Adventures in Maintenance: I Really Can't Eat That Edition

This is going to sound complaint-i****'s not meant as a complaint, it's mostly observational.  I have no regrets.  Food tolerance and capacity are very much YMMV. I knew that going in, and I accept it.

I guess at 19 months post-op, I have to resign  myself to the fact that my sleeve hates bread and bread-like substances, and it's probably not going to change at this point.  A few bites, and I feel like someone has poured cement down my gullet and that I will never be able to eat again.    I know this is a blessing ,really, rather than a curse since white carbs are the bete noir to so many.  Crackers  will go down, sort of, but nothing more bisquit or bread like. I tried a Sugar Free, gluten free, high protein pancake mix this morning (husband is diabetic), and I'm still suffering the after effects of few bites, lol.   

I have found work-arounds for the flavors I sometimes crave like a BLT.  I did a sliced tomato and bacon with a drizzle of mayo wrapped in a lettuce leaf the other night, and it got me the crunch and flavors I was really craving without the bread.

On a related topic, my restriction is operating in full force.  I tend to eat a fair amount of 'soft' protein in order to get my calories in every day.  This is deliberate keeping in mind that I record, measure, track everything and shoot for specific nutritional and calorie targets. What I have found is that eating small, measured amounts of 'soft' protein  (i.e., 2 1/2 of cheese) seems to have reduced my capacity for dense protein.  I was barely able to eat 2oz of ahi tuna last night, for example, and that's not even in the same league with chicken or beef. 

Happy Saturday to all!

   I am totally freaked out about starting bread products as that is what got me to where I was, so don't know if it would be a problem of not.


You know though what I miss the most when really think about it.  Toast.   Toast and more toast.
Preferably with all kinds of bad and delicious things on it.    Sigh.

But have been  a year without wheat and the craving has almost totally gone.  Almost.  Then there are the days.

 

 Carolyn, that's great about you restriction!  You've taken good care of your sleeve.

I wish bread products gave me a difficult time, but they don't.  Anytime I gain a pound or two, I can correlate it to bread, or sugar.  I just have to stay away from them. Once I ingest some I get that carbo addict craving for more.

That BLT sounds great! I think I'll make one after my Pilates Reformer class and walk this morning. Yum!  Thanks for the suggestion. Someone brought me tomatoes from her garden which makes it perfect!

OK, I am totally jealous.  I wish bread products didn't agree with me too.  I love bread, it's my one real weakness.  Every time we go out to a good restaurant, I judge it by how great the bread they serve tastes.  I could eat good bread with butter over any dessert on the planet.  If I have regain, it will almost definitely be connected to bread and bread products.  Maybe, I can develop what you have....

Elina, it must be my Polish heritage, but good solid bread makes me so darn happy!  Give me a slice of fresh rye slathered in butter and I will happily play in the corner and pay no attention to anything else. Anything from Acme bakery rings my bell.  My son and I have travelled the world.  In deciding on a restaurant, we glance at the bread basket before being seated.  If it's good artisan bread, the food will be good.  If it's not, we leave.  At least that's how it was pre-sleeve.  Now it just sets me up for wanting the entire loaf and please pass the pound of butter.  *sigh*

Ditto, Carolyn.  If I eat something bready, I feel like I've swallowed a rock.  I have, however, in just the past six months or so, gotten to the place that I can eat a little bit of a sandwich.  No "just bread," mind you, but something like a pimento cheese sandwich or an egg salad one, etc. I can only eat about a quarter of the sandwich, though.  And I had gone off bread a few years before I was sleeved, because it was causing me, um, gastrointestinal problems, heh heh, so I haven't been in the habit of actually having it in the house for quite a while.  It is convenient, however, to be able to eat a quarter of a sandwich if I am out somewhere and sandwiches are what is served. 

Ditto, too, about the restriction....

--Dorothy

I am very impressed by your restriction! I'm a 3 oz dense protein boy, myself! 

I had a piece of bread with butter before dinner after I hit goal. We had gone with friends to a restaurant known for it's house baked fresh bread. When it came to the table I took a small piece. (Mind you, this was a planned indulgence, but it still felt like cheating!). Anyhow, my lesson that evening was that, for me, bread is a slider!

I was dumbstruck. I thought for sure the bread would sit like a lump of rock, just like I'd heard from so many. Not for me! My German heritage supercedes sleeve physiology! LOL!

Bread went immediately back on the "bad" list. It will be only an occasional indulgence. Thank goodness, it's not a trigger food for me!

 Unfortunately, I don't have that reaction to bread.  I have maybe one sandwich a day now.  We make alot of artisan beads at home - pretzel bread, ciabatta, focaccia.  We also by a whole wheat loaf that we use sometimes too, but thats going to become home made soon.  The only bread that sits kinda heavy with me is the Ciabatta.

I do find that as I have added bread back to my diet that it does make me crave it.  Especially the crispier breads.  Soft breads ic an give or take.

For me the most dangerous food that I have encountered so far is the Quest Bars.  I don't know if its the rich flavors or if they are sliders - but one leaves me Ravenous.  I like them because I can up my calories and not feel guilty since they have 20g of protein, but I am ready to eat dirt after having one.  Nuts, Popcorn, bread - nothing else seems to make me that hungry.

I have had pancakes a few times.  There is a local legendary breakfast spot that my niece and nephew like to go when they visit.  I order their small appetite platter that comes with silver dollar pancakes.  Those haven't really affected me much.  I eat them last, of course.  I usually wind up giving half of them away - the blessing fo a tiny tummy.  I haven't made any at home yet.  DH and I used to make belgian waffles all the time.  

I may surprise him tomorrow with breakfast in bed now that I think of it.  What do you think of belgian waffles with sliced strawberries and a chocolate hazelnut whipped cream?  Or maybe blueberry waffles with honey and almond flavored whipped cream?  

OK, I'll stop.  But I definetly think its a good day to do a Breakfast in Bed for DH just to let him know I love him.

I think I'm coming to your house tomorrow morning.  Oh wait... no pancakes for this girl.  Drats!

 They're waffles not pancakes if that helps, LOL.


I decided on this for the meal - tell me what you think:

Whole Wheat belgian waffle with a strawberry compote (Strawberries, sugar, Gand Marnier Liquor).

Then I am going to top the compote with the chocolate hazelnut whipped cream (Heavy cream whipped with 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of hersheys cocoa, and 1 teaspoon of Torani Hazelnut syrup).

Served with some hand whipped sweet cream butter, orange juice milk, and a single rose on a silver tray.

That should get me some points, eh?  One thing about a house with a former fat man and a chef - We make everything 100% from scratch.  I don't even buy butter if I don't have to.  Make it in the mixer from heavy cream.

I didn't even misbehave.  I do love making good food for those I love, even if I can't or don't eat it myself.