Do I have to give up soda/cookies/pizza/pasta after surgery???

You all make great points! Yeah, I know we don't HAVE to give up things and not for the rest of our lives. My point was more that when considering surgery, perception becomes reality. You hear "you can't have this and this..." and freak out. In the grand scheme of things, even if you DID have to give up those things, I empower folks to think about what they may get in return instead of just what they are giving up in the form of vices.

I crave a soda...like...I actually crave the bubbles.

Don't ask.

I haven't had soda, ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, candy...since before my surgery back in May. The fact I'm now lactose intolerant totally curbs my desire to have the cholocaty-peanut buttery goodness of Moose Tracks. I worked my tail off the past six months (literally). I knew what I was getting into, and I do not believe I ever uttered the words, "I can't have such-and-such again?"

Well, maybe coffee. I may have whined about that.

I can live without cookies, soda and ice cream because my decsion has changed my life...I'm in a place I have never been. No cookie can do that for me.

I was SO sick of being SO heavy that I was willing to give up whatever foods I had to give up to get the weight off.  Other than soda, I did not have any of the usual "forbidden" foods until I was about 6 months out, and then I would eat just two bites of pasta or eat the toppings off of a small slice of pizza.  I do the same today, but it is more like 3 or 4 bites of pasta and the toppings off of two small pieces of pizza.

Developing a new way of eating is crucial to being successful long term, and one of the keys to doing that -- IMO, of course -- is to embrace the limitations on your diet early out and embrace temporarily giving up the old foods and limiting yourself to healthy foods.  Yes, you will probably be able to eat pizza again... eventually... but doing it at 2 weeks or 6 weeks or 3 months out does not help you embrace a new food lifestyle.  When I read posts where someone asks "how long before I can have ____?", I just cringe, because it is shows the same diet mentality that we all failed at and that kept us all obese.  

Lora

I completely agree with the original post!! Anyone whose main concern is the foods they are "giving up" should re-evaluate their decision. If the questions you have are about foods at this point (just prior to surgery), you may not be on the right track.

The only things in your list I have given up is Soda and Pasta (for the most part)

Soda I have given up 100%.  I don't have that fear it will stretch or any of that BS  I just know that for me it is unhealthy.  I was a huge dew or Dr. Pepper fan and there is no room in my life for those any longer.

Pasta I will have a bite here or there but it doesn't sit well with me so I haven't really sat down to a pasta meal since before my surgery.

Cookies well, my wife makes a wonderful Almond cookie during the holidays that is made with 100% almond flour, along ith that the Frozen Yogurt place I go to on Fridays has an awesome flour and butter free cookie that is all oats and nuts  I freaking love these things but only eat them before or after a long run.

Pizza mmmm This is an awesome Carb Load meal for me.  If I have a 12+ mile run within 2 days I will eat a piece.

Ice Cream  Well I dump on sugar so I don't really eat ice cream.  My office has a friday ice cream hour every week and I am happy eating a protein bar. Sometimes people will bring in a sugar free Eskimo pie or popsicle and I will enjoy that but my main frozen reats are a Friday SF frozen yogurt because I have a long run on Saturday mornings or frozen protein shakes (taste like fudgesicles).

I have learned that with my new life and my relentless running that there are days I have freedom to pretty much eat what I want and sometimes I do.


If you are willing to put in the effort then there really isn't a need to fully eliminate anything (Diet wise).

I'm two years out.   This is just MY personal experience with food.

Soda
I don't drink soda anymore.  I used to drink at least one super size diet fountain soda per day.  I've had a sip before and I just don't like it and it feels funny (carbonation).   

Cookies
I do eat cookies but not like I used to.  I try to buy ones that are sugar free or have no added sugar (if it has milk then there is sugar in milk naturally).  Or I just have one cookie instead of the whole bag as I used to.

Pizza
I have pizza occasionally but I can usually only tolerate eating the toppings or I can have an entire slice if it is thin crust.  Breads just bloat me and I don't like the way it makes me feel.

Pasta
Pasta does NOT feel good in my stomach.  It expands and bloats me just like breads.  I dump whenever I have it.  I just avoid it.

Ice Cream
I don't eat regular ice cream at all.  I do however go to frozen yogurt places and get the no sugar added flavors.  You don't notice the difference really.  I also will make my own protein ice creams (you can find recipes on the web.)

Caffeine
I was told by my medical team to avoid caffeine all together.  I do have it occasionally (when I'm working a double shift or something) but I stay away from it normally.

I am 5 weeks post-op and I think for some, present company included, the question, when can I have X is simply asking based on restrictions early on.  For me, the questions were geared towards foods such as avocado (rude awakening with that one) and salads.  I enjoy food and throughout the process so far, that has not changed.  I think that has helped me to be successful.  I have found creative ways to jazz up the foods I had to eat. 

As long as we get our protein in and make wise choices, why not enjoy a cookie (I run a cookie business and am working on dump-proof recipes).  I think the issue for many of us has been convenience.  Why get up and cook a meal when I can eat a row of Oreos?  The mindset has to be completely re-vamped.  

Having said that, I am having pizza tonight :)  salsa, cooked chicken breast, cooked mushrooms, red pepper and skim cheese lightly sprinkled on a portobello mushroom with a dollop of Greek yogourt on top to kick up the protein.

Alexa

Hi Alexa,

Great points. My point wasn't that you can't or shouldn't eat certain things. My point was mainly that the THOUGHT that you may not be able to eat x, y and z might deter you from having surgery. But if you look at the bigger picture, it's about so much more than individual food items.

I've spoken to hundreds upon hundreds of post-ops who get psyched out about this stuff. It's one of the most common types of emails I get through Bariatric Foodie. So I wanted to put it out there that there are many good reasons why WLS may NOT be the right fit for you, but not to let the potential of "losing" a food item be one of them. We are worth so much more than those food items!

I freaked out about what I would be giving up. For all I knew I was giving up the "good stuff" forever and it would end up just another failed diet. I am so glad I chose to go through with it anyway!!! I am only 3mths out but I don't feel deprived at all. I make substitutions (thanks Nik!!) and I have what I want except the NUT still wants me to avoid bread, rice and pasta (well, and sweets, not tempting the dumping demon - but I don't miss them).
I don't drink sodas - I quit back in February and see no reason to start back. I decided I don't want to fill my body with something used to clean battery posts!!
I haven't had any caffeine except one time I added a 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee to my protein shake to cut the sweetness... it isn't that I "can't" have it, but why start back? I choose to avoid it.

 As always, you're awesome, Nik.