26 Foods to avoid These foods should be avoided at this stage as they are too filling and will prevent you from getting adequate protein. They are also too difficult to digest at this stage and can cause unwanted symptoms such as pain, bloating and vomiting. • All breads/rice/pasta • Cereals with dried fruits and nuts • Raw and hard vegetables and salads • Dry and tough meat/chicken (steaks, breast of chicken and most BBQ) • Other seafood: Prawns and calamari • You will be able to slowly introduce these foods over the next few months. Nutritional priorities for this stage AIM TO EAT 1/2 CUP SERVES AT EACH MEAL You may not be hungry and you will feel full with a small amount of food. It is important to listen to your new stomach, do not push yourself and stop when feeling satisfied. Remember that you are still getting used to the capacity of your smaller stomach and therefore the first few months are your learning curve. In order to avoid unwanted symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting you need to listen to your stomach and recognise its capacity. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN You are still going through a rapid weight loss phase and as mentioned earlier, protein is important to prevent muscle loss and improve healing. • Your protein requirements will be calculated by your dietitian, but initially aim for 60-80g per day • Now that you have progressed to a soft diet it will be easier to meet your needs as you can choose from a larger variety of protein sources • Remember to continue to include a protein sources at each meal and eat it first • You can still include your meal replacements (Optifast® ), especially on the busy days • You will still need protein supplements to meet your body’s nutritional requirements How to prevent gastrointestinal symptoms As discussed earlier you may experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, discomfort and even vomiting if you try to: • Progress your diet too quickly and include inappropriate food items (doughy foods and hard solid foods) before your stomach has healed • Eat too much • Eat too fast • Eat and drink at the same time AT THIS STAGE make sure you stay on the soft food, make your meals protein based, limit vegetables, avoid starches, slow down your eating, take smaller mouthfuls, make sure you chew everything thoroughly and separate your meals from your fluids. Use your protein source table (page 17) and your protein counter (page 18) to ensure that you are getting 60 – 80 grams of protein per day. The priorities for this stage post op are to: Drink adequate fluid - aim for 1-1.5 litres Have small meals - Aim for 1/2-cup serve per meal Include protein sources at each meal and eat them first – use soft protein sources only Eat slowly and Chew chew chew Do not forget your multivitamins daily You may also need to start Calcium, Vitamin D or other additional supplements. Your team will discuss this with you.
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