[mangomelon]

Ok - I know I'm way ahead of myself, haven't even had my surgery yet. But, in looking at the nutritional information, and the way to eat for the long run (post-post-op diet) I keep hearing to eat protien first, then veggies, then carbs. So, do I have to change my diet to be seperate like that? My meals are not usually in parts, I am more likely to have a main dish that includes protien, veggies and carbs, like a caserole or stew. Its good healthy food, but it would not be in the order of the protien, veggies, carbs. Do they have to be seperate.

[clancythecamper]

Because you will be eating so little post op, it is extremely important to get in the protein, even if that means you don't get in the vegies and carbs at first. Keep in mind milk has both protein and carbs, you will, at some point, be eating soups (think hearty, not liquidy) which could contain a nice vegie base but with lots of protein and very little carbs - little or no pasta, rice, etc. You'll really be focusing on "good fuel" to make you the healthiest you can be, especially during your rapid loss phase. Later, your diet will normalize more and be more balanced. You won't be the same (anatomically speaking) so the traditional food pyramids won't really work for you post op. It takes a bit to get the hang of it but you will

[BreeChick]

Please remember that post op your internal anatomy is changed PERMANENTLY...it doesn't adjust down the line and you become a 'normal thin' person. We will never be normal thin people except outwardly to others.

We have to eat protein FIRST and most of all, even if that means you only get a tiny bite of the other stuff. Protein has always got to be the first choice. We need protein to stay healthy and we need it MORE than regular people. Because, again we are not regular people..

We be special!!! LOL

[mangomelon]

Ok, but whenever people talk about the foods they will not be able to eat anymore, a bunch of people reply that they can eat anything ('cept for sugar). But, if I eat protein first and therefore can not mix protien, veggies and carbs that would mean that I can't eat stew, stir-fry, caserole, sandwiches?

I'm not complaining, if that's what I have to do, then that's what I have to do. I'm just trying to make sense of it all and get a better understanding.

[Catherine77]

I look at it like this, you can eventually eat the stews and things when your body evens out. But for at least the first year we have to be extremely careful not to make ourselves sick, so it needs to be separate. If you really MUST have stew (and it sounds like this is a big deal for you) then figure it out. Put the stew on your plate and then eat the bites of meat first and then the carrots, etc. This way you are not depriving yourself of your stew, while still following the protein first golden rule!

[mangomelon]

Really, its not a big deal, stew seemed to be the best example of a food that was protien, veggies and carbs in one. I just have seen things that seemed a little contradictory on the subject and I am trying to figure it out. I see as many statements about protien first and people who had surgery a year or more ago talking about being careful about what they eat as I do people saying that they can basically still eat what they want, in moderation.

I am talking about a year or more in the future, just wanting to have as much understanding of what's in store.

[Perfesser]

Those a year or more out who are still watchful are being cautious and following the rules to the letter. Those more recent who say they can eat anything they want - well, you may want to look closely at their claims and make sure that they are actually following the rules, because we have seen many on here who aren't. When folks start saying they can eat anything they want - and then start complaining that WLS isn't working for them - you start to wonder how much work has been put into transforming that dysfunctional relationship with food that brought us all here in the first place.

I'm not painting with a broad brush here, but there have been a few examples that leave us shaking our heads and going "huh?" (I mean - spaghetti-o's at two weeks? Really?? )

As for me, when I make a stew or a soup, I use a lot of protein sources, including various kinds of meat (some chunked, some ground), different types of beans and legumes, whole grain, etc., etc. Then I just shovel in a spoonful and chew it until it's done, knowing that there is so much protein in the bowl that there's bound to be some in every bite. And I leave the carbs out of it, too. I've never scooted food around my plate by protein, carb, or veggie categories. I just make good and sure that the deck is stacked in favor of protein.

CT

[decker1976]

Thinking ahead means you're preparing. That's a GOOD thing.

After WLS your food intake will be significanty less. It is critical that you get all required protein in every day. That's why the pouch rule is protein first. Usually by the time you've had your required protein intake you're full and don't want anything else to eat.

That said, when you're far enough out after WLS you can get creative with your protein intake. For example, I make a kick butt homemade beef/chicken/or turkey veggie soup. I know 1/2 cup of my soup has 17g protein. So, I'm getting my protein for the meal + I get to eat veggies. See what I mean?

Remember protein isn't just meat. You can get protein from fat free or low fat dairy products, broccoli/spinach etc, barley or quinoa; lots of sources. If you don't already read labels. Check out Calorie King on the WEB. It's a good site to find nutritional value for foods.

[BreeChick]

You might want to think about taking a nutrition class at the college level courses to learn more about foods.

Decker is so right on with what she is saying about protein. A lot of people have the misguided notion that protein is ONLY meat...NOT!

Protein is in meat yes, more bang for buck on that sure.

But..it's protein is also in the form of complex carbs too which are carb & protein containing foods.

protein is in..beans &n nuts, vegetables, dairy products, grains...this is why the choices are: protein first and most THEN vegetables..and truly it would then be..complex carb before fruit.

Yes a lot of people and most 'can eat whatever they want' ...just like anyone in the world it comes down to the choices we make! Plus for some, the surgery does a pavlov thing in that some of the 'bad choices' make you sick as a dog so you don't choose those anymore.

It IS a learning process and it takes time to understand it all. I think I was nearly 2yrs out when it finally clicked. This was after tracking my food on fitday.com every single day I could (w/the exception of when I was living in Australia) and looked at the pie charts and what ratios worked best with me and what food choices that meant.

The new anatomy also means rules that are there for a reason...like the eating/drinking rule.

It's a LOT to take in and can seem overwhelming, just like learning a new language can seem until one day as you go along it just clicks.

[DocSanae]

About stew. As ingredients, it has meat, veggies and carbs. You can *pick* on them--eat the meat in the stew first, then veggies, then the carbs. It's best to avoid eating the *soup* of the stew, as it will fill you up quickly and also leave your pouch faster than the rest of the ingredients, too, meaning, you will feel hungry earlier than you should.

You'll also need to remember that your mouthful will be much larger than your pouch. In other words, if you shovel in a mouthful of stew with everything on the spoon, you most likely won't be able to get it down at all. So, you will end up picking on the individual ingredients anyway.

This is the *reality* and *application* of protein first.