Would you suggest I join a group like Weight Watchers post op?
Post op you will need to follow your meal plan and adhere to dietary guidelines. Weight watchers may not be useful for several months following surgery since their plan is based on points that equal calories. Your caloric intake will be less than what they will advise and your portions will be limited and sometimes based on what you can tolerate. Our program encourages you to attend group meeting help weekly but the most important thing is that you have a system of support at home. You are welcome to come before the surgery, post op and often as you feel you need to be there.
Please tell me what I can do to control my hunger and am I drinking enough?
You should continue to drink water between your meals to remain hydrated. It is suggested that you continue to drink 4 to a maximum of 8 ounces every hour so that you consume a minimum of 64 ounces per day. At least half of the daily fluid intake should be water. Do not rely on your thirst to guide your fluid intake.
You can expect to feel hungry at times. Hunger is a natural feeling and should not be consider abnormal. Since you are not drinking protein supplements continuously, it may be a good idea to use the protein shakes as a snack between your meals as you did during phase 2 of the post
It is important to vary your diet. You may get bored by eating the same foods daily. Think about the long term results you desire and why other programs did not succeed in the past. It is possible that limited selections did not allow you to stay on a particular meal plan. Now start experimenting with new foods but remember to introduce them one at a time. This will allow you to see how new foods are tolerated. Try egg whites scrambled, oatmeal or cottage cheese as an alternative to yogurt and rotate your selections daily.
What is the difference between various doses of Biotin?
Biotin is commonly sold as doses approximating 1, 3 or 5mg capsules and there are no reported cases of adverse effects from taking high doses of the vitamin. Keep in mind that 5000 mcg is the same as 5mg and correspondingly 1 and 3 mg is the same as 1000 mcg and 3000 mcg respectively. Although Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails, the exact dose is not known. Taking extra doses of water soluble vitamins such as Biotin is not dangerous however your body will not be able to use the additional vitamin. You are very unlikely to get any benefit from taking a higher dose and
How can I control my hunger, get enough fluid and not stretch my pouch?
The recommended portion size is 2-4 ounces during the puree phase of the diet. Each person’s intake will vary and may change daily or from one meal to the next. When ready, you will not stretch the pouch by eating approximately 4 ounces at a time. If you are feeling hungry and limiting liquids; increase your fluid intake between meals. This will give you a feeling of satiety. It can be dangerous to advance your diet too quickly.
We suggest that you start by making a schedule for the liquids. Try increasing your fluid intake from 4-6 ounces every hour to 8 ounces every hour. The absolute
Ideally the foods you choose should have less than or equal to 8 grams of sugar per serving. Foods like dried fruits and juices may have high natural sugar content and should be avoided. Natural sugars from fruits or fruit juices do not have any fewer calories than table sugar and should not be considered low calorie substitutes. If the sugar content is high in proportion to the other carbohydrate content then it may not be a good choice.
Sugar is a carbohydrate. On food labels total carbohydrates include both complex carbohydrates such as starch and simple sugars such as table sugar and
Does flaked fish have to be pureed? What about sardines?
As a general rule the foods during phase II require less chewing that those at a later stage of the diet. If you are feeling comfortable after a few days on the puree diet you can try a small piece of a baked white fish and the fish does not have to be pureed.
Sardines are very high in sodium and also remember that you are unable to drink with or immediately following a meal. The sardines in tomato sauce contain approximately 550mg of sodium per serving. As you are reading food labels, please try to avoid foods that have more than 300mg of sodium per serving. This is a basic guideline used to
How long before the operation should I practice the post op diet?
Prior to surgery practice the liquid diet for 2 days and transition to the puree diet for 2-3 days. This will give you a chance to experiment with food preparation and adapt to the regimen. Phase 3 requires more work and dedication. Start by going through your cabinets and eliminating high fat products, replacing oils with cooking s
When you start the puree diet keep in mind the following guidelines:
1. All foods should be a baby food consistency. You should be able to eat anything you puree with a spoon.
2. Use lowfat and/or fat free products. For example if you puree chicken or tuna fish you can add lowfat mayonnaise. You can also add reduced fat salad dressings, mustard or low sodium chicken broth to moisten the proteins.
3. Try to eat 3 meals per day. If you get full it is normal but the idea is to give structure to your meal plan and do not skip meals. The portions should be between 2 and 4 ounces.
