Hi Everyone -

I'm having trouble with the order in which I'm supposed to eat my foods. I'm four weeks post-op and am eating 3 regular meals now, with no problems. Even bread (uh-oh) is going down fine with no sticking.

My dietician says my meals must be eaten in the following sequence, to ensure I stay full:

1. Protein

2. veggies

3. fruit

4. bread products (if necessary, they'd prefer you limit this)

So, does that mean a sandwich is permanently off-limits? For instance, today I was in an airport and ordered the only thing that seemed diet-friendly: a grilled chicken snack wrap at McD's. I removed the chicken and ate that separately, then had some fruit, and then picked at the tortilla (which was by that point cold and not so tasty). All I really wanted to do was take a bite out of the snack-wrap, chicken & tortilla together!

I hate this "dividing up" of the food into categories!! Does anyone else struggle with this?

I should add my first fill isn't for a couple of weeks, and I have no restriction yet. Maybe that's the issue....

Thanks for any advice!

No, I dont eat like that and I refuse to. Its not really how we're told to eat in Australia anyway.

I consider Protein, vegetables AND wholegrains (small amounts) all equally necessary and i tend to mix things onto my fork.

Its stupid. We need protein but there's simply no point getting enough protein if it means you're horribly deficient in say, Iron, or folate or whatever. There's no balance in that and no health benefit.

I could never eat like that. That is not "normal" eating , in fact I think it is really dysfunctional. I eat normal food in whatever order I want. Casseroles with vegies in, stirfry's with meat and vegies mixed up, rissotos, Pasta dishes such as lasagne etc etc.

I got banded so that I could stop dieting and eat food the same way that a "normal" person does.So far it's working for me. If I had to eat like that i would have given up long ago.

I do sometimes eat strange things at strange times e.g lunch today was homemade muesli with greek yogurt. Full of unprocessed oats,pepitas, sultanas,linseeds etc. No added sugar like in the commercial varieties.

Yum.

I pretty much eat protein all the time. I do eat salads but only green vegetables. I do this for blood sugar control because it works. I researched the hell out of it before I tried it though. It didn't sound healthy to me at all. I now know that it is in fact healthy. If you are eating a normal meal at home, you should do protein first simply because it will keep you satisfied longer. In a fast food place, eat the whole wrap. It is fairly healthy and you won't be eating there all the time. Have a little fun!! It will be fine!!!

Coming from such a successful group of "losers," I really appreciate your sound advice! I was starting to obsess about the order in which I ate foods, which seemed crazy to me also. So today, rebel that I am, I had some ricotta on a piece of wheat toast with blueberries on top. And you know what? It was delicious and felt a lot more "normal" to me. And since we're all aiming for sensible long-term eating, the more normal, the better.

Thanks guys!!

I try to factor in the amount of protein I need in a pre-planned daily menu. This is pretty loose...but even thinking about it for a few minutes helps keep me on track. Then, I factor in veggies, fruit, and try to leave "room" for snacks and treats. I've stopped the protein drinks in favor of Greek yogurt...fruit on the bottom...that is easy to swallow in the morning and has the protein and calcium I need. When I eat something as a meal I mix...but make sure that I put the required amount of protein right on the plate and just bear in mind that even if I mix I have to make sure to eat that. I'm almost 5 months out and now I'm finding that I really want to eat the protein first as I have learned that it's more satisfying and comfortable that way, but this was part of a natural process. My eating habits are modifying without me forcing the issue.