Eating too much straight after surgery

misscupcake

I wish I could give you a big hug in person!!!!!!!!!!!

i would definiately go to the pyscologist.It will help you sot out triggers/reasons why yo u eat and how to manage all that.You can get a plan off the gp and get a rebate to cover costs.

I am a self saboutager and emotional eater and I am 2 and a half years post op, so the first few months post op were really hard with not self saboutaging my journey.

We are all here for you and I have also added in a couple of new section for people needing support that are there if you need them.

Also I havent checked the diary section but if you dont have a diary you could start one and track your progress/journey.its interesting to read back on the early days after a year or two!

shelly

ps i will check why u arnt receiving email notifications and fix it up.

Hi

I just wanted to say congrats on managing the food situation yesterday so well and I am pleased that you will access a psychologist. You are correct in saying that the emotional response to food is bigger than your stomach ever was. You have a new small tum so need to reduce the emotional response to a small size too.

Good luck

G

PS this is a really good suggestion: write down why I chose to do this to keep things in perspective. This period of time is very small compared to the rest of my life.

On another note, yesterday I was surrounded by people eating corn chips and dips, chocolate, ice cream, cheese, sausage sandwiches, and I was able to avoid all of it without feeling miserable. That's a personal triumph for me :)
I guess it just takes time to get used to this new way of life and I need to be patient. But I'm getting better each day :)

Hi everyone, thank you so much for replying. I didnt receive any emails telling me that there were replies so I thought no one was posting. I was a bit upset to be honest but it was a mistake.
I really appreciate everyone's advice and support. After my second post in this thread I went back to liquids as I'm supposed to. Plain water doesn't sit right so I took advice from others and started adding some cordial to it. I should invest in an apple juice company too, based on how much I'm drinking :)

When I ate the baked beans I chewed them so much they basically became pureed. And it took me ages to eat it all. I think the main problem I have at the moment is boredom; normally I'm completely preoccupied at work but because I'm recovering from surgery I'm at home all day and night, alone and bored. This is a terrible excuse for eating but I'm just being honest so I can acknowledge my problems and try to work on them. I think this process will be much easier for me when I'm working again but even then I need to make sure I only eatwhen I'm actually hungry as opposed to being bored or sad or frustrated.

I have an appointment with my surgeon and dietician tomorrow so I'll get more answers and help then.

I agree i should see a psychologist; a few psychologist appointments is part of my surgery package and I did see one prior to surgery. I didnt realise my pssychological problems were just as bad as my enlarged stomach. I'm startig to think the psychological aspect is an even bigger problem than my stomach was/is.

Anyways I'm really thankful for the advice and support. I don't have much support from anywhere else so this means a lot to me.
:')

Id be contacting the surgeon and asking just how small he made my stomach! Thats ridiculous that you can eat that much after surgery, it doesnt sound like your stomach has been reduced by much at all. To be honest Id be absolutely ropeable if I could eat that much after forking out for this kind of surgery. I hope you get it sorted asap :(

Hi misscupcake

I agree with the rest of the ladies, I would contact your surgeon and speak to him about a dietician and a psychologist appointment.

Also are you on any type of reflux meds etc? Over how long a period did you eat the whole tin? Was it over a long period or just a normal 1/2 hr meal sitting?

Did you see a dietician before your surgery for the run down?

It is so very very important to stick to your surgeons recommendations, which are different from surgeon to surgeon, you have to remember that your tummy is been held together by tiny staple lines and stretching your tummy is not what I would be worried about at this stage, if you overfill your tummy with wrong foods, it's not going to stretch, it's going to give way at the weakest point, which is your staple line.
You are still very high risk of a leak and the more pressure you put on your tummy, the higher you are making your risks.

Go back to liquids! We all know that they suck but it's not a choice And then speak to the specialists, you shouldn't be having no more than 1/2 cup of food at each meal, you will need to take control and measure it out.

It is only a short time you have to do this, you can do it. Good luck

Kas

I think you really need to see a psychologist, or at least your doctor to discuss the feeling of 'going insane' after such a short period on fluids. There's a difference between what our bodies need and what our heads tell us they need and at times people have trouble telling them apart. You don't need me to tell you, you are risking major complications by not following post op guidelines.

I don't see how you can fit it all in, I have had a little chicken and mash and it's sitting in my throat. I feel sick and sore after a few bites.

http://www.portionperfection.com.au/

http://greatideas.net.au/index.php?cPath=2&osCsid=243c7344c3f4cf4cfc98d6daaee09644

the above are websites for the portion plates and bowls, also has a book and snack book. I brought one for myself and the surgeon gave me a plate and bowl (my daughter loves using them too). I actually have put all large plates away and only have bowls and small plates, this has helped with portion control. The snack ebible is free to download (part of it anyway). My surgeon encouraged me to check this out.

The first month after surgery is a pain in the arse. It does pass though, I understand the milky drink thing, I had had enough and still use protein drinks but don't buy premixed but powder that mixes with skim milk or water. (I will put up some links). I hated the liquid phase with a passion - stick with the diet and call your surgeon as you may need to see him asap. He may kick you up the arse but suck it up.

I had alot of 'frothy vomits' and only rarely threw up actual food. I still have difficulty if I eat too much, too quickly or spicy food and too much sugar. I can pretty much eat 1/2 cup food, however, I can eat alot if I eat then wait 1/2hr or so not drinking water and just eat etc. I actually had a vomit last night as I ate some pork and didn't chew properly, I know that I can't eat meat that isn't minced or tender. I am loving eggs.

It does get better and I totally agree with the girls, if we don't get some control over our eating it will be a waste of money and pain. I suggest seeing a pyschologist. It is hard to change our outlook after years of abusing our bodies. I constantly struggle. My calorie intake averages 1000 day. I am also exercising more and can move so much faster and easier. I was at my daughters sports day and I was running and standing nearly all day, before I would have had to sit down. I also played on the playground equipment and no way would that have been possible 6mths or so ago.

Can I make a suggestion: write down why you have done this? what you dream of being able to do? etc. this should help keep things in perspective.

http://www.yourchemistshop.com.au/weight-loss-1/isowhey-complete.html make with skim milk, yummy. also have a hot choc mix that's very nice. you can look online for info on Isowhey

http://www.yourchemistshop.com.au/nature-s-way-slim-right-full-shake-cappuccino-375g.html?id=8048 also have choc flavour, haven't tried the coffee one. this is one of favourites, made with skim milk, great for brekkie as it has 8.2g fibre. With all shake I put it in the freezer till it is icy and it comes out like a smoothie/icy. yummy

You can do it :) Hope this all helps

Struggling after 9 days post op-what you are eating etc and your posts below- rings alarm bells for me and I would not be relaxing Id be seeking support ASAP so I had the best chance of the sleeve being a success.

It sounds like you have been extremely lucky to not have caused a leak/damage to your stomach -youve dodged a major bullet that could have put you back in hospital with terrible complications-which has happened to other members that have done what youve done in the first nine days. (any newbies reading this thread do not think this is even slightly okay to try and get away with or you could be the one in hospital)


I would be seeking lots of support to cope in this new phase of your life from dietition,doctor and even a councillor -but firstly you must follow the doctors instructions post op-they are the experts.

The need to eat could be your way of coping ,like a resistance mehanism, so you have to be strong and not give in.Drink water to keep you full and protien is what keeps you full so you have to come to terms with that and not fight it or saboutage yourself.

Having the sleeve is a tool for weightloss and if you are abusing it already you are setting yourself up for failure,so seek support so you can stay in control as the months /years go by.

shelly

Hi

I was sleeved 12 months ago and have never been able to eat more than 1/2 cup at anytime so I am shocked by the quantity you can consume. I have recently had a bypass - will be six weeks this Friday and I am still on pureed food and while I can eat a whole egg I certainly would not attempt baked beans and I am still limited to half a cup.

I wonder if you are really hungry or is it head hunger - you have been conditioned to eat a certain amount and if like most of us you comfort eat then your brain maybe playing tricks. A sleeve is only a tool to assist weight loss and if you eat too much or crap food you will not loose weight and then everything that you have put yourself through including the cost will be for nothing.

Do you have a dieititian and psycholgist as part of your care team - both can provide the guidance and support that you need now and into the future.

Good luck

Glenys

Hi Mel, thanks for your supportive reply :)
I just re read through all the information given to me by my surgeon before my operation. It says that the liquid phase after surgery is mainly to prevent any damage to the stitches and the seal to avoid leakage. It also said that everyone is different and take different amounts of time to go from liquids to softs to solids. It put my mind at ease but I know I should try harder to stick to the plan.

It also says that the sleeve can stretch again over time if the patient eats too much. So patients are advised that even though their tummy is smaller they still need to consciously eat small meals to avoid stretching.

So it's up to me to limit the size of my meals. I should have half a can and wait a few hours before finishing it.

Now that I've relaxed a little, I thought back to what I've been eating and realised that one egg isn't likely to have stretched my tummy. I just need to make sure i choose smaller bowls and plates.

Sounds like a good excuse to go shopping for new plates :) hehehe

Good luck with your sleeve Mel. Don't be silly like me and eat eggs or baked beans during the liquid phase :/ hehe

Hi Misscupcake,

Im not booked in until 6th Nov, but all the info I have & have been told by dietitian is to only stick to fluid. The only thing I'd be advising is to call dietitan / surgeon and get professional advice. I hope you feel better soon & that all is ok. Hopefully you'll get some response from other sleevers and their experiences to put your mind at ease a little.

Mel

Hello :)
I had my sleeve done 9 days ago. I was told by my surgeon that I'm only allowed liquids for 2-3 weeks after surgery. For the first five days I followed that, then I started going insane and started craving and dreaming about eggs and baked beans.
I figured that one scrambled egg wouldn't hurt or do damage if I chewed it really well and ate slowly. It felt a bit uncomfortable and hurt my tummy but I felt so nourished from the egg that I tolerated it. I couldn't stand the thought of another milky meal replacement/ protein drink.
So the next day I felt like another egg so I had one. It hurt less. I then started craving other chewable foods because let's face it, liquid soup for days is no fun and very difficult for some of us. I tried a tin of baked beans and chewed really well and ate very slowly and it was ok.
In the past few days I've craved thick chunky soups. After surgery I'd use these same soups but blend them so they were liquid but I craved the chewable veges and meats.
So today I had a can of chunky soup without blending it. The largest pieces in it were about the size of a 5 cent coin. I ate slowly and chewed really well to avoid pain and it felt ok.
But at the end of the bowl I realised I had eaten the whole can. It was one of those 'thick n hearty n chunky man size' type of cans. So it's not a small amount.
I'm really freaking out that I've stretched out my tummy already, only 9 days after surgery. I thought I'd only be able to eat about half of the amount of soup/baked beans that I've been having. Could my tummy have stretched already? I don't feel sickly full and I haven't thrown anything up. I'm so upset with myself for eating solids so soon but I didn't think it would do any harm if I made sure to chew well and go slow. But I think I've ruined myself if I can finish a whole tin of baked beans. I don't mean the small cans either. The large size of baked beans.
I've felt light headed and sick for the past few days and every day I wake up feeling starving like I've never felt before. I realised I wasn't eating enough so I've been trying to eat more so I don't get sick but a whole can in one meal? I feel as though I shouldn't be able to fit that much.

:'(