How long for normal amounts of protein?

I have yet to have my sleeve i am actually in the beginning stages and am amazingly nervous about the nutrition value that I will get after. My doctor made me feel comfortable and reassured me of course and I can go to him with any question but I would like to hear it for people who have and are going through the process themselves. I would also like to know what seemed to be the hardest thing after surgery you went through and any advise you may have so I may prepare myself mentally. Thanks all.

Replies

  • dward59
    dward59 Posts: 731 Member
    It honestly seems to be different for every person. My wife and I were sleeved the same day. She had no problems at all. My problems have been minor.

    Initially, one truism seems to be the difficulty of getting all your drinking in. I know at first when I drank, I could feel the water slowly trickle into my stomach. Once the swelling from surgery subsided, I've never had that issue.

    Initially you will be on a liquid diet and your protein will come from shakes. I was concerned because it was taking me two hours to drink a shake, but the doctor wasn't concerned with that at all, and that time passed quickly. Once we got to pureed food then real food it hasn't been much of a problem. If you eat good lean proteins, a few ounces can really pack in huge amounts of protein.

    My doctor has asked us to please stop using the shakes. We want to use up the remainder of what we have in the pantry, but I've dropped to a single shake per day.

    My best piece of advice is to go with it, use the tool you are going to be given to learn moderation, what it is to eat a normal sized meal (normal as in how much we SHOULD eat vice what we think is normal.) As we lose weight our allowed calories will shrink too. As my hunger has started coming back a bit, I see a time where maintenance won't be that difficult based on the number of calories I'm allowed and what my stomach will let me eat. Just as long as I stick with the rules of Protein first, vegetables and fruit second, then carbs if I have room.

    I know it is a frightening/exciting mix of time, but you must have done some soul searching to come to the decision to pursue this course. Contrary to what you may hear from those who don't know, this is not an easy way out. It is a tool that some of us have come to the point that we need.

    Best of luck with your procedure.
  • Thank you for your reply this has helped me and helps calm nerves and yes soul searching was pursued and as you said i believe this to be a tool not a fix. Life style changes are hard but worth every bit of effort thanks again and happy for your wife and yourself for your continued strength moving forward. :happy:
    Chani
  • melbogg
    melbogg Posts: 135 Member
    first 2-3 days was physically rough, after that smooth sailing! Struggles the first 6 months were getting in all the water and protein requirements. Just keep at it and do your best. I'm almost 10 months out, I've lost almost 100 pounds and I LOVE my sleeve.
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
    I was sleeved 2 years ago. One thing to note is that initially the weight will come off fast, but eventually it will slow down and maybe even stall out. Not to panic, talk to your nutritionist and readjust your food intake and it will get going again. Depending on how much you have to lose, it could all come off in a year or you could be like me and 2 years out with another 75 to go. But remember, everyone is different and even how much and how quickly we lose is an individual thing. In other words, you can use what others are doing as a guideline, but don't compare your journey to theirs exactly. You are unique and so will you weight loss journey be.

    dward59 is right, protien first, then veggies, fruits and maybe some carbs. I find that by the time I get the protien in, I rarely have room for anything else. I too don't do the shakes for every meal, mainly when it's getting close to grocery day and I'm starting to run out of my typical breakfast foods or if I've indulged more than I should have and really need to readjust my calories for a couple of days.

    Weigh and measure everything you put in your mouth, because the reality is that even 2 years out, I still cannot eyeball anything and get the portion right. If a serving size is 6 crackers, take 6 out of the box and put the box away. Doing that makes it harder to find you've eaten 1/2 a box without meaning to.

    I have very few issues. The acid relux I have, I have had for years. It is not a result of the surgery. However, since the surgery black coffee, spagetti sauce and spicy food now bother my stomach. So I put creamer in my coffee (I'm addicted to coffee) and count it in my daily calories and I simply avoid the other two. Most people who've had this surgery can eat whatever they want, just in much smaller protions. And frankly that can be the downside. This surgery will not change what you want to eat, you have to do that.

    This is a great tool, but understand, it's just a tool. You will never be able to eat the same amount of food at one sitting as you can presurgery, but it is possible to regain your weight, it is with every weight loss surgery. So be prepared to make these changes litetime changes. Going back to old eating and exercise habits (or in my case, no exercise at all) isn't an option if you want to get it off and keep it off. Good luck!
  • amylynn924
    amylynn924 Posts: 12 Member
    I'm almost 2 months out. I had my surgery on August 1st. The hardest thing for me is not being able to drink when I'm eating. I've been instructed to wait 30 minutes before eating after drinking, and wait 45 minutes after eating to drink. I feel like all I do all day long is eat or drink. My goals are 70 grams of protein, 600 calories / day, <40 grams of protein and < 30 grams of fats. I also drink 64 oz of fluids daily.