Salad

Yes I know veggies come after protein, protein, protein! My friend and I had surgery the same day with the same Dr. 3 months out she is able to eat big salads and does so. She asked me yesterday if salad compacts down (as she can't eat a lot of "heavier" food) or if she is danger of stretching out her pouch. I thought you should not eat a large quantity of anything but thought I'd ask for opinions on this as I want to be the most support for her that I can. Thanks.

I wasn't eating salads that early but once I started, the same thing happened to me. But I learned that it didn't stick with me since it wasn't a dense protein. I started adding tuna and reducing the green stuff. That helped me.

Thanks for your reply reply Dan 1962. I think what my friend really wanted to know was if eating big salads would stretch her pouch. She does eat proteins with her salads. I have always found the same as you that salad doesn't stick with me long. I only have small salads now or I can't eat enough protein.

I don't have a stoma/pouch, si I don't know about that.

as important, though is 'stretching the mind' to think that you can eat a 'normal' salad or any other portion.

The most important part of the first few month is its ability to convince us that we have to eat less .... Better quality, but. LESS to be successful.

i continue to be amazed with how LITTLE high quality food it takes me to be satisfied.

It's not the stretching of the pouch that tends to be a real issue -- it's stretching of the stoma (where the pyloric valve used to be) -- it's actually quite difficult to stretch the pouch and salad isn't likely to do that. However, once the stoma is stretched (caused mostly by drinking with meals) --despite surgeries to fix it -- it really isn't successful. Anyhow, that said, eating large quantities of salad really goes against the eating prescribed by nearly every plan after an RNY. First, you are filling up valuable real estate with non-protein. Secondly, you aren't addressing the overeating/portion sizes during the time when new habits should be solidified. Third, so many salads in restaurants are CRAZY high in calories. So people think they are eating healthy/low calorie and really just laying on the fat. However, as far as being supportive to your friend, unless she solicited your advice, I'd likely keep my opinion to myself. For me personally, I wouldn't want to waste my precious honeymoon period eating "big salads."

If people really ooked at the calorie counts attmajor restaurant chains, they's be appalled. They all have a few 1300 calorie salads on the menu.

Most people won't eat a bowl of greens with a few colored veggies tossed on top. To eat that, they slather a ton of dressing on top. Sure, during a diet or immediately post-op, they might cut back on the dressing. But they drift right back to putting a ton of dressing on. Salads are often a gateway food.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken salad has 1400 calories. Two other salads are over 1300. The LOWEST calorie salad they have is 840. A McDonalds Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is 780 calories. You can almost have TWO double quarter pounders for one Applebee salad. And if you asked 1,000 people, I bet every single one of them would say the salad was far, far healthier than the salad.

Have a nice piece of chicken. Nibble on a piece of lettuce or carrot stick. Skip the bowl of death called a salad.

Thank you for your replies. Her real concern was stretching the pouch but I will tell her about the stoma issue. She does not have internet access. We are not talking about restaurant salads just so you know. Just home made bowls of greens often with just oil and vinegar with herbs or some very low calorie dressing. I think she is reverting to old habits of filling up with greens instead of eating more food. She is eating lots of protein. I think the food addiction/head stuff is at work on her. I will answer questions she asks especially with your advice but no I will not critique her eating habits. We've been friends too many years to lose each other now!