How much should I be eating almost 3 weeks out??

I'm very concerned. Monday will be 3 weeks since my surgery. I feel like I am eating less now than I was the first week. I also know I'm not getting enough water. I'm on soft, mashed foods. After about 3 bites I feel like everything is getting sort of stuck and not going through. I can't even eat one egg. I do good to get half of it down. I have the creamy premier protein shakes and I can't even get half down. If I try to drink the whole thing it takes me 2 hours. I try to start drinking water 30 minutes after I eat but it hurts and I can't drink much before it feels like it's about to come back up. I'm not gulping either. Would appreciate any advice! Is this normal at this point? I feel like I should be eating and drinking more. I do good to get 24 ounces of water a day.

You need to SERIOUSLY up your drinking; 24oz isn't NEARLY enough to keep you healthy. Dehydration is dangerous business. Try water at different temperatures as well as slower sips.

How fast are you eating? How big are the bites? A single bite of food should be about the size of a grain of rice. Put your fork down between each bite and chew thoroughly to help set your pace.

If food hurts even when you take tiny, slow bites, there's no harm in slowing down your progression. Do purees for another week and let your body heal some more.

Sounds like my bites are too big. I'm chewing thoroughly but putting too much in at a time I guess. I thought I wasn't supposed to feel hungry but I'm starving most of the time. That makes it harder to go slow. I will try to make my bites much smaller and see if that helps. I'm supposed to be on mashed food for another week per my doctor's instructions. If the smaller bites helps with the pain then I should be able to drink more water. Thank you so very much for the advice.

"Starving" can easily be due to dehydration. If you're unable to eat right now, stick to getting your fluids in through protein shakes and other liquids. Hydration should always be your first goal - if you can't get there due to food, back off on the food.

Sounds like my bites are too big. I'm chewing thoroughly but putting too much in at a time I guess. I thought I wasn't supposed to feel hungry but I'm starving most of the time. That makes it hard to go slowly. Maybe that's why it hurts. I will start with the smaller bites. If that helps with the pain then I should be able to drink more water. Thank you for your help.

Everyone is different. Everyone heals at a different pace, and different surgeons can vary with the amount of stomach they leave. Typically, the 10-15% (from what I have read) that's left is swollen for weeks after surgery, as well.

That being said, I'm 2.5 weeks out. I'm getting about 50-60 ounces of fluids, but I have to drink ALL DAY. Keep a bottle with you and sip all day! It's literally a chore, but my surgical nurse and dietician really stressed it.

Now, I can eat 1 medium scrambled egg at a time OR about 3 oz. Of Greek yogurt OR about 2-3 oz. Of soft baked chicken or canned tuna. It takes me about 25 to 30 minutes, which my surgeon's nurse said is typical. If you have any questions, I would call your surgical team or their dietician. A few of the women that had it done the same day as me are like me, but several are still on all shakes and yogurts because they cannot handle the food. Everyone heals differently!

Try sugar free popsicles, as well. Incorporating one a day can up your fluid intake!

At this point, focus on your liquids first. You need to keep working on that. Sip a little but all day long. And chew, chew, chew, even if your food seems soft. You shouldn't be eating much right now. Are you taking a PPI for acid? Too much acid can mimic hunger. Your stomach is still adjusting. By about week 6 or 7, the initial hunger feeling went away for me and I started having to remind myself to eat. That was a huge change for me and a relief. Good luck on your journey.

the hunger can be acid. Are you ona PPI like Nexium?

also, dehydration mimics hunger. If you are only getting 24 ounces, you could be dehydrated not hungry.

having said that, some ppl don't lost their hunger. You won't know if is is real hunger until you sdddress the fluid problem and a possible acid issue.

I am on omeprazole for acid but I still seem to have a lot of it. I will concentrate on liquids and back off the solids for awhile to see if that helps. Thank you all so very much!