Need The Voice Of Experience Here... !

[LizInTexas 125]

Okay, I've made it to 12 days post op and according to my surgeon's post op eating plan I should be having no problems with soft foods. It also states that "by the end of week 3 post op,"you should be eating what everyone else is eating", as in, a normal diet. The reality is that I'm having a very difficult time just getting in 64 ounces of Fluid and Protein Shakes have become repulsive (it's that foamy texture with a funky smell thing) so I know I'm not getting my Protein in. I've tried malt o'meal (remember it tasting much better when I was a kid), Tomato Soup, potato Soup, tuna salad that has been food processed to within an inch of being tuna salad soup, refried Beans and string cheese. Everything that is a fluid seems to go down okay, but if there is the slightest bulk of any kind, it gets stuck and the foaming at the mouth begins (ie. slimes and pain). I went to the store today and took two teeny, tiny little taster bites of shaved deli meat. Chewed until the clerk thought I had some sort of neurological disorder, and within 5 minutes, the saliva faucet, runny nose, and nausea was very much an issue (as in I almost didn't make it without barfing). SO, my question is... how long was it until you were able to manage something other than smooth liquid nourishment ??? Is there some "magic switch" that just flips one day ??? Sadly, the depression and doubt has started to creep in. I fear that I may have done something to myself voluntarily that will prevent me from ever enjoying any kind of meal again and it's really starting to become a big concern. I'm weepy alot and I keep trying to tell myself that everything will be okay, but it's getting harder and harder to believe !

Please chime in with any and all advice or words of wisdom !

[prettysleeved1 173]

I would say not to advance too quickly. Surgeons are different. I wasn't allowed to eat whatever until 6 weeks. Perhaps your surgeon's plan is too much too soon for you.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Your stomach just had major surgery and is not healed yet. Most surgeons, including my own, prescribes transition stages for certain foods and texture. my surgeon's office has us on a liquid diet for 3 weeks, soft foods for 3 weeks, pureed foods for 3 weeks and then normal foods. Our stomachs aren't fully healed for at least 6 months. Please be patient.

[StormWarning 194]

Okay, I've made it to 12 days post op and according to my surgeon's post op eating plan I should be having no problems with soft foods. It also states that "by the end of week 3 post op,"you should be eating what everyone else is eating", as in, a normal diet. The reality is that I'm having a very difficult time just getting in 64 ounces of Fluid and Protein shakes have become repulsive (it's that foamy texture with a funky smell thing) so I know I'm not getting my Protein in. I've tried malt o'meal (remember it tasting much better when I was a kid), Tomato Soup, potato Soup, tuna salad that has been food processed to within an inch of being tuna salad soup, refried Beans and string cheese. Everything that is a Fluid seems to go down okay, but if there is the slightest bulk of any kind, it gets stuck and the foaming at the mouth begins (ie. slimes and pain). I went to the store today and took two teeny, tiny little taster bites of shaved deli meat. Chewed until the clerk thought I had some sort of neurological disorder, and within 5 minutes, the saliva faucet, runny nose, and nausea was very much an issue (as in I almost didn't make it without barfing). SO, my question is... how long was it until you were able to manage something other than smooth liquid nourishment ??? Is there some "magic switch" that just flips one day ??? Sadly, the depression and doubt has started to creep in. I fear that I may have done something to myself voluntarily that will prevent me from ever enjoying any kind of meal again and it's really starting to become a big concern. I'm weepy alot and I keep trying to tell myself that everything will be okay, but it's getting harder and harder to believe !

Please chime in with any and all advice or words of wisdom !

Hi Liz,

I am almost 2 months out, and things do get much much better as time passes. My post-op diet was different than yours and I had no problems. The first week I was clears only, Weeks 2-3 full liquids and week 4 started soft foods. Week 5 I went to regular foods. There were times that I was not able to get more than a bite in before feeling full, and being very worried and having a buyers remorse from my feelings. I was so terrified that a few bites would be my life from here on out. There were times I had to go back to liquids or soft foods cause others just didn;t feel right on the tummy. Your tummy tries to tell you what it can and can't handle. Just have to listen and try to understand what it is saying which takes time to figure out.

Well as the weeks passed things did seem to get better, It can take 21 days for the tummy to fully heal (stitch and staple line) and get rid of excess swelling. The more swelling you have the less capacity you will have. If you have any indigestion or reflux, that will diminish your capacity too. The taste and texture of foods do change for allot of people after the surgery. There are things that I just loved (BBQ for instance) before surgery, that just gags me to a point that I feel very sick when I eat it. It will take time for our bodies to adapt to our new lifestyle, but I have been assured that things will come around in the future. Being almost 2 months out, I have a good handle on what my tummy likes and what it doesn't and I can work around things as far as meals whether dinning in or out. It has taken this long for me to be able to hit my fluid goals, protein goals etc. But there are still some days that I will fall short. It happens.

Don't give up, and don't be so hard on yourself. Everyday is a learning process, and we may not get it all down and may continue to learn the do's and don't for a very long time. Just take your time, keep from getting frustrated and stressed and i'm sure everything will work itself out in the future.

[GeauxForIt 659]

My surgeon's diet plan is 2 weeks of full liquids (no creamy Soups though), 2 weeks of puréed foods and 4 weeks of soft foods.

Just listen to your body and take it slowly. There's no one "right" way to do this. Your tummy will let you know what it wants and doesn't want!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Someone else posted this on earlier posting so if you would like u can go to KP.org/misg to bariatrics after surgery and they posted their eating schedule. Eating Plan after Bariatric Surgery

These diet instructions are simply guidelines. Please keep in mind that early on some patients will not be able to eat the recommended amounts of food and supplements. A simple rule of thumb is to not eat more than the recommended amounts. If you get full before then, just stop eating. Also, if you have trouble with foods in a particular stage, you can always return to the previous stage.

Stage 1 - Clear Liquid (Days 0-3):

This will be your first stage after surgery. Hydration is very important. This stage consists of clear, sugar-free, and caffeine-free fluids. During this stage your goal is to drink at least 4-6 ounces of Fluid each hour. A clear liquid Protein, such as Isopure, will be used in this stage. Aim to drink 60-75g of Protein in a day.

Stage 2 - Full Liquid (Days 4-14):

The full liquid phase will use a higher protein meal plan. During this stage you can move from clear Liquid Protein, to Protein shakes such as New Directions, EAS, Premier, etc. Continue to take your protein supplements throughout the day to make sure your body meets its protein needs.

Stage 3 - Soft Foods (Days 15-30):

During this stage you can start adding soft foods into your diet. The goal is to slowly advance your diet, so you can gradually start eating solid foods. Stage 3 alone will still not supply you with the protein your body needs, therefore you will continue to drink your protein supplements.

Stage 4 - Gradually Advancing to Solid Foods (Day 30 and Beyond):

Stage 4 includes all of the foods in Stages 1, 2, and 3, plus a wider variety of food options.

Additional documents

Eating Plan After Bariatric Surgery [PDF]

Sample Menus - Stage 3 [PDF]

Sample Menus - Stage 4 [PDF]

Shopping List - Stage 1 & 2 [PDF]

Shopping List - Stage 3 [PDF]

Shopping List - Stage 4 [PDF]

[/url] Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Sleeve Gastrectomy [PDF]

[PDF]

Labs

Bariatric Post-Operative Laboratory Guidelines [PDF]

Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery

Follow these basic guidelines for pregnancy after bariatric surgery.

BEFORE you become pregnant:

• Wait at least 18 months after surgery to become pregnant to ensure healthy fetal development.
  
• Birth control pills may not be as effective after surgery. You may want to consider an additional contraceptive method.
  
• Inform your OB/GYN doctor about your weight loss surgery.
  
• Take an additional 400 mcg folate per day.
  
• Take an additional Iron supplement with at least 18 mg Iron. Ferrous fumarate may be better tolerated.
  
• Baseline labs are needed to determine your nutritional status and to identify any deficiencies.
  
  

 Your care DURING your pregnancy:  

• Tell everyone involved in your care that you had bariatric surgery.
  
• Do not take the glucose tolerance test (GTT), a test for gestational diabetes. The test involves drinking 50 grams of glucose, which can lead to dumping syndrome in patients who have had gastric bypass. Better tests are fasting glucose level or 2 hour post prandial (after a meal) glucose level.
  
  

 Your diet DURING your pregnancy:  

• Add 300-500 calories to your recommended 1000-1200 calorie plan by adding 1-2 high protein Snacks during pregnancy (during breastfeeding increase to 2-3 high protein snacks).
  
• Continue to eat protein-based meals and Snacks.< /span>
  
• Continue to take your Vitamins and minerals as recommended.
  
• Take an additional 400 mcg folate and at least 18 mg iron per day.
  
• Limit artificial sweeteners including aspartame (NutraSweet®) and sucralose (Splenda®) and avoid saccharin (Sweet'N Low®) and stevia (Truvia®).
  
• ** Caution with Vitamin A: Pregnant women should not exceed 6,000 IU per day.
  
  

 Weight gain DURING pregnancy:  

• If your BMI is greater than 29, aim for a maximum of 15 pounds weight gain.
  
• If your BMI is between 25 and 29, then 15 to 25 pound weight gain is appropriate.
  
• After bariatric surgery, weight gain standards are different. Discuss your weight gain with your doctor.
  
  

[RobH 3]

I have to agree with the above posts..... Too much too soon..... I've just reached 8 weeks and been given the ok to eat anything except alcohoi. One thing I'd like to suggest to you is to try a Protein Drink called EAS Advantage chocolate. This is a premade drink and has 15 gms of Protein in the 11 oz box and tastes good. Put it in the freezer til it's just starting to turn slushy but don't let it freeze. Just to get some protein into you and not in a frothy, foamy smelly drink that's going to gag you. I'm sorry you're having such difficulties and wish you the best of luck. Keep looking forward and just keep trying the protein for now. Forget about food til your new stomach can handle it. Listen to the advise of those who have more experience (more than me) I just wanted to throw out the brand I was able to stomach in the beginning. Good luck!

[caroless 18]

Clear Liquids 2 days, full liquids til 2.5 weeks, soft foods til 3 mos, then full solid. you just need to learn about your body. it will let you know what is right and not. i have issues with figuring out when i am full. it seems like my capacity is constantly changing and i can't tell when to stop yet.