Learning To Eat: 32 Days After Surgery But Starting Over At Week 1. Ugh!

  Today marks 32 days since I had my surgery.
  Nothing remarkable about this day, just another Monday afternoon but another day I am struggling. I am getting SO sick of hearing idiot people say this is the "easy way out"....live this for a week then you would change your tune! While my road has been bumpy, it hasn't been as tough as some people face. That I will be the first to admit. But, it has not gone exactly as planned either. It is frustrating and discouraging! But, I have no choice.  I just have to keep going. This isn't like some diet you can say "screw it" and go eat a piece of pizza! Well, technically you could but you would be sick as hell and be in a lot of pain!
  There are different phases to Gastric Bypass.  Phases you have to go through before you can eat even semi-normal foods. Even then, you can never just run through a drive thru at McDonald's and order something when you are starving. These phases help keep you from making yourself sick but are there to teach you to, well, relearn how and what to eat. Instead of living to eat, you learn to eat to live.  May not sound like it's difficult.  However, the American diet is crap! There are horrible choices everywhere you look..... drive down the street. How many fast food joints do you count? How many grocery stores? That is what I am talking about....
  Now take in to consideration a few basic restrictions like,  no more than 3 grams of sugar or fat per 100 calories, no more carbonation or caffeine. So, you are out and about one Saturday and you are with friends.  Let's run to DQ because you can at least have a smoothie while your buddies stuff their faces with greasy bacon cheesburgers and fries.... let's take a look at your options shall we? You decide to take the best looking option and go with the Large Light Smoothie because it's "light"....  the large Mango Pineapple Light Smoothie has 260 calories,  68 carbs,  0 fiber, .5g of protein and a whopping 65g of sugar!! Hear the buzzer go off in your head? And that was the "light version".... none of their light smoothies have less than 50g of sugar.  Yummm, water it is for lunch!
Better than eating it, being sick and ending your outing.....  right?
  Now about these Phases.... I should be finishing Phase 4 right now, but after an adverse reaction to a medication sent me to the ER twice last week causing me to spend an overnight then 3 days straight in the hospital the last time.... I am back at Phase 2 :(

THE PHASES
  Phase 1
Start immediately after surgery. Your goal is 1 ounce of water every 15 minutes.  (Worst drinking game EVER! LOL!)

  Phase 2
Usually by the 3rd day after surgery for the next 10 days or so. It is now 4-6 ounces per hour until you can manage 64oz a day. Not so easy when your pouch only holds about 4oz at a time anyway and too but of a drink hurts like Hell! Cold beverages sometimes hurt too. Oh, these drinks are still all sugar free clear liquids.  You have this awful drain tube struggling out of your side for another week and until it is confirmed you dont have a pouch leak, you are kept off any purple or red liquids.
  Other important things during Phase 2
*NO Straws because it can dill your pouch with air and air bubbles HURT.
*NO alcohol. High in calories and due to the rerouting of your intestines you get drunk quick and can be toxic to your liver. Besides,  ever dump alcohol on a fresh wound.... enough said.
*NO carbonation as it painfully expands your tiny tummy. Ouch!
*NO caffeine.  It irritates your pouch lining and unless you want to be on IV feedings for life,  caffeine and Tobacco use is seen absolute NO NO!
*Avoid chewing gum. If accidentally swallowed it can block the new anastomosis (opening to your intestines) and you get a trip back into the OR.
*You may want to use a toddler spoon to prevent large painful bites.
*A sports bottle comes in handy for toting your drink everywhere you go.
*Do not drink past feeling full.
*If excessive fluids come out your drain after drinking or the color is the same as what you just drunk,  call the surgeon immediately!
  Recommended Foods
*Clear, no sugar added juices diluted in half by water.  But, no citrus. 
*Clear broth or bullion.
*Herbal or decaffeinated teas with artificial sweeteners.
*Sugar Free Jello. Remember your pouch is the size of an egg.
*Sugar Free Koolaid or Crystal Light - just no red or purple.
*Sports drinks if less than 50 calories per 8 ounce serving
*Sugar Free popsicles with no fruit chunks
*Clear beverages with less than 10 calories per 8 ounce serving
*Protein drinks like Isopure. But, read the label!

  Phase 3
Starts usually after your follow-up appointment after 2 weeks out.
Goal is still 4-6 ounces an hour to hit that 64oz total each day.
You keep following Phase 2 liquids but you now add protein.  Protein should hit at least 60 grams daily!  It can be tough, but,  this number just like water never changes. If you remember 64/60 daily, you should be okay. It's recommended to break up the protein consumption into 3-6 portions throughout the day so it is properly obsorbed by your body.
  Examples of Protein Sources
*Sugar Free hot cocoa as long as skim milk is added
*Whey Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate or concentrated shakes made with milk.  Other protein types are "incomplete, so they don't count"
*Low Fat Greek yogurt - no chunks of fruit and check the sugar count.
*1% or skim milk (Braum's skim milk has extra protein added!)
*Soups blended to a liquid consistency with milk or protein powder added
*Prepared protein shakes with less than 3g sugar per 100 calories.  I found Nectar powder mixes as well as Premier Protein prepared shakes for this requirement and taste really good.

This is about the time you add a Bariatric Chewable Vitamin.

  Phase 4
Starts from around day 14 thru 27 as you can start adding new foods as you can tolerate them.
Protein always comes first!!!
Some foods people start adding now are
*Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice and oatmeal with protein powder added
*Low fat cheeses with less than 5g fat per ounce
*Mashed potatoes with no skin. Never fried! Add in protein powder
*Scrambled eggs - make sure they are not dry though
*Pureed foods
*Sugar Free pudding
*Low fat refried beans
*Low fat cottage cheese
Important note ♡Dry Foods Hurt♡ so you may need to mix them with fat free mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, mustards, and/or 2 TB of ketchup, salsa, BBQ sauce and other sauces that follow the fat and sugar rules.
  As you add new foods
*Limit your meals.  No snacking this includes "healthy snacks"
*Pea sized bites and still chew 20 times so it is puree consistency before ypu swallow
*No drinking 30 minutes before, during or 30 minutes after a meal!
*Do Not lie down for an hour after eating
*Protein rich foods always first
*Add only 1 new food at a time to know what you can eat
***If nausea or vomiting occur, start back at Phase 2, if it continues, call your surgeon***
*Most people can stop protein shakes by month 3 if they are getting their 60g through regular foods.
*It should take roughly 15 minutes to eat 1 ounce of food. Over time you can eat in about 45 minutes and eat 3/4 to 1 cup (which is 8 ounces) at a time.  But, the goal is to NOT stretch your pouch or push your limits!

  WHAT'S NEXT?
  After 4 weeks you can add things like deli shaved learn lunch meats, seafood and white fish, and tofu.
  After week 5 it is foods like: cold cereal (watching fat and sugar), toasted wheat bread (white has a tendency to ball-up in the pouch), low great crackers with no seeds, well cooked soft rice, soft vegetables,  protein bars with no nuts.
  Weeks 6-7 get to add in no sugar added canned/skinless fruits (sorry, still no citrus yet), lettuce!!, soy crumbles, ground lean meats like turkey & chicken.
  Once you hit week 8, you get to try pasta but stay away from white sauces as they usually are high in fat. You van venture to untoasted or white bread but watch out for it balling-up in your pouch. Baked poultry or moist white meats are okay but avoid the skin and temptation to fry it. Roasted beef or pork as long as they are lean and moist when cooked. Raw veggies and fruit with no skins are okay and you can even have CITRUS fruit!
Another huge milestone is the ability to swallow pills again! What's the big deal?  Well,  you try crushing pain pills for 2 months.  YUCK! Lol.
If you still have a gall bladder your chances of developing stones goes WAY up, so your surgeon will discuss medications to start taking. You may have to start vitamin D supplements to go waking with the multivitamins that you will be taking the rear of your life.....
  At about 12 weeks,  raisins, grapes and other fruits with peels can be tried. Might even be able to try seeds.

  FROM HERE ON OUT.... no more carbonated drinks,  no caffeine or alcohol for at least a year, must get in 64 ounces of water daily,  60 ounces of protein and those pesky sugar and fat limitations. 

Well, as I finishing my protein shake I will close out this entry for today. For those irritating individuals out there still under the belief this is the "easy way" out...... I challenge you to try this for a week. Only a week and not slip up even once! Granted you will not suffer from Dumping Syndrome if you do screw up, but, I still would love to hear from ypu at the end of that week!  Write down every tiny thing you put in your mouth. Gastric Bypass people write it down so we can see what works and what we never want to put in our mouths ever again!
  This whole new way of life (not just a diet you can quit) is NOT EASY! It is way more than time consuming. You fight dehydration, exhaustion, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, ridicule, stares as you try your hardest at the gym, rude comments from family and friends, discouragement yet in the end, pride....  It is truly a new life!

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Even if you are not planning on having the surgery,  it is an eye opener and when paired with the gym, a great way to drop some pounds. LOL!