The food list for WLS lifers: What you can eat, can’t eat.. and how to eat!

This post is for anyone who’s learning about life after this major operation. You see the biggest mistake I see are people not following their diet… or getting used to the “blah” feelings, to say the least, of eating certain foods…. So I’m writing a couple of top 10 lists of food related edible items…

Good Foods

1. Chicken, fish, soy foods – MEAT! Meat is good for you. After this surgery – red meats will be hard to digest, but you must eat them. Without them – you don’t have balance in your diet.
2. Water. Not Coolaid, not propel, not gatoraide, not tea, not coffee (these are ok, but minimal!) Water is more important than ever!
3. Veggies. Get plenty of GREEN, ORANGE, RED, purple… some yellow, some white – carbs aren’t your best friend but you should eat more veggies.
4. Fruits. Fresh only please! Get any – go for it, they’re good for you… yes they’re loaded in sugar. (Trust me – do a test – eat an orange and see how you feel as apposed to a slice of cake – it’s a different sugar) I use  fruits for snacks, and desert… and often breakfast.
5. Cheese. Um. There are plenty of dairy items to go here, but I prefer cheese. It keeps ya um, clogged when your tummy wants to be runny… it gives you small amounts of calcium, and tastes great on just about anything… mmm… grapes & cheese, meat & cheese…. Mac & cheese… yum!
6. Vitamins. I consider this a food group. You must Must MUST take vitamins. Or you’ll endup like me – malnourished and under a doctor’s care until you can prove that you’re going to eat healthy enough to stay out of the hospital.
7. Soups. Red, brown, go for em. They are necessary to tame the tummy when you’ve been having a rough go… or just over stressed it… soup is default….you can always eat it.
8. Granola bars are good too- filling crunchy and snackable!
9. Yogurt & Cottage Cheese. I put these two together (but don’t eat them together) because there are ways to eat them that will blow your sugars, and others to be just right and healthy for you. You know your sugar limits, don’t blow em. I like cottage cheese with fruit coctail or peaches in light syrup. Yum.
10. If it ain’t on the list the rule of thumb is – try a bite – then say thank you to the cook, and go on about your meal.

How to Eat after WLS

This is the order of food pecking orders… that I live by.. just because I didn’t mention whole grains or organics or whatever doesn’t mean I don’t take them into consideration when eating. For example, if I’m going to eat a sandwich I choose whole wheat bread, extra meat, tomatoes, light mayo – as in a light coating – extra cheese… etc.

1. Water
2. Meat
3. Green Veggies
4. Orange Veggies
5. Yellow/White Veggies
6. Bread
7. Fruit – dessert item
8. Sample items – a taste of the fried items, cakes, sweetened foods
9. Red Wine (trust me after WLS if you go for the wine first, you’ll be drunk before the meal!)
10. Desserts – eat these 1-2 hours after your main meal – remember – don’t over do it…

What/How not to EAT

1. Fried FOOD
2. Breads
3. 80/20 hamburger or fatty meat
4. MAYO
5. Over processed foods – this includes speghettios, lean cuisines, etc…
6. Drink between meals, not at meals, or you get less food in da tummy
7. CAKES, COOKIES, SWEETS, POTATO CHIPS – are a big fat DONT DO IT!
8. Gassy food. There’s nothing like cucumber or onions to give you heartburn or indigestion… it ain’t anymore fun when you’re tummy’s smaller!
9. COKES, SODAS, SUGAR WATER – COOL AIDE – GATORAIDE – SUGAR TEA – this is the #1 hardest thing to give up. I know. I’ve been there. I have been known to go through about 3 cases of cokes a week – you know why? i take a sip, set it down, forget about it, 2 hours later its warm or flat, and i open another to take 2 sips, then set it down forget about it. I can’t even drink a tiny coke – you know the mini looking ones… I also only drink Sprite or Sierra mist… brown cokes taste like… carbonated maple syrup running down my throat… yuk…
10. CHEW YOUR FOOD. Even if your are 6-10 yrs post op… get something hung or worse too big to process it’s like having a knot in your stomach and bowels for the rest of the afternoon – you’ll be able to feel it move through your digestive track…. ick.

1 comment July 8, 2008