Does anyone eat soup ?

Hi - I was wondering if anyone has tried to eat real soup, meaning broth w/ chunky ingredients. I was under the impression that we shouldn't mix liquid w/ solids. i still don't eat and drink at the same time. It's that time of year when i would love a warm/hearty bowl of something..... I eat chili but would love a real soup sometime - Any thoughts? Marta

I do! Ive had veggie soup, chicken noodle soup, etc. Plus chili... My PA says, in early stage it wasnt good.. But now she said its NOT drinking and eating at this stage... I tolerate it good. I also sip with my meals.. I dont drink by all means, But I have sips. Stacey

Marta, You might want to check you foods list from way back when and see if it is on the allowed foods. My doctor said no on soups after 8 weeks. All the docs have different opinions and it is best to go with what your surgeon recommended. Katy

My doc doesn't care one way or the other if his patients eat soups or stews. He wants for us to live as normal a life as we, as post-ops, are able. It seems to me personally to be pretty picky to have to monitor how watery my foods are. I believe, for myself, that as long as I am mindful of what I am eating and the complete nutritional value of that food...nothing should be off limits just because of some arbitrary rule. However, if I were to find that I overate when I ate soups or stews, then I might have to consider a new strategy for my personal way of eating. In fact, I just posted a recipe for a stew that I made...it was both warm and hearty. It really hit the spot and will certainly be on my menu throughout the winter months. In preparing it I was mindful of what the nutritional content was...the original recipe didn't call for chicken but I added it because of my need for more protein. I ate my one cup serving and was satisfied. I think that there is a way to have what you need AND what you want. I say...make some thick, hearty soup and enjoy it!! ~Suz

Hey Martha: My surgeon pretty said what Katy's said..no soups after 8 weeks. But I also agree with Suz.......there is a way to get what you NEED and WANT, so if you are craving soup..I say go for it but be diligent about measuring the amount you ate and make sure it is a good nutritional value for you. Also, after you eat it...see how your body reacts to it...such as do you get hungry soon than you normally would after eating? Did you want to eat more than you normally would? If the answers to questios like these two are yes, then soup may not be a good option for you...but if no, soup may be ok. I definitely would check in with my surgeon or nutritionist and also figure out a way to have a soup that meets your nutritional needs. I think one of the traps we get caught in is being so hands off with certain foods and not allowing ourselves to have them. And after depriving ourselves for so long, we break down and could binge on those very items we had been avoiding....(like I did with the candy last week). I truly am a believer that anything in moderation is ok...but the key is that we have to monitor the amounts and how often we have them. Let us know if you decide to have it!! Oh, I am also with Suz in that I love stews!! I made beef stew last week and while I was not in the mood for the veggies in the stew, I ate the meat with some collard greens on the side. Good luck

Thanks for all the responses. I was more concerned about the dumping fact. I was told that this could happen when mixing liquids w/ solids. Also I guess the fat content would be an issue. I guess I will have to real conscious of that when I choose a soup. Bisques and creamy soups might be an issue, but I won't know till I try. I love stews and don't have a problem with those, because they are usually thick. In the past when I've tried even a watery chili, my pouch rumbles and gurgles like crazy. I know that my Dr. says to try it all and see how my body will react, they don't believe in restricting certain foods forever as well. I guess I will have to try some and let you all know what happens. Suz - the stew sounds great and I will probably try that real soon as well. Thanks again - Marta

Oh, okay...the dumping issue. I have had no problems with that, only a gurgly tummy for a while...like you can hear it traveling through your system, and even that only lasted about 15-20 minutes. Of course, the times I have eaten soup there was little or absolutely no sugar involved and little fat. Good luck!

Dumping isn't the problem with soups. Anytime you mix liquids with solids, you sort of wash them out of your pouch prematurely. That is why we don't drink just before, during of after meals. Liquids washing the foods out of the pouch keep you from being satisfied and cause you to be hungry earlier, can upset digestion, but most importantly can cause the stoma to stretch and subvert the whole surgery. But you are VERY wise to have a talk with your surgeon about it. He may say that it is no problem or he may say that it isn't the best choice. Like you did, I picked my surgeon because of his success rate, how low the complications with surgeries were and what kind of after-care he offered. I did a lot of research and talked with a lot of doctors. I decided that I would follow whatever my surgeon said to do. I wasn't going to thwart any part of the process or risk sabotageing myself (as I have in the past). I think as we move further from surgery and further from our old lives, we can run the risk of getting complacent. I got a bit complacent and lax in August and the first part of Sept. But after buckling down and carefully watching instead of just enjoying, I have seen the scale start to move at a faster clip that it was. We will always have to be diligent and cautious but it always boils down to what is the best choice for us, individually. Let us know what your surgeon says. Hugs, Katy

I eat soup almost every single day for lunch. It has been my comfort food from the very beginning. The first four month I could barely keep anything done because of the problem with drainage/phlegm. I have had great weight loss results. I have never gotten sick on soup ever. I feel great with my choices and the nutritional content has always been better than anything else offered in our company cafeteria or eating out at restaurants, etc. Most of my soups are less than 200 calories and little to no sugar. Usually lots of veggies/chicken. I usually get the smallest size, which is 12oz and I can each about 6-8 oz and sometimes even the whole 12 oz. I say go for it and just ease into it to see how it makes your body feel. Good luck! Lindy

Soups go down well for me (especially Wendy's Chili), but along that same line of thinking... cereal, even with a tiny bit of milk, usually makes me feel really gross afterward. No reason I can think of, but there you have it! I try to take my surgeon's advice and eat in a healthy, sustainable, normal way (while still trying to limit drinking with meals), but I think cereal is a thing of the past for me. If soups work for your pouch, I think it is a great way to add healthy variety. Belle