Please review our frequently asked questions listed below.  If your question has not been addressed, please ask the dietitian.

 

Will I get to meet with the dietitian prior to surgery? Yes. We offer individual pre-op nutrition instruction with the dietitian and require that all of our patients attend one prior to surgery. This will be scheduled by the Solutions office.

Do I have to be on a “diet” prior to surgery? Yes. Some insurance programs require that you follow a medically supervised program for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year prior to surgery. Prior to surgery, all patients follow a very low carbohydrate diet, which has been shown to result in the safest surgical event possible.

Will I be on a liquid diet prior to surgery? Yes. You will be on a liquid diet for two days prior to surgery. Depending on the type of surgery you choose, the diet will be either full liquids or one day of full liquids and one day of clear liquids.

Do I need to start taking my vitamins before surgery? Yes. We recommend taking a complete multi-vitamin with minerals. One month prior to surgery we recommend changing to a bariatric multi-vitamin with minerals. Remember to follow your surgeon’s office instructions prior to surgery as to when to stop taking any medicine or vitamins. You will need to take additional supplements after surgery. Your surgeon and dietitian will review all of these recommendations at your pre-op consult.

Where can I buy the supplements I need after surgery? You will receive an instruction  manual at your consult with the dietitian. The nutritional guidelines section has suggestions on where the appropriate items you will need following surgery can be purchased.

Will I lose any hair after surgery? Probably so. The amount of hair loss or thinning varies with each patient. Hair loss during weight loss is directly related to protein intake, which is another important reason to meet your protein needs of a minimum of 60-80 grams per day. Hair loss generally occurs 3-9 months after surgery and starts to come back in around 1 year after surgery or when your weight loss slows down. Remember this is temporary! The best defense is adequate protein intake.

Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbohydrate grams and subtracting those from fiber and sugar alcohols. Counting net carbs is based on the premise that certain carbohydrates contribute to increased blood sugar levels, while others do not. There are 2 kcal/gm sugar alcohol versus zero calories in artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Equal, and Sweet n low. We always recommend counting total carbohydrates.

How many carbohydrate grams am I allowed per day? If you are in the one month pre-operative surgery prep phase, you are allowed 20 5 grams total carbohydrates per day.

What type of calcium supplement do I need? For gastric bypass patients, we recommend calcium citrate. Calcium citrate is easily absorbed because it does not require an acidic environment. This makes it highly absorbable for gastric bypass patients. Calcium citrate or calcium carbonate is acceptable for band or sleeve patients.

I have hit a weight loss plateau. What should I do? The first thing you should do upon hitting a plateau is try to determine the cause. Sometimes it is easy to overestimate daily calorie intake. We recommend keeping a food journal, increase activity as tolerated, increase protein, increase fluids and follow up with your registered dietitian.

How much fluid do I need per day? Minimum amount is 64 ounces per day. Non-caffeine, sugar-free, calorie free non-carbonated beverages can count.