New to this with questions

Hi Everyone,
  Like all of you are, I'm a very busy teacher (band director) at a large school in the DFW Metroplex.  I am currently just over 4 weeks post op and have lost over 50lbs.  My question is, since being able to start on semi-solid foods, I have been experimenting with many different things ranging from rolled up deli meat with a piece of cheese in it, to an egg (1) with a pinch cheese in it.  Unfortunatly right now I feel like I am constantly running and in an attempt to get all my proteine for the day have been grabbing things at fast food resturants.  For example, today having to be at school at 7am, I grabbed a breakfast taquito from wataburger, now, I only ate the inside of it (no tortillia) for breakfast.  After giving it time to settle, I had 48g of my oh so tasty drinkable proteine (can you tell I'm getting tired of the stuff).  I missed lunch altogether due to a meeting that ran long and had to drive to another, so for dinner, I went to Arbys and ordered just a plain roastbeef sandwich (the small one) and again only ate the inside of it.   
  SO.....to finally get around to my question, is this kind of eating going to eventually cause me problems?  Currently i'm losing 7-10lbs a week and have had no problems with any kind dumping, no vomiting whatsever, etc.  I just want to make sure that I'm not setting myself on a course for failure by having these meals out so long as i'm responsible with them.  Thanks for the advice!

I am not the wisest person on this board -  but one thing I think  is that if you don't learn how to eat properly now - your weight could come back later...after you reach your goal.  I have two friends who had the bypass and they kept grabbing fast food and now they have both gained a lot of their weight back.

Eggbeaters have good protein and low calories and cook up in about 3 minutes...that might help you out in the morning before you leave for school.  Can you bring lunch with you to school?  Can you change the type of protein drink you have...mix it up a bit with some fruit or sugar free syrup to make it taste better?  I don't know what the protein/calories is for the inside of an Arby's (cuz really I love a whole one with horsey sauce on it!! LOL ), but maybe a piece of grilled chicken from a salad would be good?   I guess I am worried about too much fast food if it becomes the "norm" rather than the "exception."

This is just my opinion, but others may have done the fast food route and have no problem with it.

Congratulations on the great weight loss!  Isn't it awesome!

 is this kind of eating going to eventually cause me problems? 



I'm nearly 5 years out.  My opinion is that this very well could eventually cause you problems ESPECIALLY because you seem to have not gained the "benefit" of dumping syndrome.

Now is the PERFECT time to relearn how to eat healthy foods.  If you do that long enough, it will be come an automatic way of life for you.  Then, either you won't even want anything fast food, or you'll only have it occasionally.

Right now, you can only eat the inside.  One day, you'll be able to eat it all -- even the larger sized one.  You CAN gain all of your weight back.  It happens.

I'm not perfect and my diet has been filled with extraordinary meal plans due to the many complications I have had but I will NEVER EVER regret they 1.5+ years that I took to remove certain foods from my diet - particularly fast food and sweets (I was a severe dumper).

It's your life and your choices but I don't think you had your guts rearranged to continue within a similiar eating style.  You likely did it to change some bad habits AND to save your life.

I realize you are busy BUT many things can be packed in a cooler.  You'll have to spend some extra time thinking of meal plans and what you're going to pack and what travels well but it will be time well spent and is likely the equivalent of time you spend eating prior to your surgery.  You have time.  You have to make it.

Again, the above is simply my personal opinion.

Good luck! 

You need to use this time to learn how to plan ahead.  Go get you a soft sided coller and some cooler packs to keep in the freezer.  You need to pack a lunch and snacks that you can eat on the run.  Pack finger foods and easy to eat items.  Boiled eggs and canned meats are jumping to mind right now, but cold leftover meatloaf in a lettuce wrap or a piece of grilled chicken are also good choices.  Stay out of the fast food lane.  Even if you're eating slammer quantities, you need high quality nutrition and not a lot of fat and extra sodium. 

Thank you all for the advice!  Now to implement!