What I have to look forward to ....

So here are some of the changes in my life that I have to look forward to following surgery.

• Eat every 3-4 hours
• Drink and eat slowly. Take at least 30 minutes to eat each meal
• Do not eat and drink at the same time. Stop drinking 30 minutes to 1 hour before a meal and resume drinking 30 minutes to 1 hour after a meal.
• Take small bites and chew well (20-30 times minimum). A large piece of food may block the opening in your stomach and cause vomiting. This could result in a procedure to remove the food. Be especially careful 4-6 months after surgery. It is easy to forget to chew well at this point and problems could occur.
• If you vomit, you have overeaten or blocked the opening in your stomach.
• Dumping syndrome occurs with gastric bypass surgery. Do not drink or eat anything with a lot of sugar in it. Do not add sugar to foods. The symptoms of dumping syndrome include: weakness, sweating, a faint jittery feeling, nervousness, nausea, cramping, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Some patients may experience dumping due to milk products containing milk sugar (lactose). I really hope that isn't me because I love my milk.
• Protein will aid the healing process after surgery and keep you healthy as you lose weight. It may also help you avoid hair loss and muscle wasting that can happen after rapid weight loss. Consume a minimum of 45-60 grams of protein per day.
• Keep a diary of everything you eat and drink.
• The surgery reduces the size of your stomach, which makes it easier to become dehydrated. Sip small amounts of fluid throughout the day. DO NOT GULP! Do not use a straw. You need 48-64 ounces of water each day. DO NOT drink fluids that contain sugar, alcohol, caffeine or carbonation!
• First week after surgery - CLEAR LIQUIDS: broth, sugar free clear juice, water. You will only be able to consume 1-2 ounces at a time. NO SOLID FOOD under any circumstances!
• Second week after surgery - FULL LIQUIDS: protein content of liquids is important. Examples of high protein liquids: carnation instant breakfast, skim milk, tomato soup with skim milk and protein powders made with milk or plain yogurt. Avoid yogurt with fruit or yogurt sweetened with sugar. Also avoid milkshakes.
• Third week after surgery - PUREED DIET: "pudding consistency" foods. Baby food is recommended instead of pureeing your own to be sure you don't miss any lumps.
• Fourth week after surgery - PUREED AND SOFT FOODS: You can now begin to include additional soft foods such as sliced cheese, cottage cheese and egg dishes. Avoid melted cheese and fried eggs.
• The fifth to sixth week after surgery: You may begin to add meats that have been ground after cooking, such as pork tenderloin, veal, chicken, turkey and beef. Vegetables must be cooked very well and chopped fine.
• After the seventh week point: You may begin to experiment with more foods.
• Recommended Vitamin Supplementation after Surgery: a chewable or liquid multivitamin supplement is recommended during the first eight weeks. A mutlivitamin, calcium, and vitamin B12 supplement will be needed for life following this surgery.
• Most patients experience a fairly rapid weight loss in the first three to six months following surgery. The greatest weight loss will occur in the first three months after the gastric bypass procedure. Most studies suggest that patients lose an average of 50 to 75% of excess weight in the first 12 to 18 months. Research has shown that weight loss surgery patients who exercise three or more times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes lose an additional 12% of their excess weight in six months compared to their cohorts who do not exercise as strenuously.

So as you can see - this is anything but the easy way out in losing weight. It is a tool that is used to help me put my eating habits back on track.