Diet leading up to surgery vs after surgery.. Why the change?

[MrsB2007 90]

So, i have been following a nutritionists diet.. I have been reading here that many things that my nut is having me eat i wont be able to eat afterwards. The brown rice, whole wheat bread etc (other items too). I dont care for those food items as it is.. I just dont get why they have u stress on eating these items and then after surgery its a no no. I know they want to make sure you follow a diet plan, but why so dramatic difference? Is it just because you need those items now but not after surgery?

[Bryan Graeve 50]

I didn't really have a pre-op diet until the last week when I was only able to have Protein shakes and low calorie drinks, and that diet was to help shrink my liver down to give the surgeon more room to work.

Post-op is when the diet plan became rather intense. They explained to me my new pouch took about a month to heal, so in the first few weeks I was on Soups and blenderized foods. After the 6th week I was able to eat "normal" foods again, but even then I'm seeing I have to make adjustments to what foods I choose to eat. Since the pouch is so small, I'll start with the Proteins first and then some vegetables; and I'll get full off of that and end up skipping any carbs (rice, bread, etc). Carbs fill you up pretty quickly, and Protein is the most important anyway.

[Jonathan Blue 311]

This is a little bit of a loaded questions. The reason your nutritionist is probably having you do things like brown rice is to begin weining your body off of the high carb, high fat foods you will not be able to eat after surgery. This is a lot of times better for most people than going cold turkey. I never realized how much a role carbs played in my daily eating until I started the two week pre-op diet my nutritionist put me on and I wasn't allowed any at all. I was craving potato so badly. The other thing is it will help you continue to reduce your weight prior to surgery and in turn reduce your risk of complication. I cannot say enough about following the program your nutritionist lays out for you, but to constantly be working with them. They know what they are doing and will not stear your wrong. If you are not a fan of some of the things she wants you to be eating, let them know and perhaps they can suggest some alternatives. All in all its just a process to reduce carbs slowly up until surgery.

After surgery you are typically on Clear liquids for about a week, then pureed foods, then soft mashed, and finally gradually adding in solid foods as you can handle them. Each of these stages is a week or two each depending on how your nutritionist sets up your program. This is done to help your stomach heal gradually and never to overwhelm it. For all intentes and purposes your stomach has been traumatized and needs time to recover. If you ever have any questions about recipes for any of these stages let me know. I worked as a chef for Walt Disney World for a time and loved the chance to find ways of getting my favorite foods and tastes while still following the dietary rquirements.

If anything here is unclear please let me know and I will do what I can to clarify. The primary reasoning for the differences is preparing your body for surgery in a gradual way and then slowly giving your stomach the time to heal and recover afterwards. This only a small part of an absolutely amazing journey. You wont regret it ever. Its the greatedst thing I have ever done for myself.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

This is my understanding based on research and observation/logic.

Different goals and constraints influence dietary guidelines.

Before surgery: lose weight with a large stomach (need to fill it up with bulk--veggies, whole grains, etc in addition to protein). No problem staying hydrated and is a good time to ween off of caffeine, sugar, etc.

Immediately before surgery: shrink liver (low carb, high Protein but still need nutrition for surgery so Meal Replacement shakes). Still need a lot of Water.

Surgery: Clear Liquids (clear out digestive tract) and then nothing.

Post surgery: very small and traumatized body and digestive tract (need Water and Protein with very limited room and capacity to take it in.

Healing: see post surgery plus need to worry about texture to facilitate healing

Ongoing: smaller stomach (although larger than immediately post surgery) so limited room to get nutrition so focus on water, protein

Sorry for the short notes (I'm on my phone).