“A Short Food..ooops Fool’s Tale"

I read food labels now more in depth than an editor going over a best selling author’s new manuscript. I have to or else….”the dumping” will start. You remember “dumping” right? Just in case some of you forgot, it’s a condition that myself and other gastric bypass alumni get when we get the wrong foods, sugar, greasy foods or anything that our new tummies aka “the pouch” can not digest properly or be broken down in our intestinal symptoms. Basically one can attempt to see if a food will “agree” with them and if not, welcome to the world of light headness, violent diarrhea, vomiting and everything else (maybe even a head twisting) for a long while. I heard from those who suffered, once you “dump”, you dump whatever bought it on!!! Sorta like that ex who came in your life and then you remembered why they left! Ahahahha..You get the point. So take it from me my friend, don’t let the foods you can and can not eat “food ya” (fool ya for those who a little slow on word play). Let me tell you a bit on my experiences, you know I must, since I am a Gastric Bypass Groupie and sharing my journey.

Well I have had my bouts when I was about three weeks out of surgery and I was told of course to stay on liquids and very soft foods. Soft meaning, your little baby can chew it and walk around happy. Well ummmm..one day I cooked spaghetti for the kids and I was sooo anxious to taste something beside cottage cheese or Crystal Light. Well I took two strings and cut them in half of a spaghetti noodle and put a dip of spaghetti sauce on it…Oh boy! Oh Boy! Well as I have told you, (deepening voice) “the pouch rules”. The pasta got “stuck” in my pouch and would not move. Well I didn’t dump as stated above but I did..let’s see in about 5 minutes was engaged to my toilet seat.DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME FOLKS! Pasta is a no..no..and will get stuck in that tummy and when I say stuck let me explain. Stuck as in something in your throat that simply will not slide down..What an uncomfortable feeling. Sorta like the bread is swelling inside your poach…oohhh goodness…you can feel the blockage. Well remember I’m speaking froms someone who is always five weeks out. Later down the line many can tolerate breads and pastas and some can’t.

 

“Don’t Be a Fruit Cake”

This is the key as I preach. It may be the same surgery tool that many of us have, but each surgeon, medical team, diet plan and person’s body is different. Certain foods though they do warn you about such as fruits with membranes. You can never eat a whole orange with that white skin layer on it or it will basically because it will ball up inside your stomache (the white skin layer) and become a giant ball of fruit skin, much like a cat’s hairball and trust me you will be at a drs office having it remove. So you have to be very careful with fruit with skin on it. The best way to watch myself, I get canned fruit that’s in its own juices, because you remember you watching the sugar content even in fruit and then I go from there. Usually I have canned peaches, pineapples, fresh strawberries and bananas, of course there are other foods. In fact I use many of them in my protein shakes, which is another topic in itself.

 

“The Mean Protein”

Protein shakes and making sure you have enough protein is a KEY THING. Our body does not absorb nutrients the same way and therefore we have to have the extra protein to keep our muscles functioning as well as help us heal faster after surgery. Now most of us will be using protein drinks for life, but some just can’t fathom the thought. But the journey in finding a good protein powder should be one of the wonders of the world for most. I recommend getting samples from health stores or such before you go and buy a big tub, because taste will change and all protein does not taste the same. Trust me. My aunt loves a certain protein powder (I won’t mention brand)and I tried it and first sip…ewwwwwww..I was giving away a tub. Take it from me. Get small samples. Now my favorite protein (I will mention)is by GNC Pro Performance Whey Protein Powder, my flavor that I have been guzzling is Chocolate Caramel, its delicious. To me it tastes like a chocolate milkshake. The colder the drink the better the taste. Recently I have been adding various fruits and spices like vanilla extract, decaff coffee, diet swiss miss cocoa, you can experiment and get a fun flavor. But each person’s taste bud is different.  There are many vendors out there that have sites that may offer samples. Even for those who are lactose intolerance there are powders. In fact some people who usually could drink and tolerate dairy products such a whole milk, no longer could after surgery. So once again I recommend, get those samples if you can and then see what your system tolerates after surgery. So whether you need whey or soy products I would check out these folks.

 Some off the top of my head are:

http://www.vitalady.com/

www.eas.com

www.gnc.com

www.bariatricadvantage.com

 

There are sooo many more but ummm…this not an infomercial, so lets keep a moving on to my rantings on foods.

 

“Let Them Label You”

Watch the labels. My team have me on a 3 gram rule. I can not have more than 3 grams of fat or sugar in a food that I consume. I have seen some other drs allow them as high as 7, but I stick with my 3 grams. That keeps me in my safety zone. Trust me after a few slips and slides, you learn to follow your drs rules. Just keep saying these words..”I will not dump..I will not dump!”

 

 ”When Sugar Makes You Drunk!”

One thing I learned definitely was the sugar count and you know what, some sugar is not always spelled sugar. When you read a label and see sugar as one of the top three ingredients, watch it..and when you start seeing names like:

 

Sorbitol

Xylitol

Isomalt

Hydrogenated Starch

Erythritol

 They belong to sugar’s twin, “Sugar Alcohol”, yep they are just the same to your body as sugar. And you know anything with “alcohol” name in it..ahahhah..should tell you something! It will make you “tipsy” over the edge on your sugar count if you don’t watch it. Add Sugar alcohol to your counting of the amount of sugar in a product. You see sugar and one of those name, keep counting…ahahahha…I learned..I learned. I was searching for a new type of Popsicle…Yanno that boration food demon is sneaky. I wanted a fat free, sugar free “creeeeeeeeamsicle” and yeahhh..I found one…It had about 3 grams of sugar and some “Other name” (an sugar alcohol, but I didn’t know about it at the time). Well I popped it in my cart and had visions of me nibbling on that butter pecan creamsicle…Geesh it even sounds good saying it…ahahahh..Well I nibble and immediately ..the “TOOOOOOOO MUCH SUGAR ALARM” went off in my head..oh it was horrible, the taste…was too sugary for me to even enjoy the butter pecan. Sooo the stomache cramps came and I was like..Oh no God please…fortunately I didn’t visit the bathroom but I had to lay down. Now my kids have a new treat in the fridge. Later in the week at my meeting with the nutritionist, I learned… SUGAR ALCOHOL must be counted as sugar! If only I had reached her a day earlier.

 

So make sure you read the “SUGAR FREE” labels carefully…not only you want to avoid the high sugar count, but who wants those calories when you working on that gorgeous American Top Model figure!!!

 

Well its so much on food that can be talked about, but I better stop…before my brain wants to play tricks on me and try and push me to “think” I’m hungry. Its still amazing to me how I eat 3 meals a day, 2oz of food.  1oz of protein and another oz of  either potatoes, fruit, oatmeal or such and I’m full. Six months ago I would have laughed you from the dinner table, now I can’t eat it all. This morning I had one egg with an oz of cheese grits and could not finish it all. Oh yeah when you eating, you know you eat your protein first, then your fruit/vegetable and last when you get to it..your carb. Protein rules!!!

 

Well I have been enjoying the journey of learning the truth behind foods. They had me fool for many years and it took a toll on my body, but now life has changed. Because of my determination to not live to eat but eat to live life is changing for me. Yes I tell folks, I’m a Gastric Bypass Groupie and I’m proud! Today to count from my surgery on December 9, 2008, I have lost 34 pounds and finally was down a pants size. I went and got treated by my aunties to a new outfit. Well it was no need to go crazy shopping because in the next three weeks I will be down one or two more. How I know? Because I am on a mission to be the most healthiest and informed person my body can have.

 

Now you can chew that and run it to the bank.

 

Signing off.

 

Livi Stith

 

Gastric Bypass Groupie!