Is this my buyers remorse phase?

12 days post op and I'm turning into a crybaby. I'm having a terrible time getting the protein and the fluids in. I'm stressing about it and feel like I'm failing.  I've determined it’s mathematically impossible to get 64 ounces of water in 9 hours if I can only sip 1 oz every fifteen minutes as instructed. (18 hours waking time minus 9 hours for the 30/30/30 rule times 6 feedings= 9 available hours to sip, sip, SIP! 4oz per hour times 9 hours =Only 36 ounces. Way off the goal.

WTF! I'm really getting frustrated trying to stick to 'da rules but something’s gotta give! I am afraid to drink any faster because I don't want to ruin my pouch. In fact, I know there will be an"ouch in the pouch" if I drink faster.

I've always loved veggies and fruit but I feel very deprived without them. I've been craving them for a few days now. I was in the grocery today and nearly cried because I wanted to take a bite out of a beautiful fresh peach. This is crazy. I haven't thought twice about not having sweets or ice cream but I'm getting weepy over peaches and salad!?!. I never thought I would see the day when I had to bypass the fresh produce section because of temptation....but I can walk through the bakery without batting an eye! Something seems wrong with this picture.   Please tell me this will change and someday soon I can have a salad and a bite of a fresh peach. This part is unexpectedly hard.

Lisa - I am sorry you are feeling low-but this too will pass....I had my surgery August 27th - so the same time line as you-I have struggled to get in all the protein and fluids, however, what I found, is that my pouch can handle a bit more fluid at a time-I know they say just an 1 ounce every 15 minutes, but my nurse had said try to do it in 10, and I am actually probably doing it a 8-9 minutes.   I was trying to drink the protein shakes that you mix up but I was having such a hard time with them that I ended up switching today to the Costco Premier ready made shakes and that seemed to be make a big difference-for at least today, and I will take that small victory, as I needed it to.   And I hear you about the fresh peaches-I just had bought some the other day for my family to enjoy, and would have loved to take a bite...but the way I see it, it tooks years and years of over eating to get to the place I was, that forgoing a salad or peach, while we retrain our bodies on our road to recovery, is all worth it.   It's okay to have a down day - tomorrow I hope you will be able to claim your own small victory-and celebrate that!   Of course check with your doc to see if you can start drinking the water faster, but even mine said eventually we will be able to drink more than the current prescription of 1 oz per 15 minutes.   

Hang in there!  

THIS WILL CHANGE!!  Patients grasshopper...
A few thoughts...Put an oz of milk on your nightstand.  If you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night...Slowly drink what's on the stand...Extra liquid and protein when you least expect it.
Also remember that stored in your fat cells is estrogen...Yes, estrogen.  For the men with WLS they freak out...They have never seen this before.  Just keep that in the back of your mind.  If you feel like you need some vegetables (not OKing...follow your doctor's plan) have some cooked spinach.  That was the first vegetable I had...Frozen cooked spinach.  It has potassium and iron.  Add a small amount of salt.  It taste like baby food but your pouch is like a babies.  As the weightloss happens it becomes easier and easier.  Let the healing and weightloss take place...sip sip sip.  Brian

Try to sip your water. Drinking too fast, and it'll come right back up. A few weeks after my RNY, I came in from a hot summer day. Remembered the glass of iced tea I was sipping before I went outside. Without thinking, I grabbed the glass and too 4-5 big gulps. I immediately know I screwed up. I grabbed a small plastic trashcan that was nearby, and hurled the tea right back up.  No food, just the tea.  You really can't drink too much water, and ruin your pouch. Water will go right through your pouch. Sip 2 oz every 15 minutes, that solves your issue.  Take your time and follow protocol.  Lettuce doesn't always agree with every post op either. DAVE

I'm right there with you Lisa.
I had my surgery a week ago Weds & today has been the pits. My hormones have definately started kicking in so for everyone's benefit I have gone into hiding lol. I am bitter b/c all I want in this world is a grilled chicken breast w/sauted peppers, onions & mushrooms. But the best I can do is sit down with my bowl of split pea soup. Not because I want it but b/c it gives me the best bang for my buck protein wise since I can't stand the sight of protein shakes.
I have felt like I am failing my surgery too b/c I can't get in my protein. Tomorrow I am switching to RTD & hopefully that will help. As far as the water goes; I can drink pretty much the same as pre op. My surgeon didn't have any guidelines to drinking except no drinking with meals or at least 30 mins after. He just told me to drink.
Best we can do is buckle down, ride out the storm & anxiously await purees. GL!

I totally hear you!  I am almost 3 weeks post-op and I am beginning to feel partially human but the protien / water thing is so hard.  I am OK with drinking but I tend to do alot of my fluid intake during the afternoon which is more than likely not the best idea.  I have a really difficult time getting protien in.  I am on pureed foods for 2 weeks and it is so difficult - I feel your pain.  I also know what you mean about fruit - og lord what I wouldn't do for a grape.  I figure I will get there eventually.  Hang in there and know that there are a bunch of peoploe in the same boat :-)  We will get through it!

Some early protein suggestions -
chicken broth or even better Unjury Chicken Protein broth - if you can't take it full strength, water it down to half. It will still give you 10 grams of protein that way.

Along with the chicken broth you could do the "egg drop" soup boil your broth and drop an egg white in as it is boiling. This was allowed for me as early as 1 weeks out. I added salt and pepper and thought I had a real treat.

As for fruit and veggies, you will get there. I am allowed everything now that I am almost 12 weeks out. Of course you may only get 1-2 bites because you need your protein first but at least you get that. Today I had about 7 grapes!

 My doctor told me to drink 1oz for 5 minutes I'm able to get more in tho.  I don't know what is going on but I have constantly cried myself to sleep it cried to my mom that I want a reversal bad. I miss good. I could kill for a salad or fruit. I just want to chew. I had my surgery last Thursday and I can't do this liquids until sept 20th. I would kill for scrambled eggs. I really am having a hard time expecting my new body as well. I'm afraid my feelings won't change 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this today!!! I am right there with all of you. I have cried today and have been saying the exact same things to anyone who would listen to me today. I am getting nagged out by my family to eat, eat, eat. That I need to get my protein in and my "meals". All two Tbsps.  LOL...... In fact I was just asked if I ate yet as it has been since noon today since I ate last. I am not hungry!!!! Does anyone else feel like this? It is like my timer goes off to eat and I feel like it just went off and could not possibly be 3 hrs since I ate something or drank a protein drink.  I keep saying "I promise I will go to the kitchen and get something." and I just keep putting it off. I just do not want to eat. I am NOT hungry.

I had my surgery on the 27th of Aug. as well. My Nut told me to start on the soft foods a few days ago. Wants me to have 3 meals and 3 small snacks. I am normally Hypoglycemic and need to watch this. I have a timer on my phone set for 6am, 9am, 12 noon, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm. I feel that this is adequate to have my meals and the snacks separated like this. I have been sipping, sipping and sipping some more. I try and follow the 30/30/30 rule and do almost  good with that. I have no idea how much water I am drinking though. I also eat the ice which I enjoy having it melt in my mouth as well as eat it. I have managed the last 2 days to eat 2 meals and one snack. I swore I was going to do better today. I broke down crying when I couldn't. I feel like I am also failing this. I downloaded a program called "FIT DAY" which is helpful. I can put that I ate 1 oz or 2 oz, or grams, cups, etc... for say cottage cheese. It gives me options of the lowfat etc. It gives me the calories, fats, carbs, and proteins. It tallys them up as well. My total today has been 49.3 proteins and 425 calories. That is the best I have done yet. I just ate 2 Tbsp of 2% lowfat cottage cheese and a 1 Tbsp of mashed banana to bring it up to that though.

I started this email hours ago. I finally ate that last bit an hour ago. Under much duress. I have one other problem I would like to know if anyone else has; I have insomnia since the surgery. I will sleep for 2 hrs, get up and be up for an hour. Go back to sleep for a 1.5 hr or maybe 2 and up for a half, back to sleep for an hour or two if I am lucky and that is all. I am than up for the day. I can't sleep. I don't know what to do. I go back to work on Monday and know I need more sleep. Maybe I am not sleeping because I have not done enough in the day to make me tired, I am not sure. I sit at a desk 8-11 hrs a day. I have been real worried on how in the heck I am going to sip, sip, sip all day and type and work as well. My best friend pulled out a camel pack idea. My son has them for hiking. I decided it was a great idea. I am going to go find a pink one tomorrow. It may look kinda stupid on my back at work, but not more stupid than me falling out due to dehydration will. :) I have an amazing work family that supports me as well as my real family does. I am so sorry to be so long winded here. I have been wanting to write about the insomnia but hadn't yet. When I read these posts I felt so validated and appreciated what you were all feeling. I read the first out loud to my sister (who had an RNY 17 yrs ago). And she said are you sure you didn't write that???? I could have written all of them. I am so scared to hurt my pouch. I am worried to try new soft foods, I am scared that I may eat more than I should, I am scared that if I do and throw up I will pop a staple. My stitches all came out on Wed. and he said I looked great, just keep taking it easy and to start on the soft diet. I think I could stay on this pureed forever out of fear. But I went into the store and never in my life wanted to eat those small red/yellow/orange baby peppers. I wanted to get them and eat them soooo bad. Twice now actually. It kinda weirds me out. I could care less about sweets or ice cream and I am the ice cream queen. That is one reason I went with RNY and not a sleeve. Anyways, I will go and try for sleep! Thanks for listening to me vent as well. I love and appreciate all of you for posting, reading and helping me through this time in my life.

Can you drink more than one ounce every 15 minutes?  I remember being able to drink more than that right away.  Everyone is different, my surgeon told me to take it slow in the beginning and add more fluids as I progressed.  With the exception of my first "meal" in the hospital, no one cared if I was drinking "too fast."  

If you can drink more than four ounces an hour, by all means do it!!  I know I was able to drink a 16 ounce bottle of water in an hour two days after my RNY.  I wasn't guzzling, still taking sips.  I preferred room temperature water at first, it took a few weeks before I was drinking really cold water.

I don't think you will ruin your pouch by sipping water.  If you guzzled a liter down really fast you might be uncomfortable, but I don't think you would hurt yourself or your pouch.  

It's best for RNY patients to sip fluids at first because everyone reacts differently to food/liquid intake after surgery.  The powers that be want you to go slow at the beginning so that you can see what works for you.

Good luck figuring it all out, it takes a little while in the beginning, but you will get there and it is SO worth it!!!!!

Sara in Maui