In a lot of posts there is mentioned "slider foods"...what are they? I've never been told about them. I had a sleeve 2015 and having a RYGB sept 2018

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery.
Understanding Slider Foods
The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause a dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value.
For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein.

The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable.

Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the “Protein First” rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the “Four Rules” the most important of which is “Protein First.” That means of all nutrients (protein, veggies, complex carbohydrates, then fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first.
Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.


Feature courtesy of BariatricPal.com

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery.
Understanding Slider Foods
The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause a dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value.
For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein.

The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable.

Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the “Protein First” rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the “Four Rules” the most important of which is “Protein First.” That means of all nutrients (protein, veggies, complex carbohydrates, then fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first.
Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.


Feature courtesy of BariatricPal.com

Thank you. That's really helpful

When I first heard the term slider food, I assumed it was food such as ice cream, mousse, foods with lots of creamy sauces or gravies, mushy type of foods full of sugar, fat, cream. I guess foods (high in calories) that would easily slide into the pouch or pass a lapband. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was reading on a WLS facebook page someone's post about the slider foods they had been consuming, chips, crackers, etc, I though eh? I found the article posted above which was good reading. I have read a lot of the bariatricpal magazine articles since and most of them are really quite helpful and interesting reading.

People usually call a food a "slider food" if it's high calorie and can be eaten in (comparatively) large amounts. Can be different for different people.

I still eat 4 oz of cottage cheese for breakfast every day. I was told by my doctor that because of the consistency it is considered a slider food. Has anyone else heard this before?

Does that mean you have to avoid all slider foods? If@dathvick s doctor is right i think I'll cry....i love cottage cheese!!

From all the things I've read and watched - cottage is a really popular RNY food to eat. The way I see it...if 4oz of cottage cheese fills you up, then it's done its job and hasn't 'slid' through.

Fruit is a big slider food for me.

On 08/20/2018 at 13:22, AshAsh1 said:

fruit is a big slider food for me.

This is interesting, I’ve been indulging in fruit a lot this summer but man it fills me up. Like one bite of watermelon too many and I feel like I’m just full of water.

4 minutes ago, SIPS in Seattle said:

This is interesting, I’ve been indulging in fruit a lot this summer but man it fills me up. Like one bite of watermelon too many and I feel like I’m just full of Water.

Watermelon, and cantaloupe are the biggest sliders. I'd say the only fruit that gives restriction is bananas.

I mean they’re low calorie, fruits, so why is that a problem? The problem is with sliders is when they’re high in calorie and have no nutritional value.

25 minutes ago, E.S said:

I mean they’re low calorie, fruits, so why is that a problem? The problem is with sliders is when they’re high in calorie and have no nutritional value.

I'd say it is a problem due to the carb and sugar content. I always cut fruit out when I stall and it works like a charm.

I've been taking a lot more notice now and realise I've been having a lot of slider foods....good to know now

On 20.8.2018 at 11:26 PM, AshAsh1 said:

I'd say it is a problem due to the carb and sugar content. I always cut fruit out when I stall and it works like a charm.

Cut out other calories and it will most likely work like a charm, too.

On 20.8.2018 at 11:00 PM, E.S said:

I mean they’re low calorie, fruits, so why is that a problem?

They're not a problem if you can stomach them.

Quote

The problem is with sliders is when they’re high in calorie and have no nutritional value.

This is my opinion as well but a lot of people on WLS boards are in general very "anti-carbs". If it's not a "lean protein", it's evil.