How much to eat? Drinking while eating? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

ajmoe · 01-08-2007, 03:25 AM

I had surgery about 1 month ago. My doctor really gave me very little information on what to eat post op. I live overseas and had my surgery here. He said eat until you get full and only liquids and pureed foods until I see him at one month. The first week was easy only flear liquid soups. I didn't eat much because I was scared. The second week was more difficult adding in pureed foods. I slowly started eating more. And then a mental change seemed to happen. I have been freaking out ever since that I am eating way too much. I have tried to follow guidelines that I have found online as to how much and what to eat. The holiday was very difficult with comany here eating everything. I found that I wanted to have variations in my food. I eat a lot of mashed potatoes because they fill me up and a lot of cottage cheese because it seems to satisy my protein craving. But I am still freaking out that I am eating way to much and have already expanded my pouch. I try to make my meal last for 30 minutes but that is even hard. When you are eating only 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mushed up food I find it hard to sit and eat it for that long. I do take a couple of bites and then take breaks. Sometimes I feel full and stop and other times it takes another 30 minutes to feel full and then I feel over full.
I do drink water when I eat. I have a really hard time getting all my liquids in and I also find that I am thirsty when I eat. I had heard that this may make it hard to feel full when eating.
Does anyone else have this problem or has had this problem? Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

Dyann · 01-08-2007, 06:13 AM

Welcome to the forum. First off....drinking while eating is a huge no no. It flushes out the food from your pouch. Separate you meals and liquids by at least 30 minutes before and after. Second, you are able to eat more as you are taking too long to eat. 20 minutes is about the time it should take you. If you take longer, it is more like grazing and you will fit in more than you should. Shorter, and you are eating too fast and get full too fast. I would cut back on the mashed potato and go with ricotta, cottage cheese. Protein is first and the most important thing you can put in your mouth. You need at least 60 g/day and upwards of 90 is even better once you can eat more.

I am glad you found the forum as it sounds like you don't have a great source for information out there. Good luck and keep us posted.

LisaBoston · 01-08-2007, 11:52 AM

Hi and congrats on your surgery date. The biggest lesson I learned is to develop proper habits early out. Don't sabotage yourself and your success with drinking while eating. I too didn't get much in the way of guidance from the doctors office for post-op, but the people here were my lifeline.

Keep to your 3 meals a day and in between this drink, drink and drink. I found my snow cone maker helped me get in more fluids as did popsicles. Do the best you can - its very hard to get in all the fluids, but keeping hydrated is so important. As far as food goes, you don't have to drag it out to 30 minutes, eat and move on. That doesn't mean shove it down, but eat as you feel comfortable. The transition to solid food was rough for me, but I listened to my body and did what felt right.

Wishing you the best.