Before I got banded I asked the docs. if I'd be able to anything after the healing, etc. They all said that most people can enjoy all foods, just very small portions and lots of chewing.

BUT I read so many posts that people say "chicken sandwich, no bread" or just the innards of tacos", etc. So, why isn't the bread eaten?

Was I lied to? Will I ever be able to have a sandwich or bread again?

If I wanted to give up bread for life, I would have done Atkins!:angry

:help:

Some people prefer to do low-carb. NOT EVERYONE. I find, if I eat the bread on say a mexi-melt from Taco Bell, I can't eat a whole lot of it. The bread fills you up really quick (and it's fleeting!). So I prefer to tear off most of the tortilla on the mexi-melt.

As for things like hamburgers, there's no good way to have a 'small bite' if you're eating everything in the burger plus bun.. and if it's not a small bite- it gets stuck (if you're at a good restriction).

I can handle some bread, just not a lot, and I prefer to eat more of the innards of things than the bread.

It depends on the person, honestly. Some people can eat bread, some people can't, some people prefer not to. A lot of people think of bread as wasted calories. I can eat very small amounts of it, if I chew long enough and take very small bites, but I generally just don't eat it. I used to be a bread addict before banding, and I've always found that if I have a little, I want a LOT. It's just easier for me to stay away from it, since I can't eat enough to satisfy the cravings I get for it if I start to indulge. Plus, other foods are more comfortable for me to eat since I got decent restriction (bread is very slow going). And really, I don't crave it anymore. Once you've not had it for a while and broken the addiction, you don't crave it very often.

Before I got banded I asked the docs. if I'd be able to anything after the healing, etc. They all said that most people can enjoy all foods, just very small portions and lots of chewing.

BUT I read so many posts that people say "chicken sandwich, no bread" or just the innards of tacos", etc. So, why isn't the bread eaten?

Was I lied to? Will I ever be able to have a sandwich or bread again?

If I wanted to give up bread for life, I would have done Atkins!:angry

:help:

How did Atkins work for you before the band?

Bread is difficult for many. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it but then I realized that the very foods I did not want to give up were the foods that got me fat to begin with.

Consider this, if you have a photo of a loaf of bread and a photo of you thin, which do you want more? Honestly consider that, which do you want more? Is the bread more important to you than losing weight? Sometimes you just plain have to pick which one you want more. If you want the bread and it turns out you can't tolerate bread you can have the band removed. Is it worth it to you to do that?

One thing I think you might find is that after time you just really won't care. I haven't had a full slice of bread since last December and you know what? I couldn't care less.

food is verrrrrry important to the newbies. Look at the posts, the newbies are all about what can I eat and how much of it can I have. The old timers don't really care that much about food. We ALL had an obsession with food. Things like... while eating Breakfast you are thinking about what you are going to have for a snack and then lunch. While eating lunch you are thinking about what you will have for a snack and then dinner. When you decide to go to a restaurant you start thinking about what you will order. Yet a thin person doesn't even consider what they will have at the restaurant until they are there looking at the menu.

When you go to a restaurant if the portion size is not large, do you decide to find something that is a bigger portion? Most of us did.

The obsession with food and missing bread really does go away if you happen to be one of the majority that don't do well with bread. You really will get to the point that you just don't care.

There is actually a trick to eating bread for those of us who typically can't. I won't tell what it is for obvious reasons but the reason I bring this up is that I LOVE bread. It really is a big reason of why I was fat. Today I know the trick to eating bread and you know what? I never eat it because I just don't care.

This is the part of banding that is the hardest. The head stuff. "What can I eat and how much can I have?" Well, with a band there will likely be foods you can't eat and your quantities will be small. This is really hard and the head stuff is what got you fat. With the band you are essentially forced to deal with the head stuff.

Honestly, you'll get to the point that you just don't care if you eat bread or not.

I can't eat bread....instant PB.......still try occasionally, but no luck. I figured eating bread for over 30 years helped in getting me over weight and it won't kill me not to eat it for the next 30 years! I missed it a lot at first, but now I think of how much it hurts to eat bread and I don't even want it! I heard it's more the gluten in bread than bread itself. I stay away from anything with gluten or wheat flour and seem to do very well!

It's not completely Atkins because you can do fruits and veggies with the band! I prefer this over Atkins any day!!

Emotionally it can be tough. But it all depends on your level of restriction as to whether or not you can eat bread. Some people can tolerate toast (one piece), but not soft bread.

I was one of the ones who couldn't tolerate bread at all. After being unfilled for 4 years, and now refilled... I can if I eat it extremely slowly and only go for one piece.

The good thing about the Band compared to other WLS is that if you decide you just can't live without a sandwich (and you are one of the people who can't tolerate bread)...then you can choose to have a slight unfill or even complete unfill. If you keep off your weight, great. If not, you can be refilled. With other surgeries, it's a permanent change. The Band grants you flexibility.

When I had a lot of restriction, pita bread worked well for me... but I had to crisp it up so it was more like pita crisps. (Split it in half, place in oven until crisp) You can also make pita pizzas that way.

Many people choose to go low-carb with this surgery. Many choose not to. However, even if you don't plan to go low-carb, sometimes the Band can limit your intake of bread, Pasta, rice, etc.

I eat pita bread and 12 grain bread toasted and it goes down just fine. I can not eat white bread. I have had tacos several times and one time had a problem, but I don't think I chewed it enough. Good luck.

JP

I eat Healthy Life white bread when I want toast. 35 calories per slice and a good amount of fiber. I think they had wheat too, but I don't like the taste of wheaty bread. It doesn't taste diety or anything, I'm still in awe and ramble about it to my DH when I make the toast. I don't understand how it's only 35 calories per slice..

I can eat bread fine, just not a lot of it.

Some people can eat bread some can't. For me, white bread is evil. But very grainy bread, is just fine. Although I didn't really eat bread till I had been banded over a year.

i have not tried to eat bread. and its been a year.

I loved bread and I still have odd dreams where i am dreaming of bread but i dont have the feeling to eat it.

I use to eat bread all the time, yum yum. Since banding I have toast for b'fast maybe once a week. I pass on the rolls at dinner, and tear apart my tacos. I hate Atkins, and refuse to ever do it again.. which means I don't count my carbs.. But I can guess since banding I drastically reduced my carb intake.. and it's not intentional, I just don't happen to be drawn to the breads anymore. I still love taters and eat them every other day though :car:

It's hard to believe that one day I may not CRAVE carbs! Amazing! I hope once I'm banded to experience not thinking about food ALL the time!

Cathy

Bread is a no-no for me. Occasionally I will have a breadstick but pick at it slowly and do OK but if I eat it too fast...it just sits and won't go down! I can't eat flour tortillas either...at all!!! I can eat corn tortillas but not flour.

***bread is a complete no no (croutons a few pretzels a couple)

---although i can sometimes do tortilla wraps haven't tried pita yet.. I find crackers triscuits and wheat thins work best.. Make mine sandwiches out of crackers.

***pasta very little

***rice very little & well cooked

***soda is also a no no

***i have a hard time with tough meats .. i.e. steaks (unless its fillet mingon but can be costly)

I agree with everyone on here it really does depend on the person

But to tell you the truth i don't miss the bread or any of this stuff im thrilled at the healthier foods choices i have been making :hungry: (doesn't mean im a saint and i didn't cheat once or twice with some sweets) :guess

You'll find your taste buds will change a lot like the thought of greasey food makes me sick..

Congrats on your surgery and you will do great!!!!

Everyone is different as I've found I can eat anything, almost. But I read the posts and find others can't eat what I can...weird, huh?

I love bread and eat it often...but I've found light bread, like sandwich bread/sliced bread that comes in the loaves at the grocer..... I slime it up. But Subway- no problem. I can't eat McDonald's buns though...that slimes up too.

Rice is something I enjoy but others say they can't eat it. I eat it everyday almost. Now, just a few spoon fulls as I am well restricted. Same w/the sandwiches..just a few bites and I'm done.

Sweet potatoes/yams is another thing others have said they can't eat...I love it!

No, you weren't lied to... but it will be trial and error when it comes to things you can eat, and can't.

Good luck and keep us posted.