Am I the only one who had the sleeve surgery to get off this rollercoaster ride called dieting? Yes it is a permanent lifestyle change, yes I need to watch what I eat BUT is it so bad that I eat a low carb tortilla, or a slice of wheat toast or god forbid a bite of a cookie or a few potato chips at a party to feel normal? I had this surgery to use as a tool to eat less and watch my portions, I did not have this surgery to feel miserable like I can never have tasty food again. Yes it is all about moderation and I stick to the "protein first" guidelines, I drink my shakes, but I need to know I am not alone in thinking this.... If I want a burger down the road, Is it bad to eat one? Well technically probably half a burger with no bun! I am 9 weeks out, and Iv'e lost 39Lbs but I started with a lower BMI. I am happy with my weight loss so far, I just need to know I am not destined for plain chicken and veggies for life!

I went on a cruise and had cake and burgers and stuff 5 weeks in. Just not a lot of it so it was a quarter burger but yea. You're fine.

This might be a stupid question but I am having a hard time understanding this. Why does your sleeve know when you're full when you're having the dence Protein but there's not always that full feeling when you're having Cookies, cakes, etc? I don't understand that. I thought the tool should have been with all foods. I probably would've never got the surgery if I had read these posts before. I want to be able to have a bite of pizza or a bite of macaroni and cheese. Now it just looks like I'm out for failure because there is no way I will be able to not have at least a bite of these in the future. I had talked with a friend who is a year out, and she is pretty much eating whatever she wants, which is healthy, but sometimes she will have Snacks. She is still losing weight. I would thought I would be the same.

That's a great share Laura made, so read that article.

Plain and simple, dense protein hangs around longer and keeps you feeling full. chips, cookies, popcorn - those things get chewed into small bits and slide right through. You can eat more before feeling full. In some cases, A LOT more.

And yes, at three out I pretty much eat what I want. And if I'm careful to do a day or two a week of very strict eating (protein, protein, protein and no snacking) maintenance is pretty easy. At least, easy in that I don't seem to move out of my window. But it's still work to avoid the snacking or the cravings or the plain old desire to sit down and eat while watching television. That's the long haul stuff you need to watch. Daily weighing in maintenance and goes a long way towards keeping you at goal.

~Cheri

This might be a stupid question but I am having a hard time understanding this. Why does your sleeve know when you're full when you're having the dence Protein but there's not always that full feeling when you're having cookies' date=' cakes, etc? I don't understand that. I thought the tool should have been with all foods. I probably would've never got the surgery if I had read these posts before. I want to be able to have a bite of pizza or a bite of macaroni and cheese. Now it just looks like I'm out for failure because there is no way I will be able to not have at least a bite of these in the future. I had talked with a friend who is a year out, and she is pretty much eating whatever she wants, which is healthy, but sometimes she will have Snacks. She is still losing weight. I would thought I would be the same.[/quote']

I'll add to the article Laura posted. There's a valve at the bottom of your stomach. When you eat dense protein, the valve shuts down and the stomach begins to digest the food. with the valve shut! your portion control is in effect because you have a tiny tummy.

If you drink fluids, the valve opens and the liquid goes through your stomach into your intestines. This is why we are told not to drink with our meals.

If you eat junk food instead of dense protein, the valve doesn't shut for as long and allows your stomach to empty faster so you feel hungry sooner. Also most junk gets down to small, fluffy crumbs rather than say the consistency of chewed up chicken breast. So you can pack away a lot of fluffy crumbs but you can only do 2 oz or so of protein.

I too wish you had known of this before surgery, BUT all is not lost. You may well be able to have a bite or three of your favorite foods from time to time. Just not every day, at every meal.

Consider looking up the myfitnesspal thread and friend a few vets. You will see they eat quite "normally". A few indulgences here and there once or twice a week. Just not a junk food orgy every day.

It's too early to use the F word (failure). Give it time. You will find what works for you.

I am in no way upset that butter gave me his advice, I appreciate everyone's advice. What I am disappointed with is his condescending posts that followed.

This will do...

The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value.

For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein.

The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable.

Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first.

Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.

Laura THANK YOU! GG THANK YOU! Butter THANK YOU! SUSAN A HUG AND HUGE THANK YOU for telling your story! I'm following this and am baffled that some have it single minded in there heads to argue or wanna disagree with what is mostly (not so much detail) the things we were taught and schooled in before we had this surgery. By all means most eat what you want. I am of the mind with vets and GG. I strive to eat healthy and my meals I cook are so flavorful! I also understand wanting to eat a bit of (the forbidden food) And for most we will at one time or another but a bite of cake at your birthday is ok from what believe. Now a few bites at your birthday and a few weeks later your brothers or nieces or grandmas then a few weeks later your husbands sisters ect is where the trouble lies. Susan is speaking right to me sayn "oh my sleeve will stop me" Or "oh my sleeve will talk to me" Is what I would have thought also! I know now from your story/life this will NOT happen to me. I know I have a food issue and I plan to use this tool to its fullest! Sorry if I don't sound supportive. I might have indulged more often the later I was out if not for this forum. Thank you all for opening my eyes.

Edited October 27, 201312 yr by sophiepants

I reached goal in under six months. I've been maintaining for almost 3 years. For the first time in my life I eat without guilt. I enjoy food, I mindfully eat. Nothing other than carbonation is 'off limits'. I may choose NOT to eat something, or choose not to it something often, but making wiser choices is much easier. I have a dashboard, just like my truck does. I weigh every morning, I weigh and/or measure my food, I log my food on my fitness pal and track calories and Protein. Just like on my truck, if something is 'off' I know it and know it's time to change something for a few days. I cannot become complacent, I know me, it's a slippery slope. Ten pounds can appear in the blink of an eye, not so easy to drop at this point after WLS, although i don't know first hand, I have a good idea. Losing one or two pounds, not a big deal. Lowering calories by 100 - 150 per day, will send the scale in the other direction and it will all be good in several days.

This is what works for me....again I say, I am never deprived, but everything is counted in MFP, I have ice cream, a jr. dip, once or twice a week. No guilt, this new normal is nice.

Edited October 28, 201312 yr by NtvTxn

I agree completely !! In fact I refuse to write down what I eat or count calories or weigh food or anything that even feels like a "diet" I stopped doing that 6 years ago when I was banded and I lost 90 lbs and kept it off with the exception of 20 that I fluctuated. I make good food choices about 80 % of the time and focus on my overall health. I do eat a lot of Protein and I run and I live a normal life.

I have to ask, if you refuse to do the things you listed, what changes are you willing to make after having approx 85% of your stomach removed? After the doctor does HIS part, and we wake up in recovery, the rest is up to us. We have after all, made a lifetime commitment. There is no end date.

I do all the things you listed and it does not feel like a diet, it makes ME feel in control for the first time in my adult life. Had I counted calories, had I been diligent 30 years ago, I might not have found myself sitting in the waiting room of a bariatric surgeon. I made 'healthy' choices, I thought I did, until my fitness pal told me differently, I didn't realize the calories some things contained. I believe it when they say we always underestimate when guessing at calories. You do not have to do what I do, but you must do something if you expect long term, forever success.

I reached goal in under six months. I've been maintaining for almost 3 years. For the first time in my life I eat without guilt. I enjoy food, I mindfully eat. Nothing other than carbonation is 'off limits'. I may choose NOT to eat something, or choose not to it something often, but making wiser choices is much easier. I have a dashboard, just like my truck does. I weigh every morning, I weigh and/or measure my food, I log my food on my fitness pal and track calories and Protein. Just like on my truck, if something is 'off' I know it and know it's time to change something for a few days. I cannot become complacent, I know me, it's a slippery slope. Ten pounds can appear in the blink of an eye, not so easy to drop at this point after WLS, although i don't know first hand, I have a good idea. Losing one or two pounds, not a big deal. Lowering calories by 100 - 150 per day, will send the scale in the other direction and it will all be good in several days.

This is what works for me....again I say, I am never deprived, but everything is counted in MFP, I have ice cream, a jr. dip, once or twice a week. No guilt, this new normal is nice.

Thank You so much for this post! This is exactly what I was looking for!!! You are at goal and still maintaining your weight however you do not stress and worry about every single meal or bite. It helps me to know that in the future I can eat what I want in moderation, it helps me to know that this is possible. Thank You!!!

Thank You so much for this post! This is exactly what I was looking for!!! You are at goal and still maintaining your weight however you do not stress and worry about every single meal or bite. It helps me to know that in the future I can eat what I want in moderation, it helps me to know that this is possible. Thank You!!!

Hi Ashley,

You're welcome! It is possible, I feel like I live the life of a naturally thin person. Develop good habits now, it makes life very easy in the long run. All the things I do, my "dashboard" is my new normal, as natural to me as breathing!!! Good luck to you, hold on tight, it's a wild ride, but OH SO FUN!!!!

Hi Ashley' date=' You're welcome! It is possible, I feel like I live the life of a naturally thin person. Develop good habits now, it makes life very easy in the long run. All the things I do, my "dashboard" is my new normal, as natural to me as breathing!!! Good luck to you, hold on tight, it's a wild ride, but OH SO FUN!!!! [/quote']

Correct me if I am wrong but you also never felt hungry, kept calories very low during the first few months and were very strict with yourself yes? That's how you built the good habits?

I think that's what most of us were trying to convey. That the first few months are critical in developing a new relationship with food.

Correct me if I am wrong but you also never felt hungry, kept calories very low during the first few months and were very strict with yourself yes? That's how you built the good habits?

I think that's what most of us were trying to convey. That the first few months are critical in developing a new relationship with food.

I know I am in the first few months still and i have changed my eating habits quite drastically actually.I do keep my calories low..always around 600 per day. I use my fitness pal, count everything I put in my mouth and exersize. The whole point of this post was to see if in the FUTURE i was destined for a life past chicken and veggies, on occasion. This post has gotten crazy out of hand with people mis construing my very first post. Obviously I would never want to sabotoge myself and eat off plan when I am not even at goal, thats silly.

I know I am in the first few months still and i have changed my eating habits quite drastically actually.I do keep my calories low..always around 600 per day. I use my fitness pal, count everything I put in my mouth and exersize. The whole point of this post was to see if in the FUTURE i was destined for a life past chicken and veggies, on occasion. This post has gotten crazy out of hand with people mis construing my very first post. Obviously I would never want to sabotoge myself and eat off plan when I am not even at goal, thats silly.

I think it's safe to say the answer to that is yes

btw, sounds like you're doing a good job with the tracking and monitoring. Good for you!

Am I the only one who had the sleeve surgery to get off this rollercoaster ride called dieting? Yes it is a permanent lifestyle change, yes I need to watch what I eat BUT is it so bad that I eat a low carb tortilla, or a slice of wheat toast or god forbid a bite of a cookie or a few potato chips at a party to feel normal? I had this surgery to use as a tool to eat less and watch my portions, I did not have this surgery to feel miserable like I can never have tasty food again. Yes it is all about moderation and I stick to the "Protein first" guidelines, I drink my shakes, but I need to know I am not alone in thinking this.... If I want a burger down the road, Is it bad to eat one? Well technically probably half a burger with no bun! I am 9 weeks out, and Iv'e lost 39Lbs but I started with a lower BMI. I am happy with my weight loss so far, I just need to know I am not destined for plain chicken and veggies for life!

Huh...did someone somewhere tell you that you can't?

I'm with you on this! I want to be able to have a few bites of tasty food & not feel bad about it...I know I'm still early out but I want to know that later when I'm ready that its ok....Thank You so much for posting this

I'm so confused! I assume you are an adult. Why would you feel bad about making a personal decision? The only person that can make you feel bad about you is YOU.