Do you have trouble making healthy choices?

[suez1105 2]

Ok, so we know that VSG limits the amount of food we eat, but the choices are left up to us on what we can eat. As somone who is pre-op, I am worried that I will have a problem making good/better/healthy choices.

I am not a snacker, I honestly only eat 3 meals a day, and occasionally have an after dinner dessert. My problem is my meals are #1. Too large and #2. not always healthy. The portion thing will be controlled by the surgery, but how is everyone doing with their choice of food? Now I am pretty much a good eater, although the last year or so my diet has just been terrible, but for the most part I enjoy mostly grilled/baked/broiled foods, and I do eat a lot of vegetables/fruits. Of course, I do enjoy fried stuff and that is going to be my biggest battle. I mean I know we can eat some of the unhealthy stuff, but for the most part we need to change to be healthy.

Is anyone having a problem with this? I have heard some say that they don't like a lot of what they used to eat pre-op, and sweets and other junk just doesn't have the appeal that it used too. Just wondering about your experiences.

Thanks so much for all your support!!

[Lots Of Hope 4]

Nothing taste as good as thin feels. This is true. Also, at first after surgery, you just want to feel better and have more energy. Eating Protein helps. Then you lose a little weight, it feels great, and it is easy with the protein. You feel the impact and severity of your choice for surgery and you stick with it.

You may mess up a little and eat a cookie or chips, but you get over it and back on tract.I have learned that the sleeve is not fail proof. It is still a mind game, however the feeling of fullness makes it A LOT easier. Good luck!

[janinemaire 7]

I completely agree, I will still have a sweet but I have no trouble eating healthy. Its like my stomach only wants the healthy foods, I could try something fried but after one or two bites it makes me feel sick. I have never loved broccoli like i do now even strawberries I perfer over most sweets. Good luck!

Nothing taste as good as thin feels. This is true. Also, at first after surgery, you just want to feel better and have more energy. Eating Protein helps. Then you lose a little weight, it feels great, and it is easy with the Protein. You feel the impact and severity of your choice for surgery and you stick with it.

You may mess up a little and eat a cookie or chips, but you get over it and back on tract.I have learned that the sleeve is not fail proof. It is still a mind game, however the feeling of fullness makes it A LOT easier. Good luck!

[kellyw74 258]

I read this forum daily and nothing scares me more than being sick from eating something that is wrong for me!!

I have not thrown up from overeating or eating too fast because I am aware this could happen, so I take every measure to make sure that doesn't happen!! I also don't eat things that I think will make me sick!

I will be 10 weeks out on Monday and I have not had any sweets for fear of them making me sick. I have read horror stories of people being sick from them. I have not had Pasta, rice, bread or any "bad carb" since before my surgery. I also have not tried any fried foods as some get very sick from it!!

Now, I could very easily be one of the lucky ones that don't get sick, but I really don't want to take that chance. So, this is what keeps me real! I only put Protein and a few fruits and veggies in my new tummy at this time!

Kelly

[Marie from Michigan 11]

Ok, so we know that VSG limits the amount of food we eat, but the choices are left up to us on what we can eat. As somone who is pre-op, I am worried that I will have a problem making good/better/healthy choices.

I am not a snacker, I honestly only eat 3 meals a day, and occasionally have an after dinner dessert. My problem is my meals are #1. Too large and #2. not always healthy. The portion thing will be controlled by the surgery, but how is everyone doing with their choice of food? Now I am pretty much a good eater, although the last year or so my diet has just been terrible, but for the most part I enjoy mostly grilled/baked/broiled foods, and I do eat a lot of vegetables/fruits. Of course, I do enjoy fried stuff and that is going to be my biggest battle. I mean I know we can eat some of the unhealthy stuff, but for the most part we need to change to be healthy.

Is anyone having a problem with this? I have heard some say that they don't like a lot of what they used to eat pre-op, and sweets and other junk just doesn't have the appeal that it used too. Just wondering about your experiences.

Thanks so much for all your support!!

I did something very drastic to control my weight.....I had 85% of my stomach removed. The least I can do is eat mostly Protein for the next year or so. That's how I look at it. Unlike others, I find that I still like the same foods as I did before surgery. I eat my 1/4 cup of Protein first and then tell myself I can have a fruit or vegetable afterward. After the 1/4 cup I am so FULL that I can only eat a bite or two and then I am done. I also allow myself to have ONE BITE of a previously favorite food if its a special occasion. Last weekend at a birthday party, I had ONE potato chip and ONE bite of birthday cake and I was fine. I never thought I could only eat one potato chip but I did!!!! Other times I have had one fried mushroom and one taco chip with cheese (different days). I don't feel like I am depriving myself this way. I used to be a huge cracker snacker prior to surgery. I could put away a box of wheat thins in one sitting. Last weekend I bought a box of whole grain crackers and put 4 of them in a small plastic bag for a "snack." This morning they are still sitting on my counter. I have no desire for them. Very different than before surgery.

At this point (14 weeks post-op), after a meal I feel so full that I don;t even think about food. I don't know if this is what others have experienced or not. I hope this helps!

[Wheetsin 714]

DIfferent people approach WLS with different perspectives. I've been "around" for about 7 years and here are the 3 main ones I've seen over & over:

1. I'm going to go all out and follow <diet> so I can maximize my weightloss. (<Diet> is typically low carb)

2. I'm going to eat like I always did, and just change the portions - I want to eat "normal" and "normal" means unhealthy foods too.

3. I'm going to do #1 until I reach goal, and then #2 after.

WIth any restrictive procedure, you can eat around it do a degree. You may have to work at it, and it may take some to learn what you can do to eat around it, but it can almost always be done. Some people go that route. Most do not.

It is definitely easier to eat healthier while you're actively losing weight. I once "stalled" for about a year, and found it much more challenging to eat healthy. But I wasn't seeing it holisitically enough. I was focused on Why eat this thing that I don't want as much, when I'm not losing weight anyway instead of Even if I'm not losing weight, I can still eat good.

My food tastes did change a bit. I developed an almost obsessive love for edamama and lima Beans, neither of which I could stand before. And I developed a love of Cookies, which I didn't care for pre-op. I gave up red meat and pork completely. Red meat because I found that no matter how well I chewed, I could never "chew to goo". And pork because I was never much of a pork eater anyway, so why not...

After my AGB most sweets had the same appeal, eventually. It took a while (3 - 4 years, really). When you've been very fat, and experienced the things that come with it, there's an odd sense of pride in leaving your meal 3/4 untouched, or having your shopping cart full of fresh produce and lean meats. If I could go back and change one thing, I never would have "tried" that first piece of bread. When I learned I could tolerate breads/flour-based carbs, I ate them. If I hadn't, I may have met goal (I respond well to low carb diets). And knowing I could tolerate breads lead to me trying other processed carbs. I still did well, still lost weight, but always wondered if I'd have been at goal if....