Post-surgical Diet Modification
If you have not been able to control your weight
through diet and exercise, and have elected to
undergo weight loss surgery after careful
consideration and evaluation by Dr. Nowzaradan,
you will still find that your post-surgery diet will
need to be modified.
Weight loss surgery may address the mechanics of
how much food you will need in order to feel full,
or how much of the nutrients and calories are
absorbed into your system, but the surgery does
not control your own post-surgical behavior.
Those procedures that are strictly restrictive (Lap
Band System®, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) may
not have much effect on how you feel when eating
certain foods, but they will effect how much food
you need in order to feel full. Because you will be
eating less, you must make the best use of your
caloric intake as possible.
Men
Men should eat six or seven one-ounce servings
of grains per day. Whole grains are an important
source of fiber and a healthy diet, so least three
of the servings should be from whole grains. Be
sure to read package labels to make sure the
product is made from whole grains.
One serving is equal to one slice of bread, one
cup of breakfast cereal, one-half cup of pasta,
cooked rice, or cooked cereal.
Sources for whole grains include brown rice,
whole grain bread and pasta, buckwheat, oatmeal,
wild rice, quinoa, amaranth, and spelt products.
Men should consume about three cups of dairy
products, or milk-alternatives each day because
dairy products are an important source of
calcium. Low fat or no fat dairy products are the
best choice. If you choose not to consume dairy
products, alternative calcium sources include
sardines, tofu, and calcium-fortified foods.
One serving is equal to one cup of milk, one cup
of yogurt, one and one-half ounces of cheese.
Sources for milk and dairy products include milk,
yogurt, cheese, and sour cream. These products
can come from cows, goats, or sheep.
Most men need about six to eight ounces of meat,
legumes or other protein sources per day. Low
Procedures that utilize a malabsorptive function,
the Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass for instance, alters
the anatomy of your digestive system thereby
changing the way your body manages food and
how your digestive system reacts to the types of
food you eat. With the Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass,
important parts of your digestive system are
bypassed, which disrupts the normal functioning of
the digestive system. The post surgical diet for an
individual who has undergone a Roux-en Y Gastric
Bypass should generally be low in simple sugars
and carbohydrates and high in protein. You may
need to avoid dairy products and acidic foods.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are typically
required.
We Are Here to Help
Dr. Nowzaradan and his staff will supply you with
detailed information regarding your specific post-
surgical dietary needs. In additional, you may find
our regular Support Group meetings are an
opportunity to discuss your issues with others who
share your concerns. This is often the arena where
many unique and inventive solutions are
discovered.
Whatever your goal is, nutrition is instrumental in
achieving or maintaining it. You need a healthy diet
to help you lose weight and keep your body in top
shape to perform all the things you do in a day.
The following chart illustrates guidelines established
by the USDA’s latest dietary recommendations.
Women
Women should eat five or six one-ounce servings
of grains per day. Whole grains are an important
source of fiber and a healthy diet, so least three of
the servings should be from whole grains. Be sure
to read package labels to make sure the product is
made from whole grains.
One serving is equal to one slice of bread, one cup
of breakfast cereal, one-half cup of pasta, cooked
rice, or cooked cereal.
Sources for whole grains include brown rice, whole
grain bread and pasta, buckwheat, oatmeal, wild
rice, quinoa, amaranth, and spelt products.
Women should consume about three cups of dairy
products, or milk-alternatives each day because
dairy products are an important source of
calcium. Low fat or no fat dairy products are the
best choice. If you choose not to consume dairy
products, alternative calcium sources include
sardines, tofu, and calcium-fortified foods.
One serving is equal to one cup of milk, one cup of
yogurt, one and one-half ounces of cheese.
Sources for milk and dairy products include milk,
yogurt, cheese, and sour cream. These products
can come from cows, goats, or sheep.
Most women need about four to six ounces of
meat, legumes or other protein sources per day.
 legumes or other protein sources per day. Low
fat meats and other protein sources are needed to
provide protein and a variety of other nutrients.
It is important to realize that many meats are high
in saturated fat, which you don't want, and other
proteins like fish and sea food are high in omega-
3 fatty acids that you do want.
According to the USDA, one serving is equal to
one-half ounce. Other sources consider two
ounces to be one serving size.
Sources for proteins include meats, poultry, fish,
seafood, dry beans, nuts, and seeds.
Men need to consume healthy fats every day.
Fats are an important source of essential fatty
acids, vitamin E. It is important to consume
sufficient omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and
flax, and to reduce consumption of saturated fat
found in red meats, trans-fat and hydrogenated
oils found in processed foods.
One serving is equal to one teaspoon. Men need
up to nine servings of healthy fats per day, which
are already found in much of the food we eat.
Sources for healthy fats include fish, flax, seeds,
nuts, vegetable oils like olive oil, peanut oil, and
safflower oil.
Men need five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables per day. Dark green and brightly
colored fruits and vegetables contain many
antioxidants and bioflavonoids in addition to
vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
One serving is equal to one-half cup for a starchy
vegetable such as potatoes or corn, and two cups
for a dark green low-starch vegetable like broccoli
or leafy greens. One fruit serving is typically
equal to one small to medium sized fruit or one-
half cup berries.
Sources for fruits and vegetables include dark
green and brightly colored vegetables, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, apples,
oranges, peaches, bananas, etc. C alorie counts
vary significantly, so keep track of calories.
Sugar and sweets add excess calories and very
little nutrition. Men do not require any sugar to be
consumed on a daily basis.
One serving is equal to one teaspoon.
Sources for sugar and sweets include soft drinks,
candy, pastries, all sugars, syrups, honey, and
molasses.
Men need about 25 to 35 grams of fiber for
general good health and to help maintain a
healthy digestive system and healthy cholesterol
levels.
Serving size depends on the food group that is the
source of fiber.
Sources for fiber include whole grains, whole
fruits, and vegetables.
Men need less than 2300 mg per day of sodium,
so be sure to read the labels of prepackaged and
processed foods.
One serving is equal to one dash of salt, which
contains 155 mg of sodium.
Sources for salt or sodium include processed
foods, canned vegetables, salt, and prepared
foods.
Ba ck to Physician Follow-Up P a ge of "O utre a ch" Se ction
meat, legumes or other protein sources per day.
Low fat meats and other protein sources are
needed to provide protein and a variety of other
nutrients. It is important to realize that many
meats are high in saturated fat, which we don't
want, and other proteins like fish and sea food are
high in omega-3 fatty acids that we do want.
According to the USDA, one serving is equal to
one-half ounce. Other sources consider two
ounces to be one serving size.
Sources for proteins include meats, poultry, fish,
seafood, dry beans, nuts, and seeds.
Women need to consume healthy fats every day.
Fats are an important source of essential fatty
acids, vitamin E. It is important to consume
sufficient omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and
flax, and to reduce consumption of saturated fat
found in red meats, and trans fat or hydrogenated
oils found in processed foods.
One serving is equal to one teaspoon. Women
need up to seven servings of healthy fats per day,
which are already found in much of the food we
eat.
Sources for healthy fats include fish, flax, seeds,
nuts, vegetable oils like olive oil, peanut oil, and
safflower oil.
Women need five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables per day. Dark green and brightly
colored fruits and vegetables contain many
antioxidants and bioflavonoids in addition to
vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
One serving is equal to one-half cup for a starchy
vegetable such as potatoes or corn, and two cups
for a dark green low-starch vegetable like broccoli
or leafy greens. One fruit serving is typically equal
to one small to medium sized fruit or one-half cup
berries.
Sources for fruits and vegetables include dark
green and brightly colored vegetables, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, apples,
oranges, peaches, bananas, etc. C alorie counts
vary significantly, so keep track of calories.
Sugar and sweets add excess calories and very
little nutrition. Women do not require any sugar to
be consumed on a daily basis.
One serving is equal to one teaspoon.
Sources for sugar and sweets include soft drinks,
candy, pastries, all sugars, syrups, honey, and
molasses.
Women need about 20 to 25 grams of fiber for
general good health and to help maintain a healthy
digestive system and healthy cholesterol levels.
Serving size depends on the food group that is the
source of fiber.
Sources for fiber include whole grains, whole
fruits, and vegetables.
Women need less than 2300 mg per day of
sodium, so be sure to read the labels of
prepackaged and processed foods.
One serving is equal to one dash of salt, which
contains 155 mg of sodium.
Sources for salt or sodium include processed
foods, canned vegetables, salt, and prepared
foods.
Forwa rd to Fitness P a ge of "O utre a ch" Se ction