Question:
Is it ok to just drink your protein, water & not eat?
Is it OK if I don't eat as much as I am supposed to. I drink all my protein that I am supposed to get in & drink water all day long, but I just can't eat 6 times a day. Sometimes I only eat something once or twice a day. I'm supposed to be on pureed foods now, but I'm just never hungry. Also, I haven't lost any weight in 5 days. I am 2 1/2 weeks post op. — jarrett318 (posted on March 20, 2003)
March 20, 2003
<font color="007000" face="tahoma">Hi Mary
<br> I am still pre-op, but according to my nutritionist,
"we" should only eat 3 meals a day. NO snacking. Do you have a
nutritionist you can talk to this about?</font>
— preop_wendyd
March 20, 2003
Hi Mary, The best answer I can offer is that you need to follow your
doctors advice. And that is where I would start. I can share with you
what I have learned in the past from various weight loss programs. When we
don't eat properly, our bodies go into this mode where it thinks that we
are having a starvation crisis. So it shuts down our metabolism and then
the weight loss stops. When you add food to the diet, our body then begins
to store what we eat as fat, believing that it will have another
"starvation" period. Therefore, we don't lose. That is why most
of us, lose very little on traditional diets. Because we go on fad diets
and starve ourselves and our bodies slow down as a result of it and we
become obese. Let me give you another analogy: Did you ever watch a thin
person eat? It was brought to my attention when I did Weigh Down Workshop
with Gwen Shamblin. A thin person, one who doesn't have a weight problem,
will have a sandwich at a meal, they will cut that sandwich in half, save
half for another time, and take sips of water between bites. They are full
on a half a sandwich. In essence they eat like a bird, because they eat 5
to 6 times a day. I know, my daughter is a thin person. they eat say a
yogurt at one meal, then a piece of fruit for snack, then maybe a half a
sandwich, then another piece of fruit for snack, and then maybe a salad for
dinner and end up with something else small after dinner. They literaly
eat like a bird. Plus they drink tons of water. Now you'd think that if
we ate that much during the day we'd be even larger. But that is not the
case. It jumps start our metabolism which aids in weight loss, but along
with eating like this we have to choose the right stuff to eat as well.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurts. Of course being post-op you have to
know what you can tolerate and what your doctor wants you to eat. So not
eating is really only slowing your weight loss and hurting you in the long
run. If you're on pureed foods try baby food. It really is good
nutrition. I don't mean to go off on my soap box here, but alot of people
say to me that they can't understand how I got to be 300+ pounds,
especially my hubby, they see that I hardly eat anything, sometimes not
even once a day. So when we go out to eat and I eat a large meal then my
body turns it all to fat and stores it because it thinks I'm going to
starve again. This is how I got this way. It's difficult when you've done
it for so long to get back into eating properly. Good luck and God speed!
And please get back to your doctor or nutritionist.
— Donna R.
March 20, 2003
Your body goes into starvation mode if you dont' eat, that is why you
haven't lost any weight. It sounds silly, but the more you eat, the more
you will lose to start off with. At least that is what happened to me. I
know it is hard, but it will get easier with time!
Good Luck
— Donna J.
March 20, 2003
I am on a 5-6 meals a day regiment as well and some days find it very hard
but small frequent meals are very good for insulin and blood sugar. Try to
eat every few hours, even if it is a little bit of protein. It sustains
you and keeps your weight loss going.
— susanje
March 20, 2003
been there, done that..i needed to be scoped because i was not tolerating
intake well..... post scope i am taking in a bit more and i eat 3 times a
day with a fruit snack in the late morning and in the evening i take a few
crackers with medication...anyway the weight loss picked up speed post
scope due to increased protein intake....good luck
— nan K.
March 20, 2003
I wondered the same thing a few weeks after surgery. I felt it was just
easier to drink my protein and water and not bother eating, it seemed like
a pain plus I wasn't the least bit hungry. I could really care less if I
ever ate again. I did find out that is not good for your body, plus it
thinks you are starving it and you stop losing because it's holding on to
what you got for fear of no more to come. So, my doc told me to make it a
point to eat 3 times a day so I tried that. I still was not able to eat any
more than two bites in a sitting so they upped me to 5-6 meals a day to get
my protein in. And a meal doesn't have to be a full fledged meal, some low
fat cheese or yogurt is what I do for several of mine and my weight is
steadily coming off now. You really do have to eat, it may seem hard now
but it does get easier. I know, I've had some major eating issues early on
because of my sinus drainage, which is a whole other fun game.
— Dee ,.
March 21, 2003
I see nothing wrong with that for a short period. I think onc eyou give
yourself permission to relax a bit about food, things will fall into place
for you. Many do take a cluster of days of qliuids(& vites) for a
prayer fast OR to reset their dump-o-meter OR stabilize a mad pouch--any
number of reasons. I also did the 6 one-oz meals, and found it burdensome.
I ultimately settled with 4 meals, 6 (or more) protein drinks. But it took
a little while to get the rhythm working for me. And I did revert back to
"easy" days while I was getting organized. You an add back in a
meal, or two, or three as you feel more comfortable again.
— vitalady
March 21, 2003
Mary, my surgeon's office actually told me I could do that for the first
few months. She said that I can get my nutrition from protein drinks,
water and vitamins and not even have to eat if I didn't want to. But after
you get further post-op, food would be good. Plus, you are so early
post-op, it's hard to get in alot of anything! And don't worry that you
haven't lose weight in a few days, it is so very common to get on a plateau
after the first few weeks. Our bodies are just adjusting to all the new
changes. May I suggest weighing yourself only once a week? I am 9months
post-op and still have urges to weigh everyday, but it just makes my life
crazier b/c I worry! Goodluck to you
— Lezlie Y.
March 21, 2003
My surgeon told me not to even worry about eating the first month as long
as I took in 70 grams of protein through supplementation, 64 oz of water
daily, and my vitamins.
— LLinderman
March 21, 2003
Hasn't this very idea been suggested as a way to re-set your system in
order to climb down off of a plateau? Sounds relatively safe to me,
especially if it is for short periods of time. But - I am no doctor and
what I might be willing to try might not be the best for you.
— [Deactivated Member]
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