Quick Questions for all you exp bandsters?

JaCool69 · November 26, 2008

Im only a week after surgery and ive been thinking about the foods im going to miss. Of course with it being Thanksgiving and all I get to see them on display everywhere I turn. Maybe its a withdrawl mental thing, i dont know. My will power is strong so I will be fine. My question is growing up in the south i have grown acustom to loving tortilla chips (nachos,dips,salsas,chalupas) what has been your experience with tortilla chips post surgery. Of course past the post op diets and phases. Once you're on full foods. Is it something that is done without all together? Is ok for the band if broken down enough? They are so delicious to me.

Thanks

Thegirlnextdoor · November 26, 2008

Im only a week after surgery and ive been thinking about the foods im going to miss. Of course with it being Thanksgiving and all I get to see them on display everywhere I turn. Maybe its a withdrawl mental thing, i dont know. My will power is strong so I will be fine. My question is growing up in the south i have grown acustom to loving tortilla chips (nachos,dips,salsas,chalupas) what has been your experience with tortilla chips post surgery. Of course past the post op diets and phases. Once you're on full foods. Is it something that is done without all together? Is ok for the band if broken down enough? They are so delicious to me.
Thanks

I understand about missing certain foods(i'm not an expert bandster as of yet though) but eventually you will be able to have most foods ,just in way smaller porportion. I've not had any chips since the surgery but I have had like low carb wraps which are similar to the tortillas(my dietician approved) however I had a hard time with them. From what i've been told is that everyone is so different in what they can tolerate. If you are able to tolerate them,I would definately recommend the whole weat tortilla chips. Their so much better for you.

luluc · November 26, 2008

chips & queso are no problem for me..and is my downfall of all food items. i will treat on occasion, but my 4 time a wk habit got checked after the band.

you should be able to enjoy just about all your favorites after your healed & have restriction, which will allow you to enjoy w/out the volume!...

congrats on your band!!

Thegirlnextdoor · November 26, 2008

chips & queso are no problem for me..and is my downfall of all food items. i will treat on occasion, but my 4 time a wk habit got checked after the band.
you should be able to enjoy just about all your favorites after your healed & have restriction, which will allow you to enjoy w/out the volume!...

congrats on your band!!

Oh I love chips&salsa too.I don't know what I would do if I had to give up Mexican Food.It's my fave!

flowers · November 26, 2008

I can eat tacos and chips both. A little resistance if Im trying to smush too much in at a time and dont chew the shell up enough before I swallow.

I try not to eat things like this though since chips are carbs and so bad for you. I eat them maybe a couple times in a month.

MsScorpio67 · November 27, 2008

For me Tortilla chips are the one guaranteed thing that will go down. It something about it being hard a crunchy that makes it go down with no problem.

JaCool69 · November 28, 2008

Thanks for your posts. I was starting to freak out. Living in San Antonio i gotta have my mexican food. It's a way of life banded or not. I can handle limited quantities but none all together i might have to talk to the surgeon to schedule a removal

HeatherO · November 28, 2008

Im only a week after surgery and ive been thinking about the foods im going to miss. Of course with it being Thanksgiving and all I get to see them on display everywhere I turn. Maybe its a withdrawl mental thing, i dont know. My will power is strong so I will be fine. My question is growing up in the south i have grown acustom to loving tortilla chips (nachos,dips,salsas,chalupas) what has been your experience with tortilla chips post surgery. Of course past the post op diets and phases. Once you're on full foods. Is it something that is done without all together? Is ok for the band if broken down enough? They are so delicious to me.
Thanks

Chips and any kind of dip, queso and guacamole are my personal favorites, are no problem for me regardless of my restriction level. Even tightly restricted, I can eat them easily especially over time.

Therein lies the rub . . . they are a slider food kind of like popcorn or ice cream. I will not allow myself to have them more than once a week but I try to make it no more than once a month. I can eat them, and eat them, and eat them and the band never says no because they slide right on through within a moment or two. Once chewed, they go right through the band without effort.

You can definitely eat them post banding, but unless you are careful and limit them, you won't lose as much, stall or even gain. So just be careful and most importantly, be aware of how they might affect you.

HeatherO · November 28, 2008

One thing I forgot to mention but really helps. If you are going to eat tortilla chips and dip, you can eat something first that will work kind of like a stopper or cork.

One of the bandster rules is to eat your Proteins first, this also helps because Proteins pass very slowly and things you eat afterwards get slowed down as you process the Protein.

I can eat unlimited chips if I eat them before anything else, but if I eat chicken or something first, I only indulge in a couple of chips and am full. This actually works with any food that passes quickly through the pouch.

JaCool69 · November 28, 2008

Thank you so much for this info. God this make me feel alot better. :blush:

Lioness81970 · November 29, 2008

Hi all - two things that I have learned through this whole process are 1 - just because someone else can eat it doesn't mean that you can and 2 - just because you WERE able to eat it once banded does not mean that you will ALWAYS be able to eat it. I have been banded for 5 years and I have had no problems what so ever. There are times when I can eat certain things....and then I will try to eat them again at a later date...and I can't. Tortilla chips - or any chips for that matter - are one of those foods. Some days I can eat them and some days I can't. Why does this happen? Who knows but instead of wondering day to day if I can eat them I just choose not to. You will really have to try for yourself to know what will work for you. Hope that helps!