I still feel obsessed with food - i'm always eating so i think!

[phatmomma]

Okay week 5 of being post op is almost at an end. As lots of you know i've had a truly 'easy' recovery from my bypass and am blessed with it.

My only concern is this, i feel like i'm eating constantly and maybe i'm eating too much? Should i think of perhaps counting calories? How many calories should i be eating every day? I'm trying to avoid carbs or have very little carbs if i have too! A couple of times my head has thought i can have something extra, like Sunday when Trev light the barbecue and i had a sausage i didn't really want but the old me said have it cos it's going to waste else! This ended up in the loo about an hour or so later. Tonight i had the inside of a fishcake with 2 very small new pots and some sweetcorn and then thought i'd have some vlf yoghurt, it stayed down but i felt nauseous for a while about half hour later. I'm sorting my head but really need to know if i'm eating too much.

I have a few bran flakes for brekkie, a piece of fruit mid morning then lunch today was an rice cake with soft cheese & 4 fish sticks and about 5 pecan nuts, a banana in the afternoon and then tea tonight! I have still managed to drink throughout the day. Do you think i should miss the fruit and drink even more than i do? HELP!!

I lost 2lb last week and yes i wasn't exactly disappointed but i wasn't euphoric either. But still i put this down to the yet to emerge period.

 

[jaxx]

Put it this way, how much would have you eaten pre bypass? Your diet sounds fine although if you're feeling sick or throwing up you might be eating too much in one go. It takes ages for your head to catch up with your body. I'm still experiencing that.

I think you're too close to your surgery to be bothered with calorie counting as you're still experimenting with what you can and can't get down etc. But from what you've listed, I can't there being a problem. Remember your body is still adjusting to the surgery and your new lower calorie intake so you might experience some weight loss stalls (I did and boy is it demoralising!).

 

[Twiggie]

I don't think you're eating too much Julie, in fact I think I'm probably eating slightly more than you and my weight is coming off at an average 3lb a week which I'm more than happy with.

e.g today I've had 3tbsp porridge, 3 rashers bacon & 1 egg, a babybel light & slice of melon, 1tbsp couscous & 3tbsp lamb tagine, and a little while ago I had a tiny slice of apple pie with 2tsp diabetic ice cream... no sign of dumping yet! :fingerscrossed:

I don't count calories but I'm aware of what I'm eating and avoid high-cal stuff wherever possible. Let's face it, on the small amounts we can eat we're hardly going to exceed 1000kcals per day unless we stuff our faces on crap & slider foods, plus around a third of the calories we eat are not absorbed anyway.

 

[yorkshirelass74]

Hi all,
I know i havent had my op yet, so i might sound a bit daft, but my surgeon said i would only be able to eat 3 mouthfuls of food at any one time, so i was trying to mentally adapt myself, but your diet sounds great, it isnt a lot of food at all, but its a lot more than i imagined i would be having post op, plus you are losing weight! the inside of a fish cake, 2 small potatoes and sweetcorn is less than my 5 year old eats!! If someone had given me that on a plate a few weeks ago i would have cried with hunger!!

xx

 

[yorkshirelass74]

By the way, i meant to ask you Julie, have you experienced the 'Dumping sydrome' that i am dreading so much?

 

[dottychic]

I dont think you are eating lots Julie. Im pre-op as you know but I wouldnt think you have anything to worry about X

 

[thinkbethin]

Sounds fine to me Julie.You are doing great sweetheart xxx

 

[Sambucca]

Hi Julie

The choices you are making look good (except the sausage lol), and if it is staying down then you are not eating too much.

The hardest thing for me was getting used to the amount of wasted food. Its hard when you live on a budget and cant really afford to waste stuff, but I soon got used to it. The other thing I found hard was slowing my eating down. The slower I go, the less I can manage.

Even now at 10 months I serve myself a similar portion size to my 6 year old, and often have to leave some of it.

If you are managing to get all your fluids in (2-3 litres) and still have the room for the quantities you are managing then dont panic.

 

[phatmomma]

I don't measure fluids Sam but i do drink plenty, i've always had a glass of nas squash and two mugs of tea before i even think of my breakfast, never mind the rest of the day I'm also trying to make a concerted effort to eat slower although its not working much yet.

Yorkshire lass when your surgeon said you would only eat about 3 spoons he means initially. As for dumping i haven't tested that yet. I don't eat high sugar foods anymore even though last week i could have wrestled a great hulking beast of a man for a bar of chocolate...

At the moment Yorkshirelass my meals are definitely smaller than the meals my 11 month old grandson has...

I think i'm going to do a tick chart to keep track of my fluids as i'm not sure i am doing 2 litres anymore i know i was immediately post op...

Thanks for all your replies, really appreciate them x

 

[yorkshirelass74]

Oh right, i am a der, i thought i would be eating the tiniest 3 spoonfuls of food for the rest of my life!

 

[SOON SLIM SUE]

i think your doing ok Julie. i sometimes have 1 sausage,1 egg and tomatoes for diner, but pre-op it would have been 4 sausages, 2 eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and fried bread.
i keep a packet of ryvita minis in my bag incase i feel hungry.

 

[Neen]

I think you're doing fab Julie, I was just going to add that since we got a food waste bin from the council, the worry of "wasteing" food has gone for me..now I know it's going to make compost I don't feel obliged to finish it off. As soon as food is on your plate it's wasted anyway if you think about it. I either pop what I leave in the compost or cling film and fridge it. Usually ends up in the compost anyway later but at least it is getting rid of that guilty feeling and stopping me from eating unnessessary extra food.

 

[phatmomma]

Oh forget that Neen lol. I save it for the next meal or for my two legged dustbin. For instance yesterday i made garlic n herb chicken thighs. Thought i'd manage 2 as they're not big thighs (unlike mine lol), err no after 1 thigh and a spoon of mash there was no room left. The remainding thigh went in the fridge and stayed there till i was hungry at about 10 o'clock last night when it got munched cold

Waste not want not lol xx

 

[ladylite]

Hi Julie, I am quite close to you and today I have eaten

a mini baby bel for breakfast. 1 slice wholemeal toast with a scrabbled egg. I am having sweet and sour chicken tonight with say 2/3 new potatoes. I will try and eat a banana too and perhaps a yoghurt at some time. So I dont think you diet is too bad. I do sometimes eat more than this defending on if I feel hungry, but if you remember I had a bad day yesterday so today I am not feeling too hungry.

I can remember feeling the same as you at your stage, wondering if I was doing it right. It does get easier and easier to more you learn what you can and cannot eat. Dont worry about calories, you are not on a diet anymore, remember you are a new person.

You are doing fab, dont worry hun. xxx

 

[phatmomma]

Aww thanks Mary and everyone else. Just feel like in between the drinking all i'm doing is thinking about my next food hit! xx

ps, Feta cheese n a couple of crackers for tea, no hubby or kids

 

[dottychic]

"ps, Feta cheese n a couple of crackers for tea, no hubby or kids"
Were you originally planning on them for tea Julie x

 

[phatmomma]

Well i wouldn't describe my Trev as traditionally tasty, but he has his juicy bits

As for the kids, no way they'd fit in my oven x x

 

[Gail-michelle]

Ime addicted to feta cheese as my ex was greek cypriot, but I buy the low fat one from Tesco, and my 2 x grandsons just lovvvvvvvve it . It must be the cypriot blood in em Lol

 

[Stellap]

I don't measure fluids Sam but i do drink plenty, i've always had a glass of nas squash and two mugs of tea before i even think of my breakfast, never mind the rest of the day I'm also trying to make a concerted effort to eat slower although its not working much yet.

Yorkshire lass when your surgeon said you would only eat about 3 spoons he means initially. As for dumping i haven't tested that yet. I don't eat high sugar foods anymore even though last week i could have wrestled a great hulking beast of a man for a bar of chocolate...

At the moment Yorkshirelass my meals are definitely smaller than the meals my 11 month old grandson has...

I think i'm going to do a tick chart to keep track of my fluids as i'm not sure i am doing 2 litres anymore i know i was immediately post op...

Thanks for all your replies, really appreciate them x

Hi Julie, I think you are doing great - remember if you don't eat enough then your weight will stall as well! A tip I got when I was worried about my drinking was to get 2 1 little bottles, fill them with water and put them in the fridge and use them throughout the day for NAS squashes, teas, drinks etc. You then know exactly how much you are drinking and you get nice cold water (if you can tolerate it that is). I don't have trouble drinking now as I go to the gym 3 times a week and my drinking really goes up then, but it worked for me in the early days.

 

[Kerry Jo]

Hiya Julie, i came across a sticky you may find interesting if you haven't already read it.
Go to the bar at the top and click on FORUM JUMP then click on WLS FAQ'S then click on POUCH RULES FOR DUMMIES INFORMATION POST
I found it interesting and don't think you are eating too much, good luck, let me know how you find it xxx