Needing more guidance

[kelbel]

Okay, I'm so nauseous right now I can barely even sit up to write this.

I can't stand the protein shakes. The only one that tastes remotely good is 11 oz and only has 20g of protein. I just wish there were a pill I could take. As an aside, there was one protein shake I bought before they gave me the serving guidelines of 150-180 calories, 20 grams or more protein, less than 5 grams fat, and under 5 grams sugar, that I liked and could drink. Now I just feel like I have to be drinking a protein shake all the time, they're just so gross that I don't want to.

What's not clear to me is the directions. I'm on week three. It says to add mushy foods, and it lists a few bananas (yuck!) baked sweet potato (yuck yuck yuck!!!) as well as oatmeal and cream of wheat. But what's confusing is that in the next two weeks other foods that I would consider mushy are listed as to be added, cottage cheese (week 4) and scrambled eggs (week 5). What does that mean that I can eat right now?

I need protein I just can't do more than one shake a day. Eggs would go a long way but I can't do that yet. What am I supposed to do???

I should be doing my homework now, instead I'm going to lay down and do nothing

[mightymouse]

how about protein shots, they are liquid about 4 oz each

[kelbel]

Thanks that's a good idea, I'll have to make a trip after class tomorrow. I haven't ate anything today though, unless chewable vitamins count.

Am I reading your signature right? You had surgery 22 days ago and you have lost 65 pounds? I had surgery 17 days ago and have only lost about 25, but that's from my pre-op appointment 28 days ago.

[Lorna Doone]

I'm becoming sleeve after 9/29 in Monterrey with Dr. Rumbaut. However, I have had a lapband for 10 yrs. I can relate to your problem having been a bariatric patient. You can enjoy fat free and sugar free puddings & jellos. Also soups. Target & Walmart both have soup isles where you can buy many kinds: cream of mushroom, cream of potato, chicken & stars. If you're 3 weeks post op I believe you can handle them. Try cottage cheese with fruits. Breakstone sells them. If the solids are too hard for your tummy. Squash them with a fork & turn them into mush. I can only tolerate one or two shakes a day myself. If you want have oatmeal or cream of wheat, farina. If the oatmeal is still too difficult to digest blenderize it. Try mash potatoes with gravy.
If you can tolerate it baby food is okay too. I'm reading up on the sleeve because I will soon be sleeved. From what I read it takes the stomach 6-9 months to adapt then you'll be able to eat a little of everything.
You can also have yougart with fruit flavors.
Hope this helps.

[Lorna Doone]

I forgot to mention Smoothies are okay too, so long as they're well blended. If you find lumps in anything mash them into a puree. Remember the first month or two the tummy is swollen. You're not concerned with calorie counting as much as you are finding foods that slide down easy and heal you. After you heal you can always count the calories and switch to low fat sugar free.
This is the advice my doctor gave me when I was first banded. The weight will come off soon enough. Take vitamins to make sure you're getting the required amounts of nutrients from foods you're missing.

[mightymouse]

the loss is from my original weight ive only lost 15pounds since surgery

[Gal]

I am nearly 3 weeks out (in 2 days) and I am eating mushy food as well as very well cooked meats, braised for hours until they are close to dissolving. I have had no trouble with beef or pork cooked very slowly in a casserole with veggies cooked very soft. I did try very sloppy mash but it didn't sit right, so I just have carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas that all go very soft too.

I find the more protein rich food I eat the more weight I lose and the more energy I have. I think if you feel like you could manage the protein rich foods and cook it in such a way that it is very soft, then it is not worse than soups.

Gal x

[kelbel]

I definitely agree about eating the right stuff to get energy. I barely have any.

I'm on week five now and I can't even eat canned tuna until next week, ground meat and baked chicken are the week after that. I'm really surprised that you can have meat so soon. I don't think I would have tolerated it. I'm thinking I'm going to try to ground beef as soon as I can, looking forward to that. But even then I'm thinking really well ground and moist, like taco ground beef.

It's also weird trying to figure things out as my tastes seemed to change immediately after the surgery, things I liked before I can't stand now, like these Sobe drinks. I find it pretty bizarre. Luckily I finally got to have my favorite salsa again and it still tastes great.

[Gal]

Hi Kelbel,

I think it is ALWAYS best to do what your own body says. A lot of what you read post surgery is based on what is known for band patients and is not as relevant for sleeves. It all depends on how quickly your body heals and how well you listen to what your body is telling you.

It is ridiculous that tuna is a drier food than slow cooked beef, the consistency is harder too. Therefore it just does not make sense. If it were soft poached cod perhaps it would but if you are tired, that is your body saying it needs more energy!

In the past 2 days I have worked 22 hours. I can only manage this by making sure I eat what will give me the energy to keep going. I take apple juice to level out my blood sugar dips and eat protein rich meals.

What gives me problems (like the potato) I don't eat for a while but I will try on a different day.

Trust that your body knows best for you and listen to it. If it is saying more protein, then go for it!

Gal x

[Scotty]

I agree with you Gal, protein, protein, protein.
The only other thing that you need is water.
I know how hard it can be in the beginning, I am 12 months out and it's easy to eat anything now, the amount is what you can not push. And listen to your body, that is sooooo true (I should practice what I preach!).
My taste has also changed, I now prefer savory foods, it is however easing off a little now, funny how that happens.

Scotty

[kelbel]

Hi Kelbel,
A lot of what you read post surgery is based on what is known for band patients and is not as relevant for sleeves.

Yeah, what I'm looking at is the packet from my surgeon's office that has GASTRIC SLEEVE POST-OP NUTRITION in bold at the top of each page. Nothing about bands. I'd say it's relevant.

[Gal]

Yeah, what I'm looking at is the packet from my surgeon's office that has GASTRIC SLEEVE POST-OP NUTRITION in bold at the top of each page. Nothing about bands. I'd say it's relevant.

Hi Kebel, I understand where you are coming from but what I meant was individual surgeons give different advice. One surgeon has you on clear liquid for a week, the next says you can have pureed food straight away. You only have to read through these forums to see the diversity of the nutritional advice given to sleeve people to know that its all just general advice and as long as it is logical and makes sense then it is OK. If the packet you were given from the surgeon's office, was identical in content to mine, then I would agree with you, but I am sure there will be differences, how is that when we have had the same op?

If my doc tells me I can swallow my tablets the size of torpedos, then I am sure I can manage protein from beef that falls apart on eating. It just makes sense, well to me anyway.

It is due to lack of experience with the gastric sleeve operation and using the advice they give band patients. I still maintain my body knows best what it can cope with and will tell me accordingly.

Gal x

[Scotty]

I look at it like this, on average it takes 6 weeks for the stomach to heal, Not knowingly consuming the incorrect quantity (this is very easy to do in the beginning and 12 months down the track I still do occasionally!) if you eat solid food that does not pass through the duodenum easy, this is a heavy mass that will be hard to shift, you will damage your stomach and at risk of terrible complications if there is a leak. With "clear liquids" it is difficult to breach the stitches if you over consume, with clear fluids there is a minimal risk as the mass will take the path of least resistance, with the next stage, "fluids", this stage the only risk is the gas that will be produced again at 2 weeks the stitches should hold, then at week 3 or 4 the "anything that will run through a straw" stage, again your stomach is able to take the strain so on and so forth. After 6 weeks, depending on how that individual heals, age, trauma in surgery etc, it is OK to try different things.
The most critical time is while the stomach repairs from the damage caused, bruising all that that you see on an external wound.
So in the end Gal, I agree with you and correct in saying that every individual is different, we will heal at a different rates and will be able to eat different types of food at different times, not being able to see the progress of our healing stomach, we follow the recommend guide that has proven to be successful, the 1 week clear fluid, 1 week fluid, then the puree etc etc.
No two are alike

Scotty

[Gal]

I think the operative word in your post Scotty is the "recommended guide" as that is exactly what it is, not something set in stone.

If I was getting tired, no matter what the guidelines were, I would know that those signs were my body telling me there was not enough of something.

I have food allergies and at one time before I fully understood the importance of getting the balance of nutrients right and keeping it right, I became very ill, all because I was so low in vital minerals and vitamins. I would get dizzy when I turned my head and fall over when I closed my eyes. All very scary and all very easy to rectify by taking my minerals and vitamins daily. This made me listen very carefully to my body. I make sure it has enough of what it needs to make me fit and well. Even now I start the day with a protein shake and 8 types of vitamin/mineral tablets!

Gal x