Question:
When can I eat "Man Food"?
I am seriously contemplating the procedure. I am a man, and am 41 yo, and meet all the medical pre-reqs. Alot of the postings I see are for salads, refried beans, and cottage cheese. Is there any time I will be able to revert back to steak on the grill, burgers, pasta? I understand it's all about portion control - and that is something I will have to fix in my own head. But I truly like, and crave a hunkin slab of beef. Are there any men out there that can enlighten me? If I am gonna have to live on 3 lettuce leaves and a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese...then fine - I will - I would just like to know ahead of time - so I can mentally prepare myself. Thanks....Lee — LeeDugas (posted on April 27, 2006)
April 27, 2006
Yikes -- after reading Steves response (which is not very supportive for a
"Support Leader") I'd be running the other way if I were you!
Since your BMI is fairly low, I'm assuming that you have some serious
co-morbids or you wouldn't be looking into WLS. You can check the
responses to an earlier question titled "I enjoy food so much..."
I would advise you to look at the Duodenal Switch as well -- especially if
one of your co-morbids is diabetes! The 'cure rate' for diabetes is
something like 98%. Also, after a short time, you will eventually be able
to enjoy a "hunkin slab of beef". My stomach is 4 oz --
definately not a pouch! I'm only 3 weeks out and adhereing to a pretty
strict and very portion controlled diet, but I know that eventually I'll be
able to enjoy food again in moderation but nothing will be off-limits. Go
to www.duodenalswitch.com and stop by the support forum here on OH to ask
more questions about the DS. Good luck & God bless.
— [Deactivated Member]
April 27, 2006
hey I am a woman and I had a craving for some steak from a gourmet well
known steak house in town. I went their for lunch ordered the 6 oz steak
with a bake potatoe and a dinner salad. I ate 3 bites of the salad 1/2 of
the steak and 1/2 of the baked potato. The left over was packed and saved
for a next meal. I believe in moderarion and not depriviation.
my top wt was 307 and I wt now 150 and kept 157 lbs of weight loss off for
almost 10 years.
dani
— Dani96
April 27, 2006
Hi Lee,
Well, as you can see here, there are many opinions on this subject. Here
is what I have been told. After a while, you can pretty much eat anything.
But the key here is to make good choices for yourself. Remember what got
you where you are. Sure you can have steak and hamburger. Choose lean
cuts, don't eat them every night, use STRICT portion control. Be aware of
every morsel you put in your mouth and the content of that morsel. Work it
into your menu. In the beginning ~ I would say for the first 6 months, you
aren't going to be able to eat much beef - well, much of anything for that
matter. I am one year out and I can eat about 1/2 of a sandwich. I take
home whatever I can't eat and have it the next day or I share with my
family or friends. Most dinners last me 2-3 nights if I eat in a
restaurant. Makes eating out cheap! It is mostly using common sense. You
have to be sure to get in your protein, keep fats as low as you can and
control your portion size. You don't want to stretch out the pouch. You
can do it. Most men do extremely well that I know. Pat
— patgels
April 27, 2006
Lee,
Both my husband and I are DS post-ops - our surgeon is Dr. Aniceto
Baltasar. I am 3 years 9 months post-op, my husband is 1 year 9 months
post-op. I started with a BMI of 64. My husband started with a BMI of 46.
I've lost 210 pounds. He has lost 120 lbs.
The foods you list as "real" foods are definitely a part of our
everyday life. We can't eat TONS of food, but the food we do eat is dang
good! I have a culinary degree and my husband has a history of working in
food service - we are both GREAT cooks, and love to entertain. So food was
really important to us when choosing our surgery and our surgeon!
So - my best advice to you would be this: choose your surgery carefully.
And just as importantly: choose your surgeon carefully. Your future
quality of life depends on it.
Just for reference sake - my husband (who is 45 yrs old) averages between
3500 and 4500 calories a day intake. Keep in mind that he chooses to make
sure that he gets in adequate protein (about 120 grams daily - all via
food, so lots of great BBQ opportunities!), adequate hydration (you gotta
get your water in post-op!), adequate dietary fiber (every human oughta),
and a healthy balanced diet. That doesn't mean that we don't enjoy dessert
now and then - we do. (My degree is as a professional baker - so you know
we love dessert!)
The totally AMAZING part of the DS is that your satisfaction level with
food is wildly changed. Before surgery, it was almost a desperate pursuit
of the next meal. Now, I don't have to stress about it because there are
NO taboo foods and the huge array of options before me are pretty much
endless. There's no huge hurry to get in the rest of a meal so I can get
in dessert. Dessert can wait - it's not forbidden - and I can always have
it later if I don't want it now. I guess what I'm trying to say (and not
so succinctly, either, huh?! LOL!) is that for the first time in my life I
can just relax about food. It's not the enemy any more. I don't look at
it for what it's going to do TO me, I look at it for what it's going to do
FOR me.
Well, I hope that helps. Just a little aside - I haven't done cottage
cheese EVER as a post-op, so take heart. :)
Blessings,
dina
— Dina McBride
April 27, 2006
Lee....I'm 5 months post op LAP RNY and I eat plenty of meat. I try to
limit my read meat to about twice weekly, but eat plenty of chicken and
turkey. I still limit my meals to 2 oz 6 times a day (3 2oz meals and 3
2oz snacks), but that satisfies me for now. Once I hit my goal weight I
know that I can change things up a bit...but by no means do I survive on
lettuce leaves and cottage cheese. I do however stay away from pasta....
— mmcphee1
April 27, 2006
I am 6 months post op RNY and once a week I go out and get a 6 oz steak
med-well and mash potatoes and split it with my daughter so I think that
you can definately still eat steak. I can also eat half a burger as long
as the bun isn't very big. I am down 90 pounds.
— jengriggs01
April 27, 2006
When my husband was considering surgery, he joked that if he couldn't
continue to have raw oysters, that might be a "deal breaker". He
was joking, but he and I got flamed to the ends of the EARTH over that
comment. I wouldn't worry too much, Lee. Depending on what surgery you
have (as always) you will most likely still be able to indulge in the
occasional craving without compromising your success. It isn't an onerous
lifestyle.
— Jeanie
April 27, 2006
You may find that the feeling you get after ingesting meat isn't worth all
the fuss. I am almost five months out and meat is my least favorite thing
to eat simply because I am uncomfortable after eating it. Unfortunately,
protein is the most needed and the hardest to digest. I have a hard time
with eggs, also.
Mentally, I still want that slab of beef.....but physically it isn't
worth it. Of course, everyone is different and you may be able to handle
meat. I can handle hamburger in chili or about three bites of a burger, if
I chew very carefully.
Good luck. This surgery is a great tool, but not necessarily the
easiest way to lose weight, despite what many non-obese people believe.
Laura
— LauraA
April 27, 2006
Hello I had an RNY and my Doc told me is all about Proteins and yes I think
steak and meat is protoien. You should try small potiens and chew good.
Don't eat it right away but after a couple weeks of surgery you can enjoy
the sweet tast of BBQ. I know a lot peepz who had all kind of gastric
surgery methode done ( not just RNY ) and there all eat meat again. Better
is for the begining fish . I alreay eat chickenwings and all. So enjoy you
proteines
— Babylove05
April 27, 2006
Love steak! Had my first post op T Bone at a month post op. Just a tiny
portion but tasted awesome! Near 5 years out can eat a LOT. T Bone and
porterhouse are my favorite. Had one for dinner last night, tonights dinner
is leftover steak salad:) Last nite it was JUST STEAK!!! Yummy...
— bob-haller
April 27, 2006
Hi Lee, Just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't worry too much now
about what you may not be able to eat after surgery. My taste has really
changed since RNY. Like you, I was alittle worried that I might not be
able to eat steak after surgery, that was a big favorite, but I can eat it
with no problems - except I don't like it anymore. In fact, I don't like
many of the foods I was afraid would be gone forever, as it turns out they
are, but I don't mind. Don't get me wrong I do miss some things but not as
much as I thought I would. Mostly I find I miss my "food memory"
I'm sure I remember my favorite foods tasting better then they actually do
now - so many things are a dissappointment - and happily so.
— carlaplank
April 27, 2006
Hi Lee, Welcome to Obesityhelp! The bottom line is life is not always
going to be salad, refired beans, and cottage cheese. It is about portion
control, but the surgery is not the fix all unfortunately. You will still
be faced with daily choices and it's going to be up to you to make the
right choices on what to eat. The surgery can easily be out eaten. You
can have ice cream, cookies, cake, chips, nothing is there to stop you.
The calories can add up. What makes the surgery the ultimate success is up
to YOU. I would highly recommend checking out the men's message board here
on the site, lots of great guys over there and realistic. Check it out
here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/men/ Good luck on your surgery,
do a lot of research.
— Amy Williams
April 27, 2006
I am 2 months post-op and can tolerate anything. I don't "dump"
at all. So I can still go to any restaurant and not have to worry about
what I order. But I stick to my protein and vitamins because I am not at
goal, and want to develop good habits. My point is that RNY literally
takes away about 77% of the hunger hormone. You will not care about these
things as much post-op. It is difficult right after, almost like a
"divorce" from food. But now the "freedom" I have from
food is the most amazing feeling in the world. I actually have more time
on my hands now, because I am not constantly eating, or cooking, or
cleaning up after a meal!
— Kayla
April 27, 2006
Lee- It's good to see that you are worrying about food as well as beer.
When you're considering surgery, you are asked to try to envision a world
in which your ability to consume will be altered and with it your need for
food. Your tastes change, your desires and wants change. And, over time,
you may find that you start to have certain apprehensions about what you
can and can't, should and shouldn't, be putting into your body.
When I read your post, I was reminded of my fears prior to surgery-- I was
a 510 pound foodie. Not only did I like the big, manly meals, but I loved
preparing them, serving them and then wrestling my guests so that I would
get the last pork-chop. But, a funny thing happened-- I lost over 300
pounds, learned that I was more than a just big eater, and came to view
food as something that was to be used for purely utilitarian purposes. I
still love to cook, really enjoy entertaining and serving homemade food to
my guests- but I think I still enjoy all that because I don't feel beholden
to the food I am preparing. I don't feel compelled to make ridiculous
amounts of food just so there are thirds and fourths left for me.
Life after RNY is about finding a balance-- trying to work on the issues
that lead to your obesity, being observant of some new rules when it comes
to food, but not being obsessed or militant about it. Now, for me, I don't
have, I won't have, sugar-- no donuts, no cookies-- and, for the past few
months, I have decided that the sugar-free desserts were just too much of a
trigger for me, so I have come to realize that I need to avoid them as
well. Does it make me feel less like a man? No-- those feelings were
reserved when I had to wear support garments following my panniculectomy
and upper thigh excess skin removals. But, testosterone levels aside, you
are asking the right questions and your desire to be emotionally prepared
for what lies ahead is a sure sign that you doing the right research and
introspection that you'll need to be successful. And, having lead support
groups for pre-op and post-patients for over two years now, I have (I
think) a handle on the very rational fears and concerns you are
experiencing.
Don't hesitate to email me if you need any other guy insight.
Good luck- and remember, you have lots of peers who are here to offer the
insight that they've gained for themselves through the same process you
have begun.
— SteveColarossi
April 27, 2006
Hi Lee,
I do burgers, steak etc.. all summer, pasta in small amounts but that is
me....love raw oysters too!
You will be fine and adjust, just give it a little time. At 6 wks out I
had a medium rare sirloin, yum. Only ate about 2 oz but was it good.
Brought the rest home and had several meals...
MaryLyn
— Kriola
April 27, 2006
Well, I don't know if I'm qualified to answer this since I am a girl. But,
I am Queen of the Grill. All summer I grill everything. Steaks, burgers,
brats, hot dogs, chicken, salmon, whatever. Yes, I eat those things, in
moderation. I have also discovered that veggie dogs have more protein so if
I make hot dogs I'll throw one of those on for me. I had my surgery two
years ago and didn't grill much the first summer but last year I was out
there nearly everyday. Today I'm having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse
with my mom. You can bet I'll order the petite sirloin medium rare. I don't
know if I'll finish it or not but if I don't I'll have steak and eggs for
breakfast tomorrow. My surgeon told me that if you want something that you
think you shouldn't have to go ahead and try three bites then put it aside.
I try to remember this when I want cookies or chocolate. Meat is protein so
it is good for you. Some dense proteins like steak need to be chewed
thoroughly, otherwise you can get that 'stuck' feeling. But it's not like
you must give up all of the foods you love. You may not be able to handle
the 'old 96er' but it's not like you have to give up steak forever. I have
never eaten a refried bean in my life. When I make pasta now I use whole
wheat pasta, but I still enjoy it - just less of it than I used to eat.
Best wishes for health and happiness.
— djfoz
April 28, 2006
Another girl, but my dh is also post-op 10.5 yrs. I'm 11.5 and we're both
very distal RNY. So, we have functional pouches. We eat steak as often as
reasonable ($$) with mushrooms, with a small baked potato (or ??). I buy
better cuts of meat than I did before, as I'd rather have 3 oz exquisite
filet than 6 oz of show leather, KWIM? My dh can eat about twice my volume
and he's less picky about what he eats. WE eat burgers, dogs, pizza and
pasta, but again, we're careful with how often and how much. We're way
past measuring, but we're just aware that pasta 7 nights/week will end up
in a new wardrobe. LOL And I don't mean smaller. He eats all manner of
seafood (yuck) and any piece of chicken. WE do pork if cooked til tender.
Again, I need really tender meats whereas he can eat less tender ones. My
favorite holiday was always 4th of July. I want burgers! dogs! chicken!
ribs! salads--all of them! melons! deviled eggs! And unless i graze it
all day, all that for dinner is totally over. But taken over a day or two,
I can still enjoy everything. WE still avoid milk & sugar. And we do
not drink. Part of it is the sugar thing, but the other part is that 34% of
us will become alcoholic and not even see it coming. We figure, for us,
the stats are pretty scary.
— vitalady
April 29, 2006
I am not a man however you are alowed steak and such just not in the
quanity that is sometimes considered a mans portion. Believe me when I
tell you that you don't want that much food after the surgery. For that
matter you can't even eat salad for the first 6months after the surgery.
Pasta is hard to digest for me and I am 7 months out of surgery. When I do
have pasta, I use the low carb pasta and it is rich in proteins and much
better for you. Keep your chin up, its not that bad of a diet and at first
you really won't want the extra food anyway.
— vickicarson
June 2, 2006
I ate beef pretty soon after wls. Not immediately, but in a few weeks. I
love steak and beef jerky and could tolorate it well.
I eat all foods, but try to be sensible. :)
— Danmark
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