My first post, questions about "eating" time after surgery.

First let me introduce myself. I am a single mom of two children, one is a pre-teen, one is a young adult. I just turned 40 this year, and I have struggled with my weight since I was 20. However I was an over weight teen, but I didn't have any idea what diet was or how to do it or that I needed to do anything.

I am just at a 35 BMI on my "relapses". I have lost weight many many times, I know I can do it on my own. However, I have never been able to just maintain a weight for any length of time. If I'm not actively trying to lose weight, I'm gaining it.  I have dieted an exercised for the last 20 yeas, and I am finding that I have less energy and will power to stay the course for another 20-30 years, and my average weight just keeps going up. My mother had gastric bypass 11 years ago, my aunt (her sister) also had it three years ago. Both my sister and brother are older than me, and larger than me, and we all have the whole family history of obese and all the health conditions that go with. 

So since the best predictor of the future is the past.... I have decided that I want to be pro-active and just tackle this hurdle now before I develop more co-morbidity's.  I have pretty much decided on the gastric sleeve. I will be self paying/financing as I know I don't have any bariatric coverage. 

I have some questions for post op.  I have never been a breakfast eater,  I have been sucking it up having smoothies every day for breakfast for several years. My morning smoothies typically contain some form of protein (greek yogurt, egg white protein powder, herbalife powder, or whatever powder I decide to try) I have put spinach, carrots, avacado, apples, pears, bananas, berries, etc. What ever I decide to throw in that I have available. With water. 

Anyways... I have a job that I cannot usually sit and drink this straight through the day.  There have been occasions that I have only gotten about 1/4 of it drank because I was just so busy at work, even struggling to find a moment to stop and go pee.  But usually I get my 28 ounces of smoothie finished by about 11:00 am give or take. We start at 7:30 am and work till 1:00-1:15 pm.  Days like that come in spurts, I may get 5-7 or so in a month, but its never predictable. We are not scheduled any breaks, but are allowed to take breaks anytime there is a slow period.    Lunch is from 1-2 pm, (often I have just 45 minutes)  and the day ends 4:15ish and have dinner 5:30ish  95% of the time I go home for lunch.

I'm concerned about drinking/eating after surgery and the amount of time it takes to get your drink consumed. Also concerned about those days that I never get time to stop and end up starving until lunch time.  

My day usually starts out at about 5:30, and I drink coffee with creamer and take my medications. Then I get in the shower and ready for work by 7, make my smoothie and head off to work being there by 7:30. I can usually get started drinking my smoothie before work, but there is never a guarantee I will get to fini****  I would expect my morning routine to change after surgery, no coffee, but start drinking the protein drink instead of the coffee?

Are there problems with going those 5 or so hours without consuming anything the weeks after post op?

I know I typically guzzle my water, and take the smoothies in, in large gulps, and this will be a change.  What about time to drink your protein at lunch? Will I have enough time?    I keep reading others experiences about how long it takes to drink your protein. How much time are we talking realistically?

I don't plan on telling my co-workers I had surgery, they rarely see me eat anyways, except for the daily smoothies. They are all skinny and go out to eat for lunch, and they know I go home because that way I'm not tempted to eat bad things. I have been there 15 years and they have seen me quickly lose lots of weight at a time, and then gain it back.  So I plan to just say I am working with a doctor at keeping it off this time. 

However the schedule is inflexible to accommodate me, because it would affect everyone else too. So asking for set times or breaks, or earlier lunch is out of the question. And the bosses figure that there are plenty of days that it is not busy and you can easily make up your lost break times on those days. And anytime I can I will take those openings to have a little longer lunch.

TIA

Welcome!  I think you'll be able to handle it. You may have to watch the sugar/carb content in the smoothies and opt for some really good protein powder such as a whey protein isolate with no carbs, but I drink protein coffees all morning as you seem to be doing. I try to drink water all afternoon and evening to make sure I'm getting at least 64oz. Just take advantage of those breaks and drink water and shakes until you get home for dinner and can have a more solid meal. It will take a few weeks or even a couple of months but you'll be able to drink pretty normally after a bit post-op.

--gina

You should be able to handle it.  The fact that you can have your smoothie at your work site and sip on it all morning is great.  As Gina said, you will just have to be careful what you put in them.  I still have my coffee every morning, but it is decaf and I use protein for creamer.  Then you really won't have 5 hours with nothing, you will be having protein.  So maybe you will have a protein coffee, then a protein shake to sip on at work, then lunch and maybe another shake, and supper with another shake maybe.  My plan was to eat/drink every 2 hrs in the beginning and it sounds like you could do that.  Besides, when I say eat, I'm talking 1/4c of yogurt, protein pudding, cream soup, etc in the beginning.  Even with tiny sips, that doesn't take too long.  I did have RNY but the sleeve guidelines from most Drs are similar.

Thank you! I have had protein in my coffee and I actually loved it! Except that by my usual hunger time at 10 am I was starving.  So I decided to just put it in my smoothies.  I did find through an internet search the food guidelines after surgery. So yes, looks like my fruit will have to go.  Actually the amount of fruit I put in has just changed since March.  I am experimenting with strawberries to see if my cholesterol will go down. I have my blood work this week when I get in there.  1 pound of strawberries every morning. And I added in a half of a banana because I my potassium intake was super low.  But typically I would use way less fruit, add spinach and a few blackberry's for color, water and some kind of sugar free protein powder.

After surgery I will just have plain protein drink right?

So when puree food is allowed.... does that mean I can puree some raw vegetables?  Or will they have to be cooked.  I use a vitamix so there are no chunks ever.  And only some things are good... like carrots, spinach, zucchini/squash, pumpkin, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber.  I know these are questions probably for the nutritionist, but some insight and mental preparation would be helpful.   How much time did you take off of work?

I work from home so I really didn't take any time off.  It still almost required an advanced degree to get in the protein, water, etc. lol

I do my protein lots of times with a tube of generic crystal light.  So lemon tea protein with a peach mango tube or a peach tea tube.  Because I am now doing about 150g a day to keep my protein level up, if you look on Miles and Menus, you can see I still do 4 suppliments a day plus protein based meals.  I don't use milk unless I am making protein hot chocolate.  I almost never have fruit except when it is berry time.  I have blueberry and blackberry bushes and I WILL eat those when they are coming in.

Most plans want cooked veggies in the beginning even for pureed stage.  but we are talking 1/4c at the most in the beginning and that is after you get your protein in. 

Welcome!   Just a few comments from a fellow VSGer here: 

1.  It will be a few weeks before you can easily drink fluids to the point where you can get in the required minimum of 64 oz.  Water is the MOST important thing for you during the first couple weeks pre-op.  Protein is the second.   Maximize it where you can. 

2.  The smoothies will need to be replaced with pure protein drinks at first.  If you do smoothies, you will want to avoid most of the fruit during the first few months to maximize your weight loss.  However, that is a personal choice that everyone makes for themselves.  If you are content with slower weight loss so you can still eat your fruit, then so be it.  

3.  Will it be a problem going without consuming anything for 5 hours post-op?  YES!!  Not necessarily from a food perspective but you must absolutely be drinking ALL THE TIME.  I can't emphasize this enough.  And you have to find a way to get in some nutrition.  A quick string cheese, a couple slices of lunch meat.  It doesn't have to be a "meal" or anything that takes preparation or heating up. 

4.  Visit the VSG forum if you haven't already and do a search for snack and meal ideas for VSG.  That should help you get ready.  

If you have other questions please feel free to private message me and I would be happy to chat with you.  Best of luck to you on this journey!