Easy recovery and food stages

I am 5 days post op and feel great. My recovery so far has been very smooth (touch wood), with days 1 and 2 being the worst due to bloating and gas. I am so thankful that I have not had complications so far. In the past, I have been lucky to bounce back from any major medical procedure quite quickly (including childbirth)

I am a little worried though, and I am feeling a little TOO good.... My post op diet guidelines say to be on liquids for up to 7 days post op. The next stage is pureed foods, which to me, sounds actually more like a full liquid diet (milk, yogurt, pudding, veg juice).  I have been following a full liquid diet since evening of day 3, and have had mashed cottage cheese today with no complications.

I am not purposely trying to rush things, but I am feeling hungry! Broth and water is not filling me up - I have been getting roughly 40g of protein a day, which I will be increasing to 60 today... My initial liquid diet instructions were to work up to 125-250ml an hour. I can comfortably get than in, it's just a matter of remembering to every hour!

My diet today so far has been: 

Breakfast:  1 cup premeir protein

                  1/2 cup yoplait source vanilla yogurt

Snack:       1/4 cup premeir protein (Remainder of container)

                  1 cup water

Lunch:         1/4 cup mushroom soup

                  1/2 cup cottage cheese

And of course sipping water...

Please no judgement - I am not trying to sabotage myself, I'd just like to know if there was anyone else that seemed to move through these stages quickly, and if it is wrong of me to move forward as long as I am feeling ok?  I'm not about to go out and eat solids right away, but I am looking forward to a larger variety of  savoury pureed foods (carrots, turnip, chicken, etc) 

Thanks

Programs are all over the place in terms of stages. Likely the reason you feel you are moving through stages quickly is because your program is conservative. My program moved through the stages very quickly, and I was allowed scrambled eggs before I left the hospital (but I was not ready for them). By the end of the first week, I was eating melted cheese, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, sugar-free pudding, ricotta cheese, and fat free refried beans just fine. Most people do not need to stay on liquids for 7 days. If you are not feeling satisfied, then you should advance to additional items as allowed by your plan. Liquids do not create fullness, so they are not something you want to consume for longer than necessary.

Docs are all over the place.... my only thoughts...

At this point the meals and snacks are all the same... they are all meals. My surgeon said I could eat up to 6 meals a day.... as you are eating very little at any given time.

You are healing, don't look for the 'full' feeling. You may not feel full.

Why are you mixing liquids with food? This maybe contributing to your hunger. No different that drinking water. Drink the whole Premier protein for a meal then don't drink anything for 30 minutes. Eat the yogurt as another meal, no water. Same thing with the soup and cottage cheese, they should be separate meals. If you have unflavored protein powder, stir a little into the soup so it has some nutritional value.

sorry I should've worded that better - when I put "breakfast" for example, it was over an hour or a little more- protein first half, yogurt other. I am not eating and drinking at the same time. 

I am 11 days post op and have also felt hungry many times. My stages are different than yours (which is why I think you're good). I'm on "full liquids and purees" from discharge until my post op (which is tomorrow). If all is well tomorrow I start soft foods. My instructions post op were to work to 60-70 grams of protein each day with full liquids/purees. I was told to have 2-3 protein drinks each day that included vitamins/minerals. They recommended Carnation ns added Instant Breakfast mixed with milk but I couldn't stomach them. So I aim for 2 Premier Protein shakes a day. It sometimes takes me 2-3 hours to get through 1 :). I have recently had small amounts of mashed up cottage cheese or canned chicken, which essentially is close to a purée.

I would stick to your plan and not diverge from it. Would hate for you to have an issue.

My question to you is are you feeling real hunger or head hunger?  They are two VERY different things.  Most of us have used the "full feeling" as an emotional crutch.  "Full" feels like comfort to us.  chasing the full feeling after surgery can be dangerous, especially immediately after surgery when you can stress a suture line and create really bad complications.  Chasing the "full feeling" later is bad because you will never have that old sensation of full again.  If you keep eating, trying to find it, you will re-gain weight.

We also use food to sooth boredom, stress, to celebrate, etc.  We have change everything about they way we relate to food.  The head stuff is the hardest part of the journey.

Now is the time to teach yourself to be content with what you measure out and then stop eating.  We all need to relearn how to properly feed our bodies.  We really require very little food to thrive.  Many of us have never allowed ourselves to truly feel hunger.  We feed ourselves at the first twinge or hunger pang.  There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to feel hunger and forcing yourself to wait until your next scheduled meal time.  Hunger is not an emergency requiring your immediate attention.  Nothing bad will happen to you if you wait to eat.  We all have enough fuel to burn in the form of fat, and if you get your protein, vitamins, and fluid in, you will be nutritionally sound.  

You may need to find things to busy yourself when you think you are feeling hunger.  My new passion is adult coloring books.  They keep my mind occupied until the clock says I can eat.