Would like to know if the diet to increase weight is causing concern relating to cholesterol counts for anyone here?
My husband’s doctor said his good and bad cholesterol count is too high but didn’t advise what needs to be changed with his diet!
We are planning to stop taking the Fortisip drink and replace it with a second 100ml glass of Sustagen instead (100ml for morning tea and another 100ml for afternoon tea).
Will cook less with butter and limit 4 eggs per week. He enjoys 2 small cafe lattes a day (he’s happy he doesn’t need to give up coffee). He is lucky that there’s isn’t many types of food that he can’t eat so that is a very big bonus and mindful to eat small portions.
He’s 62 yrs old, working 3 days a week since his op, 15 months post IL op and we consider his recovery so far as going very well with the normal issues that comes with this ‘new norm’ eg: dumping if he doesn’t rest a little after meals; feels tired after meals and have less energy (short of breathe) with tasks.
He takes 1 nexium tablet with daily supplements - immune support gummies, Vit D3 with C, probiotic and vit B12.
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I really wouldn’t limit eggs: they’re packed with nutrition, Omega 3 and ‘good’ cholesterol. The WHO puts no limit on the number of eggs consumed in a week. I am now six years post-Ivor Lewis and a daily poached duck egg at breakfast helps keep weight on as well being delicious!
Yes HONORIUS I too have read that eggs are no longer the ‘bad food’ to be eaten moderately.
However, besides eggs I’m guilty of giving my husband high protein and fatty foods to help him put on weight (especially he seems to tolerate them well)!
Hi,I am the same although weight is best it’s been all my life. I can’t eat full fat milk cream etc but do like crisps, bread and chocolate although limited as dumping . My portion sizes are small child size so I’m probably not having enough protein other than cheese. Still find chicken and beef problematic.
It is strange but have changed to cholesterol margarine.
Not on any medication yet but having 3 month blood tests.
I’m running out of ideas on appropriate food for my husband because I don’t understand what it meant by ‘too high count for his good cholesterol and also too high count for his bad cholesterol’!
I was giving my husband around 4-6 eggs a week but not sure now if I can continue to do so because his ‘good’ cholesterol is also too high!
"High-density lipoproteins or HDL is called ‘good’ cholesterol. This is because it gets rid of the ‘bad’ cholesterol from your blood. It takes cholesterol that you don’t need back to the liver. The liver breaks it down so it can be passed out of your body."
"If your total cholesterol is high, it can mean that you have a lot of bad (non-HDL) cholesterol in your blood. A high level of good (HDL) cholesterol can help keep that bad cholesterol in check and remove it from your body."
Thanks Debbie. My husband has been very blessed to be able to tolerate fatty, creamy foods, chocolate, coffee, a little red wine occasionally and generally can eat his 6 small meals with rare occasion of dumping. He makes sure that he rests at least 15mins after each meal to minimise dumping.
So when his blood test showed his good and bad cholesterol counts are too high, I suddenly am lost for what I need to do about his diet.
Please see the factsheet in the link below especially page two, which displayed low, medium and high Glycaemic index foods with a star rating to identify high fatty foods.
Please try to keep a good diary without modifying the ongoing diet for him for two weeks. As a baseline.
Your GP must have done blood checks to tell you cholesterol levels. However the GP won't be advising you the diet. It will be the dietitian or community dietitian, if your GP can refer to you. No idea how Australian system works but in principle it will be same pathway.
The issue is battle of daily calories to achieve around 2000kcal intake while hydrating good.
If most foods ok and with smaller but split portions, chances are overindulgence in more fatty foods may cause side issues like this.
Does he take Creon?
Is his stools oily, floating motions, layer of oil in WC requires a couple of flushes whenever higher fat like steak or heavy fried foods consumed?
Secondly did his cholesterol levels were high tk begin with, prior to surgery? Mine were and was prescribed statins for the same.
If he is slowed down on his work, resting more, coping very well with his prior food intake. Pattern tells me that he is overconsuming high fat content. But this be speculation. Good and bad in mixed sense. Good being he is able to tolerate most of the foods et. But bad in associated imbalance with levels. Just needs bit of tweaking.
A word of caution. When things are good it's quite tempting to change or mend a multiple of thjngs same time. This can cause more damage/upset. So kindly suggest only try single change at a time with a written food diary and establish a pattern for the singularity. And direct impacts of changes in levels is going to be hard to track and identify.
Main concern would be to maintain his healthy weight and routine. Please don't change things randomly which are working for him. At least without consulting the dietitian first with your written food diary for current intake similar to blood test time.
Thanks Mauser, there are quite a few things that you’ve brought up that I need to look into eg. type of stools, start a food diary again, overindulgence with high fat content foods.
His cholesterol was borderline high before op and the GP didn’t consider it necessary to put him on medication. He was not put on creon either.
Yes, he was able to tolerate most food. He has small portions but he hasn’t been able to drink water much as he is always feeling full. I don’t think he can fit in 1 lt of water a day.
I have been giving him high protein and fat in his diet thinking these food will help him put on weight (if possible) or at least maintain his weight. Past month he has lose another 1 kg (now weighs 69kg). He was 89kg post op so I think he is doing ok but at last GP appt he was told him to try to put on some weight!
Yes will go slow with changing his diet. So far changes msde are: daily Fortisip drink changed to only 3x a week. Limiting 4 eggs a week.
Will look into consulting a dietician mainly because I do not know what food is appropriate for high good snd bad cholesterol condition.
Thanks for the fact sheet link, will look into it.
You have situation under control mostly, so reckon do not overstress yourself with some readings here and there. With the new normal not necessarily all readings are normal for us!! Humour!!
I see his water quantity is lower on 1 ltr or lesser than that. Yes its a real struggle, that's why I always say its battle of the calories, trying to sustain the weight , energy levels and same time hydrate good. No water during of 30mins pre-post meals, try tea, lemon flavoured water etc ideas to encourage more fluid intake. Water does help.
Creon is essential for him to digest the fats. Please request your GP for Creon prescription and see if that helps adding weight.
I consider weight management post surgery is essentially achiving New Normal weight and then sustaining this new normal weight. Highly unikely to add more than the new normal weight. There are exceptions for this but rare hens teeth thing. The idea if to have sufficient buffer on weight as per your individual body mass index to go through upset conditions, for example bad episodes of diarrhoea dumping, other food intake related issues etc.
Being over ambitious with weight gain is not really going to help, in my unqualified opinion and experience. As long as I am maintaining established new normal weight I am ok, ish
Dietician will also ask you for food diary to begin with, so if you have this handy it will save you time with implemnting their professional advice.
I know I tend to overthink situations sometimes. Like when he loses weight, feeling tired and I can’t seem to help him.
Will definitely speak with doctor about creon tablets prescription and referral to a dietitian so I can have a peace of mind knowing I am giving my husband the correct type of food.
Thanks for posts, I find the info in the links very informative.
Yep, I got put on stating about 12 months ago because I couldn't keep the weight up and cholesterol down.. fortunately I have no ill effects from the stations. Diet wise I can't get one thing right without making another wrong. Just have to put up with it really
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Post op 16 months. Alan occasionally feels as if there’s something in his throat first thing in the morning when he has his first coffee
early days post op
Creon
