eating

[Timetofly 0]

I had my sleeve on 2/8, and feel good. Physically I feel great, I am losing, getting off my meds .. but here is my question.

I feel like I am unable to eat much at all. A few bites and I am uncomfortable. I understand about the restriction, obviously that is the point of of the surgery but I hear so many people say they eat what they want just smaller portions. I feel as though the entire "meal" I am struggling to get it in, It looks good, sounds good but when I go to eat doesn't want to go down. I don't know if this makes sense but would love your input. Is it still early out? Is 2 months to early to expect it to be easier?

Thanks!

Diane

[Tiffykins 673]

It took me almost 4 months to eat more than 3ounces of food. It just takes time. I'm 10 months out and truly eat anything and everything I want in smaller portions. I literally just ate a Velveeta Shells and cheese Easy Mac microwave thing of mac-n-cheese. It took me 40 minutes to eat it, but I had zero issues eating it all. It's a 68grams serving. I don't know how that converts to cups/ounces by volume. For me to questimate or eyeball it, I would say about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of shells and cheese.

It does get better. It gets much easier. I stayed on mushies/soft solids much longer because it was easier for me to get my Protein in via tuna/chicken salad, greek yogurt, and cheeses. I could only get 2oz of dense Protein down until I was past 3 months post op then I get in about 3ounces.

I wouldn't say that 2 months is too early to have those expectations. I wanted to eat more solid food that early as well, but my body didn't want it. So, I just scaled back and stayed with other stuff that I knew would work. Something definitely clicked around the 6-7 month post op as I've had more food choices and have been able to get in more volume per meal. I'm still stuck at about 4-5 ounces of dense protein per meal, but at least I can have a few bites of salad or veggies with that portioned meal.

It does get better, I promise.

[thinoneday 445]

I had my sleeve on 2/8, and feel good. Physically I feel great, I am losing, getting off my meds .. but here is my question.

I feel like I am unable to eat much at all. A few bites and I am uncomfortable. I understand about the restriction, obviously that is the point of of the surgery but I hear so many people say they eat what they want just smaller portions. I feel as though the entire "meal" I am struggling to get it in, It looks good, sounds good but when I go to eat doesn't want to go down. I don't know if this makes sense but would love your input. Is it still early out? Is 2 months to early to expect it to be easier?

Thanks!

Diane

Oh how I can relate to your vows. . . I 'm 3 months out and can only eat about 4 - 6 oz at a time. . .but what they mean by "eat whatever they want" is like me. . .so can I but this is how it goes. . . breakfast: Protein shake (ugh very filling) about 10 am, cheese (1 oz) and some melba rounds (3 crackers); lunch 6 oz cooked eggplant, no pm snack, dinner, 1 oz fried fish (usually talipia or seafood) and about 2 oz lentils, evening snack, melba rounds again 3 with one triangle of laughing cow cheese. . lots of Water. . . you see ??? Sometimes if i get into the "gosh I'm really hungry" I'll knaw on turkey Jerky til i feel satisfied. . .or i'll eat SF Jello, SF pudding and so on. . . I can eat whatever, but don't eat badly, I don't eat much junk, at Easter I had 2 - 3 mini chocolate eggs, and a piece of Easter bun (couldn't eat the whole thing) so you see, I eat whatever, but it's really small amounts so I don't worry much about it. . . i'm losing and i like it. . . I'm learning what foods don't agree with me and which ones do, the soft ones usually agree, the harder ones don't. . . chew very well and take your time. . .sometimes i have to reheat my food a couple of times, but i get it done. good luck and hope this helps.:biggrin0:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

yeah, it's normal. I can remember when I could only eat a few bites. I was like Tiffy. I drank Protein Shakes or soft foods because eating solid Protein was just too difficult. Now that I am almost a year post op, I do eat anything I want in small portions. I still can't eat a very big portion of meat, and I am fine with that. I eat until I am full and I know that if I eat more, I will be uncomfortable.

[pumpkin07 32]

Well, I had my surgery the day after you did and you are ahead of me by a couple pounds. But from what you wrote, it is hard to see what you are saying exactly. How many ounces can you get down? What kind of variety can you eat now?

I think everyone is different, but I can eat half a 4 0z hamburger if I don't eat the top bun - just eating small bites with a fork with a couple Tomato slices. So that is about ummm...probably 2 oz of meat and a couple tomato slices. That is a few bites, right? I could maybe eat one taste of a potato but I know fries are not my friend in ANY way. They sort of 'over fill me'. I had this burger easter Sunday when we went out to Breakfast b/c I don't like eggs, couldn't really eat a pancake, I did not know what to order - we were at a diner. So I split a burger with my youngest.

Or I can eat a 2.5 oz piece of fish with steamed spinach very easily.

Last night I ate a steak and spinach taquito at home with some leftover ribeye. Oh and I did eat ribeye on Easter Sunday with no problem. Chewed well with a potato. OF course I probably only ate 2.5 oz total, maybe 3.

But I can eat a pretty good variety of meals now, so it is hard to see from what you are writing how limited you are. I 'can' eat pretty much everything now but 'prefer' (by way of comfortableness factor) to not eat bready stuff, NO spicy stuff (big change for me). Not much fast food at all, more like homemade food. Eating out can still be difficult but I do it sometimes. No green Beans or many vegetables that I used to like. I find the most satisfying meals have 2 items in them - a Protein and a fresh or cooked green or red veggie.

I ate a whole homemade crispy taco a few times and was too full...

So I don't feel limited in what I can eat anymore. I feel what I can eat now if it did not change would be okay. I still will put more on my plate than I can eat if I'm really hungry, and if I over eat creates a tightness in my throat that I hate.

Is that about what you are talking about? Or is it worse than that?

[Lee 19]

Hi Diane,

My surgery was 2/17. I'm like you, not a lot of room in there. I can eat 2 oz of Protein, sometimes 3 if it's fish or shrimp. After that, not much room. If I'm out I'll try to eat a bite or two of spinach but I don't bother cooking it at home yet. Sometimes I try to get in one or two strawberries after my Protein but sometimes they come right back up.

Last night felt like my biggest meal yet. 1.75 oz of nitrate free Breakfast ham with a fried egg on top and a touch of cheese melted on it. I find that if I melt cheese it goes down more easily. That was my first whole egg.

Frozen shrimp is simple to make with a little cocktail sauce it goes right down.

What works best for me is to add sour cream and salsa to foods so that they're wet before they go down. I had to eat it really slowly, which is what we're supposed to do anyhow. I eat a lot of lean ground turkey (2 oz) sometimes adding a spoon of refried Beans before sour cream and salsa.

Eating just feels like something I need to do right now, but I do get hungry between meals. I find that eating slower allows me to eat more which is good because I want to up my calories a little. When I started on soft food I ate too fast and a few times it came back up.

What kind of things are you eating?

[Timetofly 0]

thanks for all your replies! it helps to hear how others progress. I guess what I mean is that I can eat a little but I mostly feel like I struggle to get it in. I am hungry, it looks good but then as soon as I go to eat I have a hard time. I think I am getting the "normal" post surgery amount in, I guess what I am saying is I can't enjoy one bite of it. I feel like I am fighting with the food if that makes any sense. I am just going to scale back and eat the softer things that I know work or a while. Sometimes it almosts feels like air is going into my stomach with the food and I can't eat. I know this probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It is hard to explain.

Thanks for always listening!

Diane

[Tiffykins 673]

thanks for all your replies! it helps to hear how others progress. I guess what I mean is that I can eat a little but I mostly feel like I struggle to get it in. I am hungry, it looks good but then as soon as I go to eat I have a hard time. I think I am getting the "normal" post surgery amount in, I guess what I am saying is I can't enjoy one bite of it. I feel like I am fighting with the food if that makes any sense. I am just going to scale back and eat the softer things that I know work or a while. Sometimes it almosts feels like air is going into my stomach with the food and I can't eat. I know this probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It is hard to explain.

Thanks for always listening!

Diane

It makes perfect sense. I really hated food for awhile. So, I stuck with stuff I knew that tasted somewhat decent.

Also, I could not talk while eating early out. I had to eat in silence because I felt like I was sucking air in if I tried having a conversation while eating. I hope it gets better for you soon. One day things just kind of "clicked" and I didn't have the "nothing tastes, looks, smells good" moments.

[Timetofly 0]

Thanks Tiff & I also want you to know you have personally been a great help to me along the way. You help alot of people and I hope you know how much it is appreciated. Thanks for always taking the time to post and encourage.

Diane

[Tiffykins 673]

Thanks Tiff & I also want you to know you have personally been a great help to me along the way. You help alot of people and I hope you know how much it is appreciated. Thanks for always taking the time to post and encourage.

Diane

Thanks Diane, I love it here, and am always glad to help when I can.

If you ever need anything, know that you can always message me if needed.

[Chancie 65]

I'm 13 months out and I STILL have a hard time with food. I am NOT hungry... I have to make myself eat... I think thats why I'm having a hard time getting off the last 20 pounds... I a not eating 3 meals a day ( bad me )

I can't eat steak or burgers... just don't care anything about them anymore... I don;t eat bread because I feel like it "swells up" and grows in my stomach!

I stick with chicken and fish. And I love soup! But sometimes I eat too much Soup and it makes me uncomfortable. I am still trying to learn when to "stop"

In the beginning... the first few months.... I wanted REAL food- but my tummy couldn't handle it. 'But the head hunger was BAD then for me! I would think I wanted something... and try to eat it.. and up it came!

It does get better.. and it is a learning process for all of us....

[wannalise 16]

Today is my first mushie day and with the super small portions I am not going to get my Protein. I think I'm either going to have to add a Protein Shake or double shot my AM shake, otherwise my sutures are going to heal so slowly and I will be dragging my sorry butt around.

[Robbiehage 1]

I am two weeks out today, my surgeon doesn't do mushies and has you eating Protein at all 3 meals by day 11. I have had no pain, nausea, sliming or heartburn. My stomach was like a tank before they removed 85% of it and apparently it still is! I have yet to cease being hungry, my biggest problem is thinking I can eat more than I can. I get full fairly quickly and it's a little shocking how little you can eat without discomfort at this point. I got a regular Arby's Roast Beef yesterday, threw away the bun and without thinking I ate just a little over half of the meat. It went down fine but whew I was uncomfortable for probably 15-20 minutes afterward. Leave it to me to still be able to pig out 2 weeks out! So far I am very happy with my decision to get sleeved. Pray that the same is true for all of you.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Diane,

Are you sure you are cutting your food up into very tiny bites and chewing very well? Those of us who were banded first, learned this already. You have to chew your food into a liquid consistency. You also have to wait in between bites to let things settle. Eating fast is not comfortable.

[Timetofly 0]

Diane,

Are you sure you are cutting your food up into very tiny bites and chewing very well? Those of us who were banded first, learned this already. You have to chew your food into a liquid consistency. You also have to wait in between bites to let things settle. Eating fast is not comfortable.

Hi,

I am probably not doing as good a job with that as I should. I am going to really work on those things to see if they help.

Thanks for the advice!

Diane