Post Op Diet.

so i found out yesterday that i was doing the diet wrong. I thought i was supposed to keep my sugar grams under 30. turns out its carbs under 30.

i honestly don't see how this is even possible unless i'm basically eating meat alllll the time.  The documentation also says nothing about fiber. traditionally women are supposed to get 25-35 grams of fiber a day. Fiber is a carb so.... now what? I'm not a big meat eater so my main source of protein ideally would be beans and quinoa however those have too many carbs to hit my minimum of 60 grams of protein and stay under 30 grams and this doesn't even count what i am supposed to do when i start lifting again.. which i'm not doing right now because i'm so damn tired and weak and mentally confused from no carbs that i can barely walk. and i have big crashes in the afternoon where that's just a disaster. i'm not a vegetarian but i lean more towards it. i cant just eat meat all the time and i cant just drink protein drinks all the time because i get hungry.

i trying to attach the image of my food long and i cant figure it out. it just keeps giving me a blue box.

Any suggestions on how to follow what they are asking for? i really want to do this correctly and I'm trying really hard but the math doesn't make sense in my head and i know my head lies..... so i'm very confused. 

If you're concerned about getting fiber, I take Fiber Gummies daily.  It seems to help.

Do you like Greek yogurt?  It's loaded with protein.  I like Dannon Greek Light & Fit. 

What about cheese?  It has some protein and fat, but you need to watch the portions.  Early after surgery I was eating Laughing Cow cheese on a lot of different things. 

Your body is still healing from surgery.  Listen to it.  If you need to rest, let it rest. There will be plenty of time in the future for exercise.  And exercise isn't going to impact your weight loss significantly - reduced caloric intake will.

Are you drinking enough fluids?  That can also cause weakness.

agreed on all of those things you mentioned but they all have carbs! They are specifically saying no more than 30 grams of total carbs. Protien is easy if i dont have to worry about the carbs. protein is ard if i dont like meat and i have to worry about carbs.

Also, keep in mind that the true fiber recommendation is not a blanket 25 grams of fiber per day, it's actually 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed. So, if you are eating a pretty standard post-wls diet of 800 calories a day, you'll hit your fiber target with 11 grams of fiber per day.

http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter7.htm

Sugar-free fiber powder is a good thing to add to food without raising your carbs too much. So are green veggies like artichoke hearts, brussels sprouts, and wilted spinach. There is yogurt out there with added fiber, such as Chobani Simply 100 and Oikos Triple Zero that can really help too. Nuts and seeds, in moderation, are high in fiber and tend to have fewer carbs than beans/legumes. Good luck!

Yes but my colon keeps trying to make cancer... so since i have had this surgery is the risk lower? because studies show:  However, most studies have shown that optimal intake for cancer prevention is at least 30 to 35 grams per day.¹

^{https://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/diet-cancer/nut rition/how-fiber-helps-protect-against-cancer}

^{This of course is just one link but there are several other studies that say the same thing. This article is actually interesting because it also mentions some other forms of cancer as well and the benefits of fiber.} 

I've had colon cancer.  Colectomy and six months of chemo.

What do you mean that your colon keeps trying to make it?  Do you have polyps?  They are not unusual for people who eat a Western diet.

Obesity increases your risk for colon cancer.  If you lose weight and eat a healthier diet, it may lower the risk.  

My first polyp was an advanced precancerous polyp., Second one was a regular polyp and third time was a precancerous polyp. Plus family history. :) Colonoscopies every 3 years.

The Harvard School of Public Health says not so fast:

"[m]ost . . . cohort studies found [t]hat fiber intake had very little, if any, link with colon cancer."

[Randomized trials produced] "strong evidence that fiber intake has no direct link with colon cancer."

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber-and-colon -cancer/

But if you have concerns that lead you to believe that your medical history requires a variance from the post-op diet that your medical team prescribes for most people, I would urge you to meet with them, explain the situation, and see if you can work together to come up with a plan that is acceptable to everyone involved.

Good luck!

You may be having the crashes because of your sugar intake in doing the "wrong diet".  It takes a couple of weeks to adjust to the low sugar diet and you will have crashes, but afterwards they should go away. The sugar is what you are trying to avoid.  I just went back over my log for 6 weeks and the highest sugar amount I've had is 10g in 1 day.  Usually I am ranging between 2-5g per day.

My carbs are usually under 20 so it can be done.  If you want to succeed at the WLS, you need to talk to your doc and nut about this because protein is going to be your #1 priority for life besides water. Since most meat are all protein and no carbs it's easier to keep those carbs low for those of us who love meat.  Does it get boring, yup, but I have no regrets and feel I can do this for life.  There are plenty of web sites to help you make low carb meals, please use them, the recipes are usually yummy for the whole family.

The fiber gummies are a definite plus.  Let me say to get Mira-Lax also and start on it within a week after surgery to help you in that dept.  I started them late and boy did I pay for it for an entire month. It has no taste or residue and  I put it in my morning decaf coffee or tea.

Good Luck to you.   

The "big picture" of post-op eating is dense, lean protein first and foremost, a bite or two of veggies if you have room. Rice, noodles, anything starchy is No Bueno. Veggies are fine, but not to the exclusion of protein.

There are a few folks who do veg*n diets post-op, but not many, precisely because it's so difficult to hit protein goals on meat substitutes.

A lot of "traditional" wisdom/research about nutrition doesn't apply to WLS patients; fiber seems to be one of those areas. Many people here take stool softeners, Miralax, etc. on a daily basis.

Check the "what's your menu" threads that go up every day. That can give you some ideas.