When will I...

[EYE CANDY 44]

When will I be able to eat more than 2 to 3 bites of something?

[NtvTxn 1,262]

God willing, not for a LONG time!!! Make one bite two, that will make it go further....and just savor every bite and KNOW that due to this, you are on your way to a new life and much smaller clothes!!!!

[PdxMan 4,292]

It will depend on what it is, and, of course, your bites should be a lot smaller now than they were before, so it is all relative.

You should be able to eat more than 3 bites of yogurt, now.

As far as other foods and lean Proteins, it will progress something like this:

4 bites of deli turkey meat - 5 weeks out

4 bites of tuna salad - 6 weeks out

4 bites of grilled chicken - 8 weeks out

4 bites of iceburg lettuce salad - 12 weeks out

4 bites of Romain lettuce salad - 16 weeks out

4 bites of Spinach lettuce salad - 18 weeks out

4 bites of grilled NY Strip - 6 months

Hopefully you get my point ... it is going to be different for different foods and for different people. But I'm guessing you know this deep down and you're to the point where you feel like you are never going to eat normal again. Don't worry ... you will. There are no foods I cannot eat today and enjoy them all at 20+ months out. I just enjoy far less of them now.

So will you.

[Pookeyism 1,143]

NtvTxn nailed it. If you are worried about nutrition, focus on your Multivitamins for now, and schedule micromeals, and just make sure every bite has optimal nutritional value.

If you are asking because you want to be able to eat more, then before that is an option, get ahold of that thought and get it figured out. You have come a long way and have a valuable tool, but you must learn to use it, and your little tummy does not fix our big, often bad habits associated with eating.

Instead of thinking of it as a detrement (if that is what you are doing), take time to stop and be amazed at how little it takes to really sustain you, and how awesome it is that you have this time to reflect on that.

Good luck.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

It will depend on what it is, and, of course, your bites should be a lot smaller now than they were before, so it is all relative.

You should be able to eat more than 3 bites of yogurt, now.

As far as other foods and lean Proteins, it will progress something like this:

4 bites of deli turkey meat - 5 weeks out

4 bites of tuna salad - 6 weeks out

4 bites of grilled chicken - 8 weeks out

4 bites of iceburg lettuce salad - 12 weeks out

4 bites of Romain lettuce salad - 16 weeks out

4 bites of Spinach lettuce salad - 18 weeks out

4 bites of grilled NY Strip - 6 months

Hopefully you get my point ... it is going to be different for different foods and for different people. But I'm guessing you know this deep down and you're to the point where you feel like you are never going to eat normal again. Don't worry ... you will. There are no foods I cannot eat today and enjoy them all at 20+ months out. I just enjoy far less of them now.

So will you.

and when you say 'normal' - it is our NEW normal. What we considered normal prior to surgery was in excess, right??!!!! I look at what I eat now, at almost 3 years out and am always wondering or asking my husband, "is this a lot of food?" Well, the answer is, YES, compared to 33 months ago, but 4 oz of fish....seriously??!!! There was a time when it seems I could eat my weight in fish!!! Ok, that is not quite right, but I could certainly put away 3 or 4 x's what I can eat now. With 4 oz of fish I can eat an eighth of a cup of a veggie and maybe a bite of cottage cheese. With pork, beef or chicken, if I want a little bit of cottage cheese and/or vegetables, 3 oz at the most. I still weigh and measure all of this so I can keep track AND because I know how much I want/need/can eat without feeling icky! My doctor told me, 'never' more than one cup of food. I cannot eat a cup of food now unless I drag a meal out for 45 minutes. If I finish, sit and visit and pick at whatever....and that is not a good habit at all.

[PdxMan 4,292]

and when you say 'normal' - it is our NEW normal. What we considered normal prior to surgery was in excess, right??!!!!

Well ... not quite what I was trying to say ...

When I was a couple weeks post-op, after being on a shake and lean/green pre-op for two weeks and Clear liquids and shakes 2 weeks post-op ... I was in the, "OMG, I am never going to eat "normal" again." I felt that if I even tried to eat anything with any texture, my teeth would crumble since they hadn't had anything crunchy in over a month. I didn't want to eat what my definition of "normal" amounts ... I just wanted to eat "normal" food. REAL food ... I didn't care what it was ... a carrot, a cracker ... whatever. Eating food akin to what is served in nursing homes was making me crazy.

Then, even when I did eat the pureed food, I could only eat 2 or 3 bites. Psychologically, I had HAD IT! I was tired and knew I was only eating around 500 calories. It wasn't a stretch for me to know that I needed to get more calories than that, but it was just soooo difficult to do. WHEN WAS THIS GOING TO CHANGE? I didn't want to eat anywhere near what my old "normal" was, but I knew I couldn't maintain that current level. I needed to consume more than 2 or 3 bites at a time.

[EYE CANDY 44]

It will depend on what it is' date=' and, of course, your bites should be a lot smaller now than they were before, so it is all relative.

You should be able to eat more than 3 bites of yogurt, now.

As far as other foods and lean Proteins, it will progress something like this:

4 bites of deli turkey meat - 5 weeks out

4 bites of tuna salad - 6 weeks out

4 bites of grilled chicken - 8 weeks out

4 bites of iceburg lettuce salad - 12 weeks out

4 bites of Romain lettuce salad - 16 weeks out

4 bites of Spinach lettuce salad - 18 weeks out

4 bites of grilled NY Strip - 6 months

Hopefully you get my point ... it is going to be different for different foods and for different people. But I'm guessing you know this deep down and you're to the point where you feel like you are never going to eat normal again. Don't worry ... you will. There are no foods I cannot eat today and enjoy them all at 20+ months out. I just enjoy far less of them now.

So will you.[/quote']

Thank you so much for this

[EYE CANDY 44]

Well ... not quite what I was trying to say ...

When I was a couple weeks post-op' date=' after being on a shake and lean/green pre-op for two weeks and Clear Liquids and shakes 2 weeks post-op ... I was in the, "OMG, I am never going to eat "normal" again." I felt that if I even tried to eat anything with any texture, my teeth would crumble since they hadn't had anything crunchy in over a month. I didn't want to eat what my definition of "normal" amounts ... I just wanted to eat "normal" food. REAL food ... I didn't care what it was ... a carrot, a cracker ... whatever. Eating food akin to what is served in nursing homes was making me crazy.

Then, even when I did eat the pureed food, I could only eat 2 or 3 bites. Psychologically, I had HAD IT! I was tired and knew I was only eating around 500 calories. It wasn't a stretch for me to know that I needed to get more calories than that, but it was just soooo difficult to do. WHEN WAS THIS GOING TO CHANGE? I didn't want to eat anywhere near what my old "normal" was, but I knew I couldn't maintain that current level. I needed to consume more than 2 or 3 bites at a time.[/quote']

This is exactly what I was saying, thinking and feeling.

[EYE CANDY 44]

NtvTxn nailed it. If you are worried about nutrition' date=' focus on your Multivitamins for now, and schedule micromeals, and just make sure every bite has optimal nutritional value.

If you are asking because you want to be able to eat more, then before that is an option, get ahold of that thought and get it figured out. You have come a long way and have a valuable tool, but you must learn to use it, and your little tummy does not fix our big, often bad habits associated with eating.

Instead of thinking of it as a detrement (if that is what you are doing), take time to stop and be amazed at how little it takes to really sustain you, and how awesome it is that you have this time to reflect on that.

Good luck.[/quote']

I will do just this. It's a big adjustment and I no mentally I'll get it ! Thanks

[EYE CANDY 44]

God willing' date=' not for a LONG time!!! Make one bite two, that will make it go further....and just savor every bite and KNOW that due to this, you are on your way to a new life and much smaller clothes!!!![/quote']

Lol!! Thanks it's a mental thing I no and I'm so looking forward to the smaller clothes

[NtvTxn 1,262]

Ok, now I see what you were saying!! About the caloric intake, the first few weeks I was getting on average, about 350 calories, that did increase, but during the entire six months I was in my losing stage, I only got between 550 and 800 calories. I was concerned but the doctor wasn't. My labs at 3 months were great and I was getting all my Protein in. I felt good, better than I had in years!!

[michelleooo513 245]

I am at 3 weeks post op.. never had a problem with Water intake.. Protein intake.. nothing. Throughout my pureed stage I could manage anything but always measured out 1/4th cup. Im now on soft foods and im eating 2-3 ozs of food usually 3 times a day and 1 Protein Shake. So I will say thats much more than 4-5 bites.