RNY'ers: Advice Requested

Hello Fellow RNY'ers:

I have been receiving very helpful suggestions and information here since I have started participating in this forum and I'm very grateful for this. Once again I'm calling on other RNY'ers for some help.

Even though I am 2 months post-RNY, I'm still at the stage of trying to transition from full liquids to solid dense proteins. My delay was due to a stricture and then ongoing nausea.

I'm happy to say that I'm starting to tolerate a few types of solid dense protein. How many ounces or what volume of solid dense protein should I measure out for a meal? Right now, my meals generally consist of the protein and maybe a small amount of a condiment. Fortunately, hunger is not an issue for me right now.

I would also appreciate any other suggestions or information about how other RNY'ers successfully transitioned from full liquids to solid dense proteins.

Thanks ahead of time.

---Joyce

Hi, glad things are better. At two months, I was eating three ounces of dense protein at one time. My favorite, consistent food choice was chili stored in half-cup portions. Another favorite was a three-ounce packet of lemon-soaked albacore tuna paired with cauliflower in cheese sauce. Snacks were individual-sized Greek yogurts or a fourth-cup of cottage cheese. In hindsight, cheese sticks were a constipation-culprit. A morning ritual for months was a Nutribullet-made smoothie consisting of a frozen chunk of banana, frozen berries, frozen spinach leaves, protein powder, Kiefer, and milk. Best Wishes and thank you so very much for your expert advice re my mother. This weekend, I will be moving her out of her well-established existence to another facility an hour away.

Thank you for all of your recommendations and suggestions on what would be best for me to eat right now. On another thread I wrote about how I fell off the straight and narrow and started eating high carb slider food because it didn't make me nauseated. You have given me plenty of suggestions for quick grab and eat high protein foods. I appreciate that very much!

I'm glad you were able to make a decision about your mother. I'm sure it wasn't easy to make that decision. I know that you had your mother's best interests in mind when you made the decision.

---Joyce

Baby Steps go at your own pace just follow the guidelines of your dietian. From there it's trial and error. If you don't feel you got enough protein in and your pouch can handle it go back to the last phase and get the protein in with something you know will work for you. I'm 10 months out it does get easier but you have to play by the rules. For instance yesterday I was eating chicken salad and spaghetti squash for lunch and I was talking and not paying attention to what I was doing. I know I did not chew well enough and I got sick. My first meal of the day is always a protein shake (Barriatric Advantage Iced Latte) with 5 grams added fiber and a cap of miralax. I'm already 40 grams of protein in so if I lose a meal from being sick I still am on target for my protein. Just my way to handle it and remember every journey is different. Good Luck

Hi Teenie:

Thanks for the advice. Baby steps are key!

The reason I posted here is because, in this case, my dietitian wasn't too helpful!

My program has 3 dietitian appointments post-op. One each time you "should" be at the point to go to the next phase of the post-op diet plan. They are almost like "canned" visits and not exactly tailored to where the particular post-op person is.

So when I went to my most recent nutrition appointment (last scheduled visit), I was taught about adding fruits, vegetables, and starches to my diet -- the last step of the diet plan. This was even though the dietitian knew my history of stricture then ongoing nausea. She knew that I had not even transitioned to solid proteins!

I thought I would ask others on the forum about whether the amount of food I eat in a meal 2 months' post-op while transitioning to solid proteins would be different than the amount I would have eaten in a meal if I was able to transition to solid proteins about 2 or 3 weeks post-op.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

---Joyce

As I transitioned from liquids to semi-solids, I ate canned tuna, shrimp, etc., and just chewed and chewed until there was very little left! I still can't deal with salmon, just too dense, but I can really do a shrimp skewer!

One step at a time.

Thank you for the suggestions!

At 2 months post-RNY I was barely eating at all. I couldn't swallow more than one time without feeling like my esophagus was going to burst, so I don't think where you are at is unusual. I mostly ate lite yogurt and string cheese and sipped fluids. I still can't handle very much protein and I'm 7 months out from surgery. Things that are blended, like chili, seem to work better than things that are not blended (i.e. a chicken breast).

Trying foods one at a time in small amounts will let you know what you can tolerate. Let your nausea (or lack thereof) be your guide. Even if you can eat protein that is more dense, you will probably need it marinated in something--no fat cream soup--to keep it soft. I started eating Special K "protein" cereal at about 3 months post-op because it was soft and I could get it down. I also eat black beans or similar things that are higher in protein. There's no hurry to eat steak.

Best of luck to you.

Hi DDubs47:

Thank you for your suggestions. It's always reassuring for me when I hear that what is happening to me is not that unusual!

I also appreciate all of your recommendations, especially about marinating the more dense proteins. I have since found out that I can tolerate small amounts of chicken salad and tuna salad because they are moistened with a small amount of non-fat mayonnaise.

I will take your suggestions and moisten all the proteins that I try . . . one by one!

---Joyce

I get so upset when I see people ask what they should be eating and how much! Don't they teach you all this pre op? Shame on them