Fruits & Veggies

When did you start to try to add more fruits and veggies in your diet? I'm a month post op today (down 25lbs.. yeay)! I get in about 100grms if protein and just a week into my soft food phase. I eat eggs, cheese, turkey burger, soy milk, skim milk, protein shakes and other protein specific products. The only fruit I have in my diet is a little unsweet applesauce. I'd like to start to add in some more. I should also probably start to add in the soft/cooked veggies. What did you start to add in at this stage? Where did you add it in- i.e. - berries mixed in with your protein shake or berries and some cottage cheese instead of a protein shake? Also.. about how many calories were you eating a month out? I know everyone/surgeon is different but I was just curious. Example Day ----------------- B - 2 egg beater servings, 1 oz smart balance cheddar S- 4 oz soy milk, unjury protein L - 2 lowfat babybell cheese rounds S- 4 oz skim milk, IDS Cappucino protein D- 4 oz turkey burger, 1 TB hummus S- 2oz cottage cheese, 2oz unsweet applesauce or another shake

Wish I could help you out. Seems like bananas might be nice and mushy and they are "the perfect fruit". Wonder if you react to the higher carb fruits like you would too much sugar, in which case you're smart to start with berries. I love to make protein shakes with berries. Superfresh and the health food stores sell a frozen mix called Berry Blizzard, as well as other frozen fruit blends made for shakes. I think those blends have bananas tho. Safeway has some great frozen fruits... frozen strawberries that have not a thing added. They have organic ones too. How is your post-op otherwise? That's fantastic that you're down 25 lbs.

I'm concerened about the amount of sugar in them so for a fruit to start out with I think it might be better to do something like strawberries or other berries. I have a load of frozen fruit berries in my freezer so I guess I will start there. Everything has been great but it does seem I have a gall bladder issue that was probably present well before surgery. They just didn't catch it on the Ultrasound or even on the Cat Scan. This week I had a more in depth nuclear medicine scan called a CCK-HIDA and it showed a motility issue with my gall bladder. Gall bladder motility disorders can be associated with some cases of chronic cholecystitis also known as a long standing inflamed gall bladder. Dr. Kligman has not seen the results yet. I just peaked since I am in IT and had the scan done at Mercy where I work. I'm going to fax him over a copy today so we can talk about next steps. Not sure if he is going to want to take it out or just see how my new diet impacts the situation. Sometimes issues like these can just be managed with low fat foods. Hopefully I won't need more surgery right away as I am just getting back in the swing of things.

I ate fruits and veggies from pureed stage on. My nutrition plan is 2 servings fruits and veggies. I didn't add lettuce for months. I wasn't comfortable for some reason... I hate a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, spinich (sp?), green beans. As far as veggies, I did eat 1/2 banana - I needed the potassium. I ate applesauce, and seasonaly berries, melons... only recently pineapple and it kinda made me dump... I workout with weights/cardio 6 days a week. I get in about 70 grams of protein. Bloodwork always good. I don't keep track of calories just eat the nutrition plan and really never plateaued until about 9 months out. I probably didn't eat what you eat at 1 month post op in terms of protein and I did have 1 shake a day. But you meals look good and nice variety. Best wishes Lisa

I'm the same with the weights and cardio. Just love it. Although I've been taking it easy lately. Thanks for all the info!

Hi Stayce - Congrats on your success! The bottom line is you need to follow your doctor's instructions with respect to calories, carbs, protein, fruits, veggies, etc. Just another perspective, my doctor (Barry Greene, Rockville) is vastly conservative, but I can't argue with success. Under Dr. Greene's program we did a 3 week liquid diet before surgery as well as 3 weeks after. Day 22 after surgery I could add soft fish, seafood, eggs, cheese, and tofu. Day 51 after surgery I could add poultry, and after day 81 I could add meat. I can't remember exactly when I added soft veggies but I think it was around 7 or 8 weeks. Dr. Greene's program post-surgery is 70 grams of protein and 30 carbs a day and no bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, beans, or fruit until goal. Most fruits are relatively high carb and will slow down your weight loss. A small banana has 24 carbs! If you must have fruit then berries are a good choice. A half cup serving of strawberries has 5 or 6 carbs. Good luck! Sandy (268/160/136)

I always here so many great things about Dr. Greene and his program in Rockville. I use to live in that area. I had a condo at Parkside in Bethesda. I've lived in the Baltimore area now for the past couple years. Typically the suggested protein for our program is 60 -80 grams but based on my history of workouts over the last three years prior to surgery I am getting away with slightly more (resistance training 3-4 times a week with 6 days of cardio plus assorted group fitness classes - spinning, pilates, yoga). I did get permission from Mary Beth, my wonderful RD to go slightly higher to 100 grams but not past. She has a good packet we follow as a guideline. It does allow for a little more flexibility with regards to carbs. It's just nice to see what else is out there. I'm looking to get a little boost of more fiber in my diet without having to supplement so that is one of the reasons for the fruit/veggie question. I think I'll do like 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries or strawberries in my morning shake or have fresh berries on the side and just see how that goes. Maybe I'll even go spoil myself and pick up some fresh berries at whole foods or Cross Street Market today. Gives me an excuse to also pick up some fresh flowers! Thanks!!

Has there been any tests done to see what the difference in weight loss is between a post-op person on that diet vs. a pre-op person on that diet (from the liquid phase through to the mash and onward to goal)? I do really well with low-carb.. to a point. Obviously, one must hit plateau wayyyy further out having had the operation than one would ordinarily... or people wouldn't be getting the operation. I'd still be curious to see numbers. Also, I have to think you keep it off longer than someone who hasn't had the op. My Mom did a liquid diet (doctor prescribed shakes) for awhile and lost tons of weight, but she put it all back on the minute she started eating again. Granted, the reason for the post-op liquid requirement has to do with breaking in the newly redesigned pouch and whatnot... but I'd really be interested to see a study just to see what the success rate is for post-op vs someone who hasn't had the surgery. Glad to hear your problems don't seem serious. Going back in for surgery would suck, but presumably thereafter your problem would be solved.. right? I guess you keep taking some kind of medication after that?

The difference is the stats on keeping the weight off long term. I think most WLS patients will tell you that they have tried many many diets... even liquid. I know I've lost 100's of lbs over my lifetime. We just can't keep the weight off. Diets alone have never worked. Dieters only also don't get the pouch as a tool - never being physically hungry (head hunger can still be there) the first several months, malabsorption from the bypass, dumping syndrome, etc. This tool is what gives us that window of opportunity to make the behavioral changes. Part of the reason surgeons have you on liquid prior to surgery is to shrink your liver. In some cases patients are also asked to lose weight if they are doing LAP because of the fat distribution. The surgeon has more room to move around if you are able to shrink your liver a little and drop some of that fat. It certainly can't hurt to lose weight prior to surgery. You are just that more ahead of the game when you get to the OR and you are doing something good for yourself. I practiced a lot of good post op habits pre-op to get a jump start on behavior changes that I needed to make - sipping water instead of gulping, testing out different types of protein, etc. Yes - Gall bladder removed would mean no more gall bladder motility issue! I need to talk to Dr. Kligman first though. I am waiting for his call.

3 weeks of liquids BEFORE surgery? Yeow. I'm not sure I could manage that. Altho, that's really only a total of 6 weeks... and some docs require liquids and mash for that long post-op don't they, whereas you only have to do it for 3 weeks post-op. So much for the "last hurrah" pre-op dinner the night before you have to fast and drink chalk.