Question:
If you dont feel like eating can i just drink my crystal light and take vitamins?

also how may vitamins to take a day if you rally are not hungry can ya take to? i ask a ? every day sorry and do you stay away from fat or sugar? also my dr said dont worry about carbs but every on on this site says no carbs i cant find anything with low carbs or none at all. lastly is it ok to jest drink protine shakes all day if you want because thats what i like to do?if so do you think i will still loose because it has slowed down a bit 7weeks and only 44lbs s/b more right??????? sorry so long    — melissa W. (posted on December 30, 2001)

December 30, 2001
My suggestion is that if you don't feel like eating and just want to drink protein shakes, that's fine. That's what I do. I have to have 4-6 protein shakes a day and currently able to get in 4-5 (roughly 150 gm per day). There are some days that I just drink my crystal lite, eating sugar free popcycles, drinking clear liquids (chicken broth), taking my vitamins, and drink my proteins. I've done that since I've been on my Christmas break and finally managed to break my plateau and have lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. My surgeon requires us to stay away from sugar completely (at least look at the labels and I stay away from sugars that are over 4 gm) and also milk products totally. As for carbs, if you are eating carbs you are cheating yourself of those final pounds in the long run, because the more you cheat yourself on carbs now, the less weight you will lose in the end. As for your weight loss, everybody is different. If you started out as a "lightweight" (not having more than 100 lbs to lose), your weight loss will be slowly then someone that has 150+ lbs to lose. Don't compare yourself with others. It'll make you very discouraged. I hope this helps answer your question/comments. My surgery was 08/28/01 open RNY 60" distal and today my weight loss is 70 lbs. Good luck.
   — trtorrey

December 30, 2001
I started down that "let's just drink everything" road and it can be a steep slope to climb back up. Your entire digestive system needs to have some solids in order to keep working properly. My surgeon required me to consult with the nutritionist who explained the large intestine will not work properly without having something in it. This can lead to a shut down of the normal function. I did not get to that point and I only know what my nutritionist told me. I also recall very clearly how much I did not want to eat at your point. Please know that is an extremely normal response. Try to get in as much solid/semi-solids as possible and trust that your appetite will return eventually. Even now at 6 months out I could easily go days without actual food except that I know I must eat something. A woman cannot live on protein and vitamins alone. Good luck and feel free to email for moral support.
   — Shannon S.

December 30, 2001
What Shannon said seems odd somehow. What about folks in a coma who are fed through their veins? Also, what about so many doctos requiring six to eight weeks of liquids for post-op patients; has anyone ever had a large intestine shut down? Something sounds not quite right here. Does anyone know more specifically?
   — [Anonymous]

December 30, 2001
I spent so much time worrying about the protein and drinking protein shakes and felt awful. I spoke with a lady at my surgeons office that had Open RNY and lost over 200 pounds and she said to not worry about the amount of protein and carbs and just eat well-balanced and low fat meals. I make a point to eat my meats and protein first but not to worry about the number of grams I get. When I stopped worrying and ate well, I started feeling so much better and have so much more energy. You shouldn't overload on carbs but they are important in your diet. I take a daily vitamin, a b-complex and biotin twice a day. I found that when I stopped worrying about the gram counting and avoiding carbs I actually started losing more weight. I also decided that I wasn't going to spend my post surgery life like I did prior to the surgery, always counting the calories, doing the all protein thing. Now I eat what I like until I am satisfied. Tonight I made spaghetti with meat (ground turkey) sauce with a piece of wheat garlic toast, and a salad. Sometimes I will eat chicken with broccoli and a half a baked potato. I have lost 101 pounds and my surgery date was 8/13/01. Don't worry so much about getting the proteins in. If you eat well balanced meals, you will get enough. Some on this site may disagree but I'm looking at eating habits long term and I can do what I'm doing long term and have plenty of energy to exercise and enjoy it. Good luck!
   — Lori W.

December 30, 2001
I have taken food breaks, myself. I normally do 4-6 protein shakes a day ( no milk, no sugar), so on those days, I just add one or two more. I take a full complement of vites, and of course, the water. I'll be hungry again, so I don't worry about a few days without the solids. You're not talking months, right? Just a few days here 'n there? And covering it fully nutritionally?
   — vitalady

December 30, 2001
You need SOME caloric intake to burn off the weight. When you don't eat ANYTHING, your body goes into "starvation mode"..and will hold onto anything it can in order to survive. Your meals should be broken down as follows: 1/2 Protein (at LEAST) and the other half carbohydrates in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables. Your biggest enemies now are fats and ADDED sugars. My Dr. recommends no more than 5 grams fat per meal and 2 grams of added sugars per meal. However...if what you're wanting to eat has, say..6 added sugars on the nutrition label.. look at where the sugars fall in the ingredients list. If the sugar is 5th or later in the ingredients list, then it's probably not going to be a problem. Also, consider serving size. If there are 5 grams per 1 cup serving.. but you're only going to be eating 1/2 cup... go ahead. Protein should be at least 60 grams per day. Without the protein, your body will start burning muscle weight. This includes Heart muscle, organs, etc.. Not only that, but lack of protein is what is mainly responsible for hair loss and your nails getting brittle and cracking. I've found a GREAT protein supplement: ProBlend-55. It has 55 grams of protein in a 1 cup serving. SO, if I find my protein has fallen a little short for a particular day, I'll add 1/2 a shake, and add 27 1/2 grams protein to my diet in just 4 ounces. Not only that, it TASTES GOOD. Just mix with water and it dissolves completely. Add ice, and it's actually GOOD! Like already said.. if you have an OCCASIONAL day that you don't feel like eating.. don't sweat it. Just drink your Protein supplement that day (which, incidentally, counts in your fluid requirements) and try to eat the next day... Good luck... and God Bless...
   — Diane E.