I went to the WLS orientation program and left with a packet of paperwork. I
had questionnaires to complete and doctors to visit....psychologist,
nutritionist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, and many more.
I made
appointments and started visiting doctors and had blood work done. It
was a major process. Everything went well with all of the doctors
signing off to get me scheduled. I was finally a success at being fat!
Then, the pulmonary doctor said no. I never expected him to be the one.
He said come back in 6 months and we will discuss it.
I was heart broken.
I
cried to my online friends in the weight loss surgery groups I had
joined. I read their posts and felt bad for everyone but awful for
myself.
As I made friends, I began to really read about their
struggles. I began to realize that there were many things I would need
to learn to do after my surgery.
I did not want to fail even after
surgery. I read about malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, hair loss,...I
started to see that this was not going to be as easy as I had thought.
I had chosen the LapBand for my weight loss surgery. You can Google it easily if you are not already familiar with it.
I
joined an online support group for pre-op and post-op patients. I
discussed all sorts of things with my new friends and began to see some
common threads in their post surgery lives.
I heard about vomiting, gas, indigestion,
gastro esophageal reflux, hair loss, problems with medicines, vitamins, liquids. I
heard about friends returning to the hospital with gall bladder issues,
pancreatic problems, malnutrition. I read about struggles to drink
enough water and to eat enough protein. I quickly saw that the protein
shake could solve many problems quickly but many new friends complained
about the taste!
Maybe this was not for me?
I had six months to wait.
Hmmm. Is there a weight loss diet regimen that I could use to practice?
This is a suggested diet for post ops:
Week 1-2:
During
this time, only thin liquids can be tolerated. It’s important to keep
hydrated with lots of water. Other liquids recommended during this
phase include: Clear broth or soup (with no vegetables or meat and not
creamy) Skim milk Fruit juice No-sugar added popsicles
Week 3-4:
During
this phase, you may start having slightly textured foods. Aim for the
consistency of baby foods. Eat protein-rich foods first and then move
on to fruits and vegetables. Foods may include: Pureed skinless fish or
chicken, Mashed potatoes, Low-fat yogurt or pudding
Week 5:
You
may now begin soft foods such as fish and ground turkey. Make it a habit
to chew foods well. If you don’t, you may experience vomiting, stomach
irritation and swelling. You could also have a stomach obstruction.
If
solid foods cause nausea and vomiting, go back to the liquid diet. Then,
slowly add soft foods and eventually transition to solid foods.
Solid Foods:
When
you are able to eat solid foods without problems, you will need to pay
close attention to your diet after lap band surgery. The gastric band
system was designed to restrict solids, not liquids.
Liquids will
pass through the upper stomach pouch quickly and will not make you feel
full. Drinking liquids during or immediately after meals tends to flush
food through the pouch and you will not get the prolonged feeling of
satiety needed to help you eat less.
A lot of patients have
difficulty with solid foods in the morning. If this is the case for you,
open the gastric band by starting with a couple glasses of liquid
before your first meal.
Too much food or big chunks of food can block
the stomach pouch outlet. Avoid this by chewing your food thoroughly
and eating small bits at a time. Remember, your new stoma opening is the
size of a dime.
Eat only three meals a day and make sure these meals
contain adequate nutrients. Your stomach can only hold about ¼ cup of
food, or 2 ounces, at a time. Stop eating when hunger is gone or when
you feel comfortable.
WAIT A SEC!!!!! 2 ounces of food 3 times a day?
I don't need surgery to lose weight on that!
I decided to try an "Act as if" Diet.
------------------------------
Today we add liquids to our index cards.
Start tracking how much and what you drink each day.
Do you drink at least 64 ounces of water daily? I don't so I work very hard to drink as much as I can.
------------------------------
**I am not saying that weight loss surgery does not work- it is a great tool and needs to be treated as a tool.
(some
data has been quoted from
http://bmi.ucsd.edu/about-obesity/Pages/default.aspx but I didn't choose
one site over another for any reason other than ease of viewing.)