Question:
Need advice on what to eat at 4 wks post op

I am finally 4 wks post op and off the pureed food. Now I don't know what to eat. Tonight I got brave and ate a 1/4 of a very small slice of pizza and 2 bites of a ham & cheese calzone. I chewed it very, very well and it sure was yummy but I don't know if I should be eating these. It may be okay to eat them but will I still lose weight or should I eat "typical diet foods" until I lose the weight I want and then I can eat regular foods. I don't know and I'm a bit confused.    — Peggy D. (posted on May 2, 2002)

May 2, 2002
Hi Peggy - I am 5 1/2 weeks post op. In my surgeon's practice they say Protein, protein, protein. I eat any kind of protein that sounds good to me. I do not eat "diet foods". I do buy everything sugar free but not fat free. When something is fat free they tend to add extra carbs to make up for the lack of fat. My nutritionist told me to add cheese and powdered skim milk to anything that I can to add protein without adding bulk. She did a comparison of powdered skim milk to commercial protein powders and per ounce it is the same as most. It also doesn't have that awful after taste. Hope this helps! Bridget
   — Bridget C.

October 9, 2002
Hi, I am surprised it stayed down. I am 6 weeks out and if I tried anything that heavy, no matter how little it would have come back up. I think you are setting yourself up with eating the wrong foods right off the bat. I think cheeze can be a snake in the grass... sure tastes good, but not good for you. Just my opinion.
   — mbowman2

October 9, 2002
Did your surgeon NOT give you a post op diet to follow? My surgeon didn't release me to eat food like that until I was 8 weeks out. You have to be careful because your new tummy is still healing. At 4 weeks you should be eating soft foods like eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt,tunafish, soups, stuff like that. Be careful, you don't want to sabatog your surgery. Now is the time to develope new and healthier eating habits. Remember, the surgery is just a tool.
   — Kim B.

October 9, 2002
Hi Peggy. All of our doctors are different on our post op diet and we are all a little different on what we can tolerate as well. My surgeon says to have 1 oz each of protein, vegetables, fruit and carbohydrate per meal. I ate Pizza for the first time at about 4 weeks out also. Probrably about the same amount as you. I've had it twice with no problem and mostly eat the cheese and sauce off the top and then nibble a bit of the crust, lol. I just made sure I got it from a Pizza place that wasn't real greasy. I was also sent home on solid foods. Wasn't aloud to leave the hospital till we could hold down solids. My surgeon also wanted us to chew, chew, chew and not blenderize or grind things. I found out yesterday at my appointment that even though we are supposed to be aloud to have 1oz each of 4 food groups that we are not to exceed a 1/2 cup measuring cup in total volume per meal. Some things if you weigh them on a food scale take up more space then if you put them in the measuring cup so volume is more important then weight. I'm not saying you should follow my diet. I think you should ask your surgeon about it. Do they have you meet with a dietician or nutritionist? I basically eat normal foods just watch the fat and sugar. If something is high in fat or sugar I don't eat it. I don't want to dump. I had open RNY on 8/15/02
   — Carrie D.

February 25, 2003
My thoughts are that you want your body to heal and you want to be able to function well, so my nutritioninst said that you want to take in 60-70Grams (the first few months)of protien a day and 60oz of water. So eating that pizza and calzone maybe gave you 2 grams of protien and mostly other stuff like complex carbohydrates. Complex carborhydrates aren't that great because they break down to sugars and then your body will use that to burn to support your body and metabolism rather than breaking down your fat cells. I believe, yes, you definately will still loose weight alot but you may feel crappy and you are setting yourself into a pattern to in many months from now eat foods that will not support your weight loss. There is a book - Finding the thin person within yourself a woman who had the surgery stated that the successful people at the time they levelled off their weight they were eating three meals a day and exercising 4 times a week. This surgery is a tool you've got to do all the work. I would chalk the pizza and calzone up to a messed up day which I have had and I imagine the most perfict dieting person has messed up and I would focus on Protien. Lowfat Cottage cheese, chicken, fish, meats, high protien drinks, lowfat milk, and soy products. Always eat protien first. Good rule.
   — Rachel R.

September 3, 2003
I'm 4 weeks post op, too. I am slowly introducing new foods back into my life. I tried pizza (one of my favs!) and was able to eat about 1/3 of a slice of a large pie and then nibbled on the cheese on the rest. A calzone, I'm sure, would kill me right now. Like the others said... protein, protein, protein! Then veggies and fruit, then carbs. Carbs like crackers are doing a good job of settling my stomach if I feel the need, though. My problem is that food just isn't enjoyable to me right now. Will it ever be enjoyable again? God, I hope so. I have to really force myself to eat right now. Everything, even if it tastes ok, just makes me feel blah. I mean everything, whether it's pureed chicken or cheese or even the protein drink. Blah!
   — terriny