Just got my Swedish post-op diet and would love some input and opinions from vets!

Lady Lithia. So true. I just came across someone who has the VSG and at 11 days out, she had a large chocolate milkshake. Why? Because it was protein and she is on full liquids and there was nothing else she could have at Steak and Shake.

I had to look it up.  A large chocolate shake there does have 26 grams of protein... but also has 900 calories.  Good grief.  I'm betting she will be one that does not lose as much weight as she wants to and then tries to say her surgery did not work.

Kelly, I know right?  We don't have those here so I looked it up too and couldn't believe the fat and calories!  She still justifies it because it had a good amount of protein.  I told her she would have been better off having a couple of glasses of plain milk. 

Yeah, THREE glasses of skim milk would have given her 24 grams of protein and only 240 calories.  And no added sugar, either.

 I think you're right to question the amounts of protein. Protein and water were my focus early on. Actually, still are.

I didn't use any protein shakes or powders early on, although I do have 1 shake a day now, but I got all the protein I needed from food. I'm vegetarian so it was mostly yogurt, cottage cheese, beans and lentils (pureed) at first. I was getting 50-60 grams of protein a day from the first week.

My nut said to avoid white carbs (rice, pasta, potato, bread) permanently and not to have brown rice, quinoa or grainy things like that for the first month or so. I still rarely eat them. As far as the crispbread, I still don't like the way crackers or bread feel in my pouch.

It's not *****y to question your nutritionist's advice. Is there any chance of requesting or finding a nut. who's vegetarian? I've been lucky enough to have a vegan nut. and a vegetarian surgeon. 

Good luck in figuring this out.

Edited to add: I agree with the others who've said the amounts of food seem large for the first few weeks.

Caroline
 

My comment is to take your doctor's suggested diet and go with it if you trust him.  You'll need to find foods that you like and are common to you where you live.  If there are foods mentioned on the forums that you don't have where you live or foods that aren't familiar to you, it will be a lifelong struggle.

My diet sheet was the same, it stopped at about 6 weeks and then said something like "6 weeks and after" like yours does.


I did drink some juice in the beginning if I felt light headed or dizzy because I self-diagnosed that as low blood sugar.  I don't drink fruit juice now -- just because I would rather have food as calories and not drinks- just my preference - I probably could drink it.

I ate crackers very early on - with peanut butter on them (maybe you don't have peanut butter in Sweden).  Crackers actually soften up and go down well early on - with tiny bites and chewing.  They have become a danger food for me - because I can eat lots and lots of them.

I drank coffee and tea after 3 weeks.

Good luck to you!

My first week post-op had very little protein.  Back in 2005 when I had surgery my surgeon didn't want his patients to drink shakes.  He allows them now as an occassional option.

I was never told no to coffee.  I did have to drink decaf for the first 3 months then I went back to strong caffinated coffee.

The cracker and the potato IMO aren't good options.  There are definitely better carb options out there in veggies.  I personally would choose the veggies over the cracker or potato.