Food confusion

[CINNZ 3]

Hello lovely people. So im confused on how every forum including my own surgeons says all different times to start things after surgery. Some day week 1-2 u can have mashed pot some say no only creamed Soups some say yogurts some say You can have some normal food at week 3 please tell me what you all did or are doing . My nutritionist even is saying different then what was on post op papers . I don’t want to mess this up but if I can attempt different things that won’t affect me and is “allowed” I sorta want to.

Pre weight 210

surgery Oct 12/22 weight 199

Current weight 187

[Leo segovia 54]

Sometimes too much info is bad. I follow what my surgery information booklet tells me. It lays out days and weekly schedule. It tells me food to eat during these times and I'm following it to the letter. I have added a copy of the guide I use. Hope it will help. It had guided me well and I only move on to my next stage only when I am ready I never get ahead of this schedule. That was the best advice I gotten from my surgeon and nutritionist and I'm greatfull for it. Best wishes on your weight loss journey. !!

TWH_dietexcerpt_dec2013.pdf

I also wanted to add that I use MyFitnessPal to track my food and nutrition and it help me track my calories, carbs and salt intake.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Leo segovia
Added Info.

[kcuster83 1,502]

Wow, I get different teams having different plans and advice but I can't understand why your entire team wouldn't be on the same page. That's crazy, and I can definitely see how it could be confusing or overwhelming.

Unfortunately asking here isn't going to help or resolve the issue for you because everyone's plan is different so everyone is going to tell you different things.

I would probably follow the paperwork they gave me, and likely specifically ask why you keep getting different information than what is on the paperwork you were given. It never hurts to ask questions.

[SpartanMaker 676]

41 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

Wow, I get different teams having different plans and advice but I can't understand why your entire team wouldn't be on the same page. That's crazy, and I can definitely see how it could be confusing or overwhelming.

Unfortunately asking here isn't going to help or resolve the issue for you because everyone's plan is different so everyone is going to tell you different things.

I would probably follow the paperwork they gave me, and likely specifically ask why you keep getting different information than what is on the paperwork you were given. It never hurts to ask questions.

Exactly this.

There are unfortunately no standards at all when it comes to pre and post bariatric surgery diets. I found this incredibly frustrating early on as it makes it seem like it's not science, but guess work. On reflection, I suspect it has more to do with how long a particular program has been doing bariatric surgery and the experiences of their patients over that time. Most teams probably only update their plans rarely. Some may still be clinging to recommendations that were more common a long time ago. Also, some doctors are just more conservative than others. Anyway, whatever the reason, every bariatric program is free to design their own plans. Some are very strict, and some not so much.

When I asked my team about this, I was specifically told to ignore what other programs were doing. They designed their plan around the outcomes that work for them.

In terms of conflicting advice between your written plan and what you were told, I agree it's best to ask. I had this happen a few times, but I always asked about it and was given a reason why they wanted me to deviate. For example, at my 2 week post-op visit, I was told I could progress faster than the written plan. This was specifically done for me because I was healing well and had no nausea.

[Leo segovia 54]

I found the standards I was given were quite strict and still reasonable. These are used Provence wide here and I found little deviation to different plans offered by other hospitals here in Ontario. My hospital is involved with The University of Toronto medical school as several hospitals are all involved together. A large group or team gives me confidence in their work and structure they offered me. I was also given the option to vary my plan slightly but I personally recommend being a bit more strict with yourself and allow your body to transition and heal. Time and your body mechanics will tell you when to progress. It is a long journey we are all in. I spent 30 years being fat and unhealthy and I will not loose the weight in fast succession. It will take lots of effort and time to make real permanent changes. I wish you all the best on your weight loss journey to better health. From Canada Cheers!

Edited October 20, 2022 by Leo segovia
Spelling errors still might have some.

[RickM 1,747]

Programs will vary all over the place depending upon their experiences, convenience and tolerance for potential minor complications. Our program, for example, allowed us most everything liquid, mushy or soft for the first month, and we could switch between them and experiment depending upon our personal tolerances - if something didn't settle quite right, go back to what did and try that food again in a week or two. Some programs may prefer to keep their patients all on one track based on the most problematic patients (lowest common denominator) to avoid hassles and calls to their staff.

[Arabesque 6,466]

We usually suggest people follow the plan they were given but in your case that won’t work because no one on your team is on the same page. I’d probably follow what the surgeon says to begin (especially through liquid, purée & soft food stages). Your surgeon would be more focussed on supporting your healing & recovery after the surgery. Once through the recovery stages, your dietician is probably best to support your ongoing weight loss & giving you nutritional advice. But that’s my thoughts.

I’d also certainly let them know how confusing it & how easy it can be for a patient to do the wrong thing & do themselves harm.

[ShoppGirl 3,353]

I would take the paperwork with me to the nutritionist and ask questions. But definitely follow your teams plan. You are trusting them to take care of you and if you run into any issues it’s best if you are doing what they assume you are because that’s their plan. In other words if you call in with a question the dr knows how far you are out and assumes your doing X plan but your really doing Y well your issues could be related to the food but they would rule that out because you shouldn’t be eating that yet. Does that make sense. Just less confusion if you do what they suggest.

[RickM 1,747]

Also, the written instructions are sometimes just boilerplate, created for general cases, and sometimes not even bariatrics, and sometimes they just go obsolete and haven't been updated, so certainly go with what instructions you get personally from your doctor or RD (and sometimes even that will vary.) The post op discharge instructions given to you by the hospital can be some of the most generic (often written more by lawyers than be doctors....) and can conflict with what your doctor will tell you - go with the doctor's instructions. Sometimes the guidebook given to you by the bariatric program may be a bit out of date - I have seen some be told by their doctors to advance to the next stage now, even though that may be a week or so in advance of what the book said, with the doc telling them that "we have learned that the patients are doing better by going a bit faster, and we'll change the book next time we print some..." Again, go with what the doctor tells you.

[Cee Cee 3 3]

I’m 3 days post up and my doctor put me on a Protein only (soft, mushy, and/or finely chopped) diet. I was able to tolerate Water and chicken broth okay at the hospital. I had a little nausea but did not vomit. In fact, the PA called me yesterday and asked me to try tuna with mayo to see how my stomach tolerates it. If it does not tolerate it then she asked me to try something else. Every doctor is different. The booklet and docs they provided us with is just general information but your doctor post op will tell you what diet they would like for you to follow.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

On 11/5/2022 at 4:09 PM, Cee Cee 3 said:

I’m 3 days post up and my doctor put me on a Protein only (soft, mushy, and/or finely chopped) diet. I was able to tolerate Water and chicken broth okay at the hospital. I had a little nausea but did not vomit. In fact, the PA called me yesterday and asked me to try tuna with mayo to see how my stomach tolerates it. If it does not tolerate it then she asked me to try something else. Every doctor is different. The booklet and docs they provided us with is just general information but your doctor post op will tell you what diet they would like for you to follow.

To illustrate everyone's point about every surgeon's plan being different, I was ONLY allowed liquids for 3 weeks after my surgery.