Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

What's with all the "diet" food?



Recommended Posts

Here is the website of videos by Dr. Matthew Weiner a bariatric surgeon who is also in line with eating healthy, minimally processed foods and even, advises that after 3 months post surgery, switch to vegetables first-drmatthewweiner.com. I hope with the advance of nutritional therapists, eventually we'll see more traditional nutritionists get on board with whole food nutrition, especially for bariatric patients who need maximum nutrition due to our limited food intake, but like all things it's a way of thinking process that takes time to gain acceptance. Meantime thanks to everyone who makes the effort to bring this healthy food information to us.

OH thank goodness! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for! SO much healthier and the way I want to eat long term. I can't thank you enough for sharing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I bought some light sour cream because it has less carbs than the regular. But when I cook I use regular food.< /p>

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@@GenaW828 - Look at the ingredients on that light sour cream and compare it to say FAGE 0% greek yogurt which can be used in place of sour cream. Fage has 2 ingredients milk and active cultures and is lower in carbs than traditional sour cream. With FAGE I get also get a bit of Protein which balances out the carbs for me. With the "Light sour cream" you get milk, active cultures and a bunch of fillers. This can vary but is usually some combination of carrageenan, guar gum, xantham gum, modified food starch, or artificial coloring to name just a few.

I'd rather eat less of the real stuff than a science project.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not a vet - I was sleeved a month and 10 days ago, and I only eat what tastes good. Eggface is my online love affair.

So - I drink the Protein drink because I like it and it has the most Protein, and I get real yogurt because the low everything is nasty.

And I'm at 38 lbs from surgery day.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am 13 months post surgery. I am not perfect in the way I eat but generally eat healthy. I will admit that sometimes when traveling unprepared, I have to "make do" with what is available for my diet. Making do is running to a convenience store for friendly foods or a restaurant for salad or a hamburger without the bun.

I do not consider whey Protein isolate "diet food". It is recommended by most every Dr doing this surgery as a way to get proper amounts of Protein. Especially as you progress through the food stages and particularly when you begin to exercise and need protein to help maintain muscle loss or carbohydrates for energy. For a very long time and still today, I can only eat so much before getting full. The only way to get required amounts of protein is to use Protein powder with skim or almond milk. Otherwise I do not maintain satiety and find myself grazing. It is also a great way to start each day! I do use "Quest" Protein Bars as an occasional snack to tide me over to the next meal or a post workout burst of protein.

I have no problem eating anything. I just have to eat in small quantities. The protein must be dense enough to keep me full for 3-4 hours at a time. I am not a vegetarian and do not eat rice, Pasta, bread or potato by choice. The first six months I generally consumed 50 carbs or less a day, as exercise increased I needed more carbs. Today I usually eat 90-100 on active days and 70-80 on less active days. Low carb has always worked for me but I realize it is a personal choice about how many carbs to eat.

As I progress in my diet I can eat a great variety of foods, as long as it fits into the plan I've made to maintain my weight loss.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Diet food? Humm I just eat well.

I am a type one diabetic. My sugar drops I eat sugar to bring it back up. To manage my diabetes I also work with a dietitian and YES carbs are allowed for my situation. I eat brown rice, wheat bread and potato. All in small amounts. My bulk of my meal is meats/protein. I now hardly use insulin. I seem to have more low blood sugar moments with surgery.

I never go crazy on sugar or carbs. Mostly sugar free deserts. It's all a balance to keep my blood sugar and fitness level managed.

Love the world according to egg face and I attend amazing bariatric cooking classes through my hospital after care. food is fantastic. I just no longer abuse food. I use it to nourish and fuel my body.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

OK, here's one I haven't seen addressed: what's with all this low fat, diety food? ?? I thought maybe it would make more sense after my surgery, but it still doesn't. I'm 4 weeks post op and can only eat about a quarter cup at a time. My nut says 3-4 quarter cup meals a day. How can you possibly gain weight on 1 CUP of food a day, even if you are eating full fat meals???? Better yet, how can you NOT lose weight on one cup of food a day?

Before I started this process, I was actually eating pretty healthy. Healthy fats (avocado, coconut, EVO, even some clarified butter). I avoided simple sugars, grains and dairy; ate mostly meats, eggs, lots of vegies (with fats thank you) and some fruit. Some juicing too, mostly veggies with about 10% fruit to make them palatable. I was still overweight (portions and hormones?), but low bp and cholesterol. Healthy. Since starting this program and especially post surgery, I'm told to eat a TON of dairy (which I don't tolerate well), and lots of chemical laden sugar free fake foods like the Protein Shakes and jellos and puddings and Protein Bars, etc. And told to do low or no fat. Sites like the Bariatric Pal are constantly advocating diet food and low cal recipes.

So I just don't get it. I'm not talking about eating high fat, high calorie food all day long, but I don't see why eating healthy food with moderate fat should be a problem. So you don't lose quite as fast. Wouldn't that be healthier and maybe less issues with sagging skin? I just don't get it.

Input from veterans please...what am I missing?

I follow the Atkins approach. I don't eat low fat. I do however avoid sugar. I don't have an issue with sugar free products, they keep me sane. I've never believed in low fat diets, they just made me hungry. Fat satisfies.

Now I don't eat much of it but I don't try to eliminate it either.

My stats are

BW 312

CW 199

Total pounds lost 112 to date

9 mths post op VSG...whatever I'm doing seems to be working.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good Argument!!!! ( I am 5 days post surgery) so I can't wait to see the responses on this one.

I can divide my whopper in 10 pieces. LOL Just Kidding. ;-)

I used to order the biggest burger and everything that comes with a meal at Burger King.

Went there last week. I ordered a whopper junior. I took the bun (thickest part) off one side and I ate half. A few hours later, I ate the other half.

I only do this once in awhile.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great thread! I do Protein shakes and bars because they are convenient. Otherwise, I don't do any "diet" food.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am 5 months post op and I do not eat low fat foods. I do eat healthy. I use raw honey if I want something sweet. I do use 1% milk and canned unsweetened coconut milk for my pineapple smoothies. If I want grains I will have oatmeal, quinoa,or bulgar instead of rice and Pasta. But I will make the Protein my top priority.I stay within the serving size which I usually can not do anyway, smile.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The only time I really have to do the "fake" foods would be Protein shakes. So I would say right after surgery until I was able to tolerate regular foods would have been a time when I had to rely on those. Even with that though there are more natural options for shakes as well.

At 14 months out my diet consists mainly of lean Proteins (fish, chicken), eggs, vegetables, and some fruit. None of that is fake or processed. Sure you could rely on those kinds of things, but you also can meet your nutritional needs with whole foods.

Really you have the same choices as before, just a smaller stomach.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

im going to play devils advocate here and say simply "listen to your doctor and weight loss team" no one here has a medical degree that I know of. so do not vary your prescribed diet because someone else said so. Here's a little fact, a lot of people here on BP ate no chemical , all natural stuff and they were still morbidly obese. So take that to heart. I can guarantee you no one here got obese eating organic broccoli.

no one should tell you to ignore your weight loss team, and listen to them, PLEASE PEOPLE STOP IT. Unless you are willing to take the consequences if they fail, stop telling them to ignore their team. you are not them. to say what you do is fine, to blatantly say, oh your person is stupid or any such is ridiculously negligent to the extreme.

Every person has a separate journey, let them have theirs, you are on yours because you are not perfect either, stick to your journey, it should be hard enough for you to make your journey without trying to control someone else's.

I am sorry if anyone feels offended by this, but its the blind honest truth.

Edited by Stevehud

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am so glad everyone well a lot people are the same page when it comes to eating the real stuff. The sugarfee stuff always made me feel like crap. However for the last 3 weeks post op I have accustomed to sugarfee Jello and shakes which is fine but I am craving real stuff. I am going to see my Nut tomorrow and ask her this very question...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@@Stevehud Well said Steve. When I first started blogging on here after my hospital discharge, I felt like I was the weakest person on earth. Why? Because many on here stated they had no pain, no this, no that, and made it seemed as they just did headstands and flips when they got home. Made me feel like I was weak and a failure for a nano second. Then I said to myself screw it. Not everyone is the same. We all do have a different journey.

I come on here to read about other people's thoughts. If it applies to me and I think it will do me good...heck why not. Otherwise, my surgeon and dietician are the educated ones at the end of the day because they were the ones to prep me, cut me, fix me and then guide me.

So yes, let's try to respect some boundaries.

Edited by Pac-woman

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@@Stevehud Well said Steve. When I first started blogging on here after my hospital discharge, I felt like I was the weakest person on earth. Why? Because many on here stated they had no pain, no this, no that, and made it seemed as they just did headstands and flips when they got home. Made me feel like I was weak and a failure for a nano second. Then I said to myself screw it. Not everyone is the same. We all do have a different journey.

I come on here to read about other people's thoughts. If it applies to me and I think it will do me good...heck why not. Otherwise, my surgeon and dietician are the educated ones at the end of the day because they were the ones to prep me, cut me, fix me and then guide me.

So yes, let's try to respect some boundaries.

@@Stevehud Well said Steve. When I first started blogging on here after my hospital discharge, I felt like I was the weakest person on earth. Why? Because many on here stated they had no pain, no this, no that, and made it seemed as they just did headstands and flips when they got home. Made me feel like I was weak and a failure for a nano second. Then I said to myself screw it. Not everyone is the same. We all do have a different journey.

I come on here to read about other people's thoughts. If it applies to me and I think it will do me good...heck why not. Otherwise, my surgeon and dietician are the educated ones at the end of the day because they were the ones to prep me, cut me, fix me and then guide me.

So yes, let's try to respect some boundaries.

im going to play devils advocate here and say simply "listen to your doctor and weight loss team" no one here has a medical degree that I know of. so do not vary your prescribed diet because someone else said so. Here's a little fact, a lot of people here on BP ate no chemical , all natural stuff and they were still morbidly obese. So take that to heart. I can guarantee you no one here got obese eating organic broccoli.

no one should tell you to ignore your weight loss team, and listen to them, PLEASE PEOPLE STOP IT. Unless you are willing to take the consequences if they fail, stop telling them to ignore their team. you are not them. to say what you do is fine, to blatantly say, oh your person is stupid or any such is ridiculously negligent to the extreme.

Every person has a separate journey, let them have theirs, you are on yours because you are not perfect either, stick to your journey, it should be hard enough for you to make your journey without trying to control someone else's.

I am sorry if anyone feels offended by this, but its the blind honest truth.

I appreciate you playing devil's advocate, Steve. I agree, nobody should be ignoring their weight loss team, but I do feel it's important to question authority if what they're asking you to do just doesn't feel right. In my case I've got a not-so-helpful NUT.

I'm so glad to have everybody's input here (59 reponses!); I got some great information, most especially the referral to Dr. Matthew Weiner's website and all this videos. Another doctor; director of the bariatric program at his hospital and author of "A Pound of Cure".

Because I realize I am by no means an expert, I ran Dr. Weiner's ideas by the director of the bariatric program at my hospital.

This is his response: "My opinion has always been that there is no one "right" way to do things. I am certain there are patients out there who are miserable on Dr. Weiner's diet! Having said that, as long as you are meeting the macronutrient requirements I am fine with you getting your Protein mainly from plant sources. You know your body better than anyone and listening to your body is the best guide."

Of course I'll have to focus on Protein first these first few months as my stomach heals, since I can't possibly eat the volume I'd need for that from plant sources. But I am encouraged that I can safely start replacing my Protein shakes with better, healthier options, and begin eating more veggie and fruits. Dr. Weiner invests a lot into your post-operative and long term diet and has a ton of helpful videos on his site. I have the feeling this is the direction that future post operative diets will be taking. And as my contact says (as does Dr. Weiner): "listening to your body is your best guide."

But listening to people who have been there done that provides a wealth of information to help you make wiser choices. So again everybody, thank you for your input.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×