Having trouble moving to mushies

gdf18 · May 22, 2008

My surgeon has his patients do their liquid diet after surgery. I'm having trouble adding foods and it's not only depressing, it's making my tush and belly hurt.

It sounds like so many people just go right to foods easily and boy am I feeling envious.

Is anyone else having my problem? What are you doing to transition?

Gwenn

Pix · May 22, 2008

I am also feeling apprehensive about moving to mushy foods. But mainly I think that is my own mind doing it to me. My doc cleared me to mushy foods a couple of days early, so last night I bit the bullet and made myself a scrambled egg. ONE, and I couldn't even finish it. I wound up giving most of it to my oldest son. So I think for some people it will be a slow process. Just watch what you eat, and take it slow as you are comfortable with. For me it will be a couple bites a day until I feel up to moving to two 'meals' a day. Then move as I feel comfortable with.

At my rate by the time I am on a full mushy diet it will be time to move to solid foods. ROFL

Fanny Adams · May 22, 2008

I think my doc has the right idea with no hard and fast rules on times spent at each stage. He's a big believer in listening to your body, taking it slowly and introducing new foods carefully and seeing what you tolerate. If your body is ready to move quickly, that's fine, if you need to take longer at each stage, that's good too. Everyone is different.

gdf18 · May 22, 2008

Thank you, thank you. I've been feeling very alone and reading about people eating sushi a week after banding. I tried a little cottage cheese this AM as that was my staple Breakfast most of the time prior to banding. I'm having a little discomfort and a little burning sensation high up, but my stomach is going to have wake-up issues. I'm making some sweet potatoes in chicken broth that I can use as a healthy snack. And I've pulverized some chicken breasts in the blender so I'll try a little of that today as well. If I don't get enough Protein in for a few days.....I'm sure I'll survive. I'm miserable but hopeful for the future.

Thanks again.

Gwenn

DaisyMay · May 23, 2008

I was banded on 4/29 and I'm also struggling with adding soft/mushy foods. At times - not often - I can eat maybe 1/2 cup of something and then at other times even 2 teaspoons is not at option. I have had frequent pain in the last week since starting to try to add soft foods. At times one spoonful can cause problems for hours. I finally called my surgeon's office today and his nurse told me that this isn't all that uncommon. She said that everybody has a slightly different anatomy and everybody reacts differently and that some people have to really take it slow. Because I have no fever and no diarrhea she wasn't worried about infection. She told me to take ibuprofen regularly for a couple of days to try to reduce any swelling that might still be there. She also said to go back to liquids for about 48 hours to settle things down. Then she said to start again really, really slowly - literally taking one teaspoon of soft food and then waiting 30 minutes before doing more.

It's frustrating but I guess I'm also sort of relieved to not be dealing with the extreme hunger and overeating that a lot of people deal with prior to their first fill. I get hungry but am completely satisfied after 4 to 6 oz. of Protein Shake and don't get hungry again for several hours. I have some head hunger but eating is just not an option right now so it goes away pretty quickly.

I was very happy to see this thread and realize others are struggling with the same issue.

gdf18 · May 23, 2008

Hi DaisyMay

I'm so grateful for these boards because they are saving me every step of the way. I'm having many of the same issues as you, and yup, we're losing more weight before the fill, but boy, it would be nice to have everything up to snuff and working- going in AND going out!

I did use the pulverized chicken today. Had 4 ounces at lunch.....ate very very slowly. I had made it with mayo, but at lunch found that adding a little of the chicken broth helped wet it. It was so good.

About 4PM I was hungry so I had a little of the sweet potato that I'd cooked with the chicken, with a little more pul. chick and again, it went down well and some but not much gas after.

At dinner, I had broth and sweet potato, no chicken. According to my nutrition book, 4 oz of chick has 22-25 grams of Protein depending on brand so the chick gave me 50. The cottage cheese gave me 14. So, I'll have a little more chck in a while- just a couple of tablespoons, so that I'll be at my protein goal.

I didn't do well with scrambled egg and pureed creamy Soup was too gassy, but this seems to be just right as the baby bear would say.

Now I just have to see if it helps solve my bowel problems as I start to eat normal food. For the first time in days....I'm hopeful.

Gwenn

DaisyMay · May 23, 2008

I agree - I think it's just going to be a little more of a learning curve for some of us. I have learned that certain foods just don't work at this point - like cottage cheese for me for some reason. I have also learned that I need to be VERY careful about eating too soon after drinking a Protein Shake. If I wait (after the shake) until I'm very hungry to eat real food then I'm fine. If I try to have even a nibble before I'm hungry then the pain hits. Not sure why. pureed chicken or fish has sounded pretty disgusting to me but I may try some in a day or two just for some variety.

Honestly, I know I need to work up to real food but it's so much easier to just drink the Protein Shakes (which I actually really like) that I tend to stick to those rather than trying to deal with food. The food has been so hit or miss and painful that I'm a little discouraged with it. The Protein shakes are a sure thing. But, I'll keep trying - can't live on protein shakes for the rest of my life!

gdf18 · May 23, 2008

I like the Protein Shakes too. I really like the Atkins, but it's not doing my system any real good. I have used them for years, but maybe one a day as a Breakfast or a snack when I was watching my weight. I know it's difficult, and sometimes I know I can't the future very well, but even my Brother in law, who has lost 118 pounds, went through tough times at the start. Now he really really eats almost everything- just less of it. We have to hold on.

I thought the chicken would be awful but it's not. Only problem is that even with mayo it's dry cause you don't want to use a ton of mayo.So if you boil the chicken in broth like I do, use the broth to make it wetter. It surprised me just how good it was. I wish I could eat more but I really can't do it. And that is a blessing.

Gwenn