Food Questions

OK I am 8 days post op and have seven more days on clear calorie free liquids and six ounces of protein Atkins, Boost type drink.  I have experienced absolutely no real hunger, but as an obviously food obsessed nut I am thinking about nothing but food.  This leads me to many questions... Do post ops eat Sushi?  What about Weigh****chers or Lean Cuisine dinners?  Popcorn?  Has anyone tried that weight control oatmeal?  Are these things, things I can look forward to?  I have been watching TV tonight and there are way too many food commercials on TV.  Well any insight would be appreciated.  Thankyou

Hi Shrinking... You won't feel "hunger" for quite a while just make sure you're getting fluids and protein in.  After surgery I had a very rough time remembering to drink & staying hydrated and got dehydrated with a kidney/bladder infection... so remember to sip sip sip! I went through a "mourning" period with food and thought of it constantly the first few months...it does get better... once you start getting some semi-solids into your diet.   A friend of mine LOVES Sushi & it's one of her main stays after her surgery.  Tolerances are very different for each person.  I cannot tolerate pork, rice, or pasta (unless whole grain & even then a few bites.)  So once you're given the "all clear" to try different foods you'll be able to experiment and find out what your tummy likes.   I do eat WW & Lean Cuisine.. they're loaded with salt so it's to a minimum.  I plan my meals & snacks around protein & good carbs.   I do sneak popcorn in occasionally when I'm looking for crunch.  (I know some say it's a big no no) but I utilize the 100 calorie packets & it's a treat.... not part of my daily intake.  In retrospect I would be able to eat buckets of popcorn fully loaded with butter at a sitting & loaded with salt so this is a victory and a "little indulgence" once in a while I know won't hurt me long term as I play by the rules of the pouch and eating 24-7 majority of the time.  (I'm almost 3 years out) I pretty much eat organic foods & lean white meats, low fat dairy, & vegetarian.  There are days where I focus on organic/vegetarian a few times a week with other forms of protein... I definately feel healthy & strong.. along with daily exercise.  If you are a foodie like I was (carbs & sugar) you will through your journey be thinking about food. & if you happen to use food as an emotional crutch to "stuff feelings"  This is a personal journey for each of us and how we "work" through these issues.  I have no shame in saying therapy helped me. There is SOOOOO much to look forward to beyond food.. health.. cute clothes...energy... strength... confidence... & so many WOW moments that I hope never to take for granted as I move forward in my new life.... :) I just looked at my pre-op pictures.. & I cried... I haven't seen the pictures in over a year & I wanted to show my personal trainer who I was before surgery... It was a sereal moment... I don't recognize the 280 pound girl with the "pretty face" any more...I never want to go back to bondage. So we eat to live not live to eat... & trust me the LIVING is soooo much better than any cheeseburger, fries, or dessert can give you.... Best wishes to you on your journey.. please feel free to email me with any questions/concerns you have...  Hugs, Mickey

Hi Mickey, I know that this was written a few weeks ago but as I am new to the boards, I am just reading it. What you said to Shrinking was so inspirational.  What stood out was when you stated "the 280 pound girl with the "pretty face" and not wanting to go back to that.   Your whole post touched me so much.    Thank you for sharing that.

Hi RaeRae, The glory goes to my GOD... he made a way through out the whole journey of my WLS to where I am today.  Through out the whole process of the surgery I had hiccups & road blocks.. & through it all he kept "clearing" my path.   Every day I wake up & I'm thankful for being healthy, having a blessed life, & my husband &  son who have been with me & supported me every step of the way.   Living the WLS life isn't a cake walk... at just about 3 years out I still have "bad days" of eating where nothing sits right... (last night I threw up) however it's few & far between & I know my pouch well enough at this stage as to what will work & what won't. I do my best to be educationed and be a good example/mentor for those looking to go down the path of WLS as it's a life changing experience that shouldn't & can't be taken lightly.     The benefits outway the minor inconvieniences.  I'm having more skin removal/plastic surgery in mid-April... I wish I had waited a little longer on my original Ttuck I had last year as I wasn't expecting to have more loose skin.... that's my one real suggestion after the WLS.. is to wait as long as possible for reconstruction surgery. You're starting a wonderful journey RaeRae... surround yourself with loving & supporting people.  I have seen & heard from others who didn't get the support they needed from family/friends with the surgery.  Some is out of fear for the person they care about.  (It is major surgery) & for others it was the fear that the person would "succeed" at their choice to help gain a healthy life style. I am blessed with a husband that has been very understanding & caring.  However we did have a rough patch a year ago due to the WL on my part... which I found out can be pretty normal...   If you ever need anything or just want to talk I'm here.  I'm a "lurker" so I'll always be checking in to the site. Hugs & Prayers, Mickey        

Mickey Thanks for the great insight.  You pretty much said what I thought but I am so new to this I love to have confirmation.  I am a foodie, not just carbs and really not sugar.  But I love to entertain and I love to cook.  I am not expecting any hurdles except in my head.  I am feeling wonderful and getting in all of my supplements and a minimum of 64 oz of water plus usually one large mug of broth and one of tea.  Some days I also have one sugar free popsicle. I had cooked for my husband before my surgery and froze everything in one serving size microwaveable containers so I have been calling him in to eat and going down to walk on the treadmill for a mile while he eats.  It appears in my vast eight post op days as though everyone finds a different path that works for them. Thank you again for your response.

I have gotten hungry but it's way past time for a "meal". The only problem I am having is pizza and Sonic commercials. I do see other commercials and they don't really bother me. I have seen the hot cereal commercials and I wonder if I will be able to eat that later since it looks good. I was HORRIBLE during the diet I had to lose weight before hand. Everything made me hungry and I wanted it all. OMG I almost forgot, I just want something solid too. I guess I will freeze some watered down juice and use my ice shaver. That might give me the feeling of eating something. From what I have read, this is totally normal for us.

I hope so Kathy because so far the only thing that seems to be shrinking is my good mood.  Normally I will just ignore things or let them go by, but today as one employee and one son learned is not a day to **** me off.  I am never a yeller but today both pushed me way too far and I calmly explained to the employee that he had options if he was so unhappy, as to the son the opposite is true I explained to him that he actually has very few options, as in none.  Do well in school or else.  Finally I left work and have closed myself in turned off my cell turned on my laptop and withdrew from society for awhile, for the safety of all involved. 

Not sure what happened but ya need to apologize to everyone. What you said was true but just remind them that now is a hard time in your life and crap happenes. I am so greatful that my grandma is here so that I can be a ***** to her and she understands. Are you on anti-depressants? Do you need to on them? Do they need to be upped? I know I had them on Fri. in the hospital and then didn't have them again until Monday. The only person that wasn't going to be ripped a new one was my grandma and my puppy. I cried in the shower and was like "I want my drugs!!!" Hope everything works out for ya.

  Sorry but i'm kind of laughing.  I never update my profile but one of the things I did write about was that first two weeks on the liquids and the damned restaurant and food commericals on TV.... I thought I was going to lose my mind.  I also went for my walk when the hubby would start cooking dinner.... the smells were torture!  Weaning back on "real" food was weird too and I'm not sure if others experienced it but once I was cleared to eat and food was in front of my face for some reason I didn't want it.  Finally, I could eat food and all I could think when I looked at it was ewww.  It probably took me an additional week to really start eating. The good news is that all that stuff will pass and you will probably be able to eat anything.  At two years out I eat pretty much anything I want but do still watch it with sugar although it really doesn't make me sick or anything....I just find that I don't really miss it.    The thing I really gained from the surgery was portion control and the feeling of knowing when I'm full so I don't deny myself any of the things that I enjoy.  Losing was easy and I've managed to maintain it two years out so I can't be happier with the results.  The one thing that I really have to watch myself with still is pasta.... it tends to expand once it's down in the stomach so even though I may think I'm not eating too much it creeps up on me later so I'm very careful with that.