trouble getting enough down.
Hello friends. I had my surgery on oct 28th this year 2019 and after the clear liquid stage for the first 3-4 days. i have been having troubles getting enough food let alone protein down. I cant stand the shakes i try to choke down a half a shake a day at the absolute minimum but it takes work. ive tried adding bananas apple sauce, milk and other approved variations and just hard to do it. I have not been tracking all my water in take as i should. im not sure im getting a full 64 oz as suggested for where i am even though i feel i am sipping water all day long. I also have noticed that regular plain water multiple brands even home filtered make me nauseous. Granted that happened alot before the surgery just not as often. I have been drinking alot of propel sports waters from Gatorade. my biggest concern is though i do get out and walk my dogs and move around alot more then i was before surgery i don't know if im expelling enough electrolytes for how much im in taking. I guess im worried i might end up with kidney stones or other adverse affects from it. i dunno.
Does anyone one else have any advice on getting my nutrition down these first couple weeks when im still restricted to liquids cuz sadly most of my nutrition is coming from barbaric fusion complete chew able vitamin and mineral supplements. And im sure my lack of energy is stemming from lack of nutrition!
Thank you guys!
I always preface posts like these with, "please reach out to your program's bariatric nutritionist or nurse, first" but beyond that, it sounds like what you are experiencing is normal. My program counted any fluids towards fluid intake at that point and most of our effort was expected to be sipping and getting water and other fluids in, (including protein of course). Water made me nauseated at that point so I bought a sno cone maker ate tiny spoonfuls of chipped ice and would pour my electrolyte or other drinks over that and it helped me. I also found that hydration was a huge stepping stone and once that was better, more energy came gradually once I could have more nutrition. You can't really safely rush this stage so all you can do is focus on what you can do, iykwim and take it one day at a time. You did have major surgery so it is natural your body is feeling the effects. Please be gentle with yourself. I would worry more about kidney issues related to dehydration than kidney stone per se unless you have some other reason to think you are more likely to get them now. Hang in there. Soon this phase will be a distant memory.
At two weeks out, I was on liquids only. Nothing like applesauce or banana. I drank a protein shake a day, some broth, sugarfree jello, and an ounce of water every ten minutes while awake. After two weeks, I was allowed applesauce, but I only ate about a teaspoon at a meal. I could also have pureed meats, but never ate more than about a tablespoon.
By three months, I was allowed to add salad and tender cuts of meat. Beef filet and chicken thighs and very flaky fish. By six months, I was able to eat almost any food, even very well toasted bread.
The reason we lose rapidly during the first months after surgery is because we are not eating much and our bodies are burning stored fat instead. Believe it or not, you will soon miss these days when you only want a tiny amount of food.
Your body will heal and you will be able to eat again. Just give yourself time.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
Obviously, take your medical team's advice over anything I say, but here are my suggestions:
You don't have to worry too much about nutrition or meeting protein requirements the first six weeks or so. You're not going to get malnourished that quickly. But if you don't get enough fluids in you will be in trouble! A normal stomach holds a bit of fluid in reserve, but after WLS that reserve is gone, so we can get dehydrated very quickly. So your job now is to focus on the fluids. Once you can eat a bit more, you can start thinking about protein. A half a protein shake is fine for the moment.
You might experiment with different temperatures of water. Some people can tolerate hot or warm water better, others can tolerate cold water. Experiment with adding different things to water. Personally, I find adding a touch of acidity to water makes it feel less bulky in my stomach, so a little citrus fruit, or tea, works well for me. Try putting a tea bag in a bottle of water, and leaving it in the fridge for a few hours, and you have a lovely drink. Some teas that I find soothing for digestion are ginger (try lemon ginger!), any kind of mint, and chamomile. But really, any tea that you enjoy will probably help settle your stomach. Frozen sugar free pops are good too.
Also, I want to point out that one common symptom of dehydration is nausea. So if you're feeling a bit queasy, you can focus on taking frequent sips instead of gulps. Keep a close eye on your hydration, and call your medical team if you suspect a problem.
Here's a thread with more tips for meeting your fluid needs.
https://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/6040762/Tips-for-inc reasing-fluid-intake/
Thank you everyone. I guess i realize that i was probably mentally rushing my self. i also realized last night that for some reason i though i was bout to start my 4th week on Monday not my third. thank you for all the advice on the liquids. the snow cone and tea ideas sound great an i think i might try that. have to crush my ice in a blender though but should still work just fine.
For your water,have you tried the flavored powders you can get at Dollar Tree stores,or even Crystal Light.Another good thing are sugar free Popsicles,though they are small,its still a way of getting water in
Yes,I too had water issues and I still do,you are not alone. Even if you can have tea,that counts. Everyone who has had this surgery needs to stay hydrated. You dont want to get dehydrated and wind up in the hospital, otherwise you will need hydration infusions,yes,I have had them. Who wants to sit in a room at the hospital getting water dripped into you. Hang in there kiddo,it gets better,one day at abtime
Thank you for the pep talk! and y ea ive tried some crystal light liquid stuff they were fine for a day or 2 and now i am having trouble getting them down they don't taste the same they did i got a lemonade one that's powder that's been in my copboard for along time that makes a pitcher that's lemonade. and ima try that soon.
Mentally i think im afraid of having the lemonade cuz of the acid hurting my incision. Same reason im still kinda staying away from pickle juice even though id die for a glass of it right now and a few slices of dill yummyness. lol i just need to get more flavors i think >
