9 days post-op, frustrated and afraid I ate too much

I had my rny on Feb 9th in Mexico.  Diet recommendation was one week clear fluid, then introduce soft purees.  I mashed some cottage cheese through a strainer and have been eating with zero fat yogurt (also strained) and at supper tonight added some instant mashed potatoes made with broth.  I had about 1/2 cup at dinner and then a bit less before bed.  My GP  is doing my follow-up and I saw him today and he said I need to eat 80 get protein daily so I don't lose muscle mass.  I think I ate too much/too fast because I feel some pressure in my upper abdomen .  Also, I don't really think I know how to Guage how full I am getting.  Feeling confused and worrying about stretching things or failing at thus.  My surgeon didn't really give me quantities, just lists of foods to eat.  It said my pouch can take about 1/2 a cup.  Help!

You can't gauge how full you are because the nerves that do that have been cut.  A half cup of potatoes is a huge amount of food to be putting into a week old pouch.  It took me about six months to work up to a half cup of food at a time. 

I was eating 1/2 cup total per meal at 4 weeks post op. For protein, I relied on shakes at those early stages. The puree stage was my least favorite because I have always hated that texture - mostly it just felt good to put something in my mouth. 

If you feel pressure, you probably overate. You won't feel "fullness" so measuring is important, as is timing your meals. You won't stretch anything at this point but just go slow and easy. This all takes a while. 

My surgeon strictly limits portion sizes to 1/4 cup for the first 6-8 weeks, and says that for the first 6 months, never more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup. 

I do recognize that feeling of pressure as meaning I am full.

At 9 days post-op, I was focusing more on getting 64 ounces of water and working my way up, but not starting out with 80 grams of protein per day.  The fastest and easiest way I got protein was purchasing pre-mixed shakes(I make my own from scratch now).  Measuring and weighing food is better--like 1/4 cup of food at a time or 3-4 ounces of food at a time.  Some WLS'ers weigh food but I chose to purchase 3-ounce bathroom Dixie cups for cottage cheese, yogurt, protein jello, etc.  It's common to feel confused, scared, and fear of failure.  Be sure to call your medical team with questions, ask lots of questions here, or phone businesses like Bariatric Advantage or Unjury for protein-eating options they sell over the internet (tip: Unjury packets of protein chicken broth were one of my favorites).  With time, you'll start feeling better and more confident with your routine.  Hope this helped.  

It helped a lot!  Thanks.

forego the cottage cheese and  mashed potatoes for a protein shake. More bang for your buck and potatoes dont bring anything nutritional to the table so I would only eat that after you ve met your protein goals. 

Best of luck

At this point I would be having 2 protein shakes/drinks a day that have at least 25-30g protein each. If my flavored one doesn't have enough protein I add a little unflavored to it. The range is 60-80g a day you are shooting for. You may not get it out of the gate, but within a few weeks. I get some plans say mashed potatoes or mine said farina was OK. But there is really no point in that if you aren't getting your protein in. The Mantra is Protein first! 64oz fluids!.... You might be able to do 1/2 cup yogurt, but once you get to solid foods 2oz/1/4 cup is the max in the beginning. Once I switched to eating solid foods I cut back to one protein drink a day.

I had my surgery February 4th. Full liquids for 2 weeks, so that's yogurt, pudding, cream soups, broths, all that good stuff. Today I was able to try soft foods, I had one ounce of cottage cheese and couldn't fit anymore I had that full feeling. 

You probably won't be having what you previously recognized at "full" feelings.  Watch for your High Level Alarm;  when your pouch is full and the contents are nearing the esophagus, which is not a containment vessel, you may find your nose beginning to run.  Some people hiccup, others belch.  Watch for your signal and pay attention to it.  If you overfill your pouch, you will regret it.  

It's all individual, so don't be afraid of what happens.  If you eat too fast, or don't chew enough, or put too much into your pouch, believe me, it will tell you about it.

I ate bread, early out, and felt like I was having a heart attack when it balled up and got "stuck" in my esophagus.  

I overate by eating too fast and too much, and boy did I feel rotten--think green around the gills.  I had to go to the bathroom and "urp" it up in order to relieve the sensation.  "Foamies" result when that happens, and no I'm not being bulemic by vomiting it up, I'm getting rid of the excess. ("Foamies" are when your body realizes that food is stuck and it tries to put saliva into your esophagus to help the food go down.)

It's all new to you, so don't be afraid to experiment.  Yes, protein first.  Yes, stay hydrated.