Nervous about post op diet vs diets I've tried

So Im nearing the end of getting my appointments finished (dietitian, psychologist etc) and am hoping to have surgery this summer.  I'm concerned as I only really do well on "low carb" diets as far as weight loss.  My dietitian is telling me nope low fat low sugar, high fiber and so many calories per day not to focus on carbs.  Based on my diet history and knowing how I can "lose" the pounds either with no carbs/nearly no carbs I'm concerned about this "new way" of eating.  Will this work or is my body just so pooped out from all the diets I've been on?  Can any post op patients chime in on this.

Most surgeons have a specific eating plan.  Most (not all) are generally Under 800 calories, Under 40 carbs and more than  65 grams of protein.  Drink at least 64 oz of water/liquid.  Has your surgeon given you a copy of his plan numbers? You will not be able to eat much post-op, so I'm sure you'll be able to lose weight as long as you follow your doctor's plan.  And remember, in the first week or two, your weight may actually go up and down - don't be concerned.  I am sure your surgeon's plan has been successful for his patients - and it will work for you.

For my plan it's protein first, then if I have room, veggies next, and then if I have room, carbs.  No bread/pasta etc.  Just stay committed and you'll lose weight.  And don't obsess by stepping on the scale 10 times a day because your weight fluctuates up and down.......but it will go down.

Best of luck to you.  

I tend to lose more weight if I limit my carbs too.  I think you will find this fairly easy post-op so don't worry.  Your tastes will change post-op and you will certainly get used to all of the high protein, low carb options.  Stay focused, measure and track your food in-take and you will be golden.  Know that stalls happen (do a search for the dreaded 3 week stall, you will find a lot), but if you keep focused, you will break through.  Good luck to you on your journey!

It's probably best to stick to your Drs plan for you. My plan doesn't have me counting carbs, calories or going low fat, but I do track those numbers anyway using the My Fitness Pal app. My plan does have me naturally going to the low carb end of things only because it's a very protein forward diet.

I'm not sure but high fiber sounds like high carbs, you might want to look into the numbers on that. I've noticed that whenever I went low fat, the food didn't taste quite as good & the carbs ended up going up. Not sure about the "poopy" body. LOL

Thankfully the sleeve will change things - that's why you're getting it, right? :)  

My plan only has me tracking protein and liquid.  I do, as many of us do, eat low carb just by virtue of not having space in my stomach to eat carbs if I want to reach my protein goal every day.  I don't worry about fat at all, and I avoid processed and refined carbs as much as possible.  This is working well for me!

Kerri, you wrote that you "only really do well on 'low carb' diets." If so, you should do very well on the protein-dense way of eating after the surgery.

When you eat your high-quality protein first, you will fill your sleeve with dense nutrients that fill you up quickly and leave little room for carbs. If you have some room left, eat fresh vegetables and fruit. Your sleeve will tell you when you've had enough. You'll learn quickly not to ignore your sleeve's "full" signal.

Best of luck on your upcoming surgery.

psychoticparrot

I hate that nutritionists are giving this kind of advice. Low fat? No. Fat is important and we know by now that it has all been a big fat lie. I eat HIGH fat and this ****** off my nutritionist every time I see her, but whatever. Think about it this way. If you cut out carbs, what's left? Protein and fat. If you cut out fat AND carbs, all you're left with is protein, and that is a recipe for bad news. Fat is your friend, we NEED it, and it promotes satiety (which will be more important the further out you get from surgery). Even worse, low fat products often add carbs to make them [barely] palatable. 

If low carb works for you, the sleeve will work for you. I keep my carbs as low as I can go, and I feel great and my weight loss has been super successful. I meet my protein goals, and then I eat fat and non-starchy vegetables as I'm able to. I'm no saint, I have had bad days and have eaten carbs now and then, but I do my best to be strict low carb and it WORKS for me.

IMO, one of the reasons the sleeve works is that sleeve patients (usually, if they're following the rules) prioritize protein. Since protein is dense and the pyloric valve shuts down, there is usually not a lot of room for carbs and other stuff, so whether they mean to be or not, most patients are on a low carb diet. I asked my surgeon at the beginning of this how he felt about low carb diets, and he said that research is showing they are the most effective for losing weight (his nutritionists didn't get the memo, though).

Low sugar, though, that's good advice. So there you go. Even a blind pig finds a nut sometimes, as my grandfather would say.

/rant

I would say 90% of surgeons have their patients on low carb plans simply because protein is such a priority. Recent studies are showing high protein/moderate fat/ low carb eating plans are what are successful. My  surgeon pushes fiber more than I care for with lots of grains but I've never been big on any kind of grains so I ended up eating mainly protein and non starchy veggies with lots of olive oil. And what is that? Why that is low carb eating! So I would say listen to what they say then decide if that is what you can live with or if you need to have a sit down talk with the NUT (they are probably the worst educated of all the bariatric staff). Try their way and your way to see what works best for weight loss. I know for myself that low carb is THE only way for me, I am far too carb sensitive to eat many of them. I usually keep mine between 20-40 grams a day.

If you do well on low carb, then by all means, go there.  Many other nuts support that kind of eating. 

I have a feeling the nutritionist is just getting me used to eating this way prior to surgery and maybe I over reacted to his direction of the "full plate" skim milk, oatmeal, high fiber breads, veggies, brown rices, lean meats, yogurt, fruits and veggies this RD is pushing me to eat.  I'm used to low carb way of eating, no fruit very little dairy etc.  I literally looked at him and said "really" I will gain weight like that, he said "if you don't do it I won't approve your surgery" ugggh ok.  Now after reading up on this, it seems post op eating is protein first then a veggie then a carb but sounds like I will be full anyway quickly.  Is it ok to drink protein shakes or do I have to eat chicken, fish three times a day?