Questions????

I am confused on a few things and I'm hoping some of you guys with more knowledge and experience can help me.On the diet sent home with me in the booklet from Dr.B's office it states very early on(10-12days postop)that you can eat toast.soda crackers very soft noodles or rice.Now reading in the main forum,everyone seems to say these things in particular are absolute no-no's due to carbs.I have also read that noodles/pasta will swell in your stomach. Question #2 How in the heck do you get any amount of protien in on the diet we are given.Am I overlooking something? Question #3 How in the heck do you get all the water in?I carry a water bottle all the time and am still only getting maybe 5 cups a day. Quetion #4 How do deal with the monotony of it all? Thanks, Donna

Hi Donna - congrats again on your surgery. I don't have the answers as I am Lap Band and I know you are RNY but I would strongly suggest following Dr B's instructions and avoiding what "they" say on the board. Every surgeon is different and every surgeon has a different post-op diet. I think in the whole year have been posting on the Lap Band forum, I've run across ONE person who had the same post-op diet as I. Listen to YOUR body. Try things out and see how your body reacts. That would be my layman's advice. Do you have the email for the office? I know Rinette is now on vacation for 3 weeks but could give you some ideas for protein. One thing she told me was to add powdered skim milk to things to add more protein at a cheap price. (e.g. couple of tablespoons in a shake, in soup, etc). For me, I have to drink 12 cups of fluid a day but not necessarily water. Do you have to have water? Try Crystal Light flavours if you haven't already. I am getting in about 11 cups a day but I agree - it's not easy. I am drinking all day long. Monotony? What are you eating (which phase) and I'd be happy to try to find some suggestions for you. I'm only on Day 5 today but so far, so good. I'm in the full liquid phase of my post-op and so far, I'm not bored. Hope things are going great for you Donna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Krista, How did your surgery go?? How long were you in the hospital? Are you on the go now???? How about eating? Any Problems??? Sorry about all the questions...I am excited for you and anxiously awaiting my call...Hope for great success for you!!! Darlene

I'll post another post on that now . Thanks for asking!

Don't go by the main forum go by the booklet..I eat carbs..I have a carb with every meal..I eat whole wheat pasta, brown rice, multigrain bread...it's a must if your pouch can handle it without making you sick..Trust me, I asked Lise about this and she said to never cut the amount of carbs out ever. Pasta will swell in the stomach which is why in the booklet it makes mention of well cooked pasta..so basically overcook it a little and then it wont' swell cuz it's already done..and measure! Question 2: You have to have a protein with every meal..Breakfast I usually have either toast with peanut butter or an egg for my protein. Lunch time usually consists of a sald with chicken, or a tuna, or turkey sandwich etc..Dinner time I eat whatever evreyone else in my family is eating..steak, chicken, turkey, pork, ham, whatever..i've had no problems with any food except for raw veggies like broccoli and cauliflower they made me throw up. Question 3: Sometimes I have a hard time getting my water in too..but I usually get 2 bottles of 591 ml of Dasani in a day and Lise said that was good..so I'm happy. Question 4: I went nuts until I got off of puree, I didn't deal with the monotony..I hated it..but now that I'm on a regular diet, everything's swell. Hope it helped some..congrats!