hurts going down!!!! just a few bites of something (sf pudding, thick Protein shake, yogurt, even water!!!!) and it feels terrible....like i swallowed rocks and they're churning in my stomach.

does this go away? my calorie intake is only about 200-300/day, is that okay for the stage i'm at? i know i'm dehydrated....but Water almost seems to cause me the most pain. am i sabotaging my weight loss?

it just sucks!! i'm not hungry at all....just thirsty, but again, drinking is so uncomfortable. does this get better with time?

megan

Hi I'm with Midwest Girl I used to love to gulp water all day long! I'd get over 100 oz down a day, then i got sleeved and guess what? Can't even get down the blinkin' 64 oz now. . . like Midwest, I add sf crystal light or SF welshes blended berry mix to the water. . . it's much better now and as long as i sip small amounts i do really well. . . i'm now at almost 60 oz at it's taken me about 3 1/2 weeks. . . keep trying it'll get better, I promise. . .I'm definately NOT allowed oatmeal or potatoes at all during the first 6 months . . doctor told me it would slow down the weight loss because of the amount of carbs. . . maybe don't eat those and substitute with something else. . I'm still on high protein foods, fatfree cottage cheese, fatfree ricotta cheese, fatfree string cheese, fatfree refried Beans, sf puddings, fatfree yogurt, fatfree mootopia milk, Protein shakes, very mushy tunafish and so on. . Next week i get to try extra lean ground hamburger meat and extra lean ground turkey, we'll see about that! Good luck, I hope it all settles down and you can carry on with your journey. . .

Edited January 22, 2010 by thinoneday

[Josephine 1]

What about carbs too? Some of the things I can actually get to go down are really mushy oatmeal or mashed potatoes, I feel guilty about the carbs! And the dehydration....how does it work? I mean why does that cause a stall?

The wrong kinds of carbs can cause a stall in your weightloss. If you are still having trouble eating make sure you get 500 calories from Protein shakes, milk, buttermilk, string cheese.. anything you can get down. Since our bodies are mostly Water, all of our vital organs and systems require Water to function. If you are not getting in enough liquids, your body will start to steal it anyway it can to keep your organs functioning. That means it's not using water to flush the fat out of your system and you hit a stall. Water and Protein is VITAL to your healing and weightloss during this time.

I had so much trouble getting both in during the first month and my LIFESAVER was the Syntrax Nectars. I just mixed in 6 scoops of the Twisted cherry one with 2 packages of lemonaide koolaide mix and filled up the gallon jug and shook it up. That was 138 grams of protein and I made myself drink it over a 2 day period. 69 grams per day, plus a bit of cheese or yogurt that I'd force down.

I think that helped me get in my protein and water and helped my body heal very well and produced a nice weightloss.

[MidwestGirl 8]

What about carbs too? Some of the things I can actually get to go down are really mushy oatmeal or mashed potatoes, I feel guilty about the carbs! And the dehydration....how does it work? I mean why does that cause a stall?

Mushy oatmeal & mashed potatoes are on my allowed list for mushies, but my dietitian is one of the few I think that doesn't tell patients to count carbs. :lol0: She said try to get some kind of food with Protein in and then something else too if I want. I've been doing well-cooked rice one meal a day because it at least has a little Protein.< /span>

[excited2lose 0]

I am with Tiff, warm up your liquids. Even being pre op, I can't take cold Water. It hurts. I can take MUCH more in if it is at least room temperature.

[MINI-Me 196]

Mushy oatmeal & mashed potatoes are on my allowed list for mushies, but my dietitian is one of the few I think that doesn't tell patients to count carbs. :lol0: She said try to get some kind of food with Protein in and then something else too if I want. I've been doing well-cooked rice one meal a day because it at least has a little Protein.< /span>

I was told to limit my carbs to 40 per day, but that oatmeal & mashed potatoes are allowed - I just have to count them.

Of course, this is coming from someone not sleeved and only "book smart" at this time. But, if you are feeling weak and not getting enough calories/protein in, I think it makes sense to try something.