Nutritional Suggestions for Post Op Weight Loss Surgery patients

article text and formatting: Sue Widemark
Nutritional program: Michelle Curren, the Vitalady






Michelle, the Vitalady weighs a svelte 110 lbs!Good nutritional programs are of utmost importance for Gastric Bypass surgery patients since the weight loss is mostly achieved by the intestinal bypass part of the surgery.  In a Gastric Bypass, the stomach is mostly cut off and a small pouch about the size of a thumb is created (it is from this bypassing of the muscular stomach, the "fundas" and the "body" that the surgery receives its name.  Calling the Gastric Bypass surgery 'stomach stapling' is incorrect.  Although surgical staples are used to cut off most of the stomach and close in the pouch, 'stomach stapling' referred to an older surgery which is no longer performed which separated the stomach into two parts in order to make the patient feel full faster. In a 'stomach stapling' surgery, no intestinal or gastric bypass was included).  The duodenum part of the intestines is totally bypassed as well as varying amounts of the illeum.  These two sections of the intestine are where most of the absorption of nutriants takes place and when these are bypassed, most nutriants consumed are not digested or absorbed, thus accounting for the very rapid weight loss seen in Gastric bypass patients.  If the patients do not soon embark on a good nutritional program, it will mean many problems for them in the years to come, including malnourishment, anemia, osteoporosis and worse.  Michelle Curren, the Vitalady  has proven that a gastric bypass patient can remain both thin and healthy.  She had her surgery 6 years ago and now, runs a website wherein she advises Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) patients.  I feel her website is a 'must visit' (www.vitalady.com) and no, I'm not getting paid for the plug. But her advice has helped hundreds of patients from after-surgery illness to health and enjoyment of the benefits of Weight Loss Surgery.  Remember Weight Loss Surgery is a tool, not a 'magic bullet' wherein one can eat anything they want and still get slender! Lifestyle changes are required!

Here is her suggested program (Michelle tells me that her program was inspired by her physician, Dr Fox - she took his suggestions and has, over the past 6 years since her surgery, worked out a winning combination).  Following this program you will not only NOT be hungry but will be well nourished and also will not gain any weight back.  You will not suffer 'sugar cravings' or hunger.  This program calls for about 1500 calories a day, 500 calories obtained from food eaten in 3 meals a day (no snacking!) and 1000 calories from (pre-digested) protein supplements.  Michelle maintains her weight at a svelte 110 lbs!

After Surgery:

First 7 days

64 oz water
CLEAR sugar free liquids only.  Only exception is V8. Sip about 1 oz every 5 minutes.
Sugar-free popsicles, jello, broth, Crystal Light, sugar-free Tang, flat diet pops
 

Day 7

64 oz water
Begin supplemented predigested protein. 30 g at one time, shoot for that twice a day
Be at 30 g four times a day by Day 28, so gradually increase pre-digested protein intake in the following weeks: Increase pre-digested protein up to 120 - 150 g daily.  Distal bypass patients have much less absorption of nutriants and need more pre-digested protein supplements.

Begin vitamin regimen

Day 28

64 oz water
120 g - 150 g protein supplement (depends on which surgery)
start pureed foods
split pea soup, runny mashed potatoes (no milk)
no milk
no sugar
no grazing
no drinking with meals
 

Day 35

64 oz water
120 g - 150 g protein supplement (depends on which surgery)
soft foods
cottage cheese, very low sugar yogurts, eggs
no milk
no sugar
no grazing
no drinking with meals
 

Rest of life

64 oz water
120 g - 150 g protein supplement (depends on which surgery)
 


Foods as tolerated. (Michelle eats about 500 calories of food and about 1000 calories in protein supplements - this maintains her weight loss of over 100 lbs and keeps her healthy)
 

Hints:


Grazing and drinking with meals set up worse cravings and don't allow a feeling of "satisfaction".  Eat the small meal, put the plate away. Eat again in 2 or 3 hours. Don't leave a box of crackers on your desk.  Feel full, then empty, then full, then empty.  The only way to scratch the itch in your brain!
 

Sugar rules:

Sugars end in "OSE", so that includes LACTOSE. Cheese is OK, milk is not. Milk has twice as much sugar as protein, not a good choice. Lactaid contains lacTASE, another sugar. No milk at all. It's easier.
6 g sugar PER MEAL
If it has any form of sugar, corn syrup, honey, etc in the  first 5 ingredients, skip it.
(Note: eating foods with sugar in them can cause 'dumping', a hypoglycemic reaction which is disabling to say the least and/or an undue stress on the kidneys.  Sugar should be avoided by gastric bypass patients even if some can be tolerated without dumping syndrome.)
 
 

Protein rules:

Don't bother counting protein in foods, can't break 'em down enough to be certain (i.e. absorption of proteins in Gastric Bypass patients is poor and one cannot know how much is being absorbed from food).

Count protein grams ingested in predigested protein supplements ONLY

60g MINIMUM for any bands or rings or proximal RNY

Bars and cookies are not predigested but are better than a Milky Way if you crave sweetness

Protein supplement helps cut sugar cravings (actually, I found protein feeds hunger the best - I learned this from Michelle and now, from her advice, do not suffer 'hungry headaches' anymore.  Have I told you how great she is?) :)
 
 

Water rules:

Water is water, some of it must be WATER

Count the water you mix with protein as water (cool, double duty pouch space!)

NON-caffeine s/f liquid is usually water, such as Crystal Light or s/f Tang

In diluted fruit juices, count the water as water, juice isn't

For every ounce of caffeinated beverage, you must drink an oz of water to come out EVEN. Caffeine dehydrates.  (sucks, huh?)  If you drink a 12 oz diet pop and then drink 12 oz of water, you are now at 0.
 

Fat rules:


We don't even think about fats. (eating foods with fat in them might cause diarreih and other intestinal occurances as bypass patients do not digest fats well, if at all.)
 

source: Michelle Curren, www.vitalady.com
 
 

Great Health Information, NO selling of product!

or... Use back arrow on Browser to go back to home page