Update

 Hey everyone, just wanted to update you al! My pan is getting better by a lot! Walking certainly helps a great deal! Helps ease some pain and fels great to move my legs!! I still have the blow up leg things on. The. Just turned off my morphine pump and are going to start me on liquid oxycodone to make sure I can have pain management with it. I am getting some optisource in caramel flavor which tastes good and they just brought me gleatein orange flavor. I asked the nurses how much should I eat and how long do I wait inbetween bites and they say take your time, that doesn't really help me any... Help please?!

Congratulations!  Take it slow, take one bite and chew slowly and then another. There is no set timing just trail and error to learn what is right for you!  Keep us posted!

Thank you for your help! Hugs!! I can't really tell if I have that I'm full feeling?.. I can tell I don't want much though.. Anyone else experience this?

I had surgery on a Tuesday and my leak test on Thursday.  I had nothing but ice chips until the results of the leak test.  When they brought my bariatric tray it had broth, jello, water, and tea.  I thought I would fini**** all and be starving.  After a few bites of broth, I pushed it away.  It was not that I was full as much as that I was just not interested in eating.

That was in 2007 and hunger has never returned.  I eat small meals high in protein.  I track my food and exercise.  I have learned how to eat slowly.  It takes a little time and patience. 

You will be fine.  Welcome to an exciting new journey.

Awe that is great to hear! Congrats to you!! Thank you for your help, I can't wait to start my new journey in full not just in the hospital. Strange, they did not mention a leak test for me... Hmm...

Surgery has changed and many surgeons do the leak test now while you are still under from surgery.  Probably what happened.

Got ya. I'lbe asking my nurse before I leave. :-)

That's great to hear!  Don't worry about the eating / drinking while in the hospital - they just want to ensure that you can.  You won't feel full like you did before for a while yet.  

When you get home, focus on sipping and walking.  Always have a cup of water or herbal tea next to you and sip every 15 minutes.  Your protein needs will become more important in a week or so.

Keep up the good work!

Awesome, thank you for telling me that! Quick silly question.. Sipping every 15 minutes? I've heard every 5? But either way I haven't been told how much to sip when I do..?

Well, the real response is to sip as much as you can as often as you can.  So every 5 minutes is even better, but my guess is that you'll be getting in your walking, taking naps, and living your life in between, so I say 15 minutes as a rule.

And remember that you might not care for cold liquids right off the bat - room temp or warm liquids seem to be easier to tolerate.  Herbal tea was my go-to (I really like the Sleepy Time flavor).  The easiest way to check if you're getting enough is to check your pee - it should be colorless if you're well hydrated.  

Structure is good, but don't over think this.  Track everything in MyFitnessPal or something similar so you'll know at a glance how you're doing throughout the day.  You'll soon fall into a rhythm where thinks start to come more naturally.