Question:
I had an open RNY on June 7th and have a couple of questions..
OK, my questions are for those of you who are a while out and have tried different foods. First off, why are we not supposed to have cereal with milk? On my diet sheet I see that I am allowed 2 ounces of certain cereals but then it says in bold to not add milk. Is this the same as not drinking during a meal? If one didn't drink the milk left after the cereal would he or she really be ingesting too much liquid? Just wondering. Also, what is the current consensus on pasta? That seems to be one of the few foods that I can consistently rely on going down and staying put with no problems. I recently heard from a friend that I shouldn't really be eating pasta however. I always make sure that I choose a pasta with protein and have been eating it for one meal a day for a couple of weeks now. I have lost 39 lbs. as of this morning so I don't think that it is hurting me but could I be wrong?? — Martina B. (posted on July 29, 2007)
July 29, 2007
I am 4 months out. Yes, the no milk w/the cereal is because of the no
drinking half hour before and half hour after eating. You are to get in
your protein first! You NEED at the very minimum 70 grams of protein every
day! Pasta is the absolute NO NO! It is super high in the carbs! I only
allow myself 100% organic, whole wheat pasta once a month. You cannot just
look at labels and see how much protein is in the food or eat the food just
because it has protein in it. You HAVE to watch how many carbs, calories,
fat, there are and then the protein. Sounds like you need to speak to your
nutritionist asap to get a little bit more informed on the ins' and out's
of eating after wls. Good luck and congrats on the weight loss so far!
— crystalsno
July 29, 2007
We have the same surgery date, so we're at about the same level of eating.
I've found that a teeny bit of milk in cereal helps it go down easier,
without getting too full. It's true we must get in enough protein, and as
you learn what foods you can tolerate, you'll learn to read labels.
Everyone of us is a little different, so you learn what works for you.
You'll make misteaks along the way, but you'll learn from them. I wish you
lots of luck and continued weight loss.
— cherryj
July 29, 2007
The theory is that the milk will make the cereal, rice etc. swell in your
pouch so if you are already full and you have added the milk you set
yourself up for an overfill and that may not be nice. As for the pasta if
you think of it like this a one to three ratio when you eat one bite of
pasta for every three of protein you will be okay. We are on low carb not
no carb. Good Luck and God Bless, Norma
— njkbutton
July 29, 2007
About the cereal... I am almost 4 years out and was never told
specifically to stay away from cereal. Yes I eat is occassionally but I
get SICK almost everytime. And I do find it easier for my body to accept
if it is without milk. I find that I am very lactose intolerent after
surgery and milk doesn't agree with me (I used to love it). My husband is
the same way--the cereal milk combo makes him sick too! Just be careful.
Also when I eat oatmeal it makes me sick too. I think it is such a high
concentration of carbs it messes with my blood sugar levels! And about
Pasta it is not a good food choice--especially to a new post op patient.
You should learn to tolerate proteins and vegetables first (starting on
pasta is setting you up to fail because you are not changing your old
eating habits). Maybe later cereal & pasta can be added to your diet?
— GAYLE CARMACK-LYONS
July 29, 2007
I just passed my 11 month surg anniv. I am down 170lbs and do not eat bread
or rice and have only just begun to eat pasta but can honestly say I don't
miss it. All these things expand in your stomach. I eat other things to get
my fiber and grains.
Good Luck!
— Lost4Ever
July 30, 2007
I believe in alot of way's that we had the same surgery you had open and i
had lapRYN ? I'm only one week out 23.8 lbs down and my Dr. want's me to to
stay on a clear diet for another week ! then he said maybe by the time that
I'm 6 to 8 week's out he will start me on on soft ! he also told me that my
pouch ended up alot smaller by about half of what it should of been ! but I
do know that he told me no ceral and milk for along time .
— DONNABOO
July 30, 2007
Hi Martina, thanks for your question. Congrats on your new surgery, and I
just want to say I appreciate your sensitivity to sticking to the program
as much as you can. Good for you! I think the "A" answer to the
cereal thing is that drinking and eating together is strongly discouraged,
but I think there is also a "B" answer. I was never told to not
mix cereal and milk, and even 3 years out cereal is something that just
does not sit well in my own pouch, but oatmeal and cream of wheat did sit
well. The thing is, once it gets in your pouch with that warm milk, it
expands, and before you know it, 2 oz of cereal turns into way too much in
the stomach and you are stretching and miserable in your pouch. So I would
avoid that at this phase of your life. I did still eat oatmeal and cream
of wheat, but I had to adjust the amount and eat small quantities and let
it pass before I ate more, or I was in definite pain. Now, regarding
pasta. If you are getting your protein in, then I think eating pasta is
not a crime at all. I heard all of the "don't do it" about rice
and pasta because it got stuck in your pouch, etc. It didn't happen for
me. I ate small quantities of it, and I love spag and pasta, but I can
only eat a small portion. I am satisfied with that. If you can not be
greedy with your pasta and you eat small amounts and it digests well, then
it is ok. IF you abuse it, IF you are using it as a stepping stone to eat
other things, IF you have bad motives with your pasta, avoid it at all
costs for a while. Only you can tell why you are eating what you are
eating. I, personally, never intended to not eat normal. That is my
desire and what I fight for, food and normal eating. You are losing weight
well, and I hope that you have a full balance of the 3 essential things,
protein, water and exercise. If you don't have these 3 in full swing at
your stage you will stall soon and have a horrible time recovering. If you
are not exercising, fear weight gain, because it will come. Be sure you
are exercising and doing all the right stuff. Then examine your motives
for what you are eating, and if they are all good, go forward in moderation
and respect and you will be fine. Take care. Patricia P.
— Patricia P
July 30, 2007
I don't know what your doctor's reasoning is, but I know that I am now
lactose intolerant, I had cereal about 3 months out, I am now almost 4
years out, & I literally thought I was going to die. I started
sweating, shaking, vomiting & it lasted almost an hour, it was the
worst sickness I had since I've had my surgery, I now stear clear of milk
& anything with milk products in it, and boy do I miss a bowl of
cereral , ice cream.... Many people have told me to try lactaid, or those
other kinds of milk, but with how sick I got, I am not willing to go thru
even half of the pain that I endured that nite. Now living a milk-free
life, taking viactiv to get in my calcium. I hear that many, not all, are
lactose intolerant after GBS, I would discuss this with your doctor, oh
& I can eat cheese products, just not things with alot of milk. Hope
this helps! Heather B
— heatherb
July 30, 2007
I am almost a year out, but I will pass on to you what I did and what my
nutritionist told me....My doctor was a lot more strict than a lot I've
read about on here. I was not permitted to use any of the protein powders,
etc on the market. He is dead set against them. I have lost almost 100
pounds and feel great! I eat about anything now, although there are some
foods that sit better than others. After surgery, I had to drink, drink,
drink...I now drink 125-150 oz daily of water (16 of those oz are skim
milk). I ate alot of pureed foods, high protein foods, like chicken,
shrimp, lobster, tuna and other fish, turkey, etc. I didn't have any beef
until after 6 months. I always ate my protein first. For breakfast I would
have yogurt, look for the one highest in protein, without the sugar...My
rule was no more that 10g sugar and 10g fat per serving. Read the
labels.... I would mix powdered milk into the yogurt (put it in a blender
and it's just as good as plain yogurt) and that adds some protein. Also egg
whites are good if you can eat them. I still can't eat many eggs.... If you
are going to eat pasta, don't eat much. I would eat all the meat and other
protein foods first and then add a little bit of pasta. Pasta and I don't
always get along. It seems to set in my pouch and not want to move through.
It is high in carbs, but you do need some carbs, so be careful....I have
never watched my carbs, just the sugar and fat as they all seem to go hand
in hand...
Take care and keep me posted on your [email protected]
— andrealej
July 30, 2007
I think its more about the amount of sugar because you could use Soy Milk
or 1% Milk. The closes thing to cereal I've eaten is the oatmeal. I'm not
trying to have too much of anything with over 5 grams of sugar even though
I'm 5 months out.
Pasta, rice, potatoes --- are carbs and they fill you up fast and some have
sugars. Even if you choose a pasta or carb with protein -- we're not
suppose to even try them until about a year out and even then it is suppose
to be the last thing you eat. But hey, if it works for you and you can
keep it down -- who's to say. I just say if you start gaining weight --
back off the carbs.
— the7thdean
July 31, 2007
Hey,
I am almost 4 yrs out from my lap rny/gb and I lost about 170lbs (depends
on the scale). I feel awesome. I could not drink milk after surgery
except for acidiphilus milk. It has stuff in it that helps you to digest
it. I didn't have problems with that, but I really don't drink milk or eat
ice cream. As far as cereal goes, because I don't do the milk thing, I eat
my cereal dry. I don't eat much and I try and go for a brand that is high
in fiber. I do okay as long as I don't eat too much of it, like 1/2 cup
spoonsize shreaded wheat.
I wanted to comment on the calcium that someone stated they take, the
viactiv--this is calcium carbonate, which we don't absorb-- you need to
take calcium citrate, which citrical has chewables that are awesome. they
have chocolate, caramel or lemon. the chocolate is like eating a fudge
treat. I love them.
Just be careful whichever kind you choose and read the label to make sure
you get calcium citrate.
Okay, congrats on the weight loss, keep it going!!
Lisa 340+/172-176/??? -170lbs approx. Half the person I used to be!!
lap rny/gb 10-23-03
— Lisa H.
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