Question:
Will I ever be able to eat sweets, ice cream,pizza ,hamburgers,& how long after WLS?

I understand I will eat less and can not eat these foods for awhile after surgery, but I'm wondering will I ever be able to eat the foods I love? (I haven't had surgery yet & am looking into all my questions about it.)    — Judy P. (posted on April 16, 2001)

April 16, 2001
It depends on the type of surgery you have. I had the DS and I eat just about anything, including pizza, sweets, hamburgers, ice cream. I am 10 months post op.
   — merri B.

April 16, 2001
Pizza & burgers just didn't taste right to me for about 2 years. I've done burgers ever since. Pizza didn't taste good until a few weeks ago. Now I think I want it all the time, but it has to be JUST right or nah, never mind. As long as I want to maintain my goal weight, I'll not really know if I can do sugar & ice cream. I'm not willing to give back a single pound. Not one. I've seen TOO many put all their wt, PLUS extra, back on from sugar. Not going there.
   — vitalady

April 16, 2001
To answer your question ..Will you be able too? Yes, But at what cost? I expect you can eat all those above mentioned foods without any problems down the road, but after the lessons we learned with WLS surgery.. why would you want sugar? I agree with Michelle "SUGAR" (nope, not going back) once it gets it's foot in the door it's all she wrote.... I too have seen too many sugar coat their way back to obesity...(I'm never going back there gain) Now, hamburgers and Pizza, well, I can and do eat hamburgers with 1/2 of the bun just can't do the whole bun... I would rather have the meat anyhow.. Pizza (meat lovers) I have maybe one small piece a month that handles the craving and I'm done with it.. Although I don't do refined sugar I do enjoy all my old favorite foods, Mexican, Italian etc.. I bake with Splenda all the time for my family for sugar free baked goods, even though for now I still don't care for sweets at all I like the sour taste now Like mustard on everything.. :-)
   — Victoria B.

April 16, 2001
I agree with Barb- I don't diet. However, sugar in very small amounts is ok (I can do a bite or two of ice cream), but it doesn't taste or feel the same now. I am suffering today due to Easter candy, of which a few bites passed my lips. I won't be doing sugar for a while now, because I don't like the way it feels. I can occasionally- but when it gets too much, it makes me feel cruddy and I choose NOT to feel that way. I can, if I want to, but most of the time I don't want to:) I am 14 months postop, open RNY down 136 pounds (14 from goal). Good luck!
   — M B.

April 16, 2001
I am almost four months post-op and have tried hamburger, pizza and a few sweets. None of these things make me feel good so it's pretty easy to limit yourself to a bite or two OR to avoid it altogether. Your stomach feels very different post-op and when you eat these kinds of foods, it makes you nauseous.
   — Lisa B.

April 16, 2001
Hi -- I had a laparoscopic BPD/DS almost 3 months ago and I've been able to eat whatever I wanted without any problems. HOWEVER, I don't often indulge in fast food, sweets/ice cream. Why? BEcause there is so much other GREAT stuff out there! LOL I have a limited capacity (eating 6-8 oz at a meal) and prefer to eat a variety of foods such as chicken, tuna, beef, pork, tofu, dairy.... I mean, pizza and hamburgers do have some degree of protein (cheese and meat), so that's a plus. Being high in fat really isn't an issue for a DSer (unless one has an adverse reaction to it such as bad gas and/or loose stools) since our malapsorption guarantees that a certain percentage of fat will never be processed in our bodies. However, this *may* be an issue for someone with an RNY if it is eaten all the time. I mean, truthfully - it is best to have a varied diet which includes fresh fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein sources (nuts, meats, soy, etc.). If one falls into a pattern of mainly eating the foods you mentioned (i.e. - because one loves mainly the foods you mentioned), it may not only lead to weight gain (especially for a proximal RNY patient), but possible malnutrition problems down the road (especially for a DSer). I think anyone considering the surgery really must evaluate their relationship with food --- and commit to a healthy(ier) lifestyle post-op. Why? Because our digestive systems will be somewhat compromised (in either surgery) and proper nutrition is essential to guarantee our long term health. I have sweets on occasion, but I really try to cut it out because I know that, in excess, it can really interfere with my weight loss. I have eaten hamburgers, pizza, chicken nuggets, fries, ice cream... but they weren't main staples before my surgery so they aren't as a post-op, either. All the best,
   — Teresa N.

April 17, 2001
I am almost 8 months post op and have no problem eating pizza or hamburgers. The difference is I eat ONE piece (if that much) of pizza and a SMALL hamburger with 1/2 the bun. One of my favorite foods is Mexican food and I haven't had any problem with that either. I don't avoid chocolate or sweets entirely. I know I can have one or two Hershey kisses or 1 small cookie. When I want ice cream I have no sugar added ice cream bars. I like the bars because the portion is controled by someone else so I don't worry about eating more than one serving. I had this surgery to eat like a "normal" person and I don't intend to spend the rest of my life on a "diet" avoiding the foods I like. The surgery has given me the tool I needed to control my behavior.
   — georgiacarol