Can hardly eat a thing

[Tera 3]

Hello all ... my name is Tera. I am new to this forum. The reason I opted to have the sleeve procedure done was my doctor recommended it to try and rid me of my diabetes and high blood pressure. I weighed 227 before surgery and am now at 195...yay! But, best of all, the 2 offending diseases are GONE already. I am overjoyed with this outcome. So don't get me wrong when I complain in the remainder of this post, lol. I am 3 weeks out of surgery and can hardly eat anything. I eat 2 to 3 tablespoons of anything and struggle to keep it down, or as in half the cases, throw it back up. I admit I tried to eat soft foods such as chicken thigh meat, (but thoroughly chewed it til pureed), knowing full well I was pushing it. Yet I mean i can't keep down avocado or hummus even. Is 3 tablespoons too much? I am drinking Protein and eating Soups, both seem fine. I can drink a lot of Fluid actually, even have to make myself go slow. What gives? Although I am enjoying the weight loss, I know I need to eat more. My teenagers are beginning to worry I think. Any help would be very appreciated. I look forward to meeting other "sleevers" here and thank you in advance for your responses. Best wishes to all of you. I feel your pain, frustrations, triumphs and joy. So many mixed emotions on this life changing ride we are on.

[VDiaz3072 0]

Hello all ... my name is Tera. I am new to this forum. The reason I opted to have the sleeve procedure done was my doctor recommended it to try and rid me of my diabetes and high blood pressure. I weighed 227 before surgery and am now at 195...yay! But, best of all, the 2 offending diseases are GONE already. I am overjoyed with this outcome. So don't get me wrong when I complain in the remainder of this post, lol. I am 3 weeks out of surgery and can hardly eat anything. I eat 2 to 3 tablespoons of anything and struggle to keep it down, or as in half the cases, throw it back up. I admit I tried to eat soft foods such as chicken thigh meat, (but thoroughly chewed it til pureed), knowing full well I was pushing it. Yet I mean i can't keep down avocado or hummus even. Is 3 tablespoons too much? I am drinking Protein and eating Soups, both seem fine. I can drink a lot of Fluid actually, even have to make myself go slow. What gives? Although I am enjoying the weight loss, I know I need to eat more. My teenagers are beginning to worry I think. Any help would be very appreciated. I look forward to meeting other "sleevers" here and thank you in advance for your responses. Best wishes to all of you. I feel your pain, frustrations, triumphs and joy. So many mixed emotions on this life changing ride we are on.

Hello and welcome to the Forum. I am pretty new too. When did get sleeved?? mine was last week (9/7) and i am in Clear liquids. My Nut gave me the ok to star shakes so I can get my Protein in my diet. I am having a hard time too.

Good luck to us.

[weho 103]

Well, first of all, make sure that your surgeon is aware of this! During the first 6 weeks after surgery, your sleeve is in an inflamed state as it is healing. So one day you may be able to eat something and the next you can't. I've heard of this going on as long as 6 months post op. As early out as you are you will not be able to eat much at all. Are you eating too fast? Also, some foods may not agree with you just yet. I was told that if I am not doing well progressing to the next stage to regress to the previous stage (liquids in you case) for a day or two. It will get better!

Take care!

[Sassygirl06 962]

im four weeks out tomarrow. i had this problem for a while. i am thankful to report i have gotten past that and am able to eat almost anything. it will get better.

[peanut 0]

My surgery was on 08/18/11. I can only eat 2 or 3 very

Small bites of anything at one time it Seems I can eat

Almost anything as long as I chew chew chew I have lost

22lbs as of Saturday.

[savinggrace 6]

I don't know if this will work for you, but it worked for me. I may look or even sound silly saying this. However I was told eat with a baby spoon, till I get used to eating. I have done that and I only can consume about 2 oz. I also stop as soon as I feel full. Wait that 30 minutes to drink. I usually walk during that time, to get the bowels moving. I hope things work out for you, also I agree with the contacting your doctor if it continues. Take care.

[ranoodle 6]

I am 4 weeks out on 9/15 and I had the same problems. This week it seems to be better and I am trying new things. I used to love avocado and I have tried eating it 3 times since surgery and each time it has made me sick. I have just been trying to eat six times a day. I think that helps since you really can't eat much. I work with a woman who also was sleeved a few months ago, she said it gets better with time. She got sick for the first couple of months trying to figure out what she could eat. Good Luck!

[thinoneday 445]

Well here comes "pain in the pattooty thinoneday" with her usual advice. . . lol. . .

I'm sorry this is happening to ya'll, however, be assured that this too shall pass. . . i'm out 21 months and am so happy i have major restriction still. . . otherwise i'd be as big as a house again. . . 3 tblspns is not too much, I have anywhere from 5 - 6 tbspn of food (which i believe equals almost 1 cup loosely) for each meal depending on what it is. . I can still only eat 1 piece of chicken, but not the breast, thats too big. . . in the beginning i really hated the sleeve, i felt it was cheating me of everything i ever knew (silly huh?) but then after about 6 months i got used to it and had lost a lot of weight and began to "live with it and not fight it" At 1 year out I had lost 150 lbs and hit a major 7 MONTH stall. . . but at least i wasn't gaining and that was the most important. . then i lost about 10 more lbs and now i am maintaining. I don't kill myself with exercise, it comes naturally, and i eat most everything (in tiny amounts of course) i keep a close eye on the scales now and weigh myself at least once every 2 weeks. If i see the scale go up (even 1 lb) I cut back and watch for about 1 week. then go back to normal. . .

It's tough and this is a battle we are going to have to fight for the rest of our lives. It's an addiction and we need food to live, old habits are so easy to fall back onto. . . but together we can overcome this monster. . . how many times have i said "ah to hell with this all" but then i look back and see what it took to get me here and the drastic measures i took just to lose weight and then i pull up my big girl panties and fight like crazy. . .

hope this helps some of you, for some/most it's just me ranting and causing a bunch of eye rolls, but if i can help just one realize that it's a constant battle and this wonderful tool we have been blessed with is here to help and it's all normal what we are experiencing and going through,(but please call the doctor if it doesn't feel right to you) then i'm happy. . good luck to all of you and please remember we have this tool and it'll be with us forever to make sure (if we want it to) that we never again are hugh and unhappy as we were . . .

thanks for listening

[Papa Jack 86]

I use a baby spoon. I even use it at work. I love it! You can not use a table spoon or a regular spoon. Talk to your Dr. Mine told me my stomach was very small & maybe in a year it will stretch out, where a small child's plate size portions will be allowed. Just remember you are learning how to eat all over again.

[seelessofme32 1]

Hey, you are doing great. I was sleeved the day before you. Congrats on your loss so far. So I have to ask are you doing any Protein supplements? I am 8 weeks out and I have been on protein for 10 weeks and I am tired of drinking it. I am trying very hard to train my body to eat again but it is really hard. I can hardly eat a thing and believe you me I could care less. The only thing that concerns me is I am not getting my protein in and I don't want to lose my muscle vs. fat! Let me know, thanks !

[weho 103]

As others have suggested, "baby" spoons are very useful. You can buy cocktail spoons at Pier 1.

[Tera 3]

WOW. Let me just start by saying I am sorry it took me so long to respond. I wasn't expecting the responses this post got. WOW! THANKS! U were all correct, I have to eat slower, and I need to stop before I am full I have noticed. Which means I can only have 2 tablespoons. And YES, those avocados seem so perfect, but mess me up too. So why do I live on diet miniute maid lemonade and hot sauce? They too are acidic. Whatever. So, three weeks and a day now lol. Am I the only one sounting days?

[myrori 55]

My US surgeon held up a pen,,, be it one of those printed with his offices name of it and said this will be the size of of your stomach. That, plus swelling after trauma to the body and stomach says a lot!

[Rev Me Up! 75]

Hi there-

At a few weeks out, 3 tablespoons is too much. A lot of folks are on liquids for 3 weeks after surgery and then we graduate to mushy / soft and maximum of 2 tablesppons at a sitting. I used a baby spoon for a while. I also bought the tupperware 1/2 cup containers - I would only fill them half way to equal a 1/4 cup of food. That helped me to not over eat. In the beginning I MEASURED EVERYTHING. I will still eat too much if I don't measure.

Measure your food, eat slowly, and stick to mushies if you can't take the solids. A lot of us didn't get to solids until the 4th or 5th week after surgery. Your tummy is fragile!

Good luck---

[Tera 3]

Your so right. I need to stop acting like I can do anything. Thats my usual approach to life. I can do it, how hard can it be. But my stomach is not cooperating with that frame of thought. Thanks for the swift kick.