Question:
Many questions...Food,Protein,Vitamins,Water
I am 8 days post-op, and feeling very lost. I am not getting the support I need from the doctor. I am on a soft food diet (yogurt,pudding, mashed potatoe). However, I have no idea what the serving size should be? How much water should I drink a day? Having trouble with the protein shakes and keeping them in. Denise — dresnick (posted on April 24, 2008)
April 24, 2008
Im sorry but if you dont know how much food and water you should be taking
in then your not getting the correct support from your dr. I hope the
pudding is sugar fee. Try sugar free carnation instant breakfast . it is
very good. My dr told me if you cant eat make sure you are drinking. I dont
remeber how much. I am almost 5 yrs out from my surgery. Good luck and get
more info from your dr.
— Joanc
April 24, 2008
Denise, please check out this web site. This is for my Dr. the whole
staff is incredible. They can help you with your questions.
www.muschealth.com/weightlosssurgery
JoAnn
— fergjb
April 24, 2008
You should just be trying to eat mostly protein...the amount you eat is up
to what you can handle. You will eventually work your way to eating a small
sized meal. It's all "approximates" through out your weight loss
journey. You have to listen to your pouch and follow the rules. Eventually
you will be able to get in more protein which is important to heal and help
you burn fat rather than muscle. Just do the best you can and when you go
to your next appointment talk to your doctor about your diet and
concerns...Til then...Eat what feels right...stay away from sugar and raw
food for now and try mixing a little protein powder in your pudding or hot
cereals ...Anywhere you might be able to get that powder in, try it. I mix
chocolate protein powder right in a little peanut butter and spread on a
whole grain crackers...or vanilla protein and peanutbutter and eat with
apple-cinnamon soy crisps! Delicious! Mix it in pudding or jello...make a
half serving drink if it's too thick and add a little orange extract or
cinnamon and nutmeg to the vanilla powders to change the flavor...You've
got to keep finding ways to do this forever...This is your new way of life
if you want to lose the weight and keep it off. You can do this...Just use
a little imagination and see what others are eating...Go to the main
message boards and read or ask for ideas! There are people who post
recipes and share new products! You don't have to do this alone...Go to the
"forums" and check out the message boards. There are many!!!! You
can get all kinds of ideas and learn all kinds of good things and
unfortunately learn to fear stuff that will probably NOT ever happen to
you....but freak you out from other peoples horror stories anyway! It's
all good though. The more you learn...The more you understand what you
have to do. Just don't skip on your vitamins...and eventually you will
need to get ta few protein serving...Drink water anytime you are not
sleeping (and not with meals of course) not 30 minutes before or after
either...all other times...carry water and sip sip sip!
— .Anita R.
April 24, 2008
http://www.alagsa.com/
Go to bottom to weight loss surgery info. There is alot of great
information. Or I can fax it to you. email me at [email protected]
— tayee24
April 24, 2008
For RNY WLS servings should be what you can handle, usually about 3 fluid
oz three to four times a day. Don't Drink with a meal or for one hour
following a meal. Water should be about 100 oz per day. That is hard to
get down at first but try. That is 6 bottles of 16 oz water each day.
Most Doctors have you attend classes on nutrition and exercise before
surgery so you have a manual to refer to. Best of success to you.
— William (Bill) wmil
April 24, 2008
I just graduated from this stage to pureed foods. You should be eating
three "meals" a day, of no more than 2 oz per each
"meal". You shoud be trying to get in 48- 64 oz of water a day.
A half hour before "meals", stop drinking and do not resume
drinking until a half hour after your "meal". I hope this helps.
— azreggie
April 24, 2008
Denise,
I was told by my Nut. to drink 64 oz of fluids a day and to try and eat
at least 2 oz or soft foods per meal for the first 4 weeks. I was also told
I would not feel the full feelling till I added some more dense foods to
the diet. They gave me a list of foods to eat it includes cream of wheat,
oatmeal, sugar free pudding, yogurt no fruit plain, I also can have sugar
free pops, and crystal light and the carnation instant breakfast ( no
sugar added) with 1% or 2% milk. Also creamed soups that are fat free
strained so there is no pieces in it. I was told not to add potatoes, or
eggs or canned meats till about 4 weeks out unless they are pureed. I hope
this helps. The protein shakes are considered part of your fluids in take
is what my Nut says.
Cheryl
— Harley2006Angel
April 24, 2008
For the protein, you might try protein capsules instead shakes. You can
get them at www.nashuanutrition.com. They're called Capsul-Pro. Good
luck!
— jonedwards
April 24, 2008
Most of us are told 64 ozs of liquid 60 to 70 grams a day of protein.
Serving size no more then 1/2 cup.
— Alvernlaw
April 24, 2008
Denise. You SHOULD be able to contact your doctor and the clinic/hospital
you had your surgery through. It is awful and downright dangerous to be
"thrown to the wolves" after surgery. You have to have the
support you need for the surgery to be successful. Was your surgery in
Mass??
— pinksweatergal
April 24, 2008
Wow I see all kinds of different answers here. I am 9 years out and things
are so different now. I know your pouch is only 2 ounces and within the 2
ounce pouch also lies your intestines. I could not even eat 2 ounces per
meal. actually I was lucky I could eat much at all. Next I never drank 45
mins before or after a meal. I definitely did not drink the water you guys
are all pushing. Water is heavy and can stretch the pouch. I sipped what I
did drink and believe me it wasn't what the drs. are telling all of you to
consume. If you drank all that water before you had your surgery you would
have lost a ton of weight. Water is a main key to a diet. When I was a lot
younger I had lost 45 pounds in one month by drinking water like you all
are pushing it. I don't understand why the drs. didn't tell everyone to do
this before to try and lose weight before anyone ever had a bypass. This
may be something to think about.
— nascar_angel_3_2003
April 24, 2008
I am nearly five years out. I investigated doctors and hospitals for two
years before I had surgery. The doctor I chose, had a eight hour training
session, and there you recieved your BIBLE. The bible consisted of what
you could eat and how to prepare food for the first four months. If your
doctor is of no support, apparently you did not research. Enough of the
Mother hen scolding. There is a lot of advice on this website. I use it
for support and information. Find a WLS Support Group in your area. They
are lifesavers. Not only will you find out what to eat and what not to
eat, but you will find some of the greatest people in the world. Good Luck
— tankjackjeff
April 24, 2008
Denise, there is so much information on this website here, it can answer
most of those questions. You don't have to feel lost. First, you pay a
premium for their services, even if you need to visit in person to remind
them you need support, you can do that, but before you do, search the web,
there are tons of websites for wls patients and information that will help
you out. There are books you can read, there is a lot of educational
materials out there, you just have to find them and be pro active to your
own health. You are not lost, you have the ability you just need the drive
to take care of yourself. Today is a very good day to start that. 64 oz
of water a day should be your goal. Protein shakes usually suck in the
flavor area, but you can check the backs of products and eat proteins. I
drank milk for protein, skim milk, and cottage cheese, eggs, check your
packaging, and see what you can eat. I know it has to be soft now, but
find soft proteins, you can do it. Check out that market, go for a walk
and enjoy the fact that this is the first day of the rest of your life, and
the very hope that wls will help you get healthy, wow, how much better can
it get than that? Today is a day to celebrate what you know, choose to
celebrate, it is a choice you will have to make every day! Take care.
Patricia P.
— Patricia P
April 25, 2008
For the first two weeks, I did mostly liquids. Then two weeks of soft
foods (that you are eating now). For amounts, I believe it was (and still
is for me) 2 ounces per meal. For liquids, 2 ounces every 15 minutes. At
the beginning it's difficult - you feel like you have to be sipping or
eating all day to get anything in. It will get better and you are able to
eat more 'dense' foods and eat less often. For protein, I had trouble
until I switched to liquid protein (GNC 50 Gram slam in milk chocolate
served over ice). Keep looking for one that suits you... and make sure you
aren't drinking too fast! I feel sick if I eat or drink too fast, and a
lot of those times, it comes back up.
— gonnadoit
April 25, 2008
Denise, As far as the protein goes, I struggled big time!!! I have a very
discriminating palate and a sensitive gag reflex. Most protein powder
suck----I have tried many. To my elation I finally found one I can
actually tolerate. It is Myoplex pre-mixed (although I heard you can buy
the powder version at Costco). I like the Dark Chocolate flavor the best
because it is not too sweet and it actually tastes like chocolate milk. I
also like this because in a 17 fl. oz. shake there is 42 grams of protein!
As far as water I shoot for 64 oz a day. Sometimes I hit the mark but
there are days when I only get half of that. It boosts with the weight
loss. Make sure you get the 60- 80 grams of protein a day so you don't
lose muscle mass and start losing your hair. (I also take Biotin to help
prevent the hair lossw) Right now you are learning to incorporate all
"rules" in to your life and it can be a real challenge but it
gets better and is so worth it. Hang in there.
— ChelleBelle
April 25, 2008
It is my opinion that your surgeon and/or nutritionist should have given
you very specific instructions on exactly what you should be eating and
drinking, how much and how often. You should have been sent home from the
hospital with these. I'm very concerned if that is not the case. Please
call them now and demand some assistance and very clear instructions.
Either you or your insurance pays their salary- you hired them- please make
sure they are doing their job.
I agree with the previous authors about liquids and serving size so I won't
repeat it.
Good luck,
Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
— DawnVic
April 26, 2008
I'm sorry that your not getting the support that you need. You should be
getting at least 48 oz of fluid a day and any protein shakes that you drink
can be counted in that. I used the Carnation Instant Breakfast, but make
sure that the box says "No sugar added"....very important. You
can also add a quarter cup of dry non-fat milk to that shake and it bumps
up the amount of protein grams considerably. I also ate sugar free jello
and sugar free popcicles to help with my fluids. Avoid caffine at all
costs. For soft foods always think protein first, cottage cheese is a good
source of protein as well as tuna. If your having trouble with the soft
foods try beef or chicken broths also. I ate soft scrambled eggs and
yogurt a lot, but the yogurt doesn't have as much protein in it so don't
count on that just because it goes down well. Good luck to you.
— deebunny38
April 26, 2008
Oh, and in the beginning you should be eating about 2 oz. at each meal.
It's not a lot and I tended to eat more than I needed because I was so
fanatical about making sure that
I was getting enough protein. I suggest you measure it.
— deebunny38
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