3 Meals vs. 6 "Meals"

[LouLouM 70]

Hi everyone. I was sleeved on November 30th and am in the pureed phase. Ever since the surgery, I have been hungry. The surgeon and dietitian want me eating 3 "meals" a day. Naturally I get full on very little. The problem is that in between the meals, I am starving. Hangry. Weak. I go back to a classroom full of hormonal preteens excited about winter break next week and I simply will not have the stamina on so little calories. I am drinking about 50 ounces of Water a day.

I wish that in between Breakfast and lunch I could have a tiny bit of cottage cheese and in between lunch a dinner maybe a bite of hummus. Would this really stall weight loss or interfere with my stomach healing? Is anyone on 6 meals vs. 3 during this phase?

On the subject of stomach healing, yesterday I was so so hungry that I ate my dinner too fast, had the foamies and heartburn, and finally threw up. Misery. Will this damage, or stretch, the stomach (I feel irrational asking this, but I am a worry wort)?

Thank you.

[The Greater Fool 2,057]

My program was also 3 meals a day, no Protein Drinks, no Snacks, no exceptions. This was to be the program for the rest of my life and I was ok with it, or I wouldn't have done the surgery.

We made a commitment and we stick to it. Period.

Good Luck,

Tek

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... until circumstances and requirements changed. When I was binge running at between 70 and 90 miles a week, my meals were upped to four per day, then five, then six, and I was still loosing too much too fast. Then we added a Protein Drink.

So, no exceptions until there is a requirement for exceptions.

Your situation reasonably could require a temporary adjustment. Until you can eat a full meal it may make sense to split it in half then eat each half a couple hours apart. It would address your hunger issue, your not eating enough issue, and your energy issue.

Be careful that once you get to being able to consistently eat a full meal that you either adjust back to base plan, or commit the the six meal plan (of half meals). Both will work, mixing them could create problems.

From my perspective the six meal thing felt like I was eating all day long and it was surprisingly annoying.

Good luck,

Tek

[summerseeker 2,289]

21 minutes ago, LouLouM said:

Hi everyone. I was sleeved on November 30th and am in the pureed phase. Ever since the surgery, I have been hungry. The surgeon and dietitian want me eating 3 "meals" a day. Naturally I get full on very little. The problem is that in between the meals, I am starving. Hangry. Weak. I go back to a classroom full of hormonal preteens excited about winter break next week and I simply will not have the stamina on so little calories. I am drinking about 50 ounces of Water a day.

I wish that in between Breakfast and lunch I could have a tiny bit of cottage cheese and in between lunch a dinner maybe a bite of hummus. Would this really stall weight loss or interfere with my stomach healing? Is anyone on 6 meals vs. 3 during this phase?

On the subject of stomach healing, yesterday I was so so hungry that I ate my dinner too fast, had the foamies and heartburn, and finally threw up. Misery. Will this damage, or stretch, the stomach (I feel irrational asking this, but I am a worry wort)?

Thank you.

I have had great problems eating and drinking since my surgery 24th Nov. Foaming every meal and it lasted all day and night. I was miserable. I had to stay in hospital 5 days. At about 12 days things slowly improved for me. I just drank liquids till I began to feel more confidant. I eat 5 or 6 tiny meals a day. Occasionally I struggle with breakfast because of the amount of medication I have to take. Ideally I start my day with a glass of milk, Then low fat yogurt, Then pureed thin Soup. I would try to extend my diet in the early evening , Pureed Dhal or pureed avocado with smoked salmon. In the evening I love to pick on the tiniest slivers of cheese and sieved cottage cheese, I am tracking my diet and dont get 400 cals yet. My surgeon doesn't really do Protein Shakes and says I can catch up on the next stage

If anyone could have burst my tummy It would have been me. I am fine but a little behind my peers. I am ok with this.

How many cals are you getting a day ? Knowing that will help your dietitian decide what is good for you

[catwoman7 11,231]

I think fairly shortly after surgery I was allowed to have three "meals" and two small, planned Snacks. But plans vary...

[MistySkye 181]

Thankfully my program is 3 “meals” , 2-3 Snacks. But really, calories wise they are all very equal. My “meals” might be a bit more, but not always.

The “not hungry” thing has been elusive for me from day 1. So I just balance my target protein/calories in 6 smaller meals.

[muffin.x 37]

I have been on 6 meals a day from day one. Usually about two of these meals are something like a Protein Shake or yoghurt. I think for Bariatric patients about 5 to 6 meals a day is the most common around where I live. I personally love it. I eat every two to three hours and therefore are never really hungry. Also I wonder how people get their Protein and calories in on only three meals a day. I’m 14 weeks out and eating 800-900 kcal a day (85g protein). I don’t know how I would be able to get in in only three meals?! Also I read that your body can only process about 20-30 grams of protein at a time, so I like to spread it out throughout the day.

Just make sure you’re committing to the meals and don’t start grazing.

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 656]

Agree with others who have said stick to your plan, unless the plan isn't working for you. My plan recommended 3 meals & 2 Snacks, and I still can't do it, so I don't. Maybe try adding in half a Protein Shake between meals and see if that helps, If not, step up to an additional serving of purees. There is no one perfect way to do post-op life. Yes, following your plan is important and yes, you want to be mindful of what/how much/how often you're eating, but NO, adjusting your eating schedule will NOT inherently ruin your success. In fact, being flexible and finding systems and routines that actually work for you and your life is pretty integral to success.

Also make sure you're supplementing your electrolytes. With so much Water and so little food, its very easy to get off balance which can contribute to fatigue and feeling tired.

[LouLouM 70]

The dietitian said that I can add snacks! It's Friday night and I don't want to bug her over the weekend, so I'm asking if any of you have suggestions for Snacks? I am in Stage 3, I have a Protein Shake for breakfast and about a 1/4 cup of pureed vegetable and chicken Soup for lunch and dinner. Any ideas of what I can eat in between those?

Thank you, everyone.

[summerseeker 2,289]

30 minutes ago, LouLouM said:

The dietitian said that I can add snacks! It's Friday night and I don't want to bug her over the weekend, so I'm asking if any of you have suggestions for Snacks? I am in Stage 3, I have a Protein Shake for Breakfast and about a 1/4 cup of pureed vegetable and chicken Soup for lunch and dinner. Any ideas of what I can eat in between those?

Thank you, everyone.

Avocado and prawns. Dhal. sloppy scrambled egg, refried Beans. egg salad, tuna salad, yogurt, milkshakes. By adding stock or low fat mayo or yogurt to the above to make them as runny as you can manage. Good snacking

[Arabesque 7,515]

Were you given a caloric goal? If so you could split daily total of calories over smaller meals or split your meal portions into smaller sizes. I added yoghurt, a yoghurt drink, cheese or a little fruit as an afternoon snack I think from soft foods.

Check with your dietician for suggestions.

The foamies shouldn’t affect your tummy but still are something you should try to avoid simply because they’re not pleasant. Work out your triggers & try to avoid them. (Mine are too dry, too coarse, too fast or dehydrated.) Are you taking a ppi/esomeprazole? That will help with the heartburn (reflux) & the hunger pains & rumbling tummy which, like the reflux, are caused by too much stomach acid & aren’t real hunger (unlike we were always told).

Good luck.

[Guest]

Great you reached out. Nobody deserves to feel hungry and hangry during the day like that. Your experience is a great reminder to intervene when your body is telling you something's not as it should be.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Guest

[ShoppGirl 5,063]

Glad the dietician said you can have Snacks. If you want to stick to his/her advice 100% you can just have a second portion of lunch and dinner until you have a chance to speak with them.

[Sunnyway 345]

On 12/10/2021 at 10:50 AM, summerseeker said:

My surgeon doesn't really do Protein Shakes and says I can catch up on the next stage

You can add unflavored Protein Powder (such as Orgain or Genepro) to your food or drinks. You can also get Protein Water or Isopure protein mix to add to water.

Your doctor's arbitrary stance on Protein Shakes may not be in your best interest. Talk to the dietitian. It's her job to find solutions for your food issues.

[summerseeker 2,289]

12 hours ago, Sunnyway said:

You can add unflavored Protein Powder (such as Orgain or Genepro) to your food or drinks. You can also get Protein Water or Isopure Protein mix to add to Water.

Your doctor's arbitrary stance on Protein Shakes may not be in your best interest. Talk to the dietitian. It's her job to find solutions for your food issues.

In the Uk its not as usual to use chemically sweetened drinks as America. A glass of milk with added dried milk powder or yogurt, whizzed in a blender with a banana and Peanut Butter seams to me to more natural and wholesome and at a fraction of the cost.

It is wrong of you to bring doubt and misinformation into any ones plan for recovery. I have full faith in my team. They have me for the next two years.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

You might also be one of the 20% of patients who don't lose their hunger after surgery. That's where I am. I have to eat 6 times a day most days, but my surgery center is fine with that. I'm 3 months out, but I've been hungry from the first week.

Don't assume that your hunger is reflux or head hunger, like everyone on this board will tell you.

As far as food suggestions will go, I would recommend refried Beans, tuna with mayo well mashed, high Protein milk, nut butters, soft cheeses, etc.