Questions about all this

[Lawless 0]

Hey y'all. New to the forum and I have questions. I don't know if I should post this here, as I am pre-op, or post it elsewhere, because my questions are mostly for post-op.

I was all set up last year to do the surgery, and stopped at the last minute. My primary doctor's secretary scared me, because she said all she could eat was salad, and she was a year post-op. Also, they told me I would have to 100% give up my caffeine free diet coke. 100%.

So I waited for a while, and started thinking about it again, talking to a few people who'd done the surgery, read stories online, and found out that if all she could eat was salad, she had a problem and needed to speak to her doctor. So I came back, and talked to the surgeon again, because I want to do the surgery.

This is my problem. I am having a hard time justifying having the surgery done, and this is the reason. My surgeon told me I'd have to give up carbs, grains and starches. Now, if I give up carbs, breads, pastas, rice, etc - what's the point in having the surgery at all? He said that I could eat small pieces of chicken breast, fish, etc, plus vegetables with no butter. If that's going to be my diet, why have the surgery at all? That would help with weight loss without the surgery.

I'm just confused.

Thanks in advance.

[gowalking 10,790]

Hi Lawless. Welcome to the forum. I would never tell you something that is in conflict with what your doctor is telling you but what I can say is my experience has been very different. I eat everything but....in very small amounts. The band helps to eat less and not be hungry all the time. That's the difference between being banded and not. It's easy (if you have correct restriction) to limit your intake. The struggle is to deal with head hunger. Most of the time, I can overcome it but I've found that's the most challenging thing. The band truly tells me most of the time, when I've had enough and if I don't listen, I know it. I've never gotten sick but I've been uncomfortably full and often the difference between satiety and too full is only one or two additional forkfuls of food.

You are correct about the secretary. If you are banded and at the optimal restriction, you can and should be able to eat way more than just salads. I really don't know why your doctor is telling you that you must not eat carbs, grains and starches anymore. I would ask him why.

Now...if your diet currently includes lots of starches and carbs, you'll have to change that but again, I'm not sure why he's saying no more after banding. Just to give you an idea of my meals, I typically eat a balanced meal consisting of 3 oz. Protein (usually fish of chicken) 1/2 cup of veggies (usually grilled) and 1/4 cup of carbs (Pasta, potato, or rice). I stay at or around 1,150 calories daily.

I don't drink anything with carbonation. I was a big soda drinker but you would be surprised at what you can give up when you find something that works for you. And lapband works for me. I'm half my size and have gotten my life back. I can't explain it any better than that but I think that says it all. I take up so much less space these days and am happier than I've been in years because I can enjoy my life again and my weight doesn't stop me from doing anything anymore.

Good luck, and keep us posted. If I was you, I'd think about looking for a surgeon who isn't all about what you can't have as much as what you can have. It's not supposed to be a diet...it's supposed to be a lifestyle.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

GoWalking said it all. No, if you continue to rely on carbs you'll have a rougher adjustment. But I too can eat almost anything (except pork so far) and some foods "slide" easier than others, like salads. If someone's eating only salads they may be too tight.

My best advice is to try the food changes now, pre-op. High Protein, low carb. No carbonation. No snacking. Habits that need to be broken. The pre and post op diet windows are the hardest. Once your band gets some decent restriction it gets so much easier. And once the weight starts to come off, you truly feel that it's all been worth it.

Good luck!

[pink dahlia 2,513]

Amen to the above posts ! You have to decide whats more important, soda pop or a healthy body. I eat carbs , just a few bites and im done. I eat mostly Protein , fruit , veggies

[pink dahlia 2,513]

Sorry, operator error ! Anyhoo , Protein, fruits , veggies, 3 bites of carbs, ( rice, potatoes, Pasta , breads ) some dairy, nuts and yes, my daily sweet. I eat very well, am not suffering , and dont miss any foods ( well, ok, I miss broccoli !) I also dont miss being obese, having no energy, having sleep apnea, and shopping in the plus section for clothes. I love my healthy, getting stronger, looking better all the time body !!! I'll take the daily compliments and nice looks and feeling 100 % better over ANY food, ANY day! You only have ONE body in ONE life, so take good care of it !

[Colleen C 169]

Pick another bariatric surgeon, I think you need a lot of knowledge and that knucklehead sure didn't give it to you. Arrggg.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

" knucklehead" I love that word !♥

[Lawless 0]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone.

The reason he said no carbs is, well, obvious. Carbs = pounds. But he said no grains or starches because he said that they stick to the inside of the smaller part of your stomach, and can get caught there and cause discomfort. I was so ready to do this. I did research, and was prepared to eat less food, but had no idea of the limitations of what I had to stop eating all together.

I had a friend who had this who eats sushi all the time. He doesn't eat 6 to 8 pieces, though. He eats 2, and he's full. I have no problem with that. But my surgeon told me sushi was a no-no because of the sticky rice.

The whole "you can't eat anything but Protein and veg with no butter" just really scared me. I mean, if I could eat that way, I wouldn't have a weight problem anyway.

[Trayg 17]

Hey y'all. New to the forum and I have questions. I don't know if I should post this here, as I am pre-op, or post it elsewhere, because my questions are mostly for post-op. I was all set up last year to do the surgery, and stopped at the last minute. My primary doctor's secretary scared me, because she said all she could eat was salad, and she was a year post-op. Also, they told me I would have to 100% give up my caffeine free diet coke. 100%. So I waited for a while, and started thinking about it again, talking to a few people who'd done the surgery, read stories online, and found out that if all she could eat was salad, she had a problem and needed to speak to her doctor. So I came back, and talked to the surgeon again, because I want to do the surgery. This is my problem. I am having a hard time justifying having the surgery done, and this is the reason. My surgeon told me I'd have to give up carbs, grains and starches. Now, if I give up carbs, breads, pastas, rice, etc - what's the point in having the surgery at all? He said that I could eat small pieces of chicken breast, fish, etc, plus vegetables with no butter. If that's going to be my diet, why have the surgery at all? That would help with weight loss without the surgery. I'm just confused. Thanks in advance.

hey , I was the same but I had the surgery because I NEED that restriction .. Otherwise it's just too easy to over eat .. I could and can lose whieght without the band but I just put it back on , and more besides ? I am 10 weeks post op now and have lost 35lbs , it's not easy tho and it's a definite learning curve ..... Each day something I could have eaten before will not go down the next day ? But I would do it again ... I'm in this for the long haul for better health and more energy for my children . You can eat all sorts it depends on the person , I have fish every day , salads ,roasted veg , chicken , etc fruit , yogurts , the one thing that I cannot tolerate is bread of any sort , it just gets stuck , and I have tried lol . I have had two fills and I'm at 6 cc now in a 10 cc band I started off with four in my band when I had the op , but I'm in England so I think they do things a little different in the USA ? Hope this helps good luck xx

[Lawless 0]

Thanks, Tray!

Hey - why not broccoli? Somebody earlier said broccoli. I love broccoli.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

It was me that said no broccoli because I cant get the stuff down, even with tiny well chewed bites ! It gets horribly stuck, and its not pretty ! Instead I sub celery or something else, but I have no problem with steak or pineapple. To each their own .

[Lawless 0]

Gotcha. Thanks!

[chasingadream 1,311]

I agree with everything @@gowalking has said.

If you are not comfortable with your surgeon or the answers you are getting than you should surely try to find a new doctor. That person is the one that is going to perform surgery and give you the after care you need. In my opinion, you must trust that doctor 150%.

As for what to eat…doctors vary as do individual results. I eat everything in much smaller portions. Pasta sits very heavy with me post surgery so i choose alternatives when my family eats theirs Pasta. Otherwise, nothing is off limits….but i do eat my Protein first followed by veggies and YES some carbs. I even have a treat now and again.

The great thing is I am NOT dieting and I am NOT deprived.

I eat to live and not the other way around. And for me, I grazed for the past 30 or so years…so these are some really new eating habits for me but they are surely doable.

Wishing you lots of luck AND success!

Edited June 23, 2014 by chasingadream

[catfish87 3,471]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone.

The reason he said no carbs is, well, obvious. Carbs = pounds.

Your Doctor said "carbs = pounds" ? That sounds like the Atkins diet approach to me....been there and done that. Lost 80 pounds and gained 100 after I quit doing it years back. For me, it was CALORIES to excess, that equalled pounds.

I am almost 5 years postop and eat almost every type of food I want. Lots of fish and chicken and lots of steamed or grilled veggies. I eat very little red meat, and almost no bread, mostly by choice. Other than that, there's only a couple of foods I CAN'T eat at my restriction level. pineapple and brussel spouts do not work for me. But I can live without either of those. I don't drink soda's...and haven't since banding. But I now drink beer when I want. I DID NOT for the first year or so.

Here's a quote and link from a very often mentioned WLS surgeon on here...Your surgeon and staff may disagree.

"The problem is not "carbs" the problem is the kind of carbs that you eat. If you eat highly processed foods, it will cause you to increase your appetite - wanting more food. So learn about the glycemic index, and how it will help you curb your appetite."

http://drsimpson.net/weight-loss/weight-loss-glycemic-index/weight-loss-glycemic-index/weight-loss-glycemic-index.htm

Best wishes on whatever you decide! As others have said, you only live once...make it the best you can.