confused about dietary issue post surgery

I feel like I have read so much about DS dietary needs/recommendations that everything is starting to cross -- where one says do this, another days do that.  I know there are differing opinions, and I have guidance from my surgery - but looking for some practical advice also.  

I do understand "protein first" and stay hydrated and take my supplements.  My surgeon says basically avoid all carbs -- rice, pasta, potatoes, chips, bread, sugary/sweets etc - for optimal weight loss.  That makes sense to me...  probably not realistic that for the rest of my LIFE I will NEVER eat these things again, but I can see that staying away from them will help me lose the weight I need to lose.

The biggest question for me is fat content.  I have read that since we don't process fat, that we need to consume more of it -- then I read that because we don't process fat, we should avoid it.  I guess I'm just not understanding the point either side is trying to make.  Any ideas / opinions are welcome -- still learning and not yet had my surgery.

Thanks,

Melanie C.

This was a response of mine about four pages back, entitled "food nom nom nom."

Early out you want low fat, because too much fat will mess with your bowels. Once you are further out and on your full vitamin regime, you will probably need fat to help your bowels move along.

What you don't want, are low fat foods that take away the fat, and add back carbs. Its very difficult to find full fat greek yogurt, for example, so chose a low fat vs a nonfat.

Fat, from a weight loss perspective, is our friend. It still, however, has no nutritional value. Because of the effect on our bowels, it effects everyone differently depending how far out from surgery you are and the amount and types of foods you are eating with it.


The straight up about fat.....it tastes great, but you don't absorb it, so it leaves your body unabsorbed. If you eat a lot of fat and a small amount of protein, you are going to have a horrid painful bathroom experience. Same amount of fat, lots of protein, and a full vitamin regime (particularly calcium) and you may be begging for more fat!


One of the best pieces of advice I received early on, was to look at people's surgery dates and gauge their responses accordingly. What someone who is three months out is experiencing is going to be different from someone two years or seven years out. It does become difficult to sort out all the information. Good luck!

Sounds like your question would be completely answered by reading DS Math article written by Diana Cox.  If you put that into the search function, you should be able to find it.  If not, you can find it on the static site named DS Facts, or on this forum by asking a Moderator.  It puts the fat topic into perfect sense for me.  It is a hard concept to wrap your brain around.  It took me several months to finally "get it". 

For example, if you have the choice between 0% Greek Yogurt and 5% or Full Fat Greek Yogurt, you would WANT the higher fat version.  This is because you will absorb ALL the calories in the 0% version, but only about 20% of the fat calories in the full fat version, plus whatever calories do not come from fat.

So you're going to start reading labels now, with your focus completely different from a normal person.  You WANT high fat combined with high protein, but low or zero carbs.  So you WANT real cheese, not processed.  Real full fat cheese contains NO carbs. 

Start reading labels on the stuff in your fridge now.  You will never be buying fat free again. 

Sheanie,

I have a related question. I read the article you reference. It's good information, but it doesn't address specifically how people should focus on eating during the weight loss phase.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there and I know I'm not the only newbie out there who finds it confusing. Could you clarify the fat issue as it relates to the weight loss phase or direct us to an authoritative source? I think this is good information for all people in the weight loss phase of their DS to have. 

P.S. For anyone interested, here is the link to the DS Math article. http://www.dsfacts.com/ds-math.html#.UtAi-H-9KK0

Just posted this this morning on another forum. FAT is a hot topic right now! I hope this will help you. Brooklyngirl also referenced a nice thread about fat on another forum as well.

"Remember the wonder drug, Alli, which was supposed to stop you from absorbing all the fat you eat? The commercials touted its greatness and then spoke of the side effects in a hushed tone and so quickly that you could barely understand. But one word always stuck out...diarrhea!

Because the fat that isn't absorbed, will exit your body. Early from surgery, if the ratio of fat to other foods is too high, you will have diarrhea. And it can be quite uncomfortable. As you eat more and the ratio improves, the problem will go away. The more you eat, and as you get on the full vitamin regime (particularly calcium), the more fat you will need to help the waste exit your body.

So how much fat you want or need, really depends on where you are in your journey. And likely how much fat you actually want or need will vary from person to person. While we all focus on protein, some eat more food, some eat less, some fill up on more protein, some fill up on carbs (simple vs complex), and we all have varying common channel lengths. So the amount of fat intake will vary from person to person.

Many lowfat foods take out the fat and add the carbs, which you don't need. So choose fat over carbs.

I choose full fat whenever possible. If I can't find full fat (ex: greek yogurt), I choose low fat, never no fat. I am over two years out, and don't intentionally look to ADD fat to my diet. I just don't avoid it. When my bm's dictate otherwise, I'll look for more fat....or fiber. For now, this works for me."

YES! Thank you! That's exactly the info I was looking for! Fat content requirement seems to be very much a YMMV thing, especially early out when your body is healing and regulating. Would it be safe to say to start out with lean protein sources and slowly add in fats to see how your new guts react? When adding your supplements, if things start slowing down, add fats to get them moving again and likewise, if things are moving too quickly or you encounter oil slicks (NOT fun BTW) cut back on the fats. This is where I think documenting what you're eating will come in handy.  That way you'll learn what your body requires in terms of fats. Again, thanks for clarifying. I appreciate you taking time to help me out :)

*edited for clarity

Exactly! What you don't want at this pount is to have a "target" for your fat grams like you do protein. Its all a balancing act at this stage. There may be a point when you need xxx amount of fat grams to keep things moving, but that may or may not come later.

I started adhering to the low fat advice of the nutritionist my first month and wound up miserably constipated.  There is a perfect balance that will require some trial and error.  I would say start with WHOLE foods.  Buy nothing that is engineered to be low fat, but don't be going crazy with grease or mega amounts of butter just yet.  Whole, full-fat cheese, yogurt, marbled meats, etc, are what you would be aiming towards.

I was told from day 1 to dip everything I eat in a fat source cause we cant get enough fat w/only 20% absorbtion and we would be in trouble if we did not comply. That what my NUT told my class .