I don't want to eat chemicals...

[Ashlegal 525]

Everything as newly WLS patient that I am given permission to eat (not literally everything but lots) is loaded with chemicals. I'm not a chemical eater. Prior WLS I wasn't a junk food junky or a fast food aficionado in fact I hadn't had a fast food meal in eighteen months PRIOR to even looking into WLS. Most of my meals were prepared at home with as many fresh ingredients as I could find; locally sourced and even grown in my backyard.

I ate too much and didn't exercise. I'd make stir fry chicken with fresh snow peas, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery and ginger sauce but I wouldn't stop at one bowl. Or I'd make taco bowls with locally sourced pork, homemade sofritas, black Beans, tomatoes, peppers, cheese and avocado but before I ate my bowl, I'd chow down on homemade chips and salsa. In other words, my food was very minimally processed and not of the convenient variety.

After WLS everything is low-fat, no-sugar, non-fat, low carb and to take those things out of foods means you have to add (mostly) unnatural ingredients. Most of that crap is bad for you and can lead to problems such as headaches, allergy flare-ups, skin problems, memory problems, dental problems, stomach problems, sleep problems and much more.

I don't want to stunt my weight loss but I also don't understand how eating chemicals in lieu of carbs or fats is a healthier alternative.

For example: yogurt. Regular Yogurts are loaded with sugar but sugar has not been proven to be any worse for you than the artificial crap they replace it with in "light" yogurt. In many studies it has been proven that artificial sweeteners may make losing weight more difficult. Just Google "artificial sweeteners vs sugar."

Am I totally in the wrong with my thinking?

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I don't think you are totally wrong, but I look at the post surgery list as a temporary thing. You can eat totally natural and eat well and not all carbs are created equal. The carbs in Beans or fresh watermelon are obviously not as bad for you as say a potato or a piece of white bread. I'm looking to take my diet more towards paleo and less towards "diet mentality foods". After I have cleared my stages of post op recovery, I don't plan to use any artificial sweeteners or processed foods. I don't think they add anything and cause more problems than good.

[Ashlegal 525]

I agree as I planned (and am doing something similar) in terms of taking the immediate list of foods and using them as a guideline for the first six months. I know a lot of the food I was eating prior to WLS will be just fine after. My sister has been on a Paleo eater for about a year and not only has she lost almost sixty pounds but she feels really healthy.

I as an educated individual know that the body needs complex carbs and those types of carbs can be found in many healthy, natural foods. I don't believe that is wise to exclude any one food group and incorporating foods with lean Proteins, complex carbs, Fiber and nutrient rich foods such as greens into your diet is going to make you healthy with or without WLS.

I don't think you are totally wrong, but I look at the post surgery list as a temporary thing. You can eat totally natural and eat well and not all carbs are created equal. The carbs in Beans or fresh watermelon are obviously not as bad for you as say a potato or a piece of white bread. I'm looking to take my diet more towards paleo and less towards "diet mentality foods". After I have cleared my stages of post op recovery, I don't plan to use any artificial sweeteners or processed foods. I don't think they add anything and cause more problems than good.

[SleeveandRNYchica 1,155]

I agree. I stopped eating low fat and sugar free stuff summer of 2013. I try to stay away from the inside aisles. My kids have never had boxed hamburger helper lol. Now I am not perfect but it's a goal.

I am struggling with preop diet because of it. I am having a hard time tolerating the bars especially. I can have sugar free Jello and Popsicles but just not over the top about it. I am looking forward to getting past this stage and getting to eat real food.

[James Marusek 5,244]

If you had RNY gastric bypass surgery, then you have to cut out fats and sugars from you diet for awhile. This is because the part of your stomach that normally processes these fats and sugars have been cut away and your body can no longer handle these, otherwise you will experience dumping syndrome.

As time goes on, your body will change and your intestines will learn to process these foods and then you will be able to eat these again. This will occur around 1 year post-op.

So during this first year, you will be able to eat meat, it is just limited to very lean cuts with little fat. You may find that eating meats will be rough on your new stomach. For example, you may want to boil chicken breast in a pot for several hours on low until the meat is so tender that it comes apart readily with a fork. I personally relied on softer foods, such as homemade high Protein chili and Soups. They went down easier. So you are welcome to make foods without artificial ingredients for your meals.

But the most important requirements of the program are meeting your Protein, Vitamin and Fluid requirements. food IS SECONDARY. Your body is converting stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@James Marusek - Thanks for posting this. I think your statement about things changing at 1 year post-op makes a lot of sense and I hadn't thought about it before but it just hit me that of course that makes sense! I had rotator cuff surgery 5 years ago and my shoulder hurt for nearly a year and then like magic, I was back to normal. So it makes sense to me that my stomach and intestines would also "heal" fully around a year out. I don't know why this gives me such comfort but it does! You always have such great practical and logical advice. I so appreciate you!

Apologies to @@Ashlegal for hijacking your post! I understand your frustration but there are quite a few people on here who talk about "clean" eating, so I do think you will be able to get back to that stage eventually. You just have to make some sacrifices in the meantime while your body heals.

[LynnAlex 44]

I too was mostly eating clean. I was off artificial sweetners for several years. But for all the healthy food, my portion sizes of the delicious food made me super obese. So, clean eating can help in a lot of the micro elements of our body, and long term of the many cancers avoided, but I was creating a un-healthy monster with high triglicidates, diabetic, border-line cholesterol.

You will have to bite the bullet for about 3 months, maybe more. I drink 2 Protein shakes with artificial sweetner, because my healthy one with seeds, spinach, yogurt, fruit, etc was way way too many calories. I am about 2 months out. I probably drink 1 Crystal light per week and my 2 daily shakes. The rest of the time I am eating healthy and clean. I can buy organic meat and when my portion size is greater than 2 oz, I can start to eliminate the Protein Shakes. If you want to eat a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese, you may be able to eat clean sooner.