Question:
Can I eat 9 servs of fruits and veggies(total) a day at 2mo post-op

Will I slow my weight loss down if I start to include more of a balanced diet-I have been having really severe bouts of constipation and I was told ot was due to the iron in my diet as well as not getting enough fiber to keep me regular, so now I am trying to eat 5 servings of veggies a day and 4 servings of fruit, will this slow my weight loss if I start to add fruits-today I bought some seedless watermelon,pears,and bananas because they were the highest in fiber-will this be ok-I need to get regular and want to do it the natural way none of all the laxatives? Someone please help???Thanks Tori    — TotallyTori (posted on May 19, 2003)

May 19, 2003
It could be tough to get in that many servings a day and keep protein your primary dietary component. I've found my best approach to constipation has been Benefiber added to a glass of Crystal Light, an apple a day and a salad for lunch nearly every day. I also will add 1/4 cup of Grape Nuts to my Lite 85 yogurt from time to time. The weight loss could slow down if the carbs, even good ones from fruits & veggies, limit your protein intake and if they lead you to crave more carbs.
   — Anna L.

May 19, 2003
What kind of iron? A well absorbed iron generally will not hurt the pouch OR cause problems on the way out
   — vitalady

May 19, 2003
You have to keep your aftercare focus on the protein and low carbs. Use Metamucil or a chewable fiber tablet or something like that. I try and keep my carbs down to 50 a day. No more. A medium banana has 19 carbs alone. You have to be careful or you won't be happy with your weight loss. Have you tried using the site called Fitday.com to record your daily foods? It tells you the total daily of carbs, proteins, fats, calories. It has been a big help to me. I enjoy a single serving of fruit several times a week and a vegetable with my supper and a small salad with cheese and turkey or ham on top for lunch most days. Good luck.
   — Leslie E.

May 19, 2003
Hi Tori, That is an awful lot of carbs. I wouldn't do it. I took 1 fibercon and 1 stool softener daily until I lost most of the weight. I'd rather be a little constipated than not loose the weight. We need to loose it quickly, I'd concentrate on that, eat your proteins. Best of luck!
   — Stacy L.

May 19, 2003
Fruits and veggies have always been my easiest foods to eat since this surgery. Watermelon being one of the first. I hated meats for about the first four or five months. I can eat meat now but I still eat a lot of fruits and salads. I do take a Real Meals shake eveyday to make sure I still get in 60 grams of protein and probably get another 40 from food. Did all of the fruits and veggies slow my weight loss? I hit goal in 5 months and went from a size 24 to a 4. I have been maintaining that for another 6 months.
   — Linda A.

May 19, 2003
Tori, I limit myself to one serving of fruit a day. And I usually have salad or veggies with one meal but the other is always nothing but protein. That's referring to lunch and dinner. Breakfast is Grape Nuts - my surgeon told me to eat Grape Nuts every morning to control constipation. And he told me to put a little grape juice on them - just enough to soak them. I know it sounds horrible - but it tastes pretty good - and works.
   — Patty_Butler

May 20, 2003
Have you tried KASHI Go Lean crunch? It is a cereal and is very high in fiber. Made my stomach rumble lol so i knew it was doing the job! It's great to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet, the main concern is to just make sure you get all your protein first. Also, 4 fruits, depending on the size may be too much. For instance, if you're eating one whole apple, 1 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries and a whole small melon- that would be way too much in my opinion- the sugar would be substantial. But if you're eating a slice of those each, then that wouldn't be too bad. Goodluck to you!
   — Lezlie Y.

May 20, 2003
If I ate three fruits a day I would have stopped any kind of weightloss at the stage you are. At tow months post-op I could only eat 3 oz of protein 3 X a day and if I was lucky about 1/4 cup of vegtables with dinner. My pouch was still very small. Today I'm at goal and about 5 oz of protein 3 X a day and one veggie or small salad w/lunch and dinner. I enjoy one low sugar fruit-meaning no bananas, grapes or dried fruits. ONE fruit ONLY, mote than that -for me is way too many carbs, believe me. As I mentioned, I do eat vegtables and some salad with my proteins. I can't imaging that you would have room to consume so much volume AFTER eating your protein. Try increasing your water intake A LOT. Consider taking Metamucil Smooth in a glass of water at bed time and if you really want some fiber, I recommend cooking some whole wheat berries (get them from the ehalth food store) in water till cooked and soft (do it up like rice but be careful it doesn't stick) top with Splenda and a dab of Cool Whip on top and pretending it's rice pudding. Eat 1/2 cup every night before bed and you WILL have results, I promise. The carbs in whole wheat are somewhat high, but the fiber and number of actual calories burned to digest the wheat are significant. Good luck, Diane N http://www.WeightlossSurgery.ws
   — DianeN