Post op Diet questions?

[JerseyJules 862]

Well not the immediate post op diet, Im pretty clear on that and have it in a pamphlet for my doctor. Im curious as to the long term diet, will I ever be able to consume in moderation the foods I enjoy so much now?

Will I be able to eat pizza again or indulge in the occasional sweet like carrot cake? I know they say your taste changes and what not, and dont eat empty calories, but I still want to be able to enjoy the little things in life and not be miserable eating grilled chicken and a spoon full of veggies for the rest of my life without the occasional treat. I asked this of my doctor and he danced around the question and basically said, you really wont want to eat like that anymore once you start eating good.

But I know eventually I will want a little taste of the good life... is it possible?

[PrincessDeb 43]

I am on soft foods currently, but I eat the cheese off of a cheese pizza which gives me the taste of eating pizza. Also my surgeon wanted me to take 1000mg of Calcium, so I found this amazing little low sugar chocolates that I can suck or over chew, they taste great and leave you feeling like you had a sweet. You will find that it is the little things that make you happy, especially immediately post op. My mom is 9 years post op and she eats anything she wants, just not much of it.

[joatsaint 2,814]

I can relate to what your doc said about "not wanting to eat" the bad stuff. When I saw the lbs falling off and my sleeve gave me control over my head hunger and "need" to eat, I didn't want to break the "spell" and go back to my old habits, life and weight. I was even afraid to start eating again, once I was past the full liquids stage.

Fortunately, the "magic" didn't fade once I started eating real food again.

The real difference in eating post-op vs pre-op, is in the amounts, not the kind of food I can eat. I no longer have to eat 6 slices of a large pizza to feel satisfied. Now, 1 slice or 1 1/2 slices is more than enough and I'm topped off.

I can't tell you how good it feels when my hunger is satisfied by eating a 1/2 cup of carrot cake or 1 donut. Pre-surgery, I didn't have that kind of control and hunger dominated my thinking.

At the 1 year mark, I was able to eat "almost" anything I wanted - the exception being Taco Bell taco sauce... Frankensleeve has never liked the stuff, even at 2 years post-op.

At 6 months post-op, I was able to eat "most" things I wanted. The exceptions being fibrous foods like whole wheat bread, grape skins and pineapple.

The ironic part was that processed junk foods were the easiest on my new sleeve, right from the beginning. It was the "healthy" stuff that I had to train Frankensleeve to digest.

Edited December 30, 2014 by joatsaint

[*Lexie* 1,486]

There are things my tummy can't tolerate well. Greasy, fried foods is one of them. I'm pretty sure someday down the road I will be able to but I'm not in a hurry to test it out since I don't really need to eat fried stuff.

As for my brain, it still wants all the junk. And @@joatsaint is right, some of it is easier on the tummy. My sleeve has no issues with Hershey Kisses and they don't fill me up so I have to be careful and not buy them often. I'm pretty sure things like Hershey Kisses or milkshakes are what cause that small percentage of people to not lose weight after surgery.

[Kindle 8,667]

I'm a year out and I can consume anything except carbonated beverages. There are some things that do irritate my sleeve, though. Luckily they are all the things we shouldn't eat. Sugar, grease (fried foods), alcohol and coffee all cause gastritis for me. Sure I can eat a little of everything with no problems, but too much of those things cause a little upset and I end up taking Rolaids.

Last week was especially bad. I satisfied my head with all kinds of yummy Christmas food and drinks at the expense of my sleeve. I'm actually glad to have that behind me. Now I'm back to making my sleeve happy.

[Elode 8,093]

Well only time will tell since we are all different. I haven't found anything I can't eat but I CHOSE not to eat a lot of things. Good luck! @@JerseyJules