What's with all the "diet" food?

[lgrey 37]

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.

[GenaW828 117]

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

[BLERDgirl 6,416]

@@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.

[scstxrn 213]

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.

[macman 603]

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.

[Healthy_life2 8,312]

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.

[kimpossible67 607]

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.

[kimpossible67 607]

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.

[samuelsmom 670]

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

[motherof5 364]

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.

[livvsmum 2,367]

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.

[Stevehud 1,790]

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 January 20, 2015 by Stevehud

[bellabill 253]

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...

[Pac-woman 325]

@@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 January 20, 2015 by Pac-woman

[lgrey 37]

@@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.