Preparation

In addition to specific food requirements, bariatric patients need to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals. Mandatory supplements include:

• A multi-vitamin
• B-12
• Iron
• Vitamin C
• Calcium with Vitamin D

I usually only take Fish Oil and Calcium with Vitamin D, so Brandy and I stopped by a pharmacy to pick up the rest.

When I got home I realized that I had to take 5 different supplements every day, in different doses, at different times of the day. That's a lot to remember. I thought about using a pill box, but moving supplements from a bottle to a box seemed like an unnecessary extra step. So I just labeled the bottles.

Once I had my supplements in order, I took a look through my food supplies. Most of the items in my fridge and pantry could be cobbled together into acceptable post-surgery meals, but I was lacking a lot of soft or liquid protein sources.

The most important element of a post-op diet is protein. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, protein is not stored in the body, so it must be consumed in sufficient quantities every day. The daily minimum protein requirement is about 60 grams, which is a lot of protein for someone who can't eat very much. Many bariatric patients use supplements, like protein shakes, to ensure they consume enough protein each day.

Protein powder offers some diversity. It can be mixed with milk, or added to pudding or a smoothie, so I went with that instead of six-pack of Ensure (yuck). The selection at Rite Aid was just a tad masculine. Since I'm not exactly looking for extra "pump" I went with a feminine looking option.

My final stop was Trader Joe's, where a picked up a few things to round out the rest of my weekly dietary requirements – a few cans of soup, protein packed beans, and some soft snacks.

This shouldn't be too bad...

Rachel