Kaze

Retrain your stomach, essentially. You want to baby it since it's been under the knife. Some foods will not be tolerated like they were before so the stages help by allowing healing in between courser foods AND assisting you in slowing down reintroduction of foods that may or may not still make your tummy happy. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Soft and semi solid foods will fill you up A LOT in the few weeks post surgery because there is a lot of swelling and restriction. Even a tiny bit of mashed banana will make you uncomfortably full (in most cases) whereas when it's blended up and broken down into a liquid, you'll fare better. This improves week by week. I'd save it just for the fact that you won't enjoy it because it's kind of uncomfortable when you first discover your sleeve "restricting", at least it was for me. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There is zero "consequences" to using a straw. It's just suggested because our pouches are small, even that bit of air left in the straw can fill up some space AND it can cause discomfort and gas. But you will not damage your sleeve or put yourself at risk of anything by using a straw. It's just a suggestion to eliminate potential gas discomfort. That's what I've gathered both from this forum and from my program. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's weird. I can't perceive what you're talking about. I have a legit "second belly button" on my side because when I was in utero I had a stent placed. The incisions should heal flat like traditional scars. It could be clotting/scabbing which makes it appear more gaping than it actually is.

7-8 T of food per meal! I'm not sure I could get that much in right now, except for liquids. I'm about to complete week 3 and tonight was the first time I had 4T of food...I made that yummy ricotta bake and it was AMAZING. I haven't really measured anything yet but I can't eat a lot of anything solid either. I made tomato Soup and added canned Water packed chicken and it stuffed me up quite a bit whereas tomato soup on its own I can still have a decent size bowl.

pickles are pretty easy to make - have you done any canning? I have not! Any suggestions? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@LipstickLady

Woah what's wrong with steak in the first place?! Love me a good rare ribeye! I love it to be mooing! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

They're not technically on my plan but like I said, I'm barely eating. I consider the calorie hit minimal since it'd be like the only thing I'll have for the day if I don't have some Soup. I just am not hungry at all so I had to get a little nudgey to find ways to add protein and at least some nutrients. I was feeling crappy before. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@ Yeah. Besides, if it was really as simple as eliminating carbs and, as someone said earlier on in here about the sleeve not always providing the same restriction as it heals, then what was the point of surgery if it was as simple as eliminating carbs? It's a balance, and eating carbs here and there ain't gonna throw it off kilter.

@ Haha and I was just asking what kind of crackers are healthier and less whole grainy. I didn't know I'd start a shitstorm of anti-carb rants. xD

That sounds good! I'd personally prefer pickles with ham and cheese though. I want to learn how to make my own pickles eventually. Then again, pickles aren't too firm, haha.

My thoughts exactly. As long as I remain diligent of myself and don't overdo it, a wheat cracker with some yummy chicken salad is actually quite healthy. With the added benefit of life-long restriction from the sleeve, I feel I can make the necessary changes to both portion control and eating generally healthier...but having a carby food out of diet once and a while or nudging here and there won't send me back through the Trail of Pounds if I don't let it. I just have a more laissez faire attitude about this whole thing. If I can make monumental strides towards better health, I can nudge once in a while, too. If anything, I should use it as encouragement to compensate when I do by exercising better or eating EVEN healthier than I did the previous week. I think of it like a challenge. "I ate this cracker here, now how can I uproot that cracker and make myself twice as healthy this week?" But you know, at the end of the day, I can't even eat a cup of broccoli cheddar Soup without being stuffed, so I haven't the slightest clue where my hunger or my restriction will be when the time comes that these foods can be had in normal quantities? I could be super successful by allowing myself to not hold myself back for picking the wrong choice and instead moving forward from it each time or I could make the wrong choice too many times and the surgery won't be successful for me. All in due time.

@@OutsideMatchInside Well as I said above, I'll have to look around for a healthier crunch. Parm crisps are calling my name. I bet there's some vegetable I can turn into a "chip/cracker" of sorts with little to no bad ingredients. I guess I think of it less like a bad habit because I feel confident that I can both enjoy some foods and limit them at the same time. As I keep saying, we'll just have to see down the line how much I actually succeed.

@@chycky I'll have to make my way out to Costco and look for it. Chicken that isn't water-packed isn't recommended on my plan until a month post so I'll have to make something in the meantime. I wonder if relish is OK...relish doesn't usually ever have the seeds, does it? I like a pickley chicken salad.

@@OutsideMatchInside Plus those servings are a lot of crackers for so little nutrition. I doubt many of us could actually eat 16 crackers this early on (or beyond) for 2 measly grams of Protein. Which crackers were those, again? The crackerbread ones you linked first (I'm pretty sure it was you, right?) all had 10g of protein in 3 crackers so they're good. In reference to eating chicken salad/hummus with fork and spoon...I like a crunch!

Understandable. I know there's a lot of people on this forum who recognize there are certain foods that they specifically overindulge in and others just overindulged in general. I just overindulged in general so I don't believe I have any "trigger foods" as I've heard it been called. I'm going on the presumption that my sleeve will help me portion control. Obviously I'll learn as I progress if there are foods that I am just not mature enough to handle responsibly.

YES on straws. LOL! I agree, I think there is some degree of cushioning going on because yeah, a lot of people would be turned off of surgery if they're told there's "comfort foods" they can just never have...but I bet it's more centrist than either thing gives off. "Yes, you can have those foods, but since they are pretty counter productive to weight loss and typically are higher in calories and thus harder to counter-act with exercise, we don't recommend partaking often." I know that was one thing I went into it questioning. I didn't want to have to baby my diet for the rest of my life (since I'm 19 that'd be a long time of playing super-health-freak with my diet). I asked if most foods are tolerable after surgery and they said for most people, yes, but just be aware of the less than desirable foods and limit them. Plus there's some foods I really should be eating for my transplant (like dairy, cheese is a good example - even fatty cheeses -- I need good phosphorus intake) because there's nutrients I really need that my transplanted kidney loves and needs, whereas my bariatric needs say "I don't prefer that". I think it's really all a balancing act. If you can handle it and be mature about it and tackle your problem foods, I think it's OK to have them once in a while as long as you are generally moving towards much healthier options.

Crackers made from almonds? Interesting, I'll have to check those out. I'm sure they've got some decent Protein, too, versus traditional crackers. I'm going to need to get some chicken salad...or do you guys make chicken salad? I know prepared chicken salads typically have crunchies like celery which my program recommends avoiding super fibrous and raw veggies. Is there brands that you guys like? Thank makes a lot of sense, avoiding while losing weight, but it appears some people have stated how their programs explicitly state there are foods they should just never have which is like "waaaaaht". Seems like a bad way to try and take control of your cravings to me, but I'm young so maybe I'm just ignorant lol. Very odd how variable our programs differ. Like I said, my best guess for my program is during the first few weeks into a month and a half, I think they really just want you eating SOMETHING (while getting your protein) and really do some trial and error and see what your sleeve tolerates and doesn't and then beyond that being reasonably conscious about what you're eating. Well, I wonder, since it suggests things like crackers, I wonder if those like veggie crisps (not the potato starch ones, ones that are literally dehydrated and baked veggies) would be OK or better? Protein + veggie? Problem is the only one I know about are those crispy pea pods and they're both expensive and I imagine more fried than I imagine. All I know is I like crunchy things with my hummus and guacamole. I'll have to look around for something. I already got a great inspiration idea from @@LipstickLady suggesting cheese and thinking of parmesan crisps.

Weird...I'd think things like crackers would really stuff you...fiber, grain, starch, etc. Some of your programs make me so sad! I'd hate to be convinced there's normalish foods I just CANNOT ever have again. The only thing my program says is a "no no" and it doesn't even say that is "high fat foods" where it just says "continue to avoid"...doesn't even say "don't have" just suggests avoiding, and it says that as a precaution for if you have dumping syndrome! I don't know if my program is just hella lax and more exercise/diet balance focused or what? Do your programs have exercise physiology included in them? Perhaps yours focus heavily on diet and minorly on exercise? I don't know, our book is half diet half exercise and stresses as balanced of a diet as possible and a really good regimen. I wonder if it's more just a surgeon/NUT preference thing?

See I really think NUTs like that are just spouting what we all know is true in terms of what's healthier than others, but I would highly bet they go home and have themselves a nice heaping of mashed potatos and garlic texas toast just like the rest of us do...we just couldn't handle the privilege as well, haha. I refuse to believe the "none forever" logic because that just makes you (I speak in the third person here) want it more psychologically speaking. Unless the food knowingly will cause damage to the sleeve, I don't think it's wise to scare patients into believing they're absolute no's just because they aren't the most optimal food option. I don't know, we'll see in six months. If I'm failing big time at weight loss, y'all know why and who to blame, LOL. You know I feel like all crackers do that though. But I do know what you mean, haha.

See I'm obviously still in the post-op honeymoon phase where I'm just not hungry and when I do eat something rougher than liquidy things, I really can't eat a whole lot, so I'm pretty convinced I would only tolerate a few crackers anyway. I was the same way beforehand (although I did stop myself a lot, but the weight still happened, lol) but I would love to take advantage of my sleeve to practice portion control more so than elimination of certain foods. I remember reading a post from another member where they essentially said that they don't eliminate anything, they just heavily watch portions of those less than ideal foods because it adds to quality of life which makes long term changes a lot easy and that just resonated with me. Obviously if I get to a stage where I'm eating enough that I'm gaining instead of losing, I'll cease and desist and modify my methodology, but for now I'm going on what I know of my sleeve right here, right now.

@@higher I guess I just have a more "anything in moderation" approach. I'm early post-op, too, and despite having "high carb" foods (mainly things like milkshakes and ice cream because as I said, I just am not eating much at all and I think of it as higher in Protein to counteract) I've lost more weight so far than my surgeon anticipated. I guess to each their own. To reiterate, I do plan to be more conscious about what I eat when I get to a point where I can actually eat a "meal". @@LipstickLady I do very much love cheese...I could totally make parmesan crisps as an alternative...I bet that'd be absolutely delicious with hummus and guacamole. Probably higher in protein, too.

Haha! It did come in a fancy spiral notebook which is actually a pain in the ass because I always lose my place and what is the front and what is the back. That's my own gripe on spiral bound books in general. I guess our plans understand we're human and are going to eat things off-diet sometimes? I guess as long as we're making better decisions in the long run, is a little rice, Pasta or crackers in the beginning so bad? xD