Hey John, My surgery was on May 19th as well. Wow! You can eat way more things than I can. For the past few days, everytime I eat ANYTHING I get sick about 15mins. later. It's driving me nuts!!! I do still drink caffine, but I have also uped my water intake. I can only get maybe 2 bites of anything down at one time, then I get so naseated I have to lay down for awhile. But, when it's over I feel great again. Crazy. Anyway, sounds like you're doing great! Good Luck!! Tammy

Hi Deb, Do I eat normally? Hmm...I'm not sure what normal is anymore! I sure don't eat like I did before surgery. I guess I eat pretty normal. A typical day for me would go something like this: WAKE UP--8oz. chocolate milk BREAKFAST--1 packet of oatmeal with a little protein powder mixed in SNACK--1oz. beef jerky LUNCH--1 cup homemade chili OR 1 chicken sausage link with 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato SNACK--1oz. beef jerky OR protein bar DINNER--same as lunch usually SNACK--1oz. 2% cheese with about 4-6 reduced fat Ritz crackers BEFORE BED--8oz. chocolate milk I pretty much eat the same things every day, but I do vary it occasionally. I go out to eat with my family maybe once a week or every two weeks, usually mexican and I almost always get something with chicken in it. Tonight we might have Chinese. I eat pizza about once every two weeks. I can tolerate most things, but I do have my limits on fat and sugar. I enjoy a chocolate chip cookie every once in a while. I believe in "moderation" for most things. Lets face it, are we going to go through the rest of our lives never eating another cookie, or handful of potato chips, or birthday cake? Not likely, as least not for me. You just have to learn your limits and don't make them an everyday habit, just as a treat occasionally. BUT not at 9wks....wait until you're closer to goal and stabilize a little, then you'll be able to see what you can eat/not eat and still maintain. Its a learning game that will probably never end. As far as feeling full goes, if I eat until I feel full then I've over-eaten and stuffed my little pouch. I can eyeball portion sizes now and I stick to that, I can really feel those extra couple of bites. Once you get to your max volume of food, probably about a cup at a time, you'll stay with that for life if you're smart...I don't try to eat more so I don't know if I can or not, don't want to know, I'm satisfied with the 1 cup. Should you try lean beef, chicken, or turkey first? I'd say whichever you prefer. At 9 wks. I was eating homemade meatballs made with lean ground beef and tolerated it just fine...I would add a little 2% shredded cheese melted on top and dip them in some low carb ketchup or a little may0/mustard mixed up together...sounds weird but it tasted good! Whatever you try make sure its moist or you pair it with some kind of sauce, take small bites, and chew well...you should be fine. If it doesn't settle well, don't give up on it forever...leave it for a couple of weeks then try it again. I haven't had any alcohol, but then I'm not a drinker so can't help you there. Hope this helps you some, good luck! Denise

All I can say is WOW the stuff you are able to eat is unbelievable to me! I am 9 weeks post op and have not even dared try half this stuff. I would never bother with chips or icecream, and caffeine is a big NO from my surgeon. We just had a woman at our support group meeting who had to have a major open surgery to repair an ulcer which developed after she refused to give up caffeine post op. So I am not going there! I got very sick from eggs, and I could never eat a whole egg in one sitting. Just 2 or 3 bites max. I have been able to tolerate tuna salad, cheese, and soup is still my best friend. I think you may be pushing your pouch too soon as it is still healing and swollen, and getting sick too often can really damage it. So be careful! I have been too afraid to try chicken as so many say they cant do it- but I have to try at some point. I had grilled tilapia tonite with some salsa and it was soooo good, but I was only able to eat about 2 ounces. I was bummed because I wanted more but I was really full. Still amazes me. Have you tried Lactaid milk-it is really good- tastes exactly the same as milk. Well good luck and congrats on your speedy loss so far! I am down 57 pounds in 9 weeks and I still can't believe it! Best, Deb Cote

Hi Denise! Thanks so much for taking the time to give me some advice- it was very helpful indeed. I am doing better this week thank goodness. I guess the egg intolerance is pretty common and it just hit me hard. I was able to eat some crispy bacon this morning and tilapia for dinner. I definitely want to try chili next and your recipe sounds perfect. Do you think I should go for the lean beef, turkey or chicken first? Not just in the chili but in general? The chocolate milk suggestion is also great- I would not have thought of that. I am sure sick of Ispopure! Any other ideas you have for this time frame would be great. Oh I did try the oatmeal at 5 weeks but it didnt agree- I should give it a try again. It was really heavy at the time and I could only have a bite or 2. What is your experience like now 18 months out? Do you eat pretty normally- still feel full fast- and have you had any alcohol? That sounds like a silly questions but I do miss the ocassional glass of wine! It's way too early for that but I am just curious. Thanks again for your reply and congrats to you on your success! Best, Deb Cote

Hi Deb...I hate that you're feeling depressed about having your surgery, especially at 9 wks. out...you should be enjoying life again! But I totally understand your food issues. I'm nearly 18 months out from RNY and still cannot eat eggs, pasta, or tuna....they're just no longer part of my diet. I don't do so well with dry cereals either. Have you tried instant oatmeal? I hated oatmeal before surgery, wouldn't touch the stuff...now I have a bowl almost every morning. I use the Weight Control instant oatmeal...the cinnamon and banana bread are good. You can also add in a tablespoon or so of vanilla protein powder to your oatmeal without it changing the taste. I don't do protein shakes either, never could tolerate them. I drink 1-2 glasses of chocolate milk every day....8oz. fat free milk and a couple squirts of sugar free chocolate syrup mixed together is very good. The milk will add to your protein and fluid totals for the day, not to mention extra calcium. I would make sure that any meat you eat is very moist, make a sauce if you have to so you'll have something to dip it in...a little ketchup or bbq sauce works good to. I have no problems with lean beef, chicken, or turkey. Try making some homemade chili....lean ground beef (as lean as you can find), a can of light kidney beans (or any bean you prefer), a can of sliced stewed tomatoes (you can use diced if you want), some chili seasoning and that's it. If you have a food processor or small food chopper you can grind up the beef after its cooked to make it super fine, then just add in the other ingredients and let it cook. I add in some yellow mustard to mine for extra taste and a dollop of light sour cream. You can also use chicken or turkey for your chili as well, it doesn't have to be beef. I do encourage you to try meats, they'll be your best source of protein the further out you get and you won't have to depend on protein supplements as much. Take it slow, try one thing at a time and make sure the meat is moist and you take small bites and chew it to death. If you'd like some other examples of what I eat feel free to PM me...I'll go back to my food journal to see what I was eating at 9-10wks. out from surgery. The horrible pain in your chest was most likely due to either not chewing the food well enough or too big of a bite...I remember it all too well and throwing it up was/is the only way to get relief. You won't do it too many more times before you learn your lesson, I finally have Hang in there, it will get easier and better and I'm glad to help in any way I can. Hope this did help you some, good luck to you! Denise Garcia