To eat or not to eat?

after 2 weeks of no carb mashed potato will be 1st on my list of mushies - it's always been my fav comfort food i like it even more than chocolate. But still its better with a creamy gravy :P

Xan

every surgeon is different, one of the first foods a lot are told to try on mushies are very very runny mashed potato yet somebody just said they where told to stay away from them. Just listen to your own team is the only thing you can do. Then if you think what they are saying is total rubbish, and do not get me wrong they are not all perfect talk to THEM about it BEFORE you make a change. It is great to use a place like this to get ideas or sound out something different ut always run it past your own team first. No team should be to busy or feel put out to explore different ideas with a patient who is not prepared to be just a cookie cutter cut out. So if you hear and idea here that makes a lot more sense than what your team has told you do talk to them about it, just under no circumstances just go off and do it off your own back :)

I mean sure stay away from bad carbs to aid weight loss but for something very gentle on a stomach nothing could be easier than very runny mahsed potato, so when they say something that just doesnt make sense you really do have the right to say " hang on how on earth can runny mashed potato get stuck" and expect a sensible answer back not a brush off or just a it does sort of answer.

I hope that makes sense, just using mashed potato as a off the top of my head example there not something I would bother with but seemed harmless enough hence something that would make me say "what?" to stuck :)

applesauce

I do struggle with getting enough water in. I was not a big drinker before the op and now post op drink more than I did pre op but not the required 1.5L - 2L per day. Usually drink about 1L or sometimes up to about 1.3L at most. I was adding a bit of cordial for the first few months just to make it more palatable but mostly I am having plain water (about 750ml to 1L) plus 1 or 2 cups of tea/coffee per day now. I should drink more, but am still not in the habit of constant drinking even though I have a water bottle on my desk at work. Usually drink more in the afternoon than morning.

Hi,

I have no problem drinking the water am just getting bored with it......And would really really like a coke zero.........lol


Donna-lee

I also guzzled over 3 litres a day and despite reading all the newly sleever's reports on how they struggled with water, thought I'd be the exception. Turns out I'm not.
BUT, it became a small personal challenge so I added a touch of apple juice to my water, I discovered drinking it freezing cold is easier and within about 10 days I was back up to 2 litres a day and feeling fighting fit. I hated not having enough fluid coz I wanted to flush out all the operation ick, help with the weight loss and ease the raging thirst.
mmmMMmm water

i was wondering how everyone goes with drinking their fluid intake? Do you struggle to get 1L a day in? Does drinking water alone make you feel full? Can u drink more as time goes by?

Thanks
Xan (who drinks close to 3L of water a day and can't imagine how i'd be without it...)

Hi and all the best for your op !!
I was told absolutley no fizzy drinks.
And no white rice, potatoes, pasta, avoid all those white carbs like the plague for at least the first 3 months to maximise the weight loss and minmise food getting 'stuck'.
Catherine

Hi thininside
Welcome to the forum.
We have lots of information on this site, and if you look around, I'm sure you'll find the answers you're looking for.
Go to the post-op section and there is a thread in there about what to eat after your op.
There are lots of examples, too, and some people have posted info their doctors gave them.
I'm sure your doctor will give you more information at the time, as mine did. I didn't have any of the process that the others had, either, but at the hospital a dietician came and talked to me and gave me a booklet of information.
Just remember that when you go on to mushies, you need to whizz everything up in a blender until it will go through a thin straw, with lots of sauce.
And don't worry - you won't put on weight. You'll be eating so very little that I think it's impossible to put on weight in the first few months!
So take it easy, take a look around, and if in doubt call your doc for more info.
Chris

OMG your progress is inspirational!! Congratulations!!!

Unfortunately, this is not the way my opeartion has been planned. I had a consult with the doc who said i should be on liquids for 3 weeks, mushy stuff for another 2-3 weeks nd then slowly reintroduce solids..... th only thing he said i should not have is soda!!!

i live in india and none of the stuff I see on lists is available here....what can i have safely during the phases that will not make me gain weight?

The instructions I received were very clear about post-op diet in the solids stage.

Hopefully, you started on a food plan prior to surgery that included around 1000-1200 calories per day with 800-1000 grams of protein per day. No sugar and low carbs in general. Low to medium fat content. Again, the key is starting with protein and the calories that come along with that, then back fill the rest of the calorie count with the carbs and fat. Part of my surgery preparation was to attend a mandatory meal planning class that walked us though putting together menus that fulfilled these requirements. It was very enlightening.

Protein does not have to be meat. Kidney beans, string beans, tofu, yogurt, fish, poultry, pistachio nuts, walnuts, almonds, etc. all contain high levels of protein. You have to look at the calorie counts based on nutritional information on product labels. If the stores or locations you frequent do not have this information, it can be easily found on the web. Here's a web site that contains a lot of nutritional information about a lot of products: http://www.nutritiondata.com/.

So, to answer your question as to which foods are specifically out, the answer is "none" so long as you follow your surgion's instructions. In my case, the surgical staff included a dietitian who follows up at the various post-op exams and provides suggestions. This has been a big help for me.

Like you, my problem was more of portion control than the mix of proteins, fats, and carbs. My wife and I found that we were eating the right combination, but instead of 1 portion, I'd have seconds (and sometimes thirds) to satisfy my appetite; and I'd still "forage" after dinner. Since my surgery that has completely disappeared (the foraging) and I find I have to remind myself to eat those in-between high protein snacks (hmm. It's time now at this writing.).

So, hopefully you will experience the same or similar results that I have (check out the ticker that I updated yesterday with a new milestone reached). It will work so long as you follow the plan.

Hope this helps.

I'll be getting sleeved tomorrow!! So excited and yet....so anxious. My love affair with food started out young and I'm not sure if I will be able to make a clean break! I don't usually eat junk food .....I just eat a lot! Hopefully tomorrow will sort that!

My question: What food must one TOTALLY avoid post op? I understand the liquid stage, mushy stage and then the solid stage ...but what in all these phases must one totally avoid?

PLEASE please help