Is it me or is this really confusing?

[Dutchie]

Your thoughts and insights would be greatly appreciated.

I was told after surgery I had to eat 3 healthy meals an 3 healthy snacks.
It looked like that was a concensus, all over the world, all continents alike.
I still do that.

A typical day for me (10 months out) is:
B: yoghurt with oats, fruit and nuts
S: protein coffee shake
L: 2 wholeweat rye sanwiches, with, butter and cheese
S: fruit of some sort
D: protein and veggies
S: handful of raw almonds

Now here is a bariatric surgeon, who advocates for eating 3 times a day and no snacks: (edit: I removed the url, is doesn't seem to work for some reason. The title of his youtube video is in my next posting, sorry for this yet another confusion)

I am not sure, what I think of that.
Any thoughts?

[Dutchie]

I have no idea what is wrong, but this is the titel of his you tube video: Dr. V Diet: How To Eat After Weight Loss Surgery.

[Ann2]

My surgical team told me to have a snack if I'm hungry -- especially if the snack includes some protein.

During weight loss I didn't have many snacks. Now, during maintenance (3 years post-op), I have 2-3 snacks a day, partly to get in all the calories I need to eat to maintain my weight.

I know you know this, but I'll say it anyway: A "snack" is NOT the same thing as grazing or nibbling for some time on processed foods like chips or cereal or candy. My snacks are almost always fruit, cheese, and/or yogurt.

I will say, however, that for me the structure of eating three meals a day part at pretty much the same times of day is important -- whether I have snacks or not.

Finally, you're right -- there's a lot of conflicting, confusing information out there about how to eat pre- and post-op. The internet will make you nuts! There you'll find instructions, including videos, of bariatric doctors who say:

1. Lose 40 pounds before surgery.
2. Go on a month-long pre-op liver-shrinking diet.
3. Please show up for surgery not drunk.
4. Stick to dense protein (keto, LCHF) and eat no more than 20 grams of carbs a day to lose weight.
5. Eat as many veggies/fruits/whole grains as you want -- in fact, go vegetarian if you wish.
6. Eat 600 calories a day to lose weight.
7. Eat 1,200 calories a day to lose weight.
8. Eschew all snacks.
9. Eat 2-3 snacks a day.
10. Weigh once a week.
11. Weigh daily.
12. Weigh monthly.
13. Weigh only when you come to surgeon's visits.
14. Never weigh -- rely on how your clothes fit to know if you're losing, maintaining or gaining.
15. Take grocery-store vitamin/mineral supplements.
16. Take only bariatric-specialty vitamin/mineral supplements.
17. Always track your food.
18. Never track your food and eat intuitively.

I truly believe that those WLS patients who are most successful long-term are those who are willing to experiment with several different approaches to learn which one(s) work best for them. All bodies don't respond the same way to a single eating regimen.

[AnnieG]

I agree with Ann2. And I think its a matter of listening to YOUR doc, but clearly telling him/NUT what is NOT working for you in particular. I am stuck with a gazillion bottles of bariatric vitamins, and have gone with the chewable Sprectrum vitamins from the drugstore, with the calcium citrate. Just could not handle those things.

As to food, I eat 3 planned meals, and if I feel peckish, I have a high protein snack. But I track protein, fat & carbs as well as calories, and have a set limit so its not like a fish camp buffet free for all!

Best of luck; but listen to your body. It knows what's going on even when you don't.

[Dutchie]

Also, I more and more get this feeling, like we (bariatric patients) an big business.
Especially, when I see doctors like this, this one has a "Sleeve Acadamy", where he gives lectures, for a lot of money.
And he will tell you something that is different from the commonly used diets.
I can't help wondering if this is like another type of "guru" and after a couple of years it turns out, it does not work, for some reason...

[psparks]

Ugh... my last visit with my NUT told me not to eat any snacks, that i wasn't eating enough, and that i was eating to fast. She also told me i was creating what "they call" a boulder effect where clumps of food become like small boulders in my stomach which will cause me to graze all day long ....i was so frustrated after leaving and not knowing what to eat when to eat or what to eat. She also told me not to track my food but however be wary of what goes in my mouth... i was so confused by the time i left i was so frustrated.
this is my typical day Dutch
b. 1 egg with cheese
s. oatmeal- if im hungry
L tuna with 3/4 saltines
s. peanut butter crackers-
D. bake chicken with sweet potato
s maybe 1/4 c if i have a snack frozen yogurt

[Dutchie]

Thank you psparks, that is very helpful, especially your menu.

I also agree with Ann2.
It is a matter of experimenting and finding out, what suits us best.
For me personally, I know, I couldn't meet the minimum requirement of food per day, when I only ate three times per day.
I need those snack moments.
When my surgeon would have told me, I only could eat three times a day, I would have been in trouble.
My restriction does not allow me to eat that much per sitting, to cover my needs.

But we also tell people to follow their doctors guidelines, for good reasons.
But with so many different guidelines, all from, what I assume experienced doctors, that is where it gets confusing.
So we tell them to listen to their bodies.
And that is where some people start to panic.
I see that happen on other forums.

They start eating too much, and they get sick and nauseous, or don't eat enough and start fainting.
It has happened.
But they don't feel confident enough to let go of the guidelines.
I, personally have no problems with experimenting.

But this is why I say it really can be very confusing.

[Christie13]

With all the masses of information that is all contradicting....I made a decision early on to be intuitive about what I eat. I see what works and does not work for me. The only real rules I follow are protein and fluids are my first priority. Then veggies. I eat my 3 meals a day. If I need a snack, I have a healthy one. I try not to eat sugars and white flours but don't deprive myself completely of them. I exercise to keep my body toned and healthy. I take my vitamins. I also take the regular ones, I found the bariatric ones to be expensive and they made me sick. I listen to how my body responds to everything. If I am hungry...I am going to eat...as long as I am truly hungry and I am reaching for the protein. I think I took all the information is confusing and at times misleading. As long as it is working for me...I will continue to do it. The minute I have issues, I will reevaluate things. But yes....it is all crazy how much different information there is out there.

[psparks]

I agree with you both, That is where i am at, at the moment listening to my body. I am also like Dutch finding myself needing that snack especially at 2 pm i start feeling a drop. So i grab some peanut butter usually and a couple of saltines. I think though when i am feeling that drop it might be that i may not have consumed as much protein as i needed at meal time. I will have to see if this is the case.

[Derekej]

Your thoughts and insights would be greatly appreciated.

I was told after surgery I had to eat 3 healthy meals an 3 healthy snacks.
It looked like that was a concensus, all over the world, all continents alike.
I still do that.

A typical day for me (10 months out) is:
B: yoghurt with oats, fruit and nuts
S: protein coffee shake
L: 2 wholeweat rye sanwiches, with, butter and cheese
S: fruit of some sort
D: protein and veggies
S: handful of raw almonds

Now here is a bariatric surgeon, who advocates for eating 3 times a day and no snacks: (edit: I removed the url, is doesn't seem to work for some reason. The title of his youtube video is in my next posting, sorry for this yet another confusion)

I am not sure, what I think of that.
Any thoughts?

I was told to meet my protein # “80grams” and take multi-vitamin. Limit my sugar and carbs and to next to nothing and no fat. I did that and developed dumping syndrome and crazy blood sugar drops to below 70. Dizzy, near black out. No good. Now I am balancing carbs and fats in and doing well. I have gone vegetarian as meat was not sitting well with me post surgery. I start with Chobani yogurt drink in am. 14g protein. I eat Complete Cookie 18g protein. Carnation protein breakfast shake 15g. Hard boiled eggs 6g. Veggies have protein. So many meat substitutes are super high in protein and have almost no fat. Basically what I am getting at is definitely talk to professional about what you need # wise. Then adjust diet to make you feel good. You know your body better than anyone. I highly suggest chewable gummy or multi vitamin. Make sure that it has iron in it. Mine tanked and I ended up having to supplement for a while and that was rough on my stomach. Centrum complete chewable is good.

I am Down from Jan. 9th, 2017 @ 389.6lbs to 296.1 Dec. 19th 2017.

Also eat small. Do not eat till full or you will start stretching your stomach and end up gaining again. Or at least feeling bloated and sick. Good rule I have is eat only food that benefits you. If it doesn’t have good vitamins or protein it’s poison. Empty garbage food is what made me over 400lbs. I feel awesome and am never going back. I was disabled and have gone through major spinal surgery. I could hardly walk. Now I am back to work, hiking with my dog and living life. Gastric Sleeve “literally” saved my life.

[Derekej]

Ann2, perfectly said. I would also like to add that my experience was that I would need to adjust my diet at points to continue weight loss as I seemed to stop at points. I have actually gone ovo-lacto vegetarian and had awesome results. To each their own.