Meals - Timing and Frequency

I am a nurse by profession. I'm not working right now, but I still seem to keep the crazy hours I have when I am working. Specifically, my days tend to be very long (up to 18-20 hours sometimes) and my hours of sleep are sufficient (7-9 usually), though not necessarily at the same time every day.

Since surgery (I'm 2 weeks PO), I've been trying very hard to keep a regular  schedule, but the better I feel, the more I am slipping back into my regular routine. My question is, how to approach meals/eating? So far, I've been handling it by making sure I get in 64 oz. of fluids (at least) every 24 hours and eating smallish protein-only meals every 5 or so hours because my surgeon's team told me to never go more than 5 hours between meals. Does this make sense? I'm only averaging about 600-700 calories (at the MOST) in a 24 hour period right now, but I'm worried about whether I'm eating too much?

You don't say what you're eating, however at 2 weeks post-op it can't be much as you are still learning your pouch. I've been eating every 2-1/2 to 3 hours with protein being the main objective since I started on foods. I'm almost 9 months out, but at 2 weeks I remember that I was on pureed foods and could only eat around a 1/4 - 1/2 cup at most. I just looked back at myfitnesspal and I was averaging about 500 to 600 calories a day then. Now it's somewhere between 800 and 1200 depending on whether I'm having a big or small pouch day. Looking at my program plan the first month it states 600 calories. So, it sounds like you're in the ballpark calorie wise. Double check your surgeon's plan and you are still new. Relax, enjoy your journey and good luck!

Breakfast was a 5 oz. Greek yogurt, 1"st lunch" and "2nd lunch" were each a little less than 1 C. lentil soup (about 1/2 C. solids in that) w/1 oz. Grated 50% fat free cheddar. Dinner (such as it is) was 3 very thin slices of low fat deli turkey and the same of reduced fat pepper jack.

That sounds like a lot at two weeks out. What does your plan call for as far as measurements of food? 1/4 cup every few hours?

I wasn't eating 1/2 cup of anything until closer to 6 weeks out. As for soups, I'd probably purée the solids so you can get a more accurate measurement. 

For the timing of my meals, I've been eating every 3-4 hours. If I wait longer than 6 hours, it's definitely not good for me. I don't have any bad reactions, but I do notice I'm crankier--I'm guessing by that point, my blood sugar has dropped considerably. To help me to remember to eat, I set up alarms on my phone. It helps me stay on track, even if I don't eat right away. Hope that helps! 

I just reread the plan they gave me and it doesn't include much in the way of measurements other than when talking about cheese (1 oz. reduced fat, added to other foods to boost protein), eggs (1 egg = 1/4 C. egg beaters), and cottage cheese (1/2 C. = 1 serving). The nutritionist that ran the group I went to last week emphasized that we eat slowly and stop when we feel full, which is what the literature I was given says, too, and also what I've been doing.

After I eat, I wait 30 minutes before returning to sipping my water. Getting in the full 64 oz. has been a challenge (particularly since I've been sick the past few days), but I've been getting better about it. Yesterday, I think I was only off the mark by about 8 oz. (and that because I feel asleep before I could drink the last glass - I had it right next to me!)

I'll try pureeing the lentil soup before I eat today as you suggested and see if that makes a difference in how much I can eat/what fills me up.

I am five and a half years out and still eat 6 or 7 times a day, with a relatively normal dinner and then smaller snack-like meals the rest of the day.  That means that I eat something -- now it is always a protein and some good carbs, but early out it was just protein unless it was dairy (which has carbs) -- about every 3 hours.  Doing that keeps blood sugar and metabolism more stable throughout the day.  With your schedule, I think fitting in a bunch of small meals every few hours would be easier than trying to plan more regular meals at specific times. As long as you make good food choices as you are able to tolerate more foods, it can work very well.

Lora

Thanks, Lora. I hadn't thought about the BS and metabolism aspect of things, but you make a good point. I'll just have to be mindful of each food choice and how they stack up nutritionally overall in the course of a day.

I am three weeks PO.  I ate pureed food for the first two weeks (cottage cheese, greek yogurt, creamed soups, etc).   no eggs, beans, nothing else.  I ate 2-3 ounces at a meal.  did well the first two weeks.  then started adding in regular food at still 2-4 ounces now and now get nauseaus after every meal.  I haven't vomited yet but have been having to go near the bathroom for 30 min following every meal.  I am not getting in my 64 ounces and my doctor said at 35-40 ounces the first two weeks I was doing well.  he said to increase it as much as I could. 

Every doc's instructions are a little different from what I understand, but my doc's instructions were to eat soft solids (protein only) and only as far as the pouch would allow. I was told that if I'm getting nauseous or experiencing pain, then I've eaten too much. This means that, depending on the texture and density of a particular protein source, I may be eating a little more or a little less in any given meal. For instance, I can barely eat 1.5 oz. of the sliced turkey meat from the deli, but I'm able to manage about 3/4 C. or so of lentil soup. When I chew the lentils, they mush up to a liquid (not even a soft solid) and liquids go through the pouch  much more easily. Cottage cheese I can eat less of, too, because it has more "body" even after chewing.

You might try some refried beans with a little shredded cheese added. High in protein and definately a soft food. I still eat that whenever the mood strikes for Mexican food!