Stage By Stage

There are different stages of diet when going through WLS. I have already referenced a few of these stages in previous posts, but I thought I would go into more detail about the stages and what my favorites were for each stage.

Stage One: I didn't have too much fun.

Pre-op, 7-10 days before surgery. As I mentioned they want to try and shrink your liver prior to surgery so that there is less of a chance for having to do open surgery, They do this with stage one of the diet. Stage one is high protein shakes and liquids only. I could have up to six shakes a day and as much as I wanted of sugar-free drinks, crystal light, sugar-free jello, sugar-free Popsicles and broth soups. To qualify as a high protein shake it had to be less than 200 calories, 15g of protein or more and less than 5g of sugar. There are a lot of options out there for this, there are a couple of companies that specialize in WLS protein and vitamins. I chose to use the low carb slim fast shakes. These were decent flavored and they were ready made. I could fill my lunch bag with them and keep them at my desk for easy access and they met all the qualifications.

This stage was really tough. I was HUNGRY! I remember telling my co-worker that I just wanted a cheeseburger. I did however lose ten pounds during this stage!

Stage Two: There's not much I could do.

Clear liquids, 2 days. For the first two days after surgery it was clear liquids. I could have water, sugar-free drinks, sugar-free jello, sugar-free Popsicles,broth, and 100% fruit juices. I was not hungry at all. I could only take small sips at a time and had to use a medicine cup to measure out what I needed to drink. I could have 1 oz every 15 mins. no more, and I needed to make sure that I was getting in at least six cups of liquids a day.

I was really only on this stage for one day. The day of surgery I couldn't eat anything at all and then the day after surgery is when I was on this stage.

I mainly ate sugar-free jello on this stage. I tried to drink that chicken broth they provided in the hospital but it was terrible.

Stage Three: It's just full liquids for me.

Clear and full liquids. Two Weeks. This stage was everything I mentioned in stage two plus fat-free milk, protein shakes, low-fat yogurt, sugar-free pudding and creamed soups (strained). I still was to take 1 oz every 12 mins and at least six cups of fluids a day. I also needed to ensure that I was taking in 60g of protein a day. I needed to make sure that I didn't eat and drink at the same time.

During this stage I would eat vanilla Greek yogurt for breakfast (Greek for more protein). Then a couple hours later I would have a slim fast. For lunch most days I ate cheddar broccoli soup from Panera Bread. For a snack I would drink another slim fast and for dinner I typically ate sugar-free snack pack pudding. Most days I would have to remind myself to eat because I just didn't feel hungry. Some days I didn't feel like eating at all and to force myself to eat.

Stage Four: I could eat a lil more.

Puree. Two Weeks.  In other words if it was the consistency of baby food I could eat it. I could also eat scrambled eggs, fat-free cottage cheese (blech) and applesauce. I was now bumped up to two oz (1/4 c) in 30 mins. I started taking my vitamins during this stage. Still needed to make sure I was getting in at least six cups of liquids and at least 60g of protein a day.

I do not like cottage cheese AT ALL. It's a texture thing. I ate a lot of scrambled eggs during this stage and canned meat mashed up really well. I also ate mashed potatoes. My favorite. The problem with those was I would eat too much too fast, this is not a good thing.

Stage Five: Don't ya know you must eat to survive.

Solid foods, the rest of my life. This is when I could start eating regular food. I had to add new foods one at a time so if I had an adverse reaction to one I would know to cut it out and try again in a couple months. I was up to four oz (1/2 c) per meal and meals should last about 30 mins. Stop eating or drinking when I felt full. Eat my protein first and if I was full after that, stop.

With this stage, because it is what I do daily, there are a lot of things that I am still trying out. I am off protein shakes, need to make sure I am still getting enough protein in everyday. I also need to make sure that I am getting enough liquids in me. For breakfast I do a lot of yogurt with sunflower seeds mixed in for added protein. I eat fruit for a mid morning snack, most mornings this is an apple with peanut butter on it. I eat a lot of chicken and 93/7 hamburger for lunch and dinner. At Wal-Mat they sell veggie cups like the fruit cups that are individual size so that is what I buy and eat for my veggies everyday.

Not easy, but had to take it one stage at a time.