What's with all the "diet" food?

[Pac-woman 325]

@@thesuse2000 out of curiousity, how much can you eat after your workout? I am still knew at this and I can barely put down 1/4 of chicken broth. I would like to think I will be somewhat normal one day.

[thesuse2000 698]

Hi Pac-woman - I can eat a rotisserie chicken thigh plus about 1/4 cup of veggies and sometimes about 1/3 cup of brown rice. Sometimes I have to pause for 10 mins or so before I finish, but I can easily in that in about a half hour.

I will caveat though, that I was a band to sleeve revision, and so my sleeve is just a tiny big bigger than most. My surgeon used a 40 bougie vs I think 36 that she uses usually for virgin sleevers. Other surgeons use even smaller ones than that. I didn't have trouble getting in liquids my first week, so you may be different from me still when you're 7 months out, like I am now. But I'm quite sure you'll be able to eat much more easily! And in the end you may have an easier time than I will maintaining your weight loss, so it should all work out and be worth it in the end.

@@thesuse2000 out of curiousity, how much can you eat after your workout? I am still knew at this and I can barely put down 1/4 of chicken broth. I would like to think I will be somewhat normal one day.

[IronDruggist 136]

were you able to eat like this right away, or more recently since you're 4 months out? My loss has slowed way down for the last week or so and I'm only 4 weeks, so thinking I'm not getting enough calories on this crap anyway.

Honestly, I can't remember exactly when, but I did add back in "normal" foods fairly quickly. My mom and I are foodies, so I got tired of all the crap really fast. I remember having a sliver of pizza and a chicken wing at about 2 months (okay, not the best example of clean eating). I've had a remarkably uneventful recovery and progression though, and I started with an Iron stomach. I've only had 2 things that didn't agree with me...Thai iced tea (too sweet, made me queasy) and white wine (like red better anyways lol). I do behave myself the vast majority of the time, but I'm not going to deny myself a few bites of noodles or rice when we eat Asian, for example. Just have to walk the fine line between vigilance and obsession :-) like I said, that may change down the road when I'm able to eat more, we'll see!

[fawnb71 49]

Pac-woman.. You will be able to eat more, statistically, around the 4th month, when your body starts registering the surgery; you may experience some Hair loss as well as notice your taste buds are pretty much back to normal and you are able to eat more.

Note keep in mind, 1 cup of Soup verses 1/4 cup of cottage cheese verses 3 bites of steak... The more dense the Protein the less of a portion will fill you up.

I am over 2 years out, in maintenance, and east fairly normal. At least most people don't question my portions.

[chelly12A 15]

I am 8 weeks out tomorrow and I want to know how much oz wise everyone eat at a meals. Do you have 3 oz of meat, 1/2 cup of a veggie or what. I am confused and I am losing very slowly so maybe I am doing something wrong. If you have Soup how much do you eat at one sitting?

@@Karenlrn - Choose a Protein Powder that uses soy isolates instead of milk or whey. Drink unsweetened almond, rice, cashew, soy, hemp or coconut milk instead. So Delicious makes a non dairy yogurt, so does Rice Dreams or Almond Breeze (I forget which one). These are the kinds of discussions to have with your nutritionist. They will offer suggestions if you make them aware.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

It really depends on what I am eating. For example, tonight's dinner was ¼ cup red kidney Beans, ¼ quinoa and 3 ounces of Beyond meat Not chicken. On another day I might change that to ½ cup of red kidney beans, ¼ cup quinoa and ½ cup cooked spinach.

I switch it around to meet my Protein & other nutritional needs and depending on what I want to eat.

[lgrey 37]

For those of you who don't want to eat "chemicals" and who favor "clean eating" .... what's stopping you?

Just figure out how you will meet the daily Protein level requirements and go for it.

What's stopping me is that the diet talk and fake foods is so prevalent that I keep thinking I must be missing something. Plus my NUT really pushes all this diet stuff too, tries to make me feel like I'm not serious about this if I'm not willing to get with the program.

[Kindle 8,667]

What's stopping me is that the diet talk and fake foods is so prevalent that I keep thinking I must be missing something. Plus my NUT really pushes all this diet stuff too, tries to make me feel like I'm not serious about this if I'm not willing to get with the program.

This is YOUR journey, not your nut's. Has she had WLS? If not, then all she's doing is trying to fit you into one of her textbook molds. Seriously, it's not that hard to figure out what to eat. Read labels, research online and eat what's obviously healthy. Some people can do carbs, some can't. Some need to limit calories, some don't. Some do the whole low fat thing, some dont. Some do sugar free everything, some stick with the real thing. Some rely on Protein Shakes and bars, some dont. There are dozens of "right" ways to be successful. You need to experiment and find what works for YOU. Not only what works for short term weight loss, but also what you can live with for the next 20, 30, 40+ years of maintenance.

Personally I spent exactly 15 minutes with a nut to go over the postop recovery diet. Everything else since has been MY choices, and I have been very successful. But this is MY journey, not anyone else's. If you feel you really need the support of a nut, then find one that is more in tune with your wants and needs. After all, they work for you.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

What's stopping me is that the diet talk and fake foods is so prevalent that I keep thinking I must be missing something. Plus my NUT really pushes all this diet stuff too, tries to make me feel like I'm not serious about this if I'm not willing to get with the program.

That's why you have to know your facts and know what's right for you. Don't worry about what others are doing.

I agree with @@Kindle and @@fawnb71 - Make your nutritionist work with you. I walked in informing them that I was vegetarian and that I didn't do fake sugars. Once they saw I was serious it was no longer an issue.

Edited January 19, 2015 by BLERDgirl

[fawnb71 49]

I agree with Kindle. This is your journey. We can tell you what works for us as individuals, but that may not work for you. I don't know what diet food is, I don't believe I eat diet food. I do use some sugar free items, however, I always have due to the prevalence of diabetes in my family. Is that what you are taking about for diet food? I use Face for sour cream most of the time, not for diet reasons, but for the added Protein boost. Not to mention half the time you can't taste the difference depending on what you are cooking.

I have gf who have been sleeved and they are choosing to only purchase those lean cuisine or whatever... Do I agree with their choice... No, but that is again, their choice and I don't knock them. Just as they don't knock me for getting anal in making meatball by the batch and freeze my servings, Soups and freezing them... And so on just so I have a healthy quick choice when I forget to pull something out.

Remember it is your journey. We can only offer our experience to you.

[jess9395 5,449]

This is YOUR journey, not your nut's. Has she had WLS? If not, then all she's doing is trying to fit you into one of her textbook molds. Seriously, it's not that hard to figure out what to eat. Read labels, research online and eat what's obviously healthy. Some people can do carbs, some can't. Some need to limit calories, some don't. Some do the whole low fat thing, some dont. Some do sugar free everything, some stick with the real thing. Some rely on Protein shakes and bars, some dont. There are dozens of "right" ways to be successful. You need to experiment and find what works for YOU. Not only what works for short term weight loss, but also what you can live with for the next 20, 30, 40+ years of maintenance.

Personally I spent exactly 15 minutes with a nut to go over the postop recovery diet. Everything else since has been MY choices, and I have been very successful. But this is MY journey, not anyone else's. If you feel you really need the support of a nut, then find one that is more in tune with your wants and needs. After all, they work for you.

Yes! All this ????

[lgrey 37]

This is YOUR journey, not your nut's. Has she had WLS? If not, then all she's doing is trying to fit you into one of her textbook molds. Seriously, it's not that hard to figure out what to eat. Read labels, research online and eat what's obviously healthy. Some people can do carbs, some can't. Some need to limit calories, some don't. Some do the whole low fat thing, some dont. Some do sugar free everything, some stick with the real thing. Some rely on Protein shakes and bars, some dont. There are dozens of "right" ways to be successful. You need to experiment and find what works for YOU. Not only what works for short term weight loss, but also what you can live with for the next 20, 30, 40+ years of maintenance.

Personally I spent exactly 15 minutes with a nut to go over the postop recovery diet. Everything else since has been MY choices, and I have been very successful. But this is MY journey, not anyone else's. If you feel you really need the support of a nut, then find one that is more in tune with your wants and needs. After all, they work for you.

Thank you and everybody for your input. Not only has my NUT not had WLS, she's a naturally thin person who I believe doesn't GET obesity and all the myriad of reasons for it. I'm going to talk to the director tomorrow about switching to one who's more supportive, and do a serious re-evaluation of my diet right now to see what healthy foods I can eat at 4 weeks out to get the Protein I need. At only 1/4 cup a meal (all I can handle so far), pretty sure I'm going to have to supplement with gelatein20 until I can get my portions up a bit. But I can live with that, knowing that so many of you are eating "clean" and still losing or have lost all your weight.

So thanks everybody!

[galadriel535 43]

I am trying to eat healthy foods. Period. i avoid processed foods, additives etc. Trying to just eat organic healthy things. I am not about doing "diet" foods per se. they enver worked for me. I need to avoid sugar: all types of processed stuff. not a fan of low fat, processed, artificially sweetened foods. So far, so good. I think it is REALLY important to listen to your body and try to build a healthy food plan that works for you, one day at a time. Still a beginner, since I was sleeved on 12-23-14...but that is my 2 cents worth.

[lgrey 37]

@lgrey- I am vegetarian and I have a zillion food allergies & multiple med allergies. Since my allergic reactions vary from severe hive to anaphylaxis, my nutritionist and I sat down and we discussed alternatives. In the end I went with whey isolates. Isolates are better than concentrates because it's a more potent form of Protein. I drink almond milk and yes it is a lower Protein source. Thankfully I can eat Greek yogurt made from milk. Of the non dairy milks I believe hemp milk has the highest amount of protein. It's not very high, but when you are working around allergies and intolerances every little bit helps.

Since you have an intolerance I would do whey isolate combined with an non dairy milk to lesson the impact on your system. I also supported my protein needs with Beans and almond butter. A tbsp of almond butter in my Protein shake in the morning, blended smooth. I black Beans are lower in carbs so I use a lot of them. In my all liquid stage I pureed them and made them into Soups. I also added chopped spinach which is a plant based protein source and also has lots of Iron. I also used Prosource No Carb Liquid Protein during the 2 week all liquid phase. I was given this in the hospital. It's protein sources are collagen Hydrolysate and Whey Protein Isolate so it's not strictly a vegetarian product but it helped get me through those 2 weeks.

If you can tolerate whey concentrate. Orgain organics has a high Protein Drink that has a good amount of protein in it. I used the regular Protein Drink because the high protein has stevia in it which I am allergic to. (FYI -The regular uses sucralose which I can tolerate.)

Here is a list of protein sources. Like I said, it took being really creative. I literally spent a week going to going to Whole Foods, drug stores and Vitamins stores reading labels and buying samples. I am 4 mths in and 55lbs down. I still manage to eat a mostly clean vegetarian diet with no artificial sugars or food dyes. I use Myfitnesspal to monitor my carb intake, drink my Water and workout 4 -5 days a week. I average about 800 calories a day.

Wow, great info BLERDgirl! I checked out the website the protein chart came from, TONS of good info on protein sources here! https://rebeldietitian.us/eat-clean/protein-101/.

[Catcutie 64]

Here is the website of videos by Dr. Matthew Weiner a bariatric surgeon who is also in line with eating healthy, minimally processed foods and even, advises that after 3 months post surgery, switch to vegetables first-drmatthewweiner.com. I hope with the advance of nutritional therapists, eventually we'll see more traditional nutritionists get on board with whole food nutrition, especially for bariatric patients who need maximum nutrition due to our limited food intake, but like all things it's a way of thinking process that takes time to gain acceptance. Meantime thanks to everyone who makes the effort to bring this healthy food information to us.