2 week post-op update

What sometimes comes off as harsh is really raising the red flag in panic that someone new either isn't going to be successful in the long term, and/or in the short term might possibly even injure themselves.

When you are one, two and three years out you'll be wishing you still couldn't eat those foods. It doesn't get easier than it is now. So changing habits is important.

My surgeon's mantra is: Protein first, then veggies and then IF you have any room fruits then (starchy) carbs. He never says no carbs, just put them at the end of the list. With the little amount you can consume right now, you really should almost never get to the starchy carbs. Did I eat a rare few bites of carbs the first year? Yes, but not until I was well healed. And rare....

You are right about reading... I read through pages and pages of posts when I first got here. Face it as they say, there is nothing new under the sun. If you struggle with it someone else has too.

Also the daily menu posts can be very helpful and are also a great way to get to know people around here.

Thank you. My nutritionist says the same thing about protein, then veggies, then carbs. I got excited to add real food to my diet, so did purchase the english muffins, crackers and a few bananas along with all my protein purchases. I think I'll stick to at least 1 shake (Premiere Protein at 30g of protein a pop) a day to help keep my protein up. Honestly, I'm also just glad I don't have to puree anything...

I drank a protein shake every day for the first 2 years. Not necessarily Premier all the time.

If you follow that guidance (protein-->veggies-->carbs), trust me you will never get to the carbs! Buy all the English muffins you want--you will never fit them in if you eat the other stuff, first. The problem is that most of us haven't really mastered moderation and good choices, so having the carby foods around means we will probably cave and end up eating those first.

I started out with pureed chicken, turkey, salmon and tilapia. I baked them and then pureed them with a little broth. After I progressed off of pureed foods, I made sure that the meat was very moist. Fish doesn't work well for everyone but it was a life saver for me. Kick the bread and starchy things and buy packets of salmon and tuna. They are great and packed with protein. You can also try eggs. Some people have problems with eggs but I ate hard boiled eggs early on. I still eat a lot of them. Feel free to experiment with what works for you and your pouch, but limit your experimentation to dense protein and dairy carbs not starchy carbs. It will mean the difference between success and just okay.

A few other ideas...if you have a Trader Joe's store close to you, they have wonderful frozen salmon and tuna patties and mahi mahi that are 3-4 oz, packed with dense protein and only take 3 minutes in the microwave to make. Easy peasy and yummy.

We are here to cheer you on to success. You will get a lot of advice from your surgeon, your nutritionist, your friends and family and folks on social media. But look at who has had success and kept the weight off. Those are the people you should listen to and just smile and nod at the rest. You got this! You can have success! Make the commitment and stick with it.

The other thing that was key for me and lots of others was getting enough fluids. It is hard at first because your pouch is so small, but sipping is your job now. Your doctor will tell you to get 64 oz of fluids, but I and others have found that only when we get more than 100 oz per day do we lose and stay healthy. Work up to it. Remember that plain water may be hard at first, but try herbal teas, sf Popsicles and remember that protein shakes count toward your total.

Make a plan and stick to it and you will not only lose weight, you will get healthy. Also check in here and feel free to join the menu thread for some food ideas and accountability. Good luck!

Super helpful, thanks! My NUT said that I don't have to puree anything, so I'm thankful for that. I've already had tilapia (last night) and an egg this morning. No problems. I'm looking forward to leftover tilapia, eggs, cheese and the ricotta bake I'm making tomorrow. I'll also force myself to have a shake.

I did buy those little packs of tuna and salmon, so I'll see how I like those. Those Trader Joes' patties sound awesome! I think I have to wait a bit for those, but I will put that on my list. As I'm not pureeing, I'm holding off on meats. We'll see what my NUT says at my next appointment in 2 weeks.

Yeah - the water things is hard. I got a lot more in today because I decided to stop eating by 6 so that I could just sip sip sip for the rest of the night.

Wow! Not to hijack the post but 100 ounces a day. If my calculations are correct that's about 3 litres, or 16 cups. I cannot imagine how I am going to work up to that with all the restrictions around drinking half hour before/after meals. But...interesting to know that's a goal!

The restriction is only 30 minutes after a meal. Most of us don't follow any 'before a meal' restriction. You pretty much need to have a calorie free drink in your hand at all times!

Huh! Very interesting. My clinic has said I have to stop drinking 20-30 mins before a meal except in the liquids phase. Good to know that is not a hard and fast rule. Wasn't sure how to accomplish that much liquid with such restrictions.

Honestly, I just don't think that longterm that could ever work. I'm in maintenance now and I plan out what I'm going to eat each day but often times I'm grabbing one of my planned snacks on-the-go between meetings. That might be 10am or 2pm on any given day.