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Fast Food Questions

All right, put your stones down and get off your judgement seats! Please don't respond to this by informing me how awful fast food is, I already know it, but I still love it! I'm sorry, but good ol burgers, fries, tacos, burritos, nachos, I have always loved these horribly unhealthy fast foods. Now I am 5 days post op gastric bypass, and my cravings have been out of control the last two and a half weeks on this darn liquid diet! I still have a week and a half to go, but I can proudly say I have not cheated once! Which is why I am on here obsessing over bad fast food, because a burger sounds so dang amazing right now!

So yes, fast food is horrible for you, moving on from that already obvious fact. I want to hear from people who have had the surgery and gone out for fast food a time or more since then. I don't intend to eat fast food every week as soon as I reach solids, but I would still like to eat out with family members or friends on the rare celebratory occasions.

And the only thing I ever read about fast food from people who had the surgery is that Wendy's chili is good, and just stick to healthy options like plain chicken and salad when you eat out. But that sounds disappointing, I mean if you are going to spend the money spend it on something you don't get to enjoy often. So here are my questions about fast food and gastric bypass!

Have you eaten fast food since your surgery?

Have you had part of a beef burger with fixings and/or some fries?

Have you had part of a burrito, or instead some nachos?

Please explain to me what you ate, how much you were able to eat and enjoy, how worth it the unhealthy treat was or not, or if I am totally delusional in thinking that ever enjoying some of a burger or a burrito ever again in my life is even a possibility.

Obviously I have not actually eaten since this surgery so I really don't know from experience what eating certain foods after surgery feels like, or if it is even enjoyable anymore (like fast food).

People make it sound like after this surgery if you ever treat yourself to anything unhealthy ever again then you must cry and punish yourself and never again even look at a picture of something unhealthy. In my opinion, you should still be able to enjoy unhealthy things, just rarely and in small amounts. But I am just a young and naive newcomer to this whole experience, so I also know I probably don't know what I am talking about. Still, I would love to hear honest confessions, stories, or memories you have if enjoying fast food after this surgery. I want to hear all the details, I just want to know if fast food and I will ever see each other again in my eating future, and if it is okay, or if it really is just the worst mistake I could make in the future.

Thanks! And sorry my post about something so stupid is ridiculously long.

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I was a fast food addict, like I would go through the drive though and order enough food for three large men and order two diet cokes to make it seem like I wasn't going to eat it all myself. So keep that in mind when i say this....

Nope, over three years out and at goal for over two years and no I have not had a burger at all. Or a burrito. My cravings and addiction are gone.

I do the Wendy's chilly, the grilled nuggets from chick fil a... maybe 2-3 times totally have had part of the patty from in & out or five guys... and about once a month I have a few McDonald's French fries from my teen sons portion.

That is the freedom my sleeve has given me, and I am thankful for that every day!

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No, I stay away from fast food as a rule because that was part of the reason i was fat.

What newer post ops don't seem to understand is capacity increases the further out you get, so making better choices is key to keeping the weight off.

I'm almost 3 years out and would be able to eat almost a whole hamburger. That, along with a slower, more stable metabolism from maintaining my weight for 2 years would cause gain.

Instead of the whole fast food hamburger with bun, I'll eat just a burger patty, no bun with veggies. No fries because they offer zero nutritional.value to me. These choices have allowed me to keep the majority of my weight off for almost 2 years, and I intend to keep it that way.

I'm fighting a small bit of regain from dipping my toes in the pool so to speak of "just a little of this and that". It just doesn't work that way in maintenence. I just have to keep doing what worked, or it won't.

I'm fighting a small bit of regain from dipping my toes in the pool so to speak of "just a little of this and that". It just doesn't work that way in maintenence. I just have to keep doing what worked, or it won't.

IMO eating "a little bit of this, a little bit of that" (i. e. grazing) is way more dangerous than being able to eat a whole burger in one sitting once a month because I think one loses track of how high the intake actually is really quick but to each their own.

Actually a single burger is not actually that much when it comes to quantity. Think about how much we could eat before WLS. Or how much people with normal sized stomachs are able to eat.

I had my first burger 4 months post op. It was 1/2 of a junior burger and I ate the bun on that half. It was my first bread also. I lived through it but I don't want one anymore. You just have to be careful and pay attention every day. Somehow today I let my stress take charge and ended up eating an old snickers bar I found in my desk. It took me a while but I did it. I am .4 away from a 50 lb loss so I am back on track to never do that again. The honest truth is you have to live in the world and you must understand your triggers and pay attention every day. But you can certainly eat out. Just plan ahead every meal every day.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm fighting a small bit of regain from dipping my toes in the pool so to speak of "just a little of this and that". It just doesn't work that way in maintenence. I just have to keep doing what worked, or it won't.

IMO eating "a little bit of this, a little bit of that" (i. e. grazing) is way more dangerous than being able to eat a whole burger in one sitting once a month because I think one loses track of how high the intake actually is really quick but to each their own.

Actually a single burger is not actually that much when it comes to quantity. Think about how much we could eat before WLS. Or how much people with normal sized stomachs are able to eat.

It's all about returning to bad habits. I know. I'm 3 years out. You're not.

I'm 40 days out from sleeve surgery and I've cheated a few times with fast food. I'm in the car a lot and it's hard to avoid sometimes unfortunately. I wish I was stronger but it is what it is.

I had McDonalds 4 piece chicken nuggets a couple of times.

And I had a Burger King double cheeseburger once, over about two hours to finish it.

After both of these events I experienced a few days stall or even a pound gain on the scale the next day and noticeable swelling in my face that day, presumably from sodium.

I need to find a way to get around this addiction. I keep some Protein bags in the car to tackle periods of extreme hunger but find they only take the hunger away for an hour or two. Then I'm craving more food and fast food is convenient. I need to make better choices though. Maybe Subway or Chinese food.

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Pre-surgery, I loved 5 Guys burgers and fries. I had surgery in August - and I can't stand the smell of a 5 Guys now. Can't do it. The only "fast food" I've had was some grilled nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. When I do go out to eat with my family, if I feel like a burger, I order it topless and eat it with a fork and knife and don't eat the bottom bun part. I just don't crave the fast food any more. I've had about 3 french fries off my husband's plate in the last five months, but that's about it. You may find that your tastes will change drastically after surgery.

Honestly I felt the same way when I first got my sleeve. You go through so much head hunger the first few days because you can only have Water, Jello etc.

I am now 5/6 weeks post op, I am cleared to eat reg food again.. and honestly I don't even want any fast food. I've been to Wendy's the chili doesn't sit right with my stomach so I had it once and was done. I would have a grilled chicken snack wrap and only eat the chicken. I went from hating seafood and healthy things to slowly eating fruits and even salmon the other day.

Don't worry you're only thinking about junk now but trust me when the time and temptation comes to actually eat it.. you won't even think about it. You'll be way too happy with your weight loss already! :)

Good luck

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Im been wait for fast food after my surgery but im still pain after my gastric sleeve surgery when my doctor says approve with that but im in two weeks after my surgery January 9,2017..

I did eat oatmeal,eggs and hot oatmeal and my stomach bother me and wait till my stomach calm..

Im been obsessed with sushi and i would wait till about in months i wont wanted get choke for guaranteed or im straightening to hospital get surgery again..

Im been eat soft food for few weeks like baby food..

My mom tell me says i would eat healthy food at home mostly include salmon,fish,vegetables,sweet potatoes,baked potatoes and mores but i can wait for sweet food and sweet drinks i will drink black coffee best chose for me..

My vows i will back fast food and i will slow eat not too fast

But i do drinking lots of Water bottle im usually with that! I got from walmart mostly and i eat popsicles mostly its will helpful for me than other one because greek yogurt ice cream ain't my chosen and i eat half i do greek yogurt not ice cream! Any flavor i chosen include strawberry,blueberry,cheesecake strawberry,key lime but i will chosen what i like any flavor greek yogurt..

  • 1 month later...

I think the idea that you could never eat out again is not only unrealistic but sounds incredibly depressing. There is a social aspect to eating out that I feel is very important. It's all about making the right choices. I'm about 2 1/2 months post op with the Sleeve and I've eaten out a handful of time. I made smart, choices and focused on protein first.

I follow a modified Keto diet as much as I can so when I eat out I look at different websites and try to follow their advice and guidelines.

I have eaten fast food once. It was today actually. I went to Wendy's and ordered a single burger with no bun. They put it in a lettuce wrap for me but I chose to eat it with a knife and fork. I have the tomato and a little bit of mustard on it. I ate about 2/3 of the patty and had 4 of my mother's fries. I used my fitness tracker and a Keto website to figure out the nutrition facts. This will be my large meal for the day.

My NUT has me on 800-1000 calories a day, 100 grams of protein and suggests my carbs stay below 50 grams but isn't steadfast on calorie counting. I'm well on track today still at under 600 calories for the day and only 20 g of carbs.

I started with grilled nuggets and Wendy's chili once a week ish. Then tried a big mac (only 1/3) cuz u had a "craving". Ate a dozen fries. Then found myself trying "just" a cheeseburger cuz they are "smaller" and I thought I'd feel less guilty. This was a month long thing. This was a SLIPPERY SLOPE! I got very depressed. Why was I doing this to myself? I've come so far. It's old habits. You have to change them. You have to fight the urge. Some may have will power to just enjoy once in a while....like once every couple months....but not us who got fat because of these old bad habits. I agree...find better ways to make the stuff you may crave. Avoid that slippery slope. The addiction is real. And the fight to not fall back into old habits is real. Best of luck. :)



That's why it is so hard to "just have a bite" or "just one time". It's not. Once you allow it, you will do it again. And again, and bigger. Trust me. Been there and still trying to shake it off. It's not worth it.

I love fast food, eating out....since surgery I've had the partial innards of a Rally's deep sea dub...all the fast foods i miss - i now COOK em up myself. That way im in control. May hafta learn 2 cook up ur favs. Folks post these Resturant recipe secrets online all da time with vids to follow too! The other week i made the Orange chicken & Egg rolls i craved....had a fun hobby moment & i KNOW my food didn't have harmful msg or too much fat (tweaked recipe a bit)...tasted great! And......it was FUN to do. Plan this weekend 2do some nachos-recipe tweaking. Just a suggestion. Im not daft tho....i know, miss & luv Resturant foods too. Just cant do it like i used to - this cooking is a new way of an old thang is all...

Edit- forgot to mention im abt 16 weeks post, lost 80lbs thus far & that Rally's fish sammich happened abt 1 month ago.

I'm only 2 months out so I don't know if this will change or not but I find eating out at restaurants stressful.

From having to measure and ask how things are prepared, I just hate it.



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