Post GB Surgery diet

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-18-2003
Post GB Surgery diet
5
Wed, 08-31-2005 - 3:28pm

Hi All~ I've posted here once before...
I had my GB out almost 4 months ago... I'm wondering... Is there any kind of diet I should be following post surgery.. My doc never said ANYTHING to me.. and I am always so sick.. It seems like everything I eat makes me feel ill... and as opposed to most people i do have the occasional run to the bathroom with diahrea, but most of the time, i'm extrememly constipated and bloated... Or like today i just feel nauseous and feel lik emy stomach is "acidy"... I have heard to avoid fatty foods, but is there anything else you know of? also anyone here GAIN weight after their surgery???

Thanks ;)
b:)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Wed, 08-31-2005 - 6:42pm

Hi and Welcome

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-01-2005 - 8:54am

Hi swell - welcome to the board.

I had my gb out in Feb/04 and it was at least a year till the daily nausea started to get better.

Even now I have to watch what I eat. A person can still develop gallstones after having the gb removed so I've opted to eat a low fat diet and try to make healthy choices.

Things that I don't eat:
* meat
* processed foods (ie - things that come out of a box, bag, can or the deli)
* 'diet' drinks (ie aspartame, splenda, etc)

Things I rarely eat:
* eggs
* dairy (maybe milk in a latte a few times a week, and cheese once a month or so)
* butter (okay - it's dairy - but I likely have it once or twice a week)
* sodas

Some people find spicy food is hard on their system - fortunately that isn't a problem for me.

About the weight gain. At the end of the day the reason that we gain weight is that we are consuming more calories than our body requires. Water retention / constipation can cause a slight bit of weight gain. If you've checked with your doctor to ensure that the water retention isn't another issue (ie heart problem) then it shouldn't be causing a huge weight gain. Same with the constipation -if you are retaining so much - well - you know - that you are significantly heavier than you need to be in the hospital right away!

Are you drinking enough water? There is a tendancy to cut back when bloated - but that actually makes it worse. When we are slightly dehydrated and then take a drink our body retains the fluid thinking it may not get more. Once an acceptable level of hydration is reached the bloating goes away (if that is the cause of it). If I go for a few days without drinking enough water I find it takes about 3 days to get back on track and I'll be bloated for the first 2. Dehydration is also a big cause of constipation.

Best of luck - please let us know how you are doing and if you can pin point the foods that are causing you problems.

I'll post back latter with a link that I don't have time to find right now.

Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-02-2005 - 2:28pm

Link I mentioned - Ask the Healthy Eating Expert message board.

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-fbask/message.asp?webtag=iv-fbask&msg=9940.1

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-2005
Sun, 09-04-2005 - 5:11pm

my two cents...
i had my GB (and my spleen) removed in july of 1996... and am still having complications with my diet. until just this past wednesday, when i saw a new OB/GYN specialist for the first time and i mentioned my concerns, i was blaming all my digestive problems on my GB being removed. now, technically, a LOT of the problem can stem from this. (as i read more and more, i could really make several changes in my diet) oh- and after my GB removal- my doctor didn't say a WORD about my post diet... i was at the drs office for dehydration from diarrea before she mentioned my diet. -i changed doctors that day. since then, i have always stayed away from high fat foods, dairy and red meat. i don't eat a lot of spicy things either. so when my specialist said i could have IBS (ugh- i don't even want to think about that...) i started my research. i will be keeping a journal of what i eat and how i feel, along with stress too. (i had a turkey sandwich, a salad and a lowfat ice cream bar, and 2 hours later was in the bathroom today... ugh... here starts my journal.)

but i wanted you to know that for the first year or two i couldn't get my digestion straight at all. and i gained 10-15 lbs in that time. because i felt better without my GB and spleen- which was causing problems due to a hereditary blood disorder- i was more active and started to enjoy my life a lot more... so that's why i gained my weight. i was also 20 lbs underweight before the surgery anyway. i still have a lot of IBS symptoms, but they seem to overlap post GB surgery symptoms... so i'm not sure what to think now. the specialist suggested seing a gastroenterologist. (is that how you spell that????) it may be my next step, although i am a big fan of naturopathy and homeopathy... i will do more research on local practicioners this week.

best of luck to you... and all of us... :) :) :)
-paula

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sun, 09-04-2005 - 6:52pm

Hi and Welcome Paula

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B