Post-op portions?

I have not had surgery yet. I am reading the nutrition info my hospital gave me and am a bit confused. Does the clear fluid/liquid/soft food sequence happen for patients with a VSG or only RNY?

Also, what is the portion size when you are on normal foods? If I am reading this correctly, each meal is about 4 oz, is that right? 

Sorry fir for the dumb questions. The way this literature is organized, it's not very clear. I will ask during my nutrition class, but I can't wait. It will bug me and be on my mind constantly. 😄

Food progression post op is for VSG patients also depending on what your surgeon recommends. 

Portion size is about 4-6 oz for me now at almost three years post op and even that depends on what the food is. No way could I eat 4 oz of a dense protein. Right at the start and for the first few months it was nowhere near that. 

It really confused me too. The diet is for both VSG and RNY.

According to my nut and doctor, around 12 months, I should be eating about 1 cup of protein, veggies/fruits/starch total (in that order) per meal/3 meals a day and snacks only if I 'need' one (diabetes).

I'm 9 weeks post op and am moving between stages 3 and 4. I eat about 3-4 ounces per meal, depending on what the food is. Sometimes less. My nut has me on 900 calories a day, approx 300 calories per meal. Not even sure I get all those calories in. I try tho. By the end of August, I'm supposed to be 100% in stage 4. Kind of a scary thought for me actually. lol

I never bothered measuring portions. I just made sure to eat protein dense foods and get my multivitamin and water in. Eat until you are feeling full then stop. If you over do it you WILL suffer. I learned my lesson after a couple of times where I absolutely felt like I was going to vomit and the only thing that prevented it was patience, concentration and a lot of slow even breathing until the traffic jam in my stomach/esophagus cleared. After you experience that unsettling and uncomfortable and possibly painful event a few times you get a feel for when you need to stop. Also don't eat too fast.

The food sequence from liquids to solids is pretty standard for both types of WLS. The rate at which you can transition from one phase to the next is dependent on what your surgeon and nutritionist recommend. It varies pretty widely by surgeon, but sticking with your own surgeon's plan is best, so that both you and he/she are on the same page during your recovery.

Once you're on solid foods, the portion size will be very small at first, because you're still healing. As you recover, you'll be able to eat a bit more. Never go above what your surgeon recommends, and even then, when your sleeve gives you the sign to stop eating (a burp, a feeling of tightness, hiccups, or even a general feeling of fullness), stop eating immediately, even if you still have food on your plate.

At first, the temptation to eat the remaining food will be strong (your sleeve will punish you if you eat more!), but after a few months, the small portions will look normal sized to you. Now, when I go out to eat and watch waitresses bearing heaping platters of food to a table, I think, "My god, how can anyone eat all that?!!" The portions sound miniscule to you now, but after the surgery, you'll adjust to them. Your sleeve will help you with that. Good luck and BTW, NOT a dumb question.

psychoticparrot