hello to all the post-op folks on this forum! my surgery is in 2 days and I have many questions about the success/failures of eating certain foods afterwards...I hope you will help me with a few insights!

1. Baked Beans- my family and I love Bush's baked Beans and the Protein count in them is great. But do they give anybody problems due to the sugar content (brown sugar, molasses, etc)??

2. Kraft Mac/Cheese- another fave in my house. We have small kids AND live on a tight budget so every couple of weeks when the bank account is dry we have Kraft spirals for dinner with some ground beef mixed in...

3. Peanut Butter toast- a staple Breakfast. I know eggs are great for me post-op but I'm sure I will only be able to eat SO many days of eggs before I need a break...

4. Spaghetti- a weeknight staple for my family- I assume I would be able to have a very small amount of the Pasta with a nice serving of sauce (which I also put some sort of ground meat into for protein)

Now...I KNOW that the purpose of this surgery is to re-start my eating habits and essentially give me a restart button. I absolutely believe that and I fully intent to eat very well 90% of the time. However, there are times when the budget, time or travel will play a big role and I may need to turn to one of these options. I would appreciate any feedback about these foods or any other 'typical' foods. I thank you all in advance!

I'm 3 months post-op and I still cannot eat Pasta or bread. I only eat 2-3 oz at each meal still. I think you will be surprised at how full you get how quickly.

I do eat Busch's baked Beans but in a very small amount - maybe a tablespoon. While it is good in Protein it is very high in sugar so I limit that. I'll have cottage cheese with the beans along with lean hamburger or chicken.

Remember once you are ready for solid foods (6 weeks for me) Protein first, veggies second, carbs third.

I can eat Peanut Butter, but I put it on saltines, not bread. and I've been transitioning to PB2 which has far less fat and calories. My NUT recommenced staying away from low fat pnut better as well - it is very high in sugar.

I don't think you'll be able to eat the mac/cheese and spaghetti for at least 4-6 months.

Everyone is different, but if there is one thing everyone on here would probably agree with is don't push it. Don't push your stomach to more than it can handle. Try something new each week. For the past 4 weeks I've been trying to eat a piece of cucumber, and each week my stomach says "not yet".

Your eating habits will change significantly -- which is what we all wanted.

Best advice someone gave me:

Be patient

Hide your scale

Don't compare yourself to others

Ride this ride for all it's worth

YOU ARE WORTH IT

very good advice. Thank you for your kind words. I have been pre-op for about a year so it has been a year of research and such, but now THIS part of it is surfacing, the 'what the heck will I eat' questions!

That's a lot of carbs. The biggest part of being successful with this surgery is changing how we eat. You may want to figure out a way to modify the staples to fit your plan of Protein, veggies then carbs. ( all your examples are centered around carbs) For example, you could try and find baked Beans a little lower in sugars, eat the hamburger and cheese and leave out the macaroni in your portion, PB2 on apples instead on PB and bread, use zucchini noodles in place of Pasta with your spaghetti.

Google bariatric recipes and there are tons of good websites out there with delicious high protein /low carb recipes. I like Bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com. Check out the nutrition sub forum on here for other good links.

Instead of spaghetti and the carbs, I recommend chili (not so spicy for the kiddos) made with ground turkey. It was one of my favorite first "meals", and the kidney beans are added protein. I froze small servings in Ziploc bags for easy quick meals. Since it is summer, tuna fish and chicken salad are good options. You can always feed your kids the spaghetti and macaroni but make sure you meal plan for yourself as these type slider foods will hinder your weight loss if you indulge too much. I know it is hard when you have children and a budget. I recommend you always have your "go to" food on hand so you won't be tempted..... You can have a goal to make the who family eat healthier also. Crockpot meals are a lifesaver. The kids can have fun with shredded rotisserie chicken in lettuce wraps. You will be eating limited amounts so just make sure you get your protein in. Best wishes for a happy new life!

Im 2.5 years post op, can eat some beans fine but only 2-3 bites of pastas or bread before they swell up. I fill in around the meal with homemade spaghetti sauce with meat, or another source of protein or veggies/ salad. I love PB, eat a little everyday. I understand the tight budget thing, but im constantly surprised at how little food it takes to fill me up. I like saving money !!!! Good luck !

Look at The World According to Eggface it a website for WLS patients who want to eat good tasting foods with all kinds of recipes.

There are many cookbooks that are for WLS patients on Amazon.

If I were you I would try some out before surgery and see how they are.

Now to your list I would say no for at least six months after surgery and then be careful.

You are going to have a hard time eating any more then a few bites of things with out causing discomfort. I know this even though I had bypass I know many people that had the sleeve and they all same the same thing.

Those foods have attendance to be high in carbs and sugar. Be very careful.

I would say the only thing on your list that would be okay with saltines is peanut butter and that I would buy without sugar in it or make your own with dry roasted nuts. All natural almond butter is very good too.

If you do eat a slice of bread it must be toasted or will be to hard to digest.

Now this is just advice and you really need to talk all this over with your nutritionist if you want to be successful.

Good luck with your upcoming surgery.

I diwnloaded my fitness pal and it helps me to balance and stay within my goals as far as carbs/protein/fats and vitamins!! : ) oh ya and calories! I am hitting around 600 calories. 50% protein, 30% fats 20% carbs.... Anyone have any idea if this is what it shod be? I just guessed!hab

I like having Boston baked Beans with turkey keilbasa... but there are a lot of carbs and calories in the darn beans!

What I have to do is measure the portions. A large tablespoon or 1/3 cup is more than enough, along with 4 oz of sliced keilbasa on the grill. The barbecue sauce has a lot of sugar, so I have to use it sparingly. The beans seem to stick to your ribs, and that combo seems to keep me feeling full.

Hi there.

Great answers above...Here are my tips (I'm 7 months out now).

I will say that the foods you mention above are loaded with carbs. I was addicted to carbs prior to surgery - I know that those types of foods are a trigger for me. The more carbs I eat, the more I want/crave/need them. When I limit them, I feel better and have more energy. The other thing is, help your family become less dependent upon carbs - they will benefit in the long run. Hopefully teaching them healthy habits now and changing their tastes to more healthy food will negate the need for them having this type of surgery when they are adults. Stop the cycle now!

1. Baked Beans- my family and I love Bush's baked Beans and the Protein count in them is great. But do they give anybody problems due to the sugar content (brown sugar, molasses, etc)??

I love Bush's baked beans, too. They do have some protein, BUT those darned carbs can be dangerous. I allow myself a couple of tablespoons only. Make sure you eat your protein first.

2. Kraft Mac/Cheese- another fave in my house. We have small kids AND live on a tight budget so every couple of weeks when the bank account is dry we have Kraft spirals for dinner with some ground beef mixed in...

If mac and cheese is a must, serve it to the kids and make yourself a small hamburger patty instead. You don't have to eat what the kids are eating. A small burger patty with some cheese melted on top (no bun) is an OK choice.

3. Peanut Butter toast- a staple breakfast. I know eggs are great for me post-op but I'm sure I will only be able to eat SO many days of eggs before I need a break...

Prior to surgery I was addicted to bread. Now, I really don't care about bread. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a piece of toast. My breakfast most days is a scrambled egg topped with some cheddar cheese and a Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty. If that gets boring, I will do a shake or a bowl of protein-fortified oatmeal (www.mybariatricpantry.com). Peanut butter toast isn't going to get you enough protein to last you until your next meal - you'll get hungry quicker and consume more calories.

4. Spaghetti- a weeknight staple for my family- I assume I would be able to have a very small amount of the Pasta with a nice serving of sauce (which I also put some sort of ground meat into for protein)

Regular pasta has basically no nutritional value - I stay away from it. Whole wheat pasta is a little better, but again...CARBS. For spaghetti night, I will roast onions (350 degree oven, cut the onion into strings, toss with some olive oil and salt and pepper - cook until very tender, like a spaghetti noodle) or use spaghetti squash (about 1/4 cup). If I'm short on time, I'll eat the sauce and have a side of broccoli or cauliflower.

The key to this game it to change your behavior, your tastes and your lifestyle. I know cooking for a family is hard, but as I said, you don't always have to eat what they are eating. Sometimes I'll tell my husband, "You're in charge of dinner tonight" and I have some deli meat and cheese.

Take good care!

such great info. thanks again!

my nut gave me a little 4 page guide to what to eat and at what phases. it includes ALL foods, including carbs like pastas, bread, rice, potatoes, Cereal, etc. so it is hard for me to guage the realities of what to expect.

i believe that my bariatric clinic approaches this much like a general weight loss plan, and not so much like a carb-limited plan-as far as i can read in the info- so I love being able to come here and ask these questions. THIS is where i think I can get more realistic answers to my questions. thanks again!!!!!

I modify all Pasta with whole wheat pasta, and all bread with whole wheat bread (even hamburger buns and hotdog buns) for my family....... However, I usually don't either. I usually eat the hamburger patty with lettuce and tomatoes as the "bun". I usually eat the chicken and tomato gravy or the meatballs and tomato gravy in a bowl, and not even on the whole wheat pasta. I was addicted to bread and most carbs. Breaking that carb cycle was VERY HARD for me, but once I was able to do it, all cravings have subsided. Best wishes!

Just about all of these should probably be avoided for awhile. But as the post above, you can modify things to help fit with what your family is eating..Remember, you need to modify your habits. Just going for smaller portions of the same things you ate before is a recipe for failure, Later after you hit your goal weight, you can add small portions of them back into your diet. I personally would just find a replacement meal for yourself for each item you listed.

1. Baked Beans- a bite or two wont kill you but making a whole meal out of them will give an un-necessary amount of sugar. Not sure what to say with this one

2. Kraft Mac/Cheese- As said above. Make a small 2-3 oz patty with the hamburger and top it with a small spoon of the cheese sauce. I would avoid the Pasta til you hit goal,

3. Peanut Butter toast- Bread is your enemy. Just stay away from it. If you want peanut butter, try PB2. Its a powdered peanut butter that you mix with Water. Its low calorie, high Protein and can satisfy a craving. If you mix two portion sizes to replace a meal its only 90 calories with 10 grams of protein. The same serving of peanut butter contains just under 400 calories.

4. Spaghetti- Here is a good replacement for you. Baked ricotta. There are a lot of recipes online for this but its basically just ricotta, grated cheese and egg. Top it with the sauce and it really gives the impression of baked Ziti. The kids will probably love it along with their spaghetti.

There are so many cuisines that owe their flavor to various spices instead of butter or oil-- my favorite is Indian vegetarian. Test them out by taking books out of the library to see what you like best. If there is something specific you REALLY like and don't want to give up, google whatever it is and add "copycat recipe" to the search terms. If it calls for sugar, I usually add around 25% more Splenda than the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. There is also a product that replaces brown sugar, but this is half sugar and half artificial brown sugar.

To get a pie filling/dessert taste, to the fruit base, I add Splenda, a little lemon juice, a little cinnamon and, if you want to really have it taste good, around 16 crushed star anise seeds. They makes the dish incredibly tasty and fragrant!

Edited June 21, 201412 yr by BeagleLover

Honestly, eating right 100% of the time is important! It's a total lifestyle change, and you will have to learn to plan ahead for travel etc. Get your whole family involved in eating healthier, and you will be amazed how great everyone, not just you, feels.

There has been a lot of excellent information already shared on this thread, and I agree with most of it. What I wanted to add is that carbs are the enemy of the person who is trying to lose weight. This is a direct quote from my bariatric surgeon, and validated by my experience on my weight loss journey.

We do need some carbs in our diet for it to be all inclusive and healthy. What type of carbs you choose makes the difference. "Produce" carbs, such as berries, melons, some varieties of Beans, and vegetables provide Fiber which contributes to feeling full longer and avoiding constipation. They also don't trigger the cravings often seen when the refined and unhealthy carbs we commonly become addicted to are eaten, such as the ones found in pastas and breads.

To this day my husband is unhappy that I no longer eat some of the same meals that he does. The other evening I had part of a grilled chicken breast and green beans, while he had a salad, grilled chicken simmered in spaghetti sauce, and a dinner size plate of pasta(he still has a 34" waist). The point is we had almost the same meal, just different carb choices. It has to be that way if I am to have any hope of maintaining my weight loss. My health is my priority.

WLS brings a new lifestyle. it can be more of a challenge with a hectic schedule and a family to cook for, but it is not mission impossible.

Good luck and best wishes...

Edited June 22, 201412 yr by ♥ Sojourner ♥