post op diet

D id you have to go on am special diet after a LBL beside increased protein.  If so for how long? How many grams of protein?
thank you Brenda

I haven't had mine yet, but I did ask my surgeon if there would be any diet restrictions and he (well his office manager as this was via email) said no, there weren't any diet restrictions afterward.  I plan on asking this again when I see him for my pre-op visit.

I do plan on monitoring my food very closely as I am use to working out every day and without the same level of activity, I don't want to revert back to any old habits of "I'm sick, food will make it alllll better."  

My wonderful surgeon wants his patients to consume 100 g./protein per day following surgery. While it seems the 70 g. was a lot, concentrating on protein will help your body heal. Surround yourself with easy protein snacks so every time you take a pain pill (ever 4 hours) you eat some protein (yogurt, pudding, etc.) It works!

good luck to you.

I agree with everyone but I would also add to watch your sodium intake. It will help to keep your swelling down if you can keep your sodium intake around 1500mgs a day. I had a LBL/Brachio on 3/30 and keeping my sodium low seems to make a big difference in how much I swell. If I eat more sodium, I swell more. Oh, and drink lots of water. Best wishes to you! God bless

From personal experiance - low sodium and soft foods - eggs, shakes, yogurt, pudding, etc. My pouch swells (shut / constricts) when I'm on pain meds and also right after surgery. EVERYTHING solid I tried to eat seemed like rocks sitting in my chest. I did best with shakes and scrambled eggs. Even oatmeal w/ protein mixed in went down better than chicken or beef.

Thank you for your reply.  I am so glad to hear there is at least one other person who has this happen to thier pouch.  Both my PS and WLS say they have never had this happen any other pts.  I was starting to feel like a freak.  I am better now but it was a rough week.  brenda

Then your docs are full of BS! LOL. In addition to any lbs they removed in surgery (or added in the case of my breast aug) I lose at least 5 more pounds after surgery. Actually - when I had my LBL I went into surgery at 126 pounds, they removed 6 pounds and 1 month after surgery I weighed 112 pounds (it takes at least 6 months put level back out to my 'normal' 115-118). You do the math. All I could eat was stage 2 foods really for the first month or so.  Both surgeries were exactly the same in my case so I can only assume this is the norm.

I'm convinced it isn't the SURGERY but the pain and the pain meds. Even outside of surgery, whenever I am in pain or I take a pill for a migrane I notice I can go an entire day with maybe one meal and juice or something. My body's reaction to pain or something is "pouch constriction".

I had TT & lipo 5 weeks ago. I am still hardly hungry, and lost 21 pounds since surgery. I think it has to do with the garment, it is very strict, and pushes on the pouch, so eating 'real' food is not really any fun, lol
I have about 3-4 protein shakes a day though, to help my body heal inside and out. I am VERY consious about what goes into my body ...if it is not healthy, I will not eat it. So for lunch I have a couple of strawberries with a little rice pudding, and for supper I TRY to have some kind of raw veggies, like cukes, or a couple of slices of a tomatoe, the rest is protein based... be it some kind of meat, tuna, or some cheese, or whatever.

I stay away from carbs if I can, but the other day I had some pretzels.... just because I REALLY REALLY felt like eating them, lol

I try to really LISTEN to my body, it does tell me what I need that day.

I did not go on a diet.... I just try to help my body as much as I can to heal, and heal well. And so far I am doing great!   best wishes, KC