Question:
Do you Find you can eat more Salads than other foods

I am 2 months post op and I find that I can eat more salads or for that matter veggies or fruits better than I can eat other foods. maybe it just seems that I am eating more salad than other foods because of the looseness of the lettuce and other veggies. Like today for lunch I ate a salad from our cafeteria and got one of those small styro salad bowls (you know the white plastic things with the folding lid and got lettuce, tomato, cheese, ham(still getting the protien lol) and a little ranch dressing and I ate it all which I thought was a normal size salad. chewed very well and I am just comfortably full. I dunno maybe I have some left over guilt from before the surgery that I am eating too much. I have that a lot. like one day I just had a scrambled egg for breakfast a protien shake for lunch and a little chicken breast off my wifes plate for dinner with some veggies like beans and potatoes (maybe 1 tblsn of each) and I felt like I ate too much that day. anyway I am rambling. does anyone else feel they can eat more veggies and fruit than normal food?    — David H. (posted on February 19, 2004)

February 19, 2004
David - for sure, 'normal' food seems to take up more room. The denser proteins, like beef or chicken, will definitely fill you up quicker. I'm 11 months out and can eat what seems to be a lot of salad, but can barely eat a chicken breast..if I finish it, I've overdone it and will be miserable. Good luck on your journey, and enjoy your tiny tiny pouch while you can!
   — vittycat

February 19, 2004
I agree, enjoy the little amounts you eat now :o) I am oppisite, I can't eat the salads anymore, I fill up really easy and dump on them too. I do eat some junk foods now(cheese,chips,bites of candy,condiments,fried foods,pizza), but I still eat mainly chicken, lots and lots of tuna fish, beans, green veggies(no corn!), rice and protien bars. Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

February 19, 2004
David, things like lettuce, and fruits chew down to liquid so of course you can eat more of them than the denser foods. When you get further out, its more important to keep that full feeling longer, so things like the chicken breast will help. I have a big salad for lunch a few days a week at work and pile high the lettuce, beans, cukes, hard boiled egg, tomato, broccoli and lunch meats. YUM..I usually get a big salad and eat 1/2 for lunch and the other 1/2 a few hours later
   — Cindy R.

February 19, 2004
you sound like your eating good to me! i'm 5 1/2 months post-op rny. i loved salads pre-op and was really afraid to try eating one when i became post-op...i thought it would get stuck or something. i have been eating salads everyday now for the last week. i put chicken and shredded cheese in mine for the protien. i also like to eat egg salad without bread or crackers. i make it up ahead of time so it nice and cold...plus it has alot of protien too. i'm really strange in the fact that i don't mind eating the same things over and over...i really like to do that eventhou i can eat other things too. tuna salad with light mayo, dill weed, 1 hard boiled egg and dill hamburger chips(for alot of crunch)and maybe some shredded cheddar cheese all mixed together put in the frig for about 2 hours tastes really good too...again another good source of protien.all of these sit really well in my stomach and my tongue doesn't mind it either! hahaha
   — franbvan

February 19, 2004
I just started eating salads this week because I was afraid to try them (~ 5 mths post op) but I had one for lunch Tuesday and did fine with it so had another one today. I have to admit, I went heavy on the proten but it went down fine and I LOVED it. I think this whole thing is about experimentation to see what works for us as an individual. I ate a lot of salad in the months before surgery and was soooooooooooo glad to be able to eat it again. Never thought I'd miss veggies! I thought I was eating too much based on the way it looked but I was comfortably full and felt great. I do keep track of calories though at this point just to be sure I'm staying on track.
   —  SCbabe B.

February 19, 2004
David - all I can say is that I am 22 months out lap RNY and agree with everything you said! Well, except that I would have italian dressing :) <br><br>I am a salad junkie - and every day, and I could eat them for breakfast too. If you want to mix it up, try to make a wrap sandwich inside a big lettuce leaf. (They sell these at "Jimmy John's Subs" shops). It is just like a salad, only in a different shape ;)<br><br> Frankly, as long as you get in your protein, and don't eat too many calories, carry on!
   — kultgirl

February 20, 2004
fruits are my new desserts and I can eat a ton of then, espeacally watermellon. But think about it...these fuirts and veggies are all water and they compact well, thats why we can eat so much of them.
   — Jodie S.