Hi All,

Just a little warning to those who might be thinking "oh I can go to McDonald's but I'll be good- I'll just order a happy meal and only eat half". Because that's what I was thinking today and guess what happened to me?

Massive pain!

I did see "Supersize Me" and at the end of the DVD he tried to get the french fries to decompose and they would not, even after like six weeks they were in 100% perfect, mold-free condition, just as yellow and shiny as on the day he bought them. SCARY!!! I guess I (conveniently) "forgot" about that movie this morning and thought I would attempt my very first trip to McDonald's in over two months. As I promised myself, I ordered a Happy Meal. And oh, I only ate half, all right! Because I was in so much pain I thought I was going to pass out! I literally felt a charlie horse in my chest and band area as I started sweating and shaking. It happened right after I swalled some well-chewed fries. I quickly took six papaya tablets (chewable) and started quickly walking around the building. I did not PB (probably because of the papaya dissolving the food) but the episode lasted about 15 minutes. I could feel my poor upper pouch desperately squeezing, trying to squeeze the fries through. I felt so sorry for poor little pouch, like the little engine that could, earnestly trying to do it's thing and push that food through. Man did it hurt!!!

So let this serve as a warning to anyone thinking they can get away with McDonald's fries. Firstly, I have come to the conclusion that they are not even food... at all. Secondly, it is soooooooooo not worth the pain!

Take heed! You have been warned...

Hi Sunta,

I'm glad that you're feeling better and worked through that awful experience. I swore off all fast food the month before surgery and don't crave it at all. I start solids next Thursday. Stay away from McDonalds... it's evil! LOL.

LOL... thanks for the warning.

awe Sunta, sorry you had this experience.

Just about every time Ive had fries (Wendy's being my biggest temptation) Ive had to pb them up.

Thanks for the reminder!

Mc D's fries did the same to me! I thought Id die! never again.

If fries are a must have lol I sugest steak fries there thicker softer etc. I can handle them in moderation.

My Dr. told me once that alot of his patients complain that they cant eat fried starchy foods, they make them sick.

Unfortunately I have no trouble with them, lol. I can even eat a burger. But for me, its a once every couple of weeks event, would be never if I didnt have kids I guess. And the Big Mac, large fries and sundae is a thing of the past. I never had coke with Maccas because you get fat from drinking coke, lol.

I can get down a medium fries and a large coffee, but boy do I feel bloated after that much starch. Not a pleasant enough experience anymore to want to do much of it.

I have tried them as well with good outcome. When I say tried them I do mean two or three. Something told me not to push it! Glad I didn't.

Oh my, thanks for the warning. I'm sorry you had to go through such a painful experience. :phanvan I'm looking forward to the day when my kids don't want to go to McD's b/c they know healthy food is better.....yeah right, I'm living in a fantasy world. It's too bad kids these days grow up seeing the golden arches and know they want to stop there. And then, some people are wondering why we have an obesity problem with kids.

Ok, Sunta, I'm going to tease you now by saying "DUH!"

In my mind, my band means no more fried, fat filled, starchy foods. I love my band because it won't let me have those things. Have I tried. Heck NO! I don't want to test the PB waters, AND I'm sick of being fat so those types of foods have no business in my diet. Do I miss those types of foods? Only during the first fleeting remberance of them. Then I start telling myself the truth - those foods contain nothing of any real value to my body. They are empty calories that will interrupt my focus on getting healthy. So yes, they are the devil. And he often appears to us a very inviting, very tempting forms. Today, it happened to be french fries.

Oh, and chances are that it wasn't JUST the fries that did you in. You were eating hamburger, bread and fries. Three known PB risks. Silly Sunta! *hugs*

I did the same exact thing. chicken nuggets happy meal with iced tea.

SAME RESULT. Fast food isn't bad every once in a while, but fast food fries just don't work out so well.

It would be very hard for me to 100% give up fast food because I eat half a chicken bol at Chipotle for lunch at least once a week, then half the other half the next day.

DH wanted lunch at Fuddruckers the other day and stupid me ordered a hamburger w/o even thinking about it. I did get the small one, and kept it plain & told them to hold the bun so I just had a patty and some pickles and mustard, but chew, chew, chew I could not get that hamurger chewed up enough that I felt comfy swallowing it. That's the only hamburger I've tried since banding.

I have stopped by taco bell a few times at airports. The Pintos & cheese have a lot of skin, but discreetly spit them out and it's a good meal... and the insides of a spicy chicken taco makes a good entree.

Almost ALL places will now hold the bun! I have ordered a What-a-Chicken from Whataburger this way, a QuarterPounder from McDonalds, the breakfast #17 from Jack in the Box, etc... they just put it on a little tray. I dont touch the fries, give them away or ask for them to not give them to you at all... I would rather "waste the money" than stick them back on my A$$!!! The bread is what gets me stuck, and the fries are not worth it!!

Hmm, a hamburger that stays in one piece and is hard to chew? Probably not worth eating, lol.

Think about it, when you make hamburgers from real meat, egg, breadcrumbs and grated veges, they are hard to keep together as they cook and they break apart easily when you eat them. That's because they're not full of "secret ingredients" like fillers, binders etc.

I find like Pnut said, if I really think about what's in those foods and what they'll do or not do to my body, it makes them much less palatable. I only wish the kids werent so sucked in.

McDonald's FF do the same thing to me. I cant eat them at all! If i want like 2 or 3 and nothing else then they are ok, i guess. lol Having the band really takes all the fun out of fast food, so honestly i dont crave it any more either. Which i am so grateful for, pre-band i was a fast food junkie...

I've eaten Taco Bell Pinto's and Cheese and Bean Burritos. That's it for fast food for me. I'm too scared to try a fast food burger!

Finally my priorities are right - I'm SCARED of fast food - as we all should be!!!! LOL

Have any of you tried the fruit and apple salad? Does it go down? I have to eat a McDonalds way more then I want to just driving for my job... sometimes it's a choice of McDonalds or Dairy Queen but I'm way skeered of the Blizzard Monster at Dairy Queen.

So far at McDonalds I've only order choc. milk and chicken nuggets happy meal. I throw the fries away the eat a nugget or two. I drink the milk before (not during) but I need more variety.

Also I got a kids meal from Arbys yesterday and ordered the fruit instead of fries as a side... but they were out of fruit so I had to throw the fries away. I ate the roast beef with no bun but PB'ed afterward.

French fries in general are a killer:target:. If I want them I really have to eat them by themselves and it is normally 4 to 6 fries. I dare not drink anything or try to eat anything before I eat the fries.