New Member - 6 weeks Post-Op

I had my gastric bypass surgery on April 19th. I left the hospital weighing 262 lbs. at 5'9" tall. I am 52 years old. I weighed 220 this morning so that's a loss of 42 lbs. in about 6 weeks. I hope to lose 90 lbs. and finish at about 170 lbs. I am STILL having a hard time drinking enough water and eating my minimum of 60 gms of protein each day. I am able to eat, tuna, eggs, fish (flounder, haddock and schrod - I live in Boston, Massachusetts), chicken, turkey and ground beef. My two attempts at steak have failed miserably!!! I don't eat fruits or vegetables except corn and potatoes (LOL - that's why I was fat to begin with plus I come from a fat family). I have tried sugar free popsicles, fudgicles, Fruit 2/0, Crystal Light. A typical day for me is as follows: Breakfast EAS Protein Drink 25 gms. protein Lunch 2 oz tuna fish 14 gms. protein Afternoon Snack FF Fudgicle 4 gms. protein Supper 3 oz. fish 15 gms. protein Snack PM Fatfree pudding 3 gms. protein That's 61 gms of protein which is the minimum I am supposed to eat!! Is this okay? Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. I am NOT working and don't plan to for another few months. I walk 30 minutes 5 days per week on treadmill and plan to return to PACE equipment (like Curves) 5 days per week in about 6 weeks. Debbie from Boston, MA

It sounds like you are doing well so far! Keep up the good work

Hi Amy Congratulations on your WLS and thanks for sharing your post op experiences. It's a big help to pre-surgery people to know what to expect after the big event! About 6 weeks after surgery I was rarely hungry and it was a chore to eat enough to get the right amount of protein in me. At my nutritionist's recommendation, I started supplementing with whey protein powder, popular among weight lifters and body builders since it is easily metabolized, high protein with little fat or carbs. I make a whey protein shake 5 or 6 times a week and have lost very little lean muscle after my surgery, just the fat has melted. BJs Wholesale Club sells good whey protein powder for about $30 for a 5 pound drum or you can go to GNC or other fitness retailer for it. Your EAS protein drink sounds similar to my whey protein, giving you half your daily protein intake. To me, it's easier to drink a shake than scarf down a 2 pound steak or half a dozen eggs! Maybe you could have a larger drink if you think you need more protein. Hopefully you won't experience the temporary hair thinning some of us have had but if you do, its very important to keep your protein intake up. I swear by my whey protein powder! Dave

Welcom Debbie. I am 57 years old and I had my surgery on 12/06/04. I have now lost 90 lbs and I started my journey at 5'5" and 330 lbs. I am loving my new life. I can breath better, walk without my cane, everything is better. I find that I am eating a lot of shrimp. I buy a bag of frozen jumbo shrimp, put in the freezer at work, take out 5-8 and have this for lunch 2-3 time per week. No fat, great protein, great taste. I discovered Jay Robb's Whey protein powder and I love the chocolate and vanilla powders. 1 scoop has 24 grm protein and I mix this with 8 oz of Hoods Simple Smart skim milk (delicious) for a total of 34 grms protein per drink. I ate a lot of tuna in a pouch at first, lots of cheese, and moist meats. I did some Stupid Monica Tricks and learned very valuable lessons that stayed with me and helped me remember not to try that again. I have to plan a lot, and that is ok because it helps me with my food choices. I buy many individually wrapped foods, applesauce, cheese sticks, jello, pudding, yogurt so I have good protion control, a real problem for me before WLS. I surround myself at home and work with good food choices. I also eat a lot of nuts, good protein with some good fat and fiber. All in all I am finding this easy, put need to plan. I discovered Wendy's chilli, very good and good for you. I get a small chilli and a caesar side salad for lunch and I am full. I drink a lot of water, just plain water. I have two colorful Nalgene 32 oz containers one at work and one at home. I use these to monitor and insure that I get the water I need everyday. I just sip sip sip. Come visit us at the Over Fifty Forum. We are a great group of men and women at various stages in our weight loss journies. A group of met at the NJ convention, we have been visiting with each other daily for a long time on this forum. We came togethere from all across our great country. Come and visit and share. Continued good luck on your journey. Do you log your food intake, exercise, emotions, etc at FitDay.com? This is a wonderful site it is free and helps me a lot. Monica 12/06/04 age 57 330/240/1??............healthier, happier, sexier

Debbie, It is nice to hear from people postop and what their experiences are. I always try to pay attention to what people are able to eat afterwards, though I know it differs greatly with each person. The 61 grams sounds like a lot of protein and I guess you have to be creative to get all that down. I am hoping to have my roux en Y at Mass General some time in the next eight weeks and will get a surgery date next Tuesday and then start my pre-surgical program. Keep up the good work. It sounds like you are on your way. Did you have your surgery at a Boston hospital? Sally