Difference in Doctor's Diets

I have been amazed at the difference in the doctor's diets with people on the boards. Some people can start out having chicken and fish after 4 weeks, and others can't even try lettuce for 5 months. I just wonder what the difference is? My doctor let me have chicken, tuna---veggies, and all after 4 to 6 weeks. Everything has gone down fine, with no throwing up at all. I just wonder if I would be losing more if he had me on protein shakes (he advises "REAL" food, instead of relying on shakes) and soft foods? Not Knowing the difference. There is no going back now---I wouldn't be satisfied. I know each person is different and their tolerances varied--but I just wonder---what is the perfect diet for a gastric bypass patient? We have to work fast in order to lose the most weight and our pouch is just a tool,...so what is the proper, healthy weight loss diet? Protein, water--blah blah, I know--but good grief--I am amazed at the amount of people that rely on protein shakes. Am I crazy to wonder? I didn't spend all this money (insurance wouln't pay) to not lose the right way. I want to be healthy, and lose weight. Why all the differences?

I don't know if there is any such thing as a "perfect" diet for a gastric bypass patient. We have all done our homework and chosen our surgeons. Hopefully like me, you trust your's. So follow their plan for you. We all have to remember that we didn't swallow a "magic bullet". We had surgery to help us lose weight. It's going to take time no matter what we do. There will be weeks when it comes off slow and weeks with no loss at all, but we have to trust in the new tool that we have and "keep the faith" that the tool does work. Get in your protein, drink your fluids and excersise when you can and the weight will come off. Protein shakes are OK but getting used to real food is better for you. You can't order a protein shake in a resturant. Good luck! Regards and hugs, Ronna

Well, I'll touch on the protein drinks. My best friend had WLS 2 years ago. She never had the protein drinks, in fact she freaks everytime I mention that I use them. She has seen several people eat their way out of the surgery, all did it by drinking the shakes. They would sip on them all day long, not paying attention or not caring, and end up with way to many calories. My Doc only said to get the protein. I said I was taking the shakes, he said fine, but if I had said I was getting the protein thru food, that would have also been fine. I plan on eventually getting the protein thru the food, but that is a ways off. I usually only get about 30g at the most a day thru food, because I only manage getting in about 3 oz. of food in a day. Hmmm now that I say that, it seems low. But I ran it on one of those food calculators a few times. Oh well, the calories seem alot higher than the protein seems to say. But anyway, I get the other 50g. thru protein drinks. 12 oz. is 50g and only 200 calories.

A great discussion and excellent points. Additional variables that may influence why diets are created certain ways: Surgery type - we mostly had RNY but there are surgeon variations on length of the small intestine and what is absorbed. Also the passage from the pouch. My surgeon described different cases and adjusting the size of that transition point (stoma?). So if a surgeon creates smaller ones that may affect food recommendations. Our starting health and history - our general health, weight, past high/lows, eating habits they have observed; treatment for behavioral issues identified in our psych profiles. severity and presence of high cholesterol/BP/other comorbidities. Their training and experience; personal philosophies. What do I envision as my perfect diet? Salads comprised of lean high protein items and a bit of the right veggies. (with the right dressings of course) Tiffany

First and foremost, Tiffanie, I want more details about that salad (sorry, I have been having salad fantasies). Sounds good... Second...Celeste, I have been wondering about the same thing for the longest time. It seems to me that MOST people here are all about the protein drinks and low fat,sugar free, no carbs, no caffeine, no carbonation,no straws... My doc wants us to get the protein from food and absolutely hates suppliments (in any form). No bars,no shakes. He also wants us to have a "normal" diet. He is big on the "right choices" but absolutely does NOT want us to cut out all sugar,fat,carbs and we are allowed straws! I would love to set up a debate between the different surgeons and just be a fly on the wall for that argument! I guess my theory is this... before surgery I ate a huge amount of whatever the hell I wanted whenever the hell I wanted it. You would never find me in a gym or drinking nothing but pure,clean,healthy water. I am now eating a tiny bit of lean protein and an even smaller amount of good carbs.Most of which is not being absorbed. I am excercising daily and taking vitamins twice daily. I guess what i am saying is that protein drinks or not,straws or not...I think that I will probably lose a lot of weight regardless!

Join me in salad joy.... Tonite mine had kidney beans, egg, LF shredded cheese, a few morsels of iceburg lettuce, a few slivers of red onion, a bit of shredded zuccini, peas, a pinch of raisins and a pinch of shredded almonds. Oh yeah, a pinch of red cabbage, too. I got it at my favorite local salad bar and made sure it was all well chopped and mixed. Used a bit of LF balsamic vinigrette and a bit of LF bleu cheese dressing. Protein came from the beans, egg, cheese, almonds and was over 60% of the total content. My 'veggies' were all softer, esp after they had dressing on it for awhile and had high iron content. Iceburg lettuce is worthless but currently works better for me than any other. Add some chicken, fish, deli meat or cottage cheese for even more protein. It lasted me a meal and a snack. I enjoyed chewing everything into a pulp and ate a good amount. And my system processes all this just fine. Make your salad all it can be!!!

Hi Celeste, Great topic. I have been wondering about this as well. My surgeon and Nut suggest to get protein from "real" food and try to stay away from the shakes. They say too many calories and that is not a way of life. They say you need to learn now how to eat the right things and make the right choices to help with weight loss for the rest of our lives. He does not mind that I do the shakes as long as I pay close attention to the calories. So I chose Isopure w/ added whey which is 67 gr of protein, no carbs and 270 calories. The rest of the protein I need is through "real" food like chicken, fish and eggs. Like someone mentioned earlier, we are now eating much less, exercising and drinking water so we are bound to lose weight as long as we are trying to assist the tool we were given. Oh by the way, not sure there is a perfect diet. Dawn

This weight loss board has really helped me so much. Mostly, I am a lurker, but had to ask this question about the differences. My doctor, like most of yours I am sure is ONLY a bariatric surgeon. He is very intelligent and knowledgable concerning the weight loss endeavor. I am sure that everyone chose their doctor with great care. What has me flabbergasted is the extreme differences though. I know there are RYN and lap band and other types of forum members, and I know that we are all trying to get to goal and stay healthy. I just wonder----what makes one doctor consider REAL food best, and another very intelligent, knowledgable doctor consider protein drinks the way to go? Is it in the doctor's training? I just wonder on the outcome of the differences--the occurances of blockages and overeating, throwing up, foamies---etc. One versus the other. I am not totally for one way or the other--just searching for what is best for me and my personality. These boards are just full of protein shake drinkers only and I am feeling a little lost.

It's my opinion (and the opinion of others) that protein supplementation should be done for life. Due to the fact that we have bypassed the part of the small intestine where absorption occurs, it is very difficult to rely on getting enough protein through food only. Most people do not gain weight by drinking shakes...in fact, if anything, they keep hunger pangs at bay. Whey protein that is predigested is broken down into a form that is the easiest for us to absorb. I don't know about you, but if I can, I want to avoid losing hair and other issues that occur due to low protein intake. This isn't to say that I don'****ch protein gms in my food, I do...that always comes first. The bottom line: I just don't feel we can get what we need from food alone. I know that many doctors feel we can...but I am not in their camp. If interested, check out this group...there is a lot of discussion about protein and why it's important, etc.: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-Protein/ I have learned a lot by being a member. Chele