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The Whole30 after weight loss surgery?


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Hello,

I have struggled with my weight and food additions my whole life. I finally made the decision to have weight loss surgery 4 1/2 years ago, and had a very successful slow going weight loss. I know to some that is not the answer but it gave me the control back. Well, at least for quite a while. This past year has been crazy with a divorce, a move across country, new job and two new grandbabies. (No Excuse) Anyway, I have lost some of my control and have let some of those awful habits sneak back in, and as a result regained a small amount of weight back. I have decided that I love the idea of eating and living this way. It is recommended that I reduce sugar and carbs already. I am on day 11 and am feeling so-so. Really waiting for that burst of energy and awesome feeling to come. My question is, due to the size of my altered stomach I am unable to eat larger amounts at one sitting so, I find myself eating smaller size meals more often. Every 2-3 hours I will have a small meal or snack containing all the ingredients that are Whole30 approved. By eating this way, less volume, more frequent is this going to change the whole dynamic? I am doing some exercise but not where I was a year ago. I am slowly regaining that mindset to "just do it". Any input would be helpful. Thank you.

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I ate 6 meals per day when I started a little over 2 years ago and started experiencing good results after 2 weeks. I have converted over to eating 3 meals per day most days over the past few months because eating every 4 to 5 hours fits our body's hormonal rhythm best. So, eating 3, maybe 4 meals per day is ideal, but you can still do well eating the Whole30 way.

WIth reduced stomach size, you should probably focus on cooked vegetables over raw. Not only do cooked veggies digest more easily, they often take up less space so you can get more nutrients in a meal.

My local farmer once introduced me as "Mr. Kale" because I was eating more of his kale than he was. He liked his kale raw and I liked mine wilted, so one serving for me was enough to give him 4-5 servings.

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Hi Lanee,

I am precisely in the same juncture as you are: post surgery, lost 150, gained 20 and want to stop it.

But yesterday I had an epiphany: for dinner I had a barley/wheat berry salad with feta.

Today, I was so confused I could barely work ... it was horrible, the mental fog was truly scary.

And I have a presentation before 350 executives on July 16 any of whom can ask me anything they like on the topic so the thought of being so muddled was truly terrifying. I am going to give this a good shot!! Wanna be buddies???

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Hey girlie, I am 3 years post a sleeve gastrectomy, I have just in the last few months taken the getting *all* processed foods out of my diet (see ya sweeteners) but have been really eating this way for the last 2-1/2 years. I found this not because of regain, but because I shifted my focus from "weight loss" to "optimal health" about 6 months after surgery and ultimately found the name for how I had been eating :} Nothing new under the sun :}

I think what you might find is that you may well end up not *needing* to eat as much. For me, even on a ketogenic diet, (with sweeteners) I was hungry every 2-1/2 to 3 hours - I journaled my food and have a lot of muscle mass, so I had a lot of "calories" to consume before hitting an overage, but I definitely ate to the calories that my Diet Power told me I needed.

Now, just 2 months into more of an "intuative" eating, I eat a lot less often and am satisfied with less, not really "full" with less, but satisfied. Presurgery I couldnt have trusted my body as far as I could throw it :} and maybe this is just a progression, but just wanted to shout out and encourage you that learning to listen and feeding yourself optimally will always be a very fine answer, however many times you need to eat!

Right on!

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I would also like to discuss this with more folks. I had gastric banding a year and a half ago and have not had near the succes I imagined as far as weight loss goes. I am starting Whole30 on Friday and wondered about the whole 3 meals a day thing.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not an expert on the different options of weight-loss surgery out there, but one thing y'all may need to keep in mind is the potential need to supplement with some kind of digestive support. In most cases, you're disrupting the natural digestion of food, whether you're shortening the absorption, making the stomach smaller, etc...so giving your body the help it now needs to get all the good stuff out of the food you're currently eating is a good idea.

Paleo-land likes Now brand's Super Enzymes, but there are some others out there.

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I'm 7 years post RNY surgery. Lost 120# and have regained 30#. Would like to lose some, but mostly I want to concentrate on food cravings and just eating better. I haven't decided yet to continue with the whey protein shakes I've been using since surgery. My usual ones have artificial sweetener. I guess I could try unflavored whey (bleh). I am worried about protein levels with just depending on what I eat. Would love to chat with other post obesity surgery people now on this journey.

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  • 2 months later...

I had gastric sleeve surgery last October and was totally faithful to the rules / guidelines of the diet and lost 90 pounds -- got into a size 2 and looked good. For the past 3 weeks, I've been bingeing like crazy and slowly gaining. I am working with a holistic practioner and he is doing "nutrition response testing". He mentioned this website and, like I always do, I jumped in with both feet. I start day 1 tomorrow and hopefully my chronic sinus and other health issues will disappear.

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  • 2 months later...

I have rheumatoid arthritis and hashimoto's thyroiditis. In December 2011, I had my thryroid removed and a gastric sleeve. I have lost 75 pounds, but still have some more to go. Beginning in the summer I had a horrible time with feeling good. I thought it was medication related. I spent 6 months changing my medication/vitamin doses around. A friend of mine introduced me to the Whole30. It sounded like a perfect way to see how my nutrition was also affecting me. We are doing the January Whole30. Today is Day 2. I would love to hear from some of you that are more experienced in this lifestyle as to hints and tips that helped. I prepared my meals according to the meal planner, but found that it took several hours to complete the meal. Also, fresh veggies do fill up the sleeve fast.

Thanks,

Dawn

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  • 7 months later...

Just finished Day 4 of my first Whole 30 and wanted to speak up - I had a lapband placed 6/9/11 and lost about 20 pounds.  (I know, right? A diet could have done that for me... ) Anyway - I'm doing the Whole 30 with about 5 meals a day and mostly cooked veggies.  If anyone is still around talking about this I'd be glad to share experiences...

 

Thanks!

-m-

 

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I had RNY over 4 years ago. Went from 267+ lbs to a lowest of 131 lbs. I have since regained up to 151 lbs. Started the slippery slope of adding in carbs and all the Starbucks drinks. I am on day 8 and down 6 lbs. Giving up the carbs hasn't been that hard but the coffee was. At first I was going to give up the caffeine but the headaches were aweful so keeping in program I allow myself the coffee but unsweetened with coconut milk. I found a link showing whipping up the coconut milk with an egg and a splash of pure vanilla extract and that has really helped. I eat 3 meals a day protein focused usually with the veggies cooked in like a veggie omelet or stuffed bell peppers. My favorite breakfast was Chinese Fried Cauliflower Rice with egg, the cauliflower rice, peas, coconut aminos. Lunch is generally leftovers. I do find that I need to add a piece of fruit at lunch or I get light headed from blood sugars dropping too low.

 

I already feel more in control and look forward to seeing where this will lead.

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Hi, I've been "banded for about 5 years, I lost about 80 lbs originally, gained back about 50 of that and started eating clean last summer and lost 40 of the 50.  From May till August, I gained about 15 lbs, so researched this site and started 8/1.  Today is Day 9, feeling pretty good, I get tired about 3 pm but power thru, cause I can't sleep at work, till bedtime at about 9. I've been sticking with the 3 meals a day.  I eat meat and cooked veggies, probably around a cup of food, takes me about an hour to eat it.  Have limited my fruits to berries so far.  I haven't been hungry between meals or at bedtime.  I'm not exercising very much, am planning on stepping that up this week.  So I might find i need a snack as the exercising increases, we'll see.  It  would be great to have the support of others in similar situation.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

another post - RNY checking in.  It's been 8 years.  I was down about 100 lbs and have put back on about 20.  I've yoyo'd that 20 more than once and it needs to stop.  I've been eating Paleo for a while now, so this is just the next step.

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  • 3 months later...

I had my stomach stapled in 1999. Never lost much at all, was always ravenously hungry, ate too much and then threw up!

So eventually I settled for eating all the processed rubbish I should have been avoiding. I was still always hungry, but at least most of what I ate stayed down. Needless to say I ended up weighing even more than when I had the surgery!

On the 8th October 2013 I gave up all grains, legumes, dairy (except Greek yoghurt), and all processed "food". I have lost 18kg (40 lbs) so far. I eat well, but it takes forever... a meal my daughter eats in 15 mins takes me over an hour to finish. Or else it comes up. My meals are smaller than average due to my surgery, so I feel I would need 4 or 5 meals each day. This means I would have to spend 4 to 5 hours eating each day.

I know juicing is not compliant on the Whole 30, but would drinking my veggies be an option? I have juiced only for a week before, and had no trouble keeping it down.

Any advice, because I really want to do this!

Thanks.

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Welcome!

 

We don't love the idea of juicing as a way to *replace* intake, but if you wanted to add a small glass of veggie juice to your chewable meal (containing protein, veggies and fat) it likely wouldn't be the end of the world. 

 

Instead of looking to supplement, though, I'd suggest starting with more meals and adding in a digestive enzyme and some probiotic foods (like kombucha and raw sauerkraut). If you browse through the forum, you'll find stories from other folks taking on Whole30 after weight loss surgery :)

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I have recently discovered Whole 30. Hubby is reading the book so we can do it together. My question is, being 9-1/2 years out of an RNY, and being able to eat more like a non WLS person...normal at this age...what do you guys do for vitamins? Are there any without stuff we can't have the first 30 days? I currently us BA chewables, and take Vit D weekly, and a sub lingual B 12 3x week. Any suggestions for 'approved' vitamins we can actually metabolize? Thanks

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I have recently discovered Whole 30. Hubby is reading the book so we can do it together. My question is, being 9-1/2 years out of an RNY, and being able to eat more like a non WLS person...normal at this age...what do you guys do for vitamins? Are there any without stuff we can't have the first 30 days? I currently us BA chewables, and take Vit D weekly, and a sub lingual B 12 3x week. Any suggestions for 'approved' vitamins we can actually metabolize? Thanks

When was the last time you had a full blood work up. Even though we can eat more we have forever been altered so we absorb nutrients forever different than the average person. Go by your blood work up. 

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When was the last time you had a full blood work up. Even though we can eat more we have forever been altered so we absorb nutrients forever different than the average person. Go by your blood work up. 

 

I have my bloodwork done regularly. Just had another round about a week ago--not full, but on items I tend to run lower on. I am not saying I am not taking vitamins, I want to know if there are any that anyone is aware of that are Whole 30 compliant. I found a D3 without any items today (whole foods--forget the exact brand, but know where it was for me to get back to it). I don't see the point in using vitamins with sugars, soy, etc in them. If I do, I have not eliminated a possible trigger food. My RNY completely bypassed my duodenum. There is no way I can get iron, for one, from just food. 

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Okay, I have found a site called Primal Blueprint. I looked at the vitamin breakdown for their Damage Control Master Formula, and Advanced Health Formula (leaning this way) to my current multi-vitamin, and they are almost a dead-on match. I wonder if they would be better. They do have microcrystaline cellulose, gelatin capsule, magnesium stearate, and silica listed as other ingredients. 

Found a liquid Vit D at Whole Foods which is compliant. I have also found a B12 liquid which complies. If the PB site's vitamins work, then I only need to find calcium--have a lead--and iron. 

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  • 1 month later...

We with weight loss surgeries have special needs. Seriously, you wouldn't tell someone with epilepsy who're better on low carb to stop doing low carb or be "non-compliant." Medical conditions supersede any diet rules. We have to take supplements or else. And we can't all afford to spend hundreds of dollars on THE best and "most compliant" ones out there. Your BA supplements are fine. I'm not stopping mine. My labs are really great, except for iron, and I feel no need to stop giving my body what it has to have and can only get one way. My mom had such amazing results with juicing, but I could juice all day and not absorb 80% of it. I malabsorb iron really badly, I take massive doses and still stay below range, plus vitamin K and of course B12 since we have no intrinsic factor anymore. And I'm one of the luckier ones, I never have to worry about some of the others like B1, D3. I started taking extra dry D3 and my labs shot up to 127! (optimal is 80). Even B12 stays way up there with just some sublinguals. I don't have to go to the doctor and get all kinds of vitamin shots every month like some people. 

Anywho, don't overthink it. BA has a good product that meets OUR needs for a good price. (If you don't think it's good, price some of the superior vitamins like New Chaper, Megafoods or Raw -- they would cost $60-100 a month to equal the same % of vitamins). 

I'm glad there's a thread on this! I'm new and came browsing after regaining 15lbs in a year (lost 200lbs and kept it off for 7 years!) and realizing the sugar monster is back and controlling my life. I think Whole30 is exactly how post-ops should be eating. All plans are essentially quality protein first, then vegetables, then complex carbs and fruits when and if there's room. 
 

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I thought I should come in with the "official" moderator response, but startdust is right: don't stop taking medically required supplements during the whole30, even if they contain something non-compliant. Yes, you can search around and possibly find some that are closer to compliant and that is a worthwhile effort (I changed my vitamin d supplement, for example) but someone who has specific vitamin malabsorbtion problems should not stop taking them even if there is some sugar or soy or whatever. And keep up with the blood work! You may find that being whole30 helps with absorbtion, so it will be important to know if you are getting too much of anything with your current dose.

 

good luck!

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Just replying as another post-op.  I had VSG on 6/27/12 and have lost 140ish.  I'm still not quite down to my personal goal.  I've been stuck at about the same weight give or take 5 pounds for the past few months.  I was using myfitnesspal to track and found that I was eating so much absolute crap and bad habits were starting to creep in.  I thought I'd do a whole 30 and clean up my act.  I am not expecting any great weight loss but my pants are fitting better now and I am happy with that.  One thing that's been great is that my ever-present reflux is not nearly as bad as it has been.  I had it before surgery and expect to have it all my life but it's been mostly at bay and I'm not reminded constantly if I don't take my omeprazole right away.

 

I'm currently on Day 6, after a reset after when I started on 2/3.  It's going well.  Still having major cravings, but I'll get over it.

 

I'm happy to be eating real food rather than just depending on shakes, etc.  I have tracked a few days (old habits die hard) and I'm getting ample amounts of protein.  As long as I take my other supplements to keep my B12 and my iron in a good range, I'm golden. 

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Just replying as another post-op.  I had VSG on 6/27/12 and have lost 140ish.  I'm still not quite down to my personal goal.  I've been stuck at about the same weight give or take 5 pounds for the past few months.  I was using myfitnesspal to track and found that I was eating so much absolute crap and bad habits were starting to creep in.  I thought I'd do a whole 30 and clean up my act.  I am not expecting any great weight loss but my pants are fitting better now and I am happy with that.  One thing that's been great is that my ever-present reflux is not nearly as bad as it has been.  I had it before surgery and expect to have it all my life but it's been mostly at bay and I'm not reminded constantly if I don't take my omeprazole right away.

 

I'm currently on Day 6, after a reset after when I started on 2/3.  It's going well.  Still having major cravings, but I'll get over it.

 

I'm happy to be eating real food rather than just depending on shakes, etc.  I have tracked a few days (old habits die hard) and I'm getting ample amounts of protein.  As long as I take my other supplements to keep my B12 and my iron in a good range, I'm golden. 

Awesome work! What are you having cravings for? Are you eating enough fat?

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