Your Top 5 Problem Foods

Over the past two weeks, my band began to really work its magic. During that time I have been able to identify the major things that I must avoid eating or suffer the consequences if I do. I wanted to see if my top 5 are the same as yours. Post a reply and let's see what our food demons are.

1. Bread - especially soft bread
2. Dry chicken, pork or beef - Overcooked rubbery does not work
3. Heavy pasta like penne - I can eat a small amount of angel hair or spaghetti
4. Fibrous vegetables - Undercooked asparagus, broccoli or Brussels sprouts
5. Granola-like cereal - Special K and Total work fine

I had RNY but my top three were/are the same as yours. I can't do ice cream, Cool Whip or cereal (well, the only cereal I've tried was Corn Flakes and I yakked!)

1)  Ramen Noodles
2)  Pad Thai
3) Re-heated (microwaved) shrimp
4) Dairy Queen ice cream
5)  Dry, overcooked meat.  (Pork, turkey, you name it.)

Man, I LOVE Pad Thai and I have not tried it. I suspect it will be on the list. I am at a conference and walk by a noodle shop everyday. I've stopped and read the menu. Pad Thai is their specialty. I long to try it but don't want to be sick.

Since my surgery, I almost never go out to eat at restaurants, and unfortunately, that means that all my newly-learned eating habits are grounded in preparing home-cooked, portion-controlled meals.   As a result, I often feel like I don't have a well-developed tool to assist me when I'm outside the house or travelling for business or pleasure.

The mention of Pad Thai brought all this back to me.  While Pad Thai as such doesn't necessarily make me sick, it IS easy for me to eat "just a little bit more" "a little bit more quickly" than usual, and I sometimes end up feeling overstuffed and uncomfortable.  (Now, I'm still eating a miniscule amount compared to any non-op person, but it can be more than I typically eat.)

Pad Thai can be really greasy and heavy (and delicious!), and that can be a *****ance-y after WLS.  I don't know what it's like for LapBanders; I've never had trouble with pasta or noodles, but I usually avoid them--too carb heavy.  When I went out with friends to a Thai restaurant back in August, I tried "just a little too much" Pad Thai.  I was pretty darn uncomfortable for the rest of the meal, though I tried to hide that from my friends.

If I were to try this again on a rare occasion to treat myself, I'd be sure to portion out just 1/4 cup of the stuff, and immediately put the rest aside (or with take-out, put it in the fridge), and chew more thoroughly and eat it more slowly!

/Steve

Seriously, I can only have a few bites of Pad Thai and I feel like I've got a rock in my pouch.  I've tried it maybe three times.....thought I wasn't chewing well enough or something, and that apparently isn't the problem.  It just doesn't work for me.   So sad.  :-( 

#1 for me is any dry meat.  Yesterday I ordered an open faced tuna sandwich, thinking I would just eat the tuna, and 3 bites into it, I was sure I was going to toss it all.  It was made without mayo, that might have made a difference.

Others:
2. Rice - if I eat it, it seems ok, but awhile later I'm losing it (I think it expands later)
3. most cereals especially those that soak up and expand
4. sugar free goodies

That's all I can think of

1)  Anything with real sugar
2)  Anything High fat (ugh I dump like you would not believe)
3)  Rice
4)  Pasta
5)  Fake cheese (like cheese in a can..)

I haven't tried cereal but I'm sure that would be an issue!

No problem foods (that I've tried, at least) now (at 1 yr post-op) or ever.  Of course, I don't make a point of trying to find said foods or test the limits, but I seem to have a pretty accomodating (maybe too accomodating) pouch.

I'm an RNYer.

/Steve

1.  Dry meats

2. rice 

3. asparagus, sometimes green beans, uncooked carrot shreds

4. bagels (most other bread goes down unfortunately)

5. grits!

Connie