Question:
I am 2.5 weeks post;Eating too much? Long-termers help.
I am about 17 days post and have been on a pureed diet (ok'd by doc)for over one week. I am trying to get in protein and eat the following: 6oz of orange juice - early am, one hard boiled egg and 1/2 eng. muffin w/a bit of Peanut butter for breakfast (My doctor said I could puree it in my mouth:), for lunch- 1/2 cup smashed potato (15 potato chips) and about one hour later a small slice of pound cake (my first "sweet"). I figured from fitday.com that it was around 700 calories for just that. I will have a very light supper. I stop when I feel full and have recently stopped drinkly liquids with my meals (as they just wash away). I have been able to eat one slice of cheese pizza this week. I also feel fine, no nausea, no vomiting. I am a lightweight and down so far 23lbs. I am starting on Procell once it arrives at my home this week. I had the surgery to be normal; to eat many types of foods (including some carbs) without having to resort to "fat-free, sugar free" stuff. I just hope to eat much smaller portions. I eventually hope to work up to a veg-fruit/protein diet with an occasional potato chip or slice of cake. Has anyone who is long-term been able to eat like myself and still lose weight permenantly? t — Kathryn S. (posted on February 16, 2003)
February 16, 2003
The amounts that we eat early post-op depend on several factors, one of
them being the consistency of what we eat and also the size of your pouch.
Some pouches are as small as 1/2 oz and you can imagine not much fits in
there. I will say, though, that even at 1 year post-op, I'm not sure I
could eat a whole hard boiled egg and 1/2 a slice of English
muffin-probably one or the other. But its not too much if you can eat it
comfortably without feeling stuffed. Early on, one of the things you have
to learn is when you feel satisfied, as opposed to stuffed. Satisfied is
good, stuffed is not. I do have a few comments for you though..first NEVER
drink with meals or for a good 45 minutes afterwards if you can help it.
The liquids will wash food right out of the tummy and you will be hungry
again before you know it. Your goal is to try to keep the tummy full as
long as possible. So, start to learn that now. After a while, its pretty
easy to eat without drinking. Another good rule is to have protein with
every meal. Unless you are supplementing with shakes or Procel, then
protein first should be the rule (potato chips and pound cake for lunch are
poor choices). I agree with you that you should not have to resort to fat
free, sugar free or eliminate carbs. I eat sugar too (try to limit to
under 15 grams per serving), some carbs (try not to let them get out of
hand), eat protein first, tons of water, and EXERCISE. Along with no
drinking with or after meals, I have managed to get within 10 pounds of
goal in a year. You'll get there too.
— Cindy R.
February 16, 2003
Hi! I have eaten what I've wanted within reason and not entirely dieted. I
think that's why my weight loss is slower though. I'm 6mos out and -77lbs
started out at 300lbs. Just be careful with all the bread products (muffin,
cake, pizza crust). Try to limit those more. I couldn't eat bread products
very early on so that was helpful for me. Now I can, and it's harder to
lose. During my 1st month, I ate a lot of refried beans, chili, eggs, a
little chicken, and cheese. I ate the baked tortilla chips with bean and
cheese. I tried to eat a muffin or 1/2 of a sandwich during the first 2
months and it made me sick. Just something about bready things. Now, I can
eat both of those. Pizza is one of my favs (I usually eat 1 1/2 pieces)
Papa Johns is the only kind I like now. I'm losing about 7-8lbs a months
the last two months. I just started using fitday.com and it's great isn't
it? It's really helped me see what I'm doing. You should be fine but beware
that eating what we think is "normal" will slow down the
weightloss more than those people who are really watching everything later
on. Like you said about working to a veg/fruit/protein diet with the
occasional carbs/sweets should work out great! Good Luck! Melisa RNY
08/15/02 -77lbs
— mbradley35
February 16, 2003
Is your doc okay with your food choices? My doc would have had a fit if I
had been eating the amount of carbohydrate you are talking about. He
insistes on no citrus for 6 months and recommends against any fruit juice
until after you have lost half of your excess weight. <p>I fully
understand wanting to eat normally but my body isn't 'normal' or I would
not have had to have such a drastic surgery to achieve a normal size. I do
use sugarfree and low carb substitutes for high sugar high calorie treats.
I do it because I want to have this be forever. If you can do it your way,
three cheers for you. I have 53 years of trying to do it my way and
failing. This time I choose to do what the doc says--low carb, high
protein, no carbonation, no drinking for an hour after a meal, and only a
taste of those old foods that got me into such a dire state.<p>open
RNY 9-11-01 -135# from a size 24 to a size 6
— phoebe
February 16, 2003
You know, WANDA, that wasn't necessary! kTHYRN, here is ehat I think, at
2.5 weeks, you are eating far more food and far different food then I was.
And, since I don't know your dtr or your Nutrionist or you, I wouldn't
judge you. That being said, you must remember this IS A TOOL, ONLY A TOOL!
WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT GUARANTEED NOR IS KEEPING IF OFF! You can gain ALL THE
WEIGHT BACK! Now, I am not an expert, I am 6 mos out and down 95lbs, but,
I would suggest you speak to both your surgeonand Nutrionist, if you don't
have a Nutrionist PLEASE GET ONE. The first 6 wks, all that is of concern
is readjusting to your new tummy, you should e trying new things FULL OF
PROTEIN and drinking supplements. The hardboiled egg is good, PB FINE,
muffin (not yet) and I would not do the potato chips, but, the mashed
potatoes are fine and soft and can help you re-adjust to eating. I
personally didn't attempt pizza till I was 2-3 mos out! I would be eating
things like eggs, delit turkey & cheese, refreid beans, ricotta cheese,
cottage chese, Yogurt, shakes, SF jello, SF jello pudding, string cheese,
crackers, soup, etc. I don't mean to sermonize, but, i just wanted to give
you some suggestions. Please, seek a Nutriuonist, I have one and it has
helped me immensley. Good Luck to you. Heather (Open RNY 8/15 -
305/210/150)
— heathercross
February 16, 2003
Heather gave some really good advice-
<p>
At 17 DAYS post op,mostof us were on soft/pureed foods. I could not eat
pizza until I was at about 8 months-
though fitday tells youyour calories are under 700, WHERE ARE THE CALORIES
COMING FROM?
I could stayunder 1000 calories a day byeating 6 SNICKERS bars a day!
But that is not a healthy choice- for your body to release its fat storage,
it needs to ingest protein, 75% of food consumed should be protein. I eat
"normally", even sweets, BUT I eat 3 bites ofprotein to 1 bite of
EVERYTHING else~
NO BASHING HERE, but I would reevaluate my food choices-
I am 11 months out and still barely consume 800 calories a day-
— ~~Stacie~~
February 16, 2003
700 calories just through lunch - you probably did 800-900 calories that
day?? Way too much at 2 1/2 weeks and the wrong food choices. I'm 7
months out - probably still a little light on the calories as I have
exceeded 800 calories only 5 times in those 7 months. But at 3 weeks post
op, I was doing 300-500 calories a day.
<p>
My analysis of your food choices: <br>
<b>Hard-boiled egg</b>good - this is protein<br>
<b>1/2 Eng muffin & PB</b>normally this would be OK (I
would have just gone with the PB solo), but <b>with</b> the egg
it is entirely too much at 2 1/2 weeks. You would have been better to have
had that as a mid-morning snack (my nutrition recommends 5-6 small meals a
day to prevent wild swings in blood sugar<br>
<b>1/2 smashed potato</b>I hope the potato and the potato chips
were mutually exclusive. But you should be having protein first -
especially at 2 1/2 weeks when you are still healing from your operation
and cannot get that much food (usually) in anyhow<br>
<b>pound cake</b>totally useless carbs. If you are starting
with sweets like this at 2 1/2 weeks, what are you going to be doing in 6
months. At 2 1/2 weeks, I had to remind myself to eat. Still do
sometimes at 7 months.<br>
<p>
You say you stop when you feel full. I'd stop before that. I still
measure out my food - more visually now at 7 months - and only put that
amount on my plate and eat only that amount.
<p>
Cheese pizza is probably not a good idea at 2 1/2 weeks either. I think
you need to get an appointment with a nutritionist and get on a good,
healthy post-op diet or you will be on here in 5 months complaining about
plateaus or how this surgery has failed you...JR (open RNY 07/17 -152
pounds)
— John Rushton
February 17, 2003
Kathryn, I think that your goals of eating normally are okay but right now,
at 2.5 weeks, you might be getting way ahead of yourself. I know that I
was still famished at 2.5 weeks (I'm just at 6 weeks now but my early
hunger of the first 3 weeks has disappeared) and I seemed to be trying all
kinds of things to figure out what I could eat though I haven't gone near
sweets or potato chips. I would avoid those for now and sometime in the
future, if you really must have something, then have it after your pouch
heals and you are on a healthy regiment of foods. You can be experimenting
with proteins now, order different samples from vitalady and other sites
that have samples. Try to remember that it is protein first and then other
things. The first few weeks can seem very frustrating but now is not the
time to decide to eat whatever whenever. It's a good idea to figure out
what proteins agree with you (both in taste and in the pouch) and to be
trying different recipes with seafood and meats. I agree that I want to
have as balanced a diet as possible, consisting of protein and low glycemic
carbs, but the sugars and fats should be kept to a minimum (though I
supplement with good dietary oils or fish oils). I know it can be
frustrating to be in the early stages trying to figure all this out, but
please try to avoid the sugary and fatty snack type food for now. Later on
you can indulge now and again but right now you need to let your pouch heal
and learn some good eating habits. I hope this doesn't sound preachy
because it's not meant to be. Good luck to you.
— susanje
February 17, 2003
Ok, I'm almost 3 yrs out. Let me tell you what I see here. Most of your
choices are bad. The egg is good the PB is fine, you don't need the muffin
or the cake. Get all the protein in you can. That first year is crutial.
Yes you can loose weight doing what you are doing but so what? Somewhere
down the road you will have realized you did little to control your eating
habits. When you return to normal eating you need to have learned some self
control. If you play your cards right after that first year you will have
learned that you will never have to diet again. But you need to learn to
control yourself now and learn the right choices now. I know noone wants to
hear that , but I have found it to be true. Remember one piece of cake can
lead to another. If you couldn't control the sugar pre op what makes you
think you can control it post op. Some people have actually
"overrode" the dumping mechanism by gradually increasing their
sugar intake. Remember , just because you can eat it dosen't mean you
should.
— Rose A.
February 17, 2003
I'm going to try really hard to get at what you're saying, rather than
interpreting. I think. Bear with me. The long term goal is to "eat
normally"? Or is it to lose weight and keep it off? How much weight?
Ht/wt proportional, for example? Let's say you want to be within
"normal" paramteron "any" chart. My fresh postie diet
was much more restrictive than yours, but my doc pushes us toward 100%
loss. His quirk. Matches mine. What a deal. We did clear s/f liquids for 4
wks, then moved to soft. 5-6 1 oz meals per day. Lots of water, protein
shakes & vitamins. However, past that I do eat normal food, MINUS milk
& sugar. I maintain 100% loss, so far. I deviate, and get to wear
larger sizes. It's not as fast as dumping, but it's fast enough to be able
to finger the culprit. Sugar. So, as to your daily intake, it's not the
chips & pizza that jump out at me (if they were later in time). No, I
eat those. Fat won't make me fat again, but sugar will. The OJ & cake
jump right off the page, as do the large volume meals. It's not a matter of
"taking food away from you", but just looking back into the
inside of your head & focus on where you want to be in 5 yrs. Having
nutritional issues (due to bypass) AND weight issues still? Or having
successfully dealt with the nutriton issues, and eating normally, with a
few moderations, based on desire to be in a certain state of health? Ii'm
the LAZIEST individual you will EVER meet, and frequently choose non-sugar
carbs & veggies over meat. But I get my protein supplementally &
still abide by the "formula" that got me to my own personal goal
wt. You can be clear in your head about where you're headed and then
proceed in that direction with confidence. Just don't let the marketing
hype today fool you into thinking that you will ever BE normal, because we
won't.
— vitalady
February 18, 2003
I do not want to come down on you as I assume you are eating what your
surgeon has approved. My surgeon requires protein only for weeks 2-4. The
first week is clear liquids only. Month 2 adds in veggies. Month 3 adds
in fruits. However, the protein has to always go in first.
<p>The only way I have strayed (15 days PO) is to have 1/2 piece of
toast 3 times. The first time was the doctor's suggestion to try and help
with the diahria I was having. I found by looking at the bag that the
bread I usually got had 4 grams of protein in it per slice and not too bad
for carbs (not many sugars either). So I figure if I want a little toast
now and then it's not such a bad choice. Since orange juice, english
muffin, potatoes and cake are 99% carbs they are not part of my life for a
a number of months yet, although I think I can have orange juice as long as
it is 100% juice and it is cut 50/50 with water. Haven't pursued that one
that.
<p>I fully intend to eat "normal" the rest of my life also
with carbs, but I will do my best to always eat in the desired order -
protein, veggies, fruit, carbs, so that I am limiting the a mount of carbs
I am getting. It is clear from the fact that I was a heavy carb and sugar
eater that it is what makes me gain the weight. So far I have done well
without hardly any carbs, as I had to start eating that way 2 weeks before
surgery, so I have over 1 month under my belt. I'm doing much better than
I thought. The fact that I can eat any protein I can tolerate helps me a
lot. I've started having multiple kinds at a meal so it's not just one
thing. I can eat varying quantities, but I believe it's all within the
normal amount for 15 days PO. Last night I thought I was able to eat more
and took 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, to find I could only get down 1/2 of
it. Yet at other times I can get in more. My doctor's do not want us
using protein supplements if at all possible, but I still wonder how I will
ever get in around 60 grams of protein. I guess time will tell.
<p>Please just make sure you are following your doctor's program so
as to give you the best chance at 100% weight loss. You are doing great so
far but it's the last 20% that can be the bear and that's where just
protein and veggies will help the most. Carbs will likely work against
you. Good Luck! Chris
— zoedogcbr
February 18, 2003
WOW! I also don't mean to come down on you. But you are eating the amount I
am eating a year & a half out. Most definately protein should always be
your first food. Your body needs that so much. I also was a lightweight.
5'3" and 231#. I would like to eat what I want too, but some foods are
just not what your body needs especially right now. I could not eat 15
potato chips even now if I tried. I would really stop and take inventory of
what you are doing. Even the skinny person who was never been fat but eats
wrongly and has high cholesterol is abusing himself as much as the obese
person eating high fat. I had to change my relationship with food, period!
Doesn't mean I never have a potato chip. But maybe 3-5 every now &
then. I'm lucky if I can even get my protein in to have enough room for
anything else. I just see and hear so many miserable unhappy people at
support groups who are now believing their surgery failed them and they are
going crazy dieting again and even joining Jenny Craig and such. I just
don't want that to happen to you. Being so soon out you have some time to
change your thinking. Please consider doing that. Good Luck!
— Karla K.
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