I'm finding this thread very helpful. I had a stricture dilated two weeks ago. It went untreated for too long, so I was stuck on full liquids from the start. Anytime I would try solid food, it would often result in vomiting. Now that the stricture has been fixed, I've been having a hard time knowing what to eat. I am not really a meat-eater, so I end up eating a lot of soup and cheese.

The few times I have tried eating dense foods, they have made me nauseous within a few bites. At this point, I'm not sure what to try next. I'd like to start eating veggies, but I already have a hard time getting my protein in. I was planning on having a hard-boiled egg and a protein bar for dinner, but the egg has made me uncomfortably full, so I am yet again, not going to meet my protein goals today.

Here is what I have eaten today:
B: 3oz cottage cheese with 1oz no sugar added canned peaches
S: cheese stick (moz)
L: same as breakfast
S: cheese stick (moz)
D: hard boiled egg
I also drank about 3/4 of a protein shake throughout the day.
Total calories: 405. Total protein: 49

I really need to find new foods to eat as well.

Jen- part of me wishes I got full quickly. 1 egg would never satisfy me. It'd be awesome if people would keep posting recipes!

oy vey!! i'm wondering where i put my old post-op diet sheet. it was printed on green paper.

so, i'm gonna try to reconstruct this from my old memory.

First of all, Jen - instead of fruit, think about adding finely chopped or shredded veggies to your cottage cheese. and DO try the cucumber, tomato, and peppers mixed with humus. Bean salads are also good - a can of chick peas with finely chopped raw veggies and an oil and vinegar dressing is really really good and filling.

[another recipe coming up - this one from my midwestern Mom. in the summer she'd make this wonderful cottage cheese salad by mixing finely chopped onion, peppers, tomatoes, celery, and carrot into cottage cheese, and then adding a little salt and pepper. i still eat it - makes a great breakfast or lunch. or snack.]

i was told to start adding soft, well-cooked veggies AND/OR finely chopped or shredded raw veggies after about 6 weeks. and for awhile, the cooked veggies have to be on the soft side. i had to peel broccoli before cooking it[and i STILL have to peel it]. and i used soft lettuce - like Boston lettuce and red or green leaf lettuce, and romaine [after taking out that tough stalk in the middle]- to make rollups. other choices: winter squash, summer squash. i've always had issues with fresh spinach - both raw and cooked


as for protein, thinly sliced protein - like deli turkey [quite a few delis roast their own turkey, chicken, roast beef, and ham - it's much less processed than the commercial stuff] worked best. and very thinly sliced chicken breast, pork scallopini, and so on. with gravy.

ground meat - beef, chicken, turkey, pork, veal - as well. Jilly gave a great recipe for a spaghetti sauce. i make meat loaves like this:

for every pound of ground meat, haul out the food processor and finely chop any amount/combination of the following: garlic, onion, carrot, celery, tomato, zucchini, mushroom, enough to make about 2 cups. cook it in a frying pan with a little oil until the veggies are soft - and then let them cool.

then, smash a can of chick peas [or black beans or white beans] in a large bowl, and add the veggies. then the meat, a lot of parsley, and 2 eggs.

If you're making something like my mother's meatloaf, you'll stop there and get it ready to go into pans. BUT i go with the Italian grandmother meatloaf: mix in at least a cup of grated romano [and DON'T use the stuff in the green can], and some freshly chopped garlic [yes - more].

you can then go two ways with this. you can make it into a meat loaf and cook it on a sheet pan [topped with ketchup or tomato sauce or whatever] OR you can form the mixture into large-ish meatballs [aka mini-meat loaves]. tha'ts what i usually do]

for the MOM version: just form them. for the GRANDMA version, take a small chunk of provolone or mozzarella and form the meatball around it. seal very well. if you're making it into a loaf, put half the meat on the sheet pan, add a layer of mozzarella or provolone, then top with the rest of the meat and seal well. the CLASSIC grandma meatloaf also had a few slices of salami or ham in it.

cook this until done - but be careful not to let it get too dry or you'll have trouble eating it. the veggies keep it all nice and moist, and the chickpeas lighten the texture so it's easier to eat.

it's a lot of trial and error, and looking at the recipes you usually use and asking yourself if this might work for you - and if not, how you can change it so that it will work. hope this helps!

More recipes? Don't mind if I do!

Dump some boneless, skinless chicken (I use thighs since they're cheaper, but breasts will work, too) into a crock pot. Dump a jar of salsa over them (check labels for hidden sugary ingredients - I use an organic salsa from Wegmans), enough to cover at least half of the chicken, and add a block of cream cheese (cutting up into chunks will make it easier to mix in later). Cook on low all day, stirring occasionally if you're around to do so just to get the cream cheese mixed in. If you're not around, don't worry about it, as you can still just mix it in at the end. About 20 minutes before serving, dump some shredded cheddar cheese on top to melt, then serve with a blob of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) on top. Cooking the chicken this way (I've also done it with chunks of stew beef) keeps it super tender and moist.

High 5 to anyone who can eat a plain hard boiled egg - I couldn't do it! But I DO love me some DEVILED eggs! I am so lazy that I actually buy eggs already hard boiled and peeled (they sell them 6 in a bag at Wegmans, Trader Joe's, and a couple other places). I just take out 2 or 3 at a time (depending on if my husband is there to beg some off me!), cut in half, and mix the yolks in a bowl with mayo, a little mustard, and usually a bit of sweet pickle relish. If I'm going all out, I may also mix in some onion powder, paprika, and worcestershire sauce.

Also, if I'm being even lazier, I don't mind just mashing all of the above together and making a bowl of egg salad instead of deviled eggs. I just eat it plain right out of the bowl or sometimes scoop a little our onto a slice of cheese.

Let's see, other things I liked early out...

Egg muffins/mini crustless quiches: mix a dozen eggs (a few less if you'll use lots of fillings) up as if you're making scrambled eggs or an omelette. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, and put whatever veggies and meats (cooked) you like in each cup. Personally, I liked to do chopped spinach (this is my go-to veggie for lots of things since I really don't like many veggies, and it doesn't have much flavor), chopped onion, and crumbled sausage, but you can use whatever you want. Then pour the eggs over the meats/veggies in each cup. Top with shredded cheese, and bake until cooked through. These are great for on-the-go, as they refrigerate and reheat well.

As a general note, I use "real"/full-fat everything, but I see no reason you can't swap out some reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free products if you wished. Just check labels as many fat-free products have added sugar to make up for the taste.

Thanks for the suggestion - I actually try to avoid grains completely (even "whole" grains), and I also avoid soy, particularly now that I'm pregnant! I personally find noodles to essentially be nothing more than a vehicle for the sauce, meat, and cheese, as, to me, the actual noodles have almost no flavor. So I just skip them!

Laylay - when you say one egg wouldn't fill you up, do you mean a scrambled egg? hard boiled egg? fried egg? Soft scrambled eggs don't fill me up much, but a hard boiled egg would have early out.

memories!!! oh my goodness- these recipes and tips take me back years! like jilly - deviled eggs have saved me. i couldn't keep down a scrambled egg for at least two years after surgery, and i don't like hardboiled eggs. but deviled eggs worked. less than a month after surgery, i was adding hot sauce, chili powder, and ancho powder to the yolks, along with hot salsa [see a theme here? and i put a tablespoon or two of the salsa on a folded paper towel to soak up as much of the water as possible]. the surgeon asked me if it hurt - and it did hurt the inside incisions, but it tasted so good!!!

are you seeing a theme here? soft meat with some kind of sauce. and BTW, fish works well, too. start with the soft ones like flounder or tubot or haddock or whatever. don't fry it [risks too much dryness!].

an old WW recipe that i still love was for turbot or other flaky thick white fish. soak dried onion flakes in an equal amount of vinegar until the onion is soft - takes about 20-30 minutes. mix in mustard, and then spread it over the fish fillets [adding cayenne if you feel ambitious - paprika if you don't]. bake at 350 until the fish is flaky. very nice and not at all 'fishy' - the vinegar takes care of that.

and PS, Laylay - are you using protein shakes? they'll make a huge difference in your hunger level.

Jilly- 1 egg cooked any way doesn't fill me up now. A few weeks post op 1 scrambled would fill me up.

Jiffy- no protein shakes. I've tried a few and didn't find one I liked. I was tired of wasting my money. I know some sites sell samples and I ordered some of those a while back too. No luck. My NUT didn't push the shakes. She actually advised against them. She told me she'd rather me be eating real food than to rely on the shakes. I'd love to find one I like...but right now, the finances don't really allow.

hmmm. let's discuss this, Laylay. over the long term, your NUT is right - protein shakes are not a substitute for real food. however, it's impossible right after surgery and for about 3-6 months to get all the protein we're supposed to get only from food. we don't have enough room. unless we overfill the pouch.

and i'm wondering if this is what's going on with you. you SHOULD be full on an egg with maybe 1/2 slice of toast or 1/2 serving of fruit. protein supplements help balance the blood sugar so that we don't feel hungry while we're eating so little, and they provide the protein we need to maintain bones, tissues, blood, and so on.

how are you mixing the protein? for me, no matter how hard i tried, there was no way i'd be tossing the protein into a blender with ice. JUST NOT HAPPENING. but pouring it over ice worked well for me - i had to drink them icy cold or i'd be gagging.

have you tried the protein powder mixed with some plain yogurt? or some cottage cheese with sweetener? some folks add some SF syrup to them as well. and i've also heard people say that adding a spoonfull of peanut butter to the chocolate protein powder makes it palatable.

I know these things aren't cheap, but they might hold the key to long-term success with the surgery. and that's really important to consider. and one more point - i hope that you returned ALL the protein supplements you didn't like. the store should take them back - no questions asked.

What kind of luck did you have with the insurance company? i hope you can find someone who will be able to help you with this.

Its been a busy week with the Hubbys work schedule etc....he works 2 hours away right now. I'm about to call and make an appointment with my doctor right now. Then she has to refer me to a surgeon/nutritionist.

Its starting to kind of frighten me that I'm not full like I should be. What id I've already stretched my pouch?

laylay - i truly believe that if you figure this out and get back on track, it'll be OK. i doubt that any permanent damage has been done.

i can absolutely understand how this happened - it's real easy to do. and i gotta point out that it's time to take care of YOU. it's one of the hardest things we have to face. people like us - who've managed to become overweight enough to qualify for surgery - have a LONG track record of taking care of everyone EXCEPT ourselves. and in order to have success with any form of WLS, we have to figure out how to do that.

it means time for exercise, time to eat properly, real stress management, learning to not swallow our emotions, and making sure that we have what we need to succeed [stuff like protein supplements, forms of protein that we can eat, veggies, fruit, and regular doctor visits and so on].

IT'S NOT EASY!!!! but you are absolutely worth all the effort.

Jiffy-thank you for all of your help. It is so tough. Military wife means a horrible schedule for my husband so its me and my kids everyday. Money is tight since we just moves but things will look up in Feb/march when he reenlists and tax time! Haha

I agree with jiffy that protein supplements may not be needed forever, but early out, I would never recommend against them. Even later out, when I Was eating 100-150grams of protein daily, my hair would start falling out a bit more if I didn't have that added boost of easily absorbable protein from shakes. At 2+ years out, I was generally healthier when still having a shake every day. I hate when nuts say to use "real food" instead of shakes - you have impaired absorption, and shakes pffer a more readily absorbable form of protein. Also, I don't know anyone who has a protein shake as justa regular drink in addition to a meal - it replaces eaither a meal or snack, so it's not like you're getting a bunch of added wasteful calories.

What were you mixing the protein powders with? I never found a single protein drink I liked when mixed only with water - had to be something creamier. My ultimate favorite ended up being a chocolate mint flavored powder by Dymatize (ordered off of netrition.com or vitacost.com for low flat-rate shipping) mixed with unsweetened almond milk. I liked it so much I WANTED it, not just choked it down ;) And this powder seemed smoother in texture than most others, so I didn't have that thick feeling to it or any chunks (just shook it up in a Blender Bottle, which I highly recommend).

I know this quantity/volume thing is scary right now, but I honestly believe that if you reel in the carbs, you'll find that your appetite will decrease naturally since protein and fat fill you up and tend to last longer since they're not as quickly absorbed. I can eat 2000 calories a day and still lose weight as long as my carbs are kept very low (if I add in more carbs, then I have to reduce my calories), and I likely no longer malabsorb any calories.

I have got pages and pages of protein powder shake recipes, I will try to import them here, they all look fabulous! Mostly stuff that you would add to vanilla protein powder. If you can go to a supplement store, not some place like walmart, so you can talk to the staff who know what they are talking about. There are different kinds of protein powder, ones that are more of a meal replacement and ones that are more for after workouts. they would have a better idea of which ones taste better as well.

Also, and don't get crazy on me for saying this anyone, but I think we do have to start learning to live with sometimes being hungry knowing that sometimes it is just head hunger. This is my opinion and what I am going to do for myself. I started going off food a few months ago even before surgery. I don't want to buy or cook it or eat it so basically right now being in the full fluids stage of my post-op recovery I am drinking or 'eating' what I am supposed to so that I get the appropriate number of protein grams and I just don't even think about food being interesting anymore. I don't know if this is going to last, I am just looking at food as being fuel for my body. I plan what I am going to eat and don't worry about feeling full. Is it great to feel hungry? No not really but the way I look at it is that I had 43 years of listening to my emotions to fill my stomach, I have had more than my fair share of those dinners where all I wanted to do afterwards was lapse into a fat/sugar induced coma. Now is the time for my willpower to kick in and say to my emotions that this is that plan of what I am going to eat, this is adequate fuel for my body and that's it and that's all there is to that. That's just the way that I am going to approach this whole thing. I feel for myself that I have to be fairly ruthless because I know it wouldn't take much for me to slide way backwards really quickly.

ok laylay - let's start with some of the info that jilly's given you, and see if we can get this figured out without breaking the bank. Maybe we can come up with something that'll get you back on track and won't take more than a few days until you're feeling the difference.

Some programs suggest SF carnation instant breakfast with added powdered milk. MUCH less expensive than commercial protein supplements. try it - see what you think. you can also slip the powdered milk into foods [at least, that's what they say - i've never tried it - we grew up with powdered milk and, well, let's just leave it at that].

Now for food -

first of all - NOT MORE THAN 15 GRAMS OF CARBS EVER. and whatever carbs you do eat have to be good-quality. veggies, fruit [not juice], whole wheat bread, brown rice and so on. Think South Beach.

second - eat enough protein that you don't have room for more than the protein plus a couple of bites of veggies [first], and fruit [second]. aim for 15-20 grams of protein PER EATING EPISODE [notice i'm not calling them MEALS!]. you'll need to eat 4-5 times per day in order to meet your protein goals. if you eat 25-30 grams or protein at a time, don't worry about it.

and for right now, focus on getting the biggest bang for the VOLUME. that means eating really high protein-containing foods rather than low-protein containing foods.

take a look at what's on your plate - it should total no more than 1/2 cup [jilly gets to eat a larger volume because the DS left her with a larger stomach]. and the 20-ish grams of protein should be about that size.

suggestions: for every whole egg you eat, add an extra egg white. and be sure to check the eggs you're buying. jumbo eggs have 9 grams of protein, large eggs have 3. you do the math.

for meat, fish, chicken, turkey, ham, figure that each ounce has roughly 7 grams of protein. so you'll need to eat about 3 ounces per serving. now, i gotta tell you that i have trouble with that - so i ALWAYS add cheese. it's a low-volume protein source.

look for ways to sneak protein into everything - chick peas/black beans/navy beans and cheese. make refried beans yourself [cheaper and less fat in them].

for snacks - focus on protein - and NEVER eat a carb without protein. so, this means things like a dip made with cottage cheese or plain yogurt and a few veggies [celery with the strings removed, pepper strips, cucumber, cherry tomatoes. carrots are carby so be careful with them], or a dip made with chick peas or white beans all smashed up with garlic and parsley [yummy!].

you can also have a couple of slices of apple spread with peanut butter. share the apple with the kids.

Jen - you're right about the head hunger. we have to figure out the difference between REAL hunger and head hunger or even thirst! that's one of the reasons that an eating schedule can be helpful. back when i started with this, i quickly found out that if i didn't have 15 grams of protein every 3 hours, i got dizzy. So, that was my schedule! i ate 15 grams of protein every 3 hours!

glad you're doing well and dealing with the changes that YOU know you have to make! bottom line, the success or failure of the surgery isn't really about the food - it's about the emotions that we're trying to feed. we have to un-learn EVERYTHING. and it's always been such a surprise to me just how much there is to unlearn!