Poll about following your doctor's guidelines

 Not at all. I think they'd be fine with the portion of a "treat" I might eat, but less so with the frequency. It's probably enough that I can't keep it up as I get farther out.

1.  I'd say 75% of the time I follow guidelines.
2. Yes.  What's he gonna do to me? 
3.. I'm going with G. Other reasons 
        I stopped taking chewables sooner than he suggested because I hated them.  He was fine with it. 
        I started eating red meat before the 6 month out guidelines that he suggests.  I really thought that if I could handle ground turkey I could handle ground beef if I chewed it enough and it was in something like chili. Thankfully I could. 

Edited to add: I forgot they suggest 3 meals per day, no snacks.  I work a 10 hour day.  I can't do it.  When I tried I would bottom out around 4ish in the afternoon.  I need a snack.  And they were cool with that too. 

But overall I believe they have an excellent program and have stuck with the overall majority of their guidlelines. 

At over 4 years out I don't follow them like I did the first few years.
I do get in more protein than suggested (always have).
I do take better vitamins than suggested (no Flintstones for me).
I avoid some foods they say are ok (or greatly limit them).

I still follow the no liquids with or after meals rule.
I still exercise.
I really need to attend support group more often, but sometimes I really get tired of hearing new Post Ops telling the rest of us how work this thing - when I was a new post op I went to the meetings and tired to soak up the experience and advice of the people further out.

I really don't get much direction at 4 years out, but I do see my surgeon once a year to keep communication lines open because if I ever need additional surgery (bowel problems, gall bladder, appendix, etc.) he is the only one I would want operating!

1.  Would you say that you follow your doctor’s guidelines at least 75% of the time, between 50 and 75 % of the time, about 50% of the time, or less than 50% of the time?

Well, my doctor doesn't have a TON of guidelines specific to him. He has a few absolute no-nos, but the rest are sort of universal sort of things. A few of his absolutes are:

No drinking with meals or for half an hour afterward. 
No booze for 6 months. 
No smoking. 
No NSAIDS. 
No skipping the essential vitamins (his requirements are multi, calcium, iron, and B complex). 
At least 60g of protein a day or more
64+oz of water daily. 

So far, I have taken zero NSAIDS, haven't smoked, haven't drank. I skip my vitamins a lot, but not because I'm rebelling--I just forget. And I refrain from drinking after meals about 80% of the time. I get my 60+ grams of protein about 80% of the time, and am seriously lackiong on the hydration front. 

So if I take the average: 100 + 100 + 100 + 30 + 80 + 80 + 20 = 510% compliance / 7 requirements = 72% compliance. 

1. When you decided not to follow the guidelines, are you honest with your doctor about it?

We don't really follow up. I'm due back for a 3 month visit, but I need to make the appointment. I would totally be honest when I go, though. I never understand the point in lying to your doctor. 

1. What are the reasons you don’t follow your doctor’s guideline?
   
   My main noncompliance is the vitamins. And as mentioned before, it's not intentional, it's just plain ol' forgetfulness and distraction. I'm getting better about it, though. I've started setting a timer to go off 4x a day to remind me, and that's been helping.  As for drinking after meals, yeah, that's just old fashioned "I don't WANNA!"  It's a habit I'm trying to break because I know it's bad for me. 

 I mostly do what the guidelines say, with the exception of eating and drinking. ;-)
Drinking is getting easier, but I have only once gotten in 64 ounces. I come close.
I eat four meals a day because that's what works for me.
I added a small amount of caffeine in at four weeks. I have no idea what It's doing to me, but without it, I sleep all day.

So:
At least 75% of the time
Probably will be honest at next follow-up.
I'm noncompliant because B, they're too hard to follow.

I would say 100% right now.  I haven't had my surgery yet. 

Much more athn 75% of the time. There are only 2 things that I did NOT follow my surgeon's guidelines about, and both of those were because I felt it was in my best interest not to do so.  The first time it was the no straw for X weeks (whatever number it was) rule.  I was much better able to get my liquids in with a straw (I still rarely drink all 64 ounces) and was not experiencing any gas or discomfort of any kind so I used a straw from about 3 weeks out (right after trhey took my G-tube out).  The second time was when she decided I did NOT need 3-month labs, that getting them at 6 months would be fine.  I asked my PCP to order basic labs and the had the full set done at 6 months out.

My surgeon is very good about answering questions about the reasons for things and about adjusting things to meet individual patients' needs.  She told me that soda would NOT stretch my pouch (that it was a scare tactic), and she did not require a long period of liquids or purees post-op (and explained why)... so I had very few complaints with her early guidelines.

Lora

I follow them completely. I mean, he is the doctor and he knows *******so listen to my NUT 100% too. If she says "no bread" as she did this week then i dont have bread. I wish to be successful and its because i follow what they say that im already at my halfway goal at only 10 weeks out. I'm 50 pounds down!

more than 75% of the time. The only thing I do off "plan" was approved by the surgeon and the dietitian, so it isn't really off plan I guess?

When I do mess up (and I go big when I mess up!) I document it in my food journal and print it out for my dietitian. I actually go through the myfitnesspal pages and intentionally find the "bad" days to get her opinion. I do take what I think are good days as well, in case I am wrong!

i follow my doctor's instructions about 90% of the time.  A lot of the 10% is usually due to forgetting (to take my iron occasionally) or being "out of pocket" and not being able to comply.  I am still sort of early out (almost 5 months).  I suspect as I get further and further out not compying may come easier unforturnately.