I'm so impressed with everyone's menus, but...

I drove thru a Taco Bell once preop and was overwhelmed by all that crap on the menu.  I left. 

Postop. I wouldn't even consider it. 

You were blessed to have a second chance at this weight loss thing with getting a revision after a failed lap band. I honestly don't think you are ready for either surgery. You are 2 months postop and dying to get to a fast food place. 

Just because you can justify something with numbers doesn't mean you should. 

First of all, if you call it a "cheat" you are attaching a negative judgement to food and wreaking havoc on the emotional part of eating that many people with WLS are trying to break. If you label it like that, as soon as you eat it, you will may have feelings of guilt, disgust, shame, etc., that generally will start a spiral back into emotional eating. I wouldn't advise that. If you are looking for alternatives to have that work with your eating plan while you are out, or with your family while they are eating at that restaurant, there are alternatives that can work into your plan and not kill your emotions.

Pintos and cheese has 190 calories, 11 grams of protein, but 21 grams of carbs. One crunchy taco has 170 calories, 13 carbs and 8 grams of protein. That is 360 calories, way too high for me personally for one meal at almost 6 months out. At 8 weeks, there was no way to eat that much. It also has 34 carbs, and 19 protein. Not enough protein for that many calories and as many carbs as I have in a whole day.

If I go to taco bell, (for example when my whole family is eating there together), I order pintos and cheese and a scoop of taco meat. Yes, you can order a scoop of just taco meat and I think it's like 60 cents. Just the meat itself has 70 calories, 2g carbs and 5g protein (from their website). I only eat half of the beans and all the meat (if I can fit it comfortably, I don't always fini****). My total is 165 calories, 13g carbs, and 11g protein. This fits more in line with what I normally have, although I do like to see higher protein counts for that many calories, and that is near the limit of what I would allow in carbs in a meal.

I know I need to follow the rules, but I also know that I need to have a relationship with food for what it is, FOOD. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not emotional, good, bad, or whatever word I want to attach to it. It is protein, carbs, calories, and can I tolerate it or not. If I "cheat", there is emotion attached to it, and yes, a slippery slope of beating myself up, etc. If I plan, and am accountable to myself for every bite I take, it works. Learning is a process. Changing habits is a process. It takes education and looking at things differently, and in ways that make sense to you. Good luck, you can do this!

At only 2 months post-op, I would strongly encourage you to put all thoughts of "cheating" out of your mind. It is, IMO, way too early for you to be considering fast food again.  Most of us who have been MO or SMO are used to giving in to cravings.  Not only dis that play a big part in making us MO or SMO, but it also plays a big part in determining how successful we will be post-op.

The only way you will be successful long term is to completely embrace the change in eating habits!  The people who end up not losing enough weight or regaining weight (sometimes within just a couple of years!) are people who never fully embraced a new way of eating and ended up going back to old, bad habits.  The fast food will be there a year from now when you will be in a better position to decide whether you really want to give in to that craving.  

You are an adult and can make your own choices, but if you are going to reintroduce fast food into your diet so soon, keep in mind that it isn't enough to just look at the caloires and protein when deciding about food choices.  Even if you don't actually track fat and carbs, it is important to know those things in order to make good choices.  The taco, for example... A plain beef taco only has 170 calories (and 8g of protein) but has 10g of fat (90 of the calories -- more than half -- are from fat)!  A fat content that is that high may very well make you sick.  Eating just the inside of the taco and eliminating the shell would eliminate a significant amount of that fat... but my guess is that the beef, lettuce, and cheese isn't the part you are craving... That it is the shell that sounds so good. The pintos and cheese would be a better choice.  Higher protein and less fat and carbs...

Lora

hi there,

i love taco's.  i found a provalone cheese taco shell on pin interest.  so easy to make.  50 cals, no carbs and 7-9 grams of protein.  it holds up so much better then a regular hard taco shell.

375 degrees

parchment paper

cook for 10 mins

to form taco place on a large pot side to get the shape.

i really love these.

Thank you all so very much for your helpful hints and opinions.  I really appreciate it. I was having cravings for Taco Bell and was simply curious about others.  I know what I have to do to be successful.  I lost 115 pounds with my lap band before it slipped and my problems began.  I am learning to make things like crustless pizza and making at home tacos without shells or chips.  I didn't actually go to Taco Bell and in all honesty probably wasn't going to.  I was having a weak moment and looking for guidance.  Thanks for your continued help.

I don't consider any food cheating.. for me I didn't go into this thinking I would never eat something again. I educated myself (and still do!) and know what food choices are better for me than others... I also try and make things at home to help cravings. You may find while you are craving TB, it may not taste as good as you remember since you have not eaten it in a while. Its amazing how you can detox your taste buds.

With that said, for me personally I found a balance between the good and not so good foods.. I try and "treat" myself once a week and keep myself in check with my body.. at 9 years out I can tell how much I weigh... I previously weighed daily but don't find I need to now, I still check in with the scale now and then if I feel like my pants are getting tight. I also find it helpful to see if wherever I am craving has an online calorie calculator.. mind you they are not accurate because it all depends on how it is prepared, but seeing the fat/salt/sugar of something can lead you to decide its not worth it, or look at other options that may be better... or decide that you want it and just not eat all of it.

Glad to hear you had success in the past and hope you continue it in the future!