Considering VS and concerns about being picky
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gagesmom314
Posts: 101 Member
I am seriously considering VS but I am so concerned about food. I am a seriously picky eater and I worry about what I am going to be able to eat. I see people post and have read about no potatoes but those are the only vegetables I eat. I'm just worried that I will go through all of this and not be able to do the change in eating.
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Do you eat lentils or seeds or nuts? It is much easier if you eat veggies or even fruits yes but I am sure a nutritionist can provide you with a chart to suit your tastes. I am only two months out so maybe folk who have been sleeved longer might have some other suggestions or similar experiences.
What is your typical diet at the moment? Remember that when sleeved you just won't fit in the amounts you do now.You might have some healthy foods now that will work in small portions for you. Good luck.
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I'm 7 weeks out so it's still early for me, but after getting my protein in I don't really have much room for veggies, usually a couple of bites. I loved potatoes, (mashed, baked, garlic you name it) but ultimately I decided being healthy for my family and being able to enjoy my grandkids was much more important than any particular food. I've learned to substitute for healthier foods. Instead of mashed potatoes I'll mash cauliflower, it tastes great and it satisfies the craving. I even made cauliflower tots that were very delicious, they tasted just like tator tots. Also my taste buds have changed quite a bit since surgery things I hated like cottage cheese and fish I now enjoy. Things I loved like sugar/pastries I don't care for them. Same thing with certain drinks.0
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In my opinion, if potatoes are the only vegetables you eat, you might want to learn to like other veggies. Most post op diet plans are protein first, veggies next, and, IF you have room, carbs are to be eaten last, if at all. If you are picky, it would be best to put that aside if you can, and learn how to eat what you need. Take a look at your surgeon's post op diet plan and see if it's something you can stick with, and also talk to your nutritionist. It's crucial to stick to the plan to ensure success, so be sure you can. I hope you can find a way to make it work for you, having this surgery was the best decision I ever made.0
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I am almost 3 years out now and yes, I can eat potatoes, but I will tell you that even now, once the protein is in, I have little room left for things like bread, rice, pasta or potatoes. I prefer to have a salad if there's any room left after the protein. I understand your concern, but I will tell you that your taste for certain things also changes after surgery, so some of your "pickyness" may actually go away or at least be modified.
This surgery is a tool and it's all about choices. Talk to the nutritionist at your surgeon's office. I bet you are not the only person who has this concern and I also bet they have several suggestions you can try prior to surgery that will help you be more comfortable with the changes you need to make. Education about this is your best friend.0 -
Great advice from everyone. I have to especially agree about learning to like healthier veggies. Honestly, potatoes are not even really considered a vegetable when it comes to categorizing them as a food type in our food plans. It's a carb, like rice, bread, and pasta.
Any WLS is simply a tool and we need to make hard changes to ensure success. Like the other's said, talk to your doctor/nutritionist about the post-op plan, and your concerns. All plans are different, so it's good to know exactly what you're getting into.
It's great that you're looking at your options to improve your health. That is a big step, so talking to them about the changes that should be made is just another big step. It was our pre-op eating habits that made us obese, so making healthier food choices makes sense, right?
Good luck figuring it all out.0 -
I would seriously address your food issues prior to surgery. I think you would just be setting yourself up for possible failure. I don't mean to sound harsh. I never want to quash anyone's desire to lose wt. But I have seen people not prepared for the new dietary lifestyle spiral into depression. Our general dietary lifestyle is 70%protein25%veg-no potato5%carb. You need to have 25% veg that is not carb. My surgeon is very anti potato even after you reach maintenance because it is a "slider food" it slides thru the sleeve negating the restrictive effect of portion control. It is a very common food of pts who have gone thru WLS and regained their weight. Like someone else mentioned we do not consider potato a vegetable it is in the carb category with bread and pasta. It has so little protein and fiber for the level of carbs and calories in it. Many Beans have triple the fiber and triple the protein of potato even though they have the same carbs. Just because you weren't a vegetable eater before does not mean you cannot change. Consider working with a nutritionist and developing a taste for other vegetables before surgery. Like most everyone else who posted I also left potato behind. It was always a trigger food for me that I could never portion control. I replaced it with beans, peas and squash/gourds. Good luck:)0
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I was sleeved in January. I really do not like veggies much, and I had a similar concern. So.... here is what I have done-- I spent the first 3 months post-surgery focused on getting adequate protein and keeping my cals in the range suggested by my NUT. Recently, I decided it was time to add in some veggies--- so I am doing that slowly. I am trying new recipes and getting creative. I had surgery because I wanted to be healthy-- and that means eating veggies, so I am working at it. This process takes effort-- but for me, it is a LOT easier than before surgery. Besides, most of the time I am so full after eating my protein that I only have room for 3 or 4 bites of veggies anyway. 0
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Do you eat lettuce? I'm asking because I too despise veggies (it's a texture thing) and I added veggies into my diet by wrapping my meat up in lettuce, like a tortilla. It helped my mind to link the lettuce and the protein together so it was easier for me to get them in. After that I was able to add more things to my "taco" or whatever you want to call it and it wasn't so bad. You can do this!!0
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Do you eat lettuce? I'm asking because I too despise veggies (it's a texture thing) and I added veggies into my diet by wrapping my meat up in lettuce, like a tortilla. It helped my mind to link the lettuce and the protein together so it was easier for me to get them in. After that I was able to add more things to my "taco" or whatever you want to call it and it wasn't so bad. You can do this!!
have you ever tried wrapping sandwich meat around celery sticks or carrots or red bell pepper. I love doing this. I used to hate raw celery and bell pepper, I cant imagine why now 0 -
Do you eat lettuce? I'm asking because I too despise veggies (it's a texture thing) and I added veggies into my diet by wrapping my meat up in lettuce, like a tortilla. It helped my mind to link the lettuce and the protein together so it was easier for me to get them in. After that I was able to add more things to my "taco" or whatever you want to call it and it wasn't so bad. You can do this!!
have you ever tried wrapping sandwich meat around celery sticks or carrots or red bell pepper. I love doing this. I used to hate raw celery and bell pepper, I cant imagine why now
I can't handle celery. That is a pure taste hate for me lol. I'm working on bell pepper though. I've got it to where I can eat it cooked now, which is definitely progress lol0 -
@gagesmom314.
There is nothing wrong with being a picky eater after VSG as long as you follow the nutritional flow chart;
1) Protein
2) Veggie/Fruit
3) Carb
Many people identify as a "picky eater" because they don't like foods that "Dieters" claim are good for you? If you like meat of any kind you will do very well after a VSG. Just PICK the proteins you really like and any type of vegitable you like and you will be fine. Once you consume a portion of protein there is very little room for anything else so don't. The food to realy avoid is bread (sandwiches).
Eventually you will reach a point where a normal meal will be about 8 oz of food. 4-6 oz of protein, 2 oz vegitable and maybe a taste of Potato/Rice/Pasta (If your Dr. allows it. Everyone is different!). My Dr. and Nutritionist do not ban Potato/Rice/Pasta, but they counsel SMALL AMOUNTS.0 -
I eat potatoes and other starches, but there's not a lot of room form them after I've finished my protein. I've become a WAY PICKIER eater than before due to the fact I can't fit very much in my pouch and I need to make the most of what I CAN eat. For me, it's sweet freedom as I can focus on a few bites of quality now rather than quantity. I'd much rather have 4 bites of something extraordinary than a whole bowl of "meh".0
