Question:
Am I hurting my surgery by eating beef and chocolate this soon

I have tried roast beef, chicken, chocolate chip cookies, bread, ice cream, all with no problems. Should I only be having liquids? My doctor has given me little help with this. I had the Lap RYN and am amazed at how good I feel. I am also down 12 lbs    — Jennifer B. (posted on December 27, 2000)

December 27, 2000
When I was 9 days post op I was on soft foods. I was told to stay away from beef, chicken and all the other foods you tend to tolerate. Chocolate I couldn't tolerate still today I am eight months post op. I think you should stick with the soft food and concentrate on getting your protein and water in.
   — Sharon T.

December 27, 2000
I would call my dr. and asked if he really made you a pouch. I am 7 days post op and I would even think about trying those foods.
   — Mary L.

December 27, 2000
Jennifer, I cheated on Cheez-its when I was about 10 days post-op. I was fine. But I relayed this information to the doctor and nutritionist, who were mortified. This is the explanation I got: Your new stoma is swollen and needs time to heal and scar over. When you go against your doctor's orders, you are setting yourself up for the risk of infection and other serious problems. If any of that food got stuck, you could be in real trouble! Give yourself some time to heal before you try new foods. And congrats on your loss.
   — Allie B.

December 27, 2000
I think you really need some guidance in what you are supposed to be eating. Every surgeon has different ideas about what we should eat and not eat during our healing time. But, if your surgeon is not giving you any guidance at all, I can tell you what my surgeon recommends. He allows us only clear liquids through day 6, then adds full liquids through day 20, pureed foods through day 34, and soft foods through day 41. After that we can eat all regular foods, as tolerated, with the restrictions of 1)at least 65 grams of protein per day, 2)at least 64 ounces of fluids per day, 3)no more than 46g of fat per day, 4)no more than 6 grams of sugar in a meal. I hope this helps. Please write to me if you want more details about what foods are included in each phase. I really wish surgeons would realize how important aftercare and nutritional guidance are to our success. No one should be sent home after surgery without an eating plan. Good Luck!
   — Lynn K.

December 27, 2000
Gee, Phil...wasn't that a bit harsh? After all, she came for support, not for chastising. Would that we all could go about this without any mistakes.
   — Allie B.

December 27, 2000
Jennifer hon, I would seriously consider talking to another bariatric surgeon who might give you a diet to follow for these first few months at least. Certainly a doctor who doesn't give you a plan to follow needs to rethink why he is doing this surgery at all. To me, as long as he gets his money for the surgery, he seems happy enough but that is NOT enough for the patient at all. There are so many sites on here that can give you the correct diet process. I urge you to look into these. As for eating all the wrong things well, unlike another person on here who would rather chastise you, I say to you that if this surgery magically changed our ways of thinking too, it would be perfect in every respect. Insofar as it does not do this, your cravings for the same bad foods has not gone away. Oh how I wish that I did not crave these delicious but bad foods but alas, I do...want to know why? Because I am normal. So are you. You're not a bad person, nor have you done a bad thing by eating them. The thing to do now is to find a support group, a psychologist or someone who can help you control these urges. That and to find an eating plan that goes with the surgery that you had. Let's assume that you did not know what to eat. So, again I say you did nothing wrong and to have someone on here chastise you was so cruel. Instead, let's find a way for you to continue succeeding. If anyone who had the RNY can send Jennifer a booklet containing the eating plan I am sure that that would help her tremendously. In the meantime, Jennifer, please remember that if the foods were bad for you before surgery, they are most likely bad for you now too. I know that the cravings are tough but find someone to help you learn to deal with them. I wish you the best of luck and health and hope that this surgery is all you hoped it would be.
   — Barbara H.

December 27, 2000
I guess I should have been more specific in my question. I did not mean I was eating these foods exclusively! I have tried small bites of each but overall have been eating high protein low fat shakes. I am amazed how quickly people like to get on their high horse. I think from now on I will visit this site for information but never again advice!
   — Jennifer B.

December 28, 2000
Hi Jennifer, We are human. Please don't beat yourself up about tasting foods you were eating before your surgery. When I was finally put on a full liquid diet in the hospital, the kitchen loaded my tray with ice cream, coke, ginger ale etc. High sugar and salt. I would take one bite or sip and that was it because my taste buds were super sensitive. After surgery, we still crave things that we liked before the surgery. Sometimes, we find that we no longer want it, dump, or just no longer like it. Sometimes, one bite of something we crave or like will suffice. About two weeks after surgery, I craved a chicken leg and honey bbq wings from KFC. Once I had them, I no longer wanted them. There would have been a time in which I would have eaten a half chicken with the sides or a half gallon of ice cream easily. The one good thing is we have been on enough diets in which we know more about nutrition than the average person. Over time, we learn how to eat like an average person-the 4 basic food groups first and cravings or treats come last or not at all. That is a wonderful feeling after eating all the wrong foods for so many years. For myself, if I want a cookie, chips or anything else I can tolerate, I will have it. But certainly not the whole bag or container. I feel if we deny ourselves, we set ourselves up for failure. How many times have we done this in the past? For the last few years, nutritionist have been telling us moderation is key. Over time, you will learn your limits, fine tune your diet and find what works best for you. If there is a health department in your community or county, set up an appointment with the WIC nutritionist or at your local hospital. Most insurance companies have a clause in the policy that covers a set number of visits for anicillary services such as nutritionist, occupation therapy etc. Good luck. Janice(60 lbs in two months and still shrinking)
   — Jan M.

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