food questions

[jjn44 0]

To those of you who posted replies ...thank you for sharing.

My main probelm is going to be food issues. The Bariatric company that is connected to my doctor's office is of little or no help with a sleeve diet. On one hand they say I can have toast but my doctor says no bread. Is consistancy the issue? I can't have soft Desserts like cake but an Oreo hard cookie is ok? They say I can have cream of wheat but I can't have oatmeal? I can have nuts as long as I chew them very well. O.K. but why is oatmeal bad and nuts ok?? No one can answer these questions for me. My paperwork says that I can crackers and lunchmeat..So crackers and chips are alright to eat? I am going to start soft foods this Wednesday. I take this to mean: soft boiled eggs(the powers that be tell me NOT to order scrambled eggs, but don't tell me why), cottage cheese, chuncky Soups (as long as I chew the contents) mashed potatoes and other soft vegetables, fruits without peels. Really? Apples without peels are still pretty tough. They list tuna as a soft food? Is all fish soft food? Is hamberger meat considered soft food? See my confusion? Can someone out there with some experience in this soft food diet area help me? All the registered dietician from my bariatric company does is send me a list of AMA approved food. She won't answer specific questions, and no one in my support group has had this surgery so they are hesitant to discuss it.

while I'm posting... I orginally had this surgery to rid myself of diabetes which I have had for 14 years. Right before and right after my surgery my fasting blood sugars were lower than ever without meds. Now they are starting to climb even though my diet has not changed. I am wondering how those of you out there with diabetes have faired with this surgery. I am hoping I made the right choice.

Thanks!

Jody

[NLWC.Christa 4]

In most of the program literature I have seen, the diet progression and allowed foods for sleeve patients is pretty similar to that of gastric bypass patients, so perhaps your dietitian can provide more direction from that perspective?

Our program focuses on Protein. We don't have any hard carb limits, but a strict rule of consuming Protein first, 2-4 ounces per meal, and then vegetable or fruit only if you have room after you've eaten the protein. Any grains should be whole grains, so bread, cake, Cookies, crackers...pretty much out. tuna is a soft food, yes, as are most fish items. Canned chicken is also a soft food. Not sure as to why scrambled eggs would be left out as that is considered a soft food by my program. My standard foods during the soft phase are: greek yogurt, eggs, tuna, canned chicken, string cheese. Beef still feels very "heavy" to me even six months out.

Speaking strictly to bread, my surgeon does not recommend it for band and sleeve patients as it is too doughy and can sit around in the stomach for too long.

Also, I sent you a message. Hope that helps some.

[Eureka-C 20]

To those of you who posted replies ...thank you for sharing.

My main probelm is going to be food issues. The Bariatric company that is connected to my doctor's office is of little or no help with a sleeve diet. On one hand they say I can have toast but my doctor says no bread. Is consistancy the issue?

some doctors say no bread to keep a low carb diet. (<30g). others say some bread is okay overall, but Protein first, then veggies, last bread (this is your overall goal, not always so in the mushie stage). I personally found bread to be horrid in the mushie stage. the more i chewed it, the more doughy it got. Crackers and toast were better able to dissolve and set in my tummy better.

I can't have soft desserts like cake but an Oreo hard cookie is ok?

Although, I have had a bite or two here of cake or cookie. I didn't have any until 6 weeks out. I wouldn't recommend either becoming a habit in the losing stage. Personally, I am not as restrictive as some and I am perfectly happy losing 2 pounds or so a week.

They say I can have cream of wheat but I can't have oatmeal?

Cream of wheat is a much finer consistency and the oats are harder to digest. Although, I don't eat either because they did not provide any Protein. I tried instant oatmeal at 7 weeks with some unflavored protein power and hated it.

I can have nuts as long as I chew them very well. O.K. but why is oatmeal bad and nuts ok??

I was okayed for nuts at 6 weeks, but I did not try them until 9 weeks.

No one can answer these questions for me. My paperwork says that I can crackers and lunchmeat..So crackers and chips are alright to eat?

crackers and chips can become slider foods that chew down very small and you can pack in a lot into the tiny tummy so you don't want to overdo them, but if you are allowed carbs, then a cracker or two with your tuna salad is okay.

I am going to start soft foods this Wednesday. I take this to mean: soft boiled eggs(the powers that be tell me NOT to order scrambled eggs, but don't tell me why),

personally, I could not eat any eggs alone as they seemed to get stuck, but if I soft scrambled an egg, then added a spoonfull of refried Beans and a sprinkle of cheese, it was a nice consistency to go down and had lots of protein and Fiber. I still at 10 weeks have a hard time with boiled eggs. Although I can eat egg salad.

cottage cheese, chuncky Soups (as long as I chew the contents) mashed potatoes and other soft vegetables,

basically, I was told if I can mash it with a fork and it is not too fibrous, then I could eat it.

fruits without peels. Really? Apples without peels are still pretty tough.

I added canned fruit at 6 weeks and just ate my first apple this week at 10 weeks.

They list tuna as a soft food? Is all fish soft food?

yes! but not squid, calamari, shrimp, or other seafood like that. Flaky - good. Chewy - bad.

Is hamberger meat considered soft food?

ground meat is a soft food, but I would wait a week or so to try it. Many people have a hard time with it. I also find that I dont like the little bits in it now that I have to chew it down so fine.

See my confusion? Can someone out there with some experience in this soft food diet area help me? All the registered dietician from my bariatric company does is send me a list of AMA approved food. She won't answer specific questions, and no one in my support group has had this surgery so they are hesitant to discuss it.

while I'm posting... I orginally had this surgery to rid myself of diabetes which I have had for 14 years. Right before and right after my surgery my fasting blood sugars were lower than ever without meds. Now they are starting to climb even though my diet has not changed. I am wondering how those of you out there with diabetes have faired with this surgery. I am hoping I made the right choice.

Thanks!

Jody

You will be fine. The best advice I heard was to introduce the food one new food a day like you would a baby.

Again, like a baby start with the easy stuff first.

Let us know how it goes.