Had surgery for GERD, need to gain weight... suggestions?

[jesscanntoo 4]

So I had a revision to bypass at a very low weight (120 pounds) due to GERD. I saw three separate doctors for second opinions as I was quite concerned about losing too much weight by having the bypass. I have struggled to keep weight on for years due to the GERD and the vomiting it has caused me to have to deal with... and it was destroying my esophagus and stomach lining. That said, the GERD is gone, so Yay.... but I am still quite concerned about keeping my weight up. I am 4 weeks post surgery and down to 107 pounds. I am getting in all of my Protein and liquids as I have been asked to, and this week I am finally allowed to eat more soft food. That said, I want to eat stuff that is more dense calorically - and that would normally not be allowed.... such as pasta...because I think that will help me keep the weight up better. I had some chef boyardee ravioli yesterday an it was definitely soft enough,... and had 8 grams of protein in the 1/4 cup I was able to eat. So, although it had more carbs than is suggested - I liked that - as I am trying to regain what I have lost... Is there ANY reason why I should not be able to eat Pasta or bread products (toasted) if I can handle them.... besides them being bad for weight loss? Or is there something that could hurt my new anatomy? I don't want to break rules and injure myself, but I do want to keep my weight up. The nutritionist at Kaiser has been fairly silent when getting back to me... and keeps treating me like all the other patients.... I don't need to lose weight... I need to keep it on. And, yes, I've had to lose weight in the past.... just not since 2016. I know how to eat to keep weight off... just not quite how to eat to put weight on at this point.

Thanks all for any help/ideas.

[SleeverSk 617]

well, if it was me, I would be indulging in higher calorie foods but obviously don't overdo it. allow yourself a few little luxuries like Pasta and bread if you can handle them.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

I have trouble with a lot of Pasta, rice, potatoes and bread still because they always feel like they "swell" in my stomach, so gaining weight was hard for me after I too found myself underweight following a health scare. I'm also a sleeve patient who dumps, so eating things like ice cream was out of the question.

If you are ABLE to eat those things without issue, I don't see there being anything wrong with consuming a little extra treat here and there to gain weight, unless you are concerned that once you get back to a weight you're happy at, you won't be able to stop eating those things.

I was eating Peanut Butter quite a bit when I was trying to gain; I found some high Protein waffles that agree with me (Kodiak), so I'd eat one of those with peanut or almond butter on it, maybe a LITTLE drizzle of honey, a few dark chocolate chips, or some sliced banana. It was giving me more calories with a nice healthy dose of fats and protein vs carbs, which felt "healthier" to me.

[jesscanntoo 4]

50 minutes ago, pintsizedmallrat said:

I was eating Peanut Butter quite a bit when I was trying to gain; I found some high Protein waffles that agree with me (Kodiak), so I'd eat one of those with peanut or almond butter on it, maybe a LITTLE drizzle of honey, a few dark chocolate chips, or some sliced banana. It was giving me more calories with a nice healthy dose of fats and Protein vs carbs, which felt "healthier" to me.

Oh that sounds lovely. Thank you for the suggestion. I have already added that to my grocery list.

[jesscanntoo 4]

1 hour ago, SleeverSk said:

if you can handle them.

Yes, that will be the crux of the matter i think. Thank you for your reply and support!

[Arabesque 6,481]

I’d worry about filling your tummy with a nutrient poor carb (pasta, rice, bread) especially at this stage when you’re on such a restricted diet still, eating so little & not being able to get in the more important nutrients. Remember Protein, protein, protein.

I presume you are still drinking Protein Shakes to get in the protein you need. What about making your own protein smoothies with more nutrient dense ingredients - like vegetables (blend & strain). What about adding a soft cheese to some meals or as a snack or some good fats like avocado. Add milk powder to cream Soups, smoothies, etc. for extra protein & calories too. What about custard - calories & protein.

You’ll likely find that once you’re through the first few months & the restricted diet, & able to eat more without vomiting & the other gerd related issues restricting your ability to eat & consume calories, you will put on weight & attain a weight you’re happier at. What does your surgeon say?

[jesscanntoo 4]

9 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I’d worry about filling your tummy with a nutrient poor carb (pasta, rice, bread) especially at this stage when you’re on such a restricted diet still, eating so little & not being able to get in the more important nutrients. Remember Protein, Protein, protein.

I presume you are still drinking Protein Shakes to get in the protein you need. What about making your own protein smoothies with more nutrient dense ingredients - like vegetables (blend & strain). What about adding a soft cheese to some meals or as a snack or some good fats like avocado. Add milk powder to cream Soups, smoothies, etc. for extra protein & calories too. What about custard - calories & protein.

You’ll likely find that once you’re through the first few months & the restricted diet, & able to eat more without vomiting & the other gerd related issues restricting your ability to eat & consume calories, you will put on weight & attain a weight you’re happier at. What does your surgeon say?

My team hasn't responded to me. That was one reason I came on here... so surgeon is silent so far. That said, i am definitely still drinking Protein Shakes or wouldn't be getting in the amount of protein I need....although I am also doing Oikos greek yogurt and soft cheeses. I was trying to add the Pasta on top of stuff, because at the rate of loss I am experiencing I will be under 100 pounds soon and I cannot afford that in terms of my height to weight ratio. I've already lost 16 pounds in just a few weeks and can't go a couple of months until I have the ability to be less restrictive.

I hadn't thought of custard or adding milk powder to my Soup however. I'll try both of those.

Thank you.

[Jeanniebug 472]

In the early stages after bypass, there is a higher risk of dumping. I think that's why we're told to steer clear of the carby foods (aside from the weight loss aspect of things).

I'm with @Arabesque, it's important that you consume highly-nutritious foods right now, while you're restricted.

Perhaps adding fat will help? Again, with the risk of dumping, there may be some trial and error to work through. But fat is calorie-dense.

Can you tolerate Protein Shakes? Adding a few of those each day might be a good way to boost your calories. Also, excess Protein is stored as fat - that might be helpful for you.

[NickelChip 688]

What about adding a higher calorie shake like the Ensure Complete Nutrition, which has 350 calories in a 10 oz serving? It's generally considered too high in calories for using if you're trying to lose weight, but if you had three of those per day, you'd be getting 1050 calories and 90g Protein right there before even having soft foods. You should be able to manage that amount capacity-wise with no problem. They have 8g fat and 15g added sugar, which might cause some risk of dumping, but I would think it would be worth a try. It seems like you'll need to hit about 1400 calories per day minimum to stop losing weight, whereas in the early days the guidelines you get from the doctor that are intended for weight loss may put you well under 1000.

[summerseeker 1,851]

My team told me to drink more milk, cheap, natural and great Protein

[jesscanntoo 4]

On 10/3/2023 at 7:26 PM, NickelChip said:

What about adding a higher calorie shake like the Ensure Complete Nutrition, which has 350 calories in a 10 oz serving? It's generally considered too high in calories for using if you're trying to lose weight, but if you had three of those per day, you'd be getting 1050 calories and 90g Protein right there before even having soft foods. You should be able to manage that amount capacity-wise with no problem. They have 8g fat and 15g added sugar, which might cause some risk of dumping, but I would think it would be worth a try. It seems like you'll need to hit about 1400 calories per day minimum to stop losing weight, whereas in the early days the guidelines you get from the doctor that are intended for weight loss may put you well under 1000.

Haven’t heard of this particular one (shake)…. I’ve only had regular ensures and they aren’t enough Protein. I’ll do a search for these. Thanks.

[jesscanntoo 4]

Already drinking a couple Protein Shakes a day. Haven’t been able to get that many calories in yet. The most I’ve hit yet has been 800 and I felt horrendous. Just bloated. But I am working on every suggestion to see what seems to work, so thank you.

[jesscanntoo 4]

12 hours ago, summerseeker said:

My team told me to drink more milk, cheap, natural and great Protein

Milk seems to be one of the easiest things I am able do consume. I also like it. Thank you for the suggestion.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

On 10/3/2023 at 10:26 PM, NickelChip said:

What about adding a higher calorie shake like the Ensure Complete Nutrition, which has 350 calories in a 10 oz serving? It's generally considered too high in calories for using if you're trying to lose weight, but if you had three of those per day, you'd be getting 1050 calories and 90g Protein right there before even having soft foods. You should be able to manage that amount capacity-wise with no problem. They have 8g fat and 15g added sugar, which might cause some risk of dumping, but I would think it would be worth a try. It seems like you'll need to hit about 1400 calories per day minimum to stop losing weight, whereas in the early days the guidelines you get from the doctor that are intended for weight loss may put you well under 1000.

The only area of caution with that is to get to that calorie number, it's got sort of a lot of sugar for people like us, and if OP is susceptible to dumping syndrome, they will need to either break it up into multiple, manageable servings or choose something less glycemic (the only reason I say this is that I have been in that situation myself, and those Ensure shakes made me dump if I drank the whole thing in one sitting. I had to break them up into 3 "parts" and would drink 1/3 30 min after each meal)