Nutrition and Vitamin info I was given

[heyclementine]

I've been meaning to share the info given to me by the nutritionist at my surgeon's office. Just to see if anyone has anything to say about it. This same info was given to a group of bariatric patients, regardless of which procedure they had done. So DS'ers, gastric bypass, sleeve, etc, we all got the same dietary advice. The only thing specific to surgery was the vitamin info. The food list is what they "require" for the first 3 months.



(I realize now that fat isn't quite as important for DS'ers to avoid.)

 

[unavidanueva]

Wow. I think you should take your dietary advice from the vets on this site, and not from your surgeon's office. That "other foods" list does not match anything I've seen people post here, and from what I've read, you will be needing real fats in your diet. But those who have already lived it will surely chime in; I am pre-op.

 

[bearmom]

Yah, my surgeon gave me an equally useless list, except it had some items to eat (or avoid) that I didn't even know what they were because it was outside the US. I'm supposed to avoid "jaggery". OK.

As long as your head isn't in the place of "my surgeon knows best and no one on these boards knows more than my doctor..." then you should be fine. We need our surgeons to be good cutters, but they don't micromanage the rest of our journey, and they get very little nutritional training, so it's best to learn the differences for each surgery, and maximize what is best for you and your surgery type. I got much more useful information from the vets and other post ops who were already walking the walk.

Looking back at your list - other than the bread, rice, pasta and chips, that entire "avoid" list is on my frequently eaten foods list, lol.

 

[heyclementine]

I know this list isn't accurate for me but I've gotten so much information (eat no carbs/eat some carbs/eat more carbs, for instance) that I find myself never really knowing how to eat. So I mainly stick to (a lot of) protein, veggies, and whatever fat happens. And occasionally some carbs, which helps my energy and sometimes helps get my weight moving again.

The avoid list is only for the first 3 months, but I'm still questioning it a little. Who knows!

 

[Will2014]

The lists of foods to eat and those to avoid seems fine to me. Remember, the purpose of your diet restriction now is NOT weight loss. It's to avoid complications post op and to encourage healing. One sharp piece of corn chip could lodge into your incisional line (yeah-even weeks post op) and cause problems, for instance. Other foods are just really tough on your already battered stomach. The goal is to keep you alive and healing for several months...period. You'll lose weight as well, because you simply can't eat a lot right now. But your focus has got to be on healing and recovering. You need proteins and fats for vitamin/mineral absorption and to heal. Carbs are wasted calories for you now...and they take up precious stomach space. Think soft, wet foods now....easy to eat and digest. I didn't touch a steak for 8 months....but I know many others were able to far earlier. I have steak almost every day now...and am loving it! But the mere thought of trying to get down a dry piece of cows flesh made me gag early on. Veggies are carbs by the way...and unless you're easily getting your 100 grams of protein daily now (I highly doubt it), then you have no time to waste eating them IMO. Remember the 30,60,90 rule for protein grams daily post op. But the vitamin list is flat out scary! Does it actually say 3,000 U Vit D3? Ouch! Should be 50,000 U. Remember, you are NOT going to absorb all of it. We need more to be sure we get enough. You're doing great! One day at a time.

 

[heyclementine]

Will, I posted a sample menu of mine on another forum. I understand about the carbs and how some people avoid them entirely. I would say some days I do, but some days I have a few bites. Just depends. I seem to be able to tolerate most food so far and I'm already well above the 30/60/90 rule, I get 90 on protein (or close) some days at 5 weeks out, without supplementing!

I couldn't believe they put such a low number for D either. I need to increase mine.

 

[Larra]

@bearmom Jaggery is "a coarse, dark sugar, especially that made from the sap of East Indian palm trees". Come on, everyone knows that!

I hope you aren't having too much trouble keeping this staple out of your post-op diet.