Swallowing rocks and carbs??

[amydroe]

I have a few questions this morn...shocker right?!!

When I swallow anything other than yogurt or a liquid it feels like I have swallowed a few pebbles. It sits this was for a while. When can I expect this to go away? I know we are all different, but will it be a monthish, 6 months? A year?

Carbs.. I can have 50 a day, correct? By the way I have not come close to this. Does it matter where they come from? I will admit yesterday I had one ritz cracker loaded with cream cheese. It was divine! Is this a no no? If I wanted a half slice of toast is this a no? Or as long as I stay under that 50 can I have what I want?

If this is all documented somewhere please point me to it and I will find the answers without posting

Thanks!!!

[newyorkbitch]

At this point Amy, you don't have any room for carbs. You must eat protein and get fluids in. Until you get to 90g of protein a day, you don't have room for anything else.

[Deleted]

Carbs you eat right now should be just coincidence (i.e. just happen to be in whatever high protein food you eat).

[amydroe]

Ok gotcha! Will tell my carb addiction to STFU!!!

The swallowing rocks feeling ??

[bboop]

I assume liquids are going down ok, right? Is the rocks feeling after eating carbs?

Couldn't it be that your new tummy is just now getting used to solid food? Perhaps go back a step and eat liquid type foods for a day or even a meal and see how that sets. Perhaps you are overfilling that new tiny tummy, but not to the point of nausea. It could be anything, but I really would try going back a step and see how you do. You won't have to stay there long, just do what your body tells you.

Try eating cream cheese with just cream cheese - off of a spoon...add dry spices and see if that will help you stop the carb fest. Peanut butter on a spoon is wonderful.

Let us know how you are getting along after you try taking a step back. Don't worry, you will get there it just takes time, sometimes it takes a little longer for some.

[Girlrocker]

Apr 6, 2014 8:53:39 GMT -5 amydroe said:

Carbs.. I can have 50 a day, correct? By the way I have not come close to this. Does it matter where they come from? I will admit yesterday I had one ritz cracker loaded with cream cheese. It was divine! Is this a no no? If I wanted a half slice of toast is this a no? Or as long as I stay under that 50 can I have what I want?

and...

Ok gotcha! Will tell my carb addiction to STFU!!!

The swallowing rocks feeling ??

You got good feedback, and, you answered your own question with the two magic words that suck: carb addiction.

1. VERY limited real estate, protein first, all your protein in a day before you add carbs too,.

2. 50g is an excellent guideline to follow while you adjust and learn.

3. Yes, it matters where your carbs come from. Why?

a) You want to do everything you can in the early post-op losing window to maximize your weight loss; plenty of room later on for goodies

b) You're a carb addict so if you eat white flour/white sugar based foods, you will continue to crave them. Sugar is a physical addiction; and mentally it's a challenge. It's better to pick complex carb options for your starches, vegetables and a handful of low sugar, fiber, antioxidant fruits.

c) Will it kill you to have a bite? a piece? break your DS? stop you from losing at this phase? No. And for people who don't have food/emotional addiction issues, this is easier to juggle. To them I do say, have a bite, have one, scratch the itch move on, everything in moderation. I am not one of those people. Took a long time for me to acquire that discipline. And I still don't push it, 12 years after my first bariatric surgery, meaning I keep a close eye. When I was recovering and so nauseous I could barely stand it, I needed saltines. I was so worried about my craving kickstarting, that I got oyster crackers instead so I wouldn't be tempted to eat sleeves of crackers.

d) When we have food, emotional issues that drove us to food...this is the other reason why this early recovery time is so crucial. You have limited real estate, maximum losing window time, and? A brand new digestive system that doesn't know your old bad habits. Don't teach it! Eating is a struggle - rejoice in it now, because you will get hungrier, be able to eat more and your cravings will come back raging. The more you've kept your system clean, built up new, better habits, the more they will be in place when you have the next hurdles to jump.

[amydroe]

Thanks!!! This answered every question I had and some I didn't even know I had!
I completely get what my guidelines are and why now.
The reason I asked if it matters where my carbs come from is because I wanted cashews. Loaded with protein but some carbs also. I figured that had to be better than the crackers that I want. And it sounds like I'm right.

THANKS THANKS THANKS!!!!

[newyorkbitch]

Cashews are great to eat. Now and always. Just for now, chew them thoroughly. Also cashew butter is great - don't get sweetened though.

[amydroe]

Apr 6, 2014 11:49:15 GMT -5 bboop said:

I assume liquids are going down ok, right? Is the rocks feeling after eating carbs?

Couldn't it be that your new tummy is just now getting used to solid food? Perhaps go back a step and eat liquid type foods for a day or even a meal and see how that sets. Perhaps you are overfilling that new tiny tummy, but not to the point of nausea. It could be anything, but I really would try going back a step and see how you do. You won't have to stay there long, just do what your body tells you.

Try eating cream cheese with just cream cheese - off of a spoon...add dry spices and see if that will help you stop the carb fest. Peanut butter on a spoon is wonderful.

Let us know how you are getting along after you try taking a step back. Don't worry, you will get there it just takes time, sometimes it takes a little longer for some.

I think you were right and I was overfilling my tummy! How did I not get this
I tested it by waiting several hours to eat and 30 min to drink then made a soft scrambled egg (with sautéed onion and a few jalapeños YUM!) it went down much better. Still feels funny but not like a rock. Only question is... Could I be full after 4 small bites? I can eat a third a thing of yogurt. Eeeekkkk maybe that is about the same amount.

Anyway, thanks for suggesting the obvious. I'm so embarrassed! To give myself a little out, the other day I tried a poached egg and the first bite went down like a rock? Who knows! Either way I will be more aware of how much I eat.
Thanks!

[newyorkbitch]

Are you taking prilosec twice a day?

[amydroe]

Yes ma'am since you suggest it last week.

[newyorkbitch]

Great.

How did the jalapeños sit?

[amydroe]

Good so far. I only put about 4 slices cut in half. They were jarred not fresh also. Yummiest thing I've eaten in weeks

[amydroe]

I was avoiding eggs
Because I don't love them and that poached egg went down so hard. Glad I tried scrambled tonight.

[bboop]

I couldn't eat eggs in the beginning...now I eat them all the time...just wait a bit and see how you do. Eggs sometimes sit like rocks or lead...don't know why cause when I'm sick, the first thing after chicken broth is an egg. WTF? But for now just don't eat them unless you can scramble them so they are truly soft.

Yogurt is like a liquid...it goes down easily...that's why you can eat more of that than a more solid type food. Can you see or understand the difference? Think of slippery-sliddy things that go down easily. Things that don't require much chewing...more sucking than chewing. Does that make sense? Ease into solid foods...take it slow...you won't starve, I promise. It's your head that's hungry, not your tummy.

[Girlrocker]

Nothing to be embarassed about! You are going to completely re-learn full. Right now, it's fast and that will continue to change over time. Also, NOW you'll start to notice the difference in the density of food. Why you can eat 1 oz of chicken and 3-4oz of yogurt or more. Dense animal protein vs. cheese cultures. I always used to say, well how would I EVER have known the difference before, I was 315 lbs at my highest weight and surely was able to consume a football field size of food! Who noticed such a thing?

And your body is your body, so some things might affect you different - you'll start to understand YMMV more and more (your mileage may vary). Eggs for instance, I genuinely love them in a 100 forms as I listed - soft boiled, poached, scrambled with cheese, friattas, quiche, hard boiled, egg salad - and they agreed with me. I know SO many people who could't take eggs at all. I was like that with chicken, still am, though much better. I can only eat it fresh/hot just made, if I want to eat leftovers, I have to really work to reconstitute it, and butter has to be involved. Otherwise I taste the refrigerator. Seriously. And it sticks for me too. I still don't love dark meat, though I'll eat it in dishes, and I will eat drumsticks, those were a good go-to for me once I could eat solid food. The flipside, something you thought you might never eat in a million years might taste great. It can be up/down/all over the place for awhile, and eventually it settles into recognizable patterns, but you're looking at 6 months or more before that happens. Keep trying, chewing, eat slow.

And wanted to say, can't speak to the rocks sensation, that's not something that I experienced, but it all usually has to do with food progression and healing/adjusting.

[meq815]

I've had a hard time with eggs. Even today I made one fried with some ham and toast and butter, and couldn't finish the whole thing. Go figure.

[Taterweight]

No eggs here, either. My fall off the bone beef roast - big negatory. Both give me a heavy pit in the bottom of my tummy after one bite.

But steak, jerky, pork loin, chicken grilled tenders all good. (this is at 8 weeks out, mind you, Amy! )

I know all those liquids and soft foods are driving you crazy - sooooo been there, sistah! Be careful...what Sharyl and Bboop are exactly right...you need to not rush your food progression too quickly. I know you're dying for crunch...don't developed a taste for carbs again because of it. Make cheese crisps in the microwave instead....or bake pepperoni slices.

[teachermomolp]

I get the rocks feeling. It reminds me of the band feeling. I think it's when a bite is too big (for me) or I've taken that one extra bite I don't need. Try smaller bites and put your form down in between- seriously, for 30 seconds. I learned with the band that it takes a long time for your chewed food to move down into your stomach. I sued to think it was an instantaneous drop. It's not. You can take 3 or 4 bites too many before you feel that you've had enough. And then you are screwed!

[Deleted]

Density is still a huge challenge, and even more so when early out. I remember only being able to eat 2-3 bites of chicken, but could easily eat a whole yogurt cup. the other thing is how long you take to eat. Meals still take me MUCH more time, and the denser the food, the longer it takes me.

Last night I had a 1/4lb hamburger (fresh from the grill on my deck) on a whole wheat english muffin, with cheeese, and it took me an entire 45 minutes to eat it. and I wasn't drinking or eating anything else! I remember when I used to scarf a burger down in under 5 minutes, and go back to get my second one.

YET, the other night, I had an ENTIRE footlong subway chicken salad sub (with extra chicken salad, ordered as double meat) with pepperjack cheese on the 9-grain honey oat bread, and i ate ALL OF IT in under an hour.

Now, note that I had not eaten in many hours, (7hrs) and was pretty hungry, but it was really kinda miraculous that i ate the entire thing.