Fact or Myth - The 5 Day Pouch Test
Let’s start with a bit of background
The pouch test was ‘created’ in 2007 by a fellow gastric bypass-er named Kaye. She struggled, like many, with discouraging and disheartening weight regain after bariatric/weight loss surgery. In an attempt to recreate that ‘tight newbie feeling’ again, she developed the pouch test.
To start off the 5 day pouch test, she instructs you to ‘get back to the basics’. Or in other words, she wants you to return to the post-op liquid phase that is required in the first few days after surgery. She then recommends that you progress slowly from soft/puree protein, to firm protein and then lastly to solid protein (what’s the difference between firm and solid protein? We don’t know either...). Following this, you are supposed to feel a renewed sense of self.
MYTH...
The 5 day pouch test WILL NOT...
- shrink your stomach
- reduce hunger and increase satiety (feeling of fullness)
- ‘reset’ your body
- cut your cravings for carbs and sweet/salty foods
FACT...
We do however agree with some of Kaye’s suggestions.
1. Always delay your fluids from your solids foods.
--> Stop drinking 15 minutes before your meals/snacks and wait at least 30 minutes after eating to start drinking again. WHY? - Drinking and eating at the same time ‘flushes’ the food out of your stomach too quickly. This causes you to feel hungry soon after eating.
2. Take your time to eat.
--> Eating slowly and savouring your food without distractions increases satiety at meal times. WHY? - This gives your brain time to process that you are eating and lets you get the flavor fix you’re looking for.
3. Ask yourself if liquid protein snacks (aka ‘slider foods’) keep you full long enough (Ex. milk, yogurt, soft cheeses, cereal).
--> While these foods are nutritious and provide good quality protein, they may not help you feel as full as you felt in the first few months after surgery. WHY? - These liquid foods spend less time in your stomach which is why you maybe feel hungry soon after eating.
4. Include a high protein food at every meal and snack.
--> WHY? – High protein foods help keep you full longer.
In our opinion, the ‘5 day pouch test’ is just another diet in disguise. Anything that promises to ‘reset your system’, ‘boost your weight loss’, ‘cut cravings’, ‘kick start your metabolism’, ‘burn fat’, etc. is unfortunately wishful thinking.
There are no short cuts to healthy eating and lasting weight loss. There is only you, your pouch (i.e. your little stomach) and knowing how to use it!
How do I know if my pouch is still small?
Believe it or not, the majority of weight regain after bariatric/weight loss surgery is NOT related to having stretched your stomach. This is good news! In our experience, weight regain is more related to what you eat, the timing of your meals and snacks, and how you are eating. For example, if you feel comfortably full for 2-3 hours after eating the amount of food that fits on a bread plate, which includes a combination of protein, a small amount of grains, and some vegetables, your pouch is likely perfectly fine.
We even asked one of our favourite bariatric/weight loss surgeons about the 5 day pouch test! Here is what he said:
"The major reason for weight regain is the recurrence of unhealthy eating habits and/or lack of exercise. Maintaining weight loss requires a lifelong commitment to keeping up good habits and having support from family, friends, and your health care team.
Searching through the medical literature, I could not find any evidence or scientific papers studying and discussing the 5 day pouch test. When something is not discussed in the whole of medical literature, even as a simple case report, it leads me to believe that there is no scientific basis for this reset diet. And simply thinking about how the gastric pouch and anastomosis works, it does not make logical sense to me how a 5 day regimen of liquid and puree diet could possibly shrink the gastric pouch. The original feeling of tightness immediately after surgery is probably because of inflammation, since the stomach was cut and stapled, and also there was inflammation from the creation of the anastomosis (suturing). This inflammation resolves after days/weeks during which time the stomach is healing, and hence the original tightness feeling resolves with it".
Dr. Simon Chow, Bariatric Surgeon, MD MSc FRCSC FACS
Need help?
If you are looking to get back on track with your weight loss and healthy eating, sign up for our Get Me Back on Track package. Whatever the cause of your weight gain, we will give you realistic strategies and tips to tackle your triggers and barriers to healthy eating. Even simple changes to your home and office environments can make a big difference.
Lisa Kaouk, RD & Monica Bashaw, RD
We are compassionate and enthusiastic registered dietitians (RD/PDt) specialized in working with adults before and after bariatric surgery. With over 10 years of experience, we are highly specialized in all aspects of bariatric surgery.
We are patient and committed, and most importantly, we understand that life after bariatric surgery is filled with many new challenges and lifestyle changes.
Authors of "The Complete Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: Your questions finally answered".
Available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or our website (PDF download).
I agree with absolutely EVERYTHING on this post! I sure hope so many people read it. I've always thought, "Why have WLS and still do a fad diet?" The pouch test is another fad. Just beyond me....almost speechless-I have lots to say but will keep it to a min.
@BigViffer, had a great laugh with your response! LOL
Edited by Newme17
Oh I agree there is nothing wrong with going back to basics. It's always a good idea. But to espouse that it somehow resets anything other then a persons mindset is flagrantly ignorant.
Thank you for exposing this fad diet for the non sense that it is. It is just another diet that encourages unhealthy relationships with food.
If people need to get back to basics, they can eat dense Protein. There is no need to go on a liquid diet.
More importantly people need to look at WHY they are eating that way, what are the emotional reasons pushing them off track.
Well this made me feel a lot better.
I love your feedback you be speaking the truth and I like that march 27 I'll be getting sleeved I'm very nervousThank you for exposing this fad diet for the non sense that it is. It is just another diet that encourages unhealthy relationships with food.< br> If people need to get back to basics, they can eat dense Protein. There is no need to go on a liquid diet.< br> More importantly people need to look at WHY they are eating that way, what are the emotional reasons pushing them off track.
Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with this. It's just a general guideline. Some people need a reset and what better way than to start from the basics... you already know how it goes and for some it may be an easier plan to follow if they find themselves out of control.
For the ones that don't find this useful it's fine... you don't HAVE to do this but not everyone knows what to do get back on track or it may not be working for them. For me I find it useful to go back to eating a high Protein item with each meal and snack and keeping my eating to every 3-4 hours. Also staying well hydrated between meals. Exercise is extremely important to burn any excess calories.
I think a lot of us have been programmed to look for "diets" and magic bullets (even though we know better!) from our pre-surgery lives. Having surgery doesn't change the fact that you need to eat nutritiously and watch your portions.
On the other hand, if going back to the beginning helps you reset your BRAIN, then it's a good plan for you. Maybe it should be called the 5 Day Brain Reset...
My plan for surgery first week in June; I'm learning all that I can by reading and studying material that will help me be successful. This article is the positive influence I seek. All information that I endure is powerful and will help me succeed.
I think the 5 day pouch test is great! Im 11 years post op and like most people have had my share of ups and downs, not just weight wise but in the true causes of why we become obese to begin with. Over the years, I have done the 5dpt and I find that its not a magic bullet or a fad diet, but rather a return to the basics of how bariatric surgery gives us a tool. Do some people make it more than it is? Of course. Do some people say its harmful or a fad? Of course. BUT if you need a refresher on being mindful of what you eat, choosing the right types of food to eat (lean proteins) then its a great tool to get you on the right path.
BigViffer 3,544
Posted
Thank god for this post. Now I'll have an easy link to reply to this question.
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