I think when all is said and done I will be very tired of hearing how important protein is. It seems to be the backbone of the bariatric diet; in theory it should be the backbone to any diet but this carb junkie is very honestly already tired of trying different flavors of protein powder. I have used protein drinks/powder before but not the specifie whey protein isolate powder that the pre/post surgical diet calls for. Most were quite tolerable when mixed with skim milk although I recived a face from the dietitian when I asked if I could do this post surgery. So picking up on the body language I have started mixing it with water. The samples mixed according to instructions were slightly gelatinous and well gross.
Believe me when I tell you how important protein powder is in the beginning weeks pre and post surgery. It’s pretty much your main sustenance so you’d better love it. Yes I know I’ve been quite sarcastic throughout this blog, but this is no joke you have got to love this protein powder like someone you’d want to take to bed with you!
If you are reading this and are seriously considering undergoing a procedure the presurgical diet is one to two weeks and the postsurgical diet is about 8 weeks and then it is a matter of reintroducing yourself to regular food a little bit at a time. It is not a life sentence of “I can never enjoy food or eating again!” but trust me you are going to want to make conscious healthy choices that are right for your stomach because you may not have the same tast for things you once had. I was recently out with a friend who had bariatric surgery and I heard her state that there are rules to follow for a reason and if you follow them the procedure is the best thing you can do for yourself. Although I haven’t had the surgery yet I completely agree with her.
Although much of this diet seems torturous: protein powder, plain yogurt, scrambled eggs, pureed meats I feel it will all be worth it in the end. I want to improve my quality of life greatly and I never want to return to the place I’m at now again. I still have demons right now like carbs and forcing myself to get up and move more, but it’s coming along.
So for those of you considering bariatric surgery here’s the scoop…
The presurgery diet is pretty much an all liquid diet for about two weeks before your surgery. You need about 4 servings of protein powder per day and 6-8 servings of foods off a very short list which includes vegetable juice, non-starchy vegetables, and sugar free jello. And of course drinking lots of water is a must.
The hospital will start you out consuming liquids very slowly and by the time you go home you will be eating clear lquids the doc will let you know when you can advance during each phase of post surgical recovery.
The second phase is a pureed diet and lasts about 3 weeks. Yes there will be lots of measuring involved with all the diets pre and post surgery so become very familiar with thise measuring spoons and cups in your kitchen.
The last phase is a soft diet which includes things like scrambles eggs, lowfat ricotta cheese and chili.
Well that’s that I still have a few presurgical appointments to go to, but the date is set for March 8th wish me luck.