Starting to feel bulimic...

[tera1982 194]

I am officially 3 weeks out today(sleeved 12/08/15). I am having a very difficult time keeping anything other than Greek yogurt and cottage cheese down. I have also been eating small amounts of sliced cheese because my new tummy can tolerate it and I'm so hungry. I am taking Omeprazole and don't have any typical reflux, I eat very slow(chew, chew, chew and time my meals out according to surgeon), I stop drinking 30 minutes before, nothing to drink during, and nothing 30 minutes after eating. I am starting to feel like a bulimic throwing up everything I eat. I am going to be calling my surgeon tomorrow because I don't want to wait until my one month on the 8th. Any suggestions? Anyone else experience this? I am not even close to my Protein goals with just the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I am managing to get in my Water. I told my surgeon I was throwing up at my two week follow up, but at that point I was only on puréeds and only really having problems with eggs, which he said is a very common issue with eggs. I am on soft foods if I didn't mention that before, but if I can't literally put my fork through it, I don't eat it. This is not fun!

[Kindle 8,667]

I was on liquids for three weeks, then pureed and didn't start soft food until about 6 weeks out. Even at that progression I only ate a couple tablespoons/day. But I was still able to get in 60-80g Protein through shakes and by adding unflavored Protein powder to Soups. Perhaps your sleeve just doesn't agree with your surgeon's timetable. There's no reason to transition so fast. If solid food makes you vomit then just stick with liquids.

Have you tried broth or cream Soups or pureed soups? Perhaps your tummy would tolerate warm, non-dairy items better. Lactose intolerance is another biggie after surgery.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

What are the other things you have tried that you can't tolerate?

[tera1982 194]

I've tried chicken, turkey, fish including cod and tuna, a veggie burger(a tiny slice, not the whole patty), etc. My surgeon and NUT are big on the whole "get your Protein from "real" foods, not shakes, but at this rate, I don't know what choices I have. I am definitely not able to eat as much as what's on the "plan". I guess I'm just kind of behind. I just wish there was something I could eat that gives me some protein and doesn't come right back up.

[tera1982 194]

Ps, I have also eaten the cream portion(no chunks) from cream of cauliflower soup(it was delicious and I had zero issues with it). I actually ordered a quart and ate it over several meals because it felt so good to have something in my belly.

[Kindle 8,667]

So what's better....getting your Protein from a 100% whey Protein shake (which, BTW, is the best, most efficiently absorbed form of Protein there is) or not getting any protein at all because you can't eat solids just 3 weeks after having your stomach cut along it's entire length?!

I just never understood the nuts and surgeons that don't encourage protein supplementation since it is such a vital part of healing, not to mention preventing hair loss down the line. I am 2 years out and STILL drink a Protein Shake every day.

And since Soup agrees with you, go ahead and add unflavored Protein Powder. Or puree some bean with ham or split pea Soup as they have a decent amount of protein by themselves.

[A New KK 104]

As a rule (pre-surgery) I don't like refried Beans but they're packed with Protein and I add some shredded cheese and light sour cream and I can eat them. It's a break from cottage cheese and yogurt. I whip the cottage cheese with some sugar free blackberry jam and it tastes better. I also do ricotta instead of cottage cheese sometimes. I am at almost 6 weeks and yesterday was the first day I could hold down scrambled eggs. I had turkey sausage with it and ate that first and I think since is was higher in fat it smoothed the way down for the eggs. I still can't eat chicken, tuna comes right up. Crab with a little mayo stays down and so does lobster. The softer the food the better. I struggle to get to 60 grams of Protein daily but found a 30g unflavored protein powder that I add to the refried bean or to stewed lentils today that got me up to the right amount. The brand is GENEPRO Medical Grade Protein which I purchased on Amazon.< /p>

[TnT123 3]

I'm 12/8/15 surgery date too. I can't ingest enough of liquids or Protein. But it's mainly because I am not hungry and I feel full. I think you should just try your best and go at your own pace. They are only guidelines. What works for you might not be ideal for someone else. It will all get better for you. Just give it time.

[naturegirl 320]

I felt that way for the first few weeks. Nothing was staying down. Slowly it improved. I'm now 5 months out and only throw up if I eat too fast or too many dense carbs at once. Focus on what stays down, try to improve your intake daily.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I agree @@Kindle please add some unflavored Protein to broth or Soups and try that. It might take you longer to move to solids.

I'm 5 months almost 6 out and I very rarely eat chicken or turkey. They are dry and hard to digest. The same goes for tuna, save those for later. I actually kind of hate them now.

I like seafood because it is a lot of Protein for few calories and since it has a higher moisture content, which makes it easy to eat and digest.

Unflavored protein is really your friend this early on since you can add it to any liquid and get your protein in without stressing your stomach.

You can't heal without protein, making sure you get your daily protein in is your top priority.

[flipper72 36]

I have a green drink every day with plain Protein and I'm still suffering some pretty serious hair loss. I can't imagine how much hair I would be losing if I didn't get my Protein in. I am a fan of ground turkey/lean beef. It seems like it's the easiest to digest. I'm 6months out *8/4/15 sleeve* and food still sometimes comes right up. I have learned that I have to really slow down...but even when I chew chew chew and wait in between bites, some food just says "nope...not staying down here"...and it's like a just burp and viola....it comes up. I was very nervous for awhile because I was worried about the toll it would take on my esophagus but it's gotten a little better over time. I've found that paying attention is 9/10ths of the battle. Your body will let you know when it's happy and when it's not and we just have to listen and reprogram ourselves a bit. I was an ice cream fanatic for most of my life. I've tried to splurge with ice cream and after "trying" several times I just said wait...My body doesn't want this anymore. My brain might....but my body definitely did not. I really hate when I hear people talk about how weight loss surgery is a cop out! It's still hard work.....but we now have a better tool....our bodies are transformed...it's like we went to the shop and got a tune up and now we just have to listen for different signals. Though I had some complications early on....I am still so very glad I made this change!