How do you know your getting in enough?

Ok.. here goes another question I have. I'm two weeks poet-op and now in the mushy food stage of eating. I'm do two required shakes a day ( 50 grams of protein ea.) and i try to get in food. My question is this, being most pouches are an ounce and mine is about that as well. How do others get all the shakes and food in that are required. how much did you take in a meal starting out..an ounce? 2 ounces. I just want to be sure I'm getting the right amount in. I havent over stuffed myself but one time..and i knew it. Just want to know how others managed during this place. Also did many find it hard to get walking? I'm only 5ft even and at surgery weighed 405 lbs. its a lot to get around and I tire easily. So please.. Your thoughts are really desired. Thanks confused but hanging in there. Etta.

Your surgeon should have told you how long to wait after drinking before eating, and how long after eating before you can drink again. Use that information to make an eating schedule - this will help you ensure that you get all the protein you need. Just eat as much as your pouch allows - for some people, one or two ounces is all they can manage at first. I was able to eat 3 or 4 ounces when I started on soft foods. Just go with what your body decides is right. Are you starting to learn your pouch's "I'm done" signal? (mine makes me hiccup when it's satisfied!) Walking is terrific exercise. You could try a walking video like Walk Away The Pounds which is marching in place with some leg lifts, very gentle and easy to do. 5ft even? Bah, you would tower over me.

LOL.. thanks P Kitty Didnt think there were so many wee ones but ta dah. I have that video and have started doing it. I even have gotten the idea of having my daughter take me to the local Walmart to walk around with a cart..for support. I'm trying to figure out my full place. I just am not that hungry.. so I stop. Again. thanks for the input its really appreciated.. and bless you. May I ask how you're doing with your wls. Etta.

In the first few days after surgery, my husband and I would go to the supermarket or Target almost every day so I could walk around with a cart for support. My loss has been painfully slow - nine weeks and only 25 pounds (I had 140 to lose), and two of the pounds have returned. Unfortunately this has been the pattern, where I'll regain several pounds (water weight), hold on to them for 1-2 weeks, then drop the water plus a few more pounds. My body really doesn't want to let go of fat, and it's maddening. Inch loss, on the other hand, has been fairly steady, and I've gone from a too-tight 28 to a baggy 26/slightly tight 24. So it's not all bad.

Congratulations on your surgery! I admire your determination to make exercise a part of your new life. I am 5'2" and started out at 367 lbs with a history of foot/ankle/knee/hamstring problems which made even walking very difficult. Ironically my efforts to try to exercise more usually aggravated old injuries causing a downward slide to immobility. In fact, I only began to consider surgery at the point when I realized I couldn't get to the milk aisle in the supermarket without riding the motorized cart. One of the first things I did after surgery in March was to get a referral from my PCP for physical therapy. My insurance paid for it and within a few weeks I had built up my strength and stamina enough that I could walk for an hour or more at a time without needing to sit. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to be able to keep up with friends and family without obsessing about finding a place to sit! If physical therapy is not possible, there are still many options. The field of bariatric exercise is beginning to grow and there is information available on the internet. Chair exercise for the wheelchair bound can offer some ideas. And despite its reputation of being the domain of human pretzels, yoga can be done by everybody, even from your bed. There are even yoga exercise videos for large bodies. One of my favorite things is my balance ball. I sit on it at my computer desk and love bouncing on it. I also have some DVDs for the balance ball which are fun. The most important thing is to be very patient and gentle with yourself. Nothing is more discouraging than the setback of an injury just when you're beginning to feel lighter and more energetic. Have faith -- before you know it the struggle to walk will be a distant memory! There is nothing like the joy of rediscovering your body and the pleasure of movement! Best of luck on your journey! Refika