How to eat
How to eat
Though you are not on a strict diet, you must eat wisely so that you will:
- Lose weight under optimal conditions
- Be healthy and without deficiencies
- Continue to enjoy eating and life
You need to eat two or three meals a day. You must eat a variety from the basic food groups and in small quantities.
Utilise low fat cooking methods. Eating should continue to be a pleasure – allow yourself a treat once or twice a week.
The 2 major mistakes that will prevent you from losing weight
- If you puree or blend everything you eat, the food becomes liquid and is not slowed by the gastric band – you will not lose weight.
- If you eat ice-cream, honey, chocolate sauce, spreads and other fatty or sweet foods that melt, they are not slowed by the gastric band.
Make it a daily habit
Avoid fast burning sugars – table sugar, lollies, chocolates, fruit chews, preserves, fruit compotes, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cooked fruits, fruits in syrups, fruit yoghurts, dried fruits, nuts, puddings, ice-cream, sweet fruit juices, bottled drinks, sweet alcoholic beverages, sweetened condensed milk.
Avoid hidden fats – bakery goods, biscuits, cakes, popcorn, ice cream, condensed milks, chocolates, crisps, fried foods.
Avoid obvious fats – oil, mayonnaise, butter, margarine, cream, lard, cooking fats, meat spreads, avocados, olives, dried fruits and nuts.
Eating techniques & choice of foods
These are simple points that will prevent any adverse symptoms and perhaps even the possibility of revision surgery.
- Volume of food served should be small. People suffering from obesity have plenty of energy in store and therefore only need to eat small servings to use up some of the stored energy. If you experience excessive vomiting and are not losing weight then you are eating too much.
- Foods should be cooked well so that they are soft and served moist. Use a little gravy or sauce to moisten foods if needed and avoid dry foods.
- Serve meals on a saucer and eat with a teaspoon. A small plate makes the serving appear larger and using a teaspoon makes for smaller mouthfuls.
- Cut any foods into small pieces – less than 1 cm in size.
- Chew all foods well until moist and pulpy.
- Eat slowly – avoids over eating and vomiting.
- Sit down and eat. Take your time. Never try and eat on the run or in a hurry. If you are pushed for time then have some soup or other nutritious drink. Eating rapidly will cause upsets and vomiting.
- Eat as little as possible. If you feel full then you have eaten enough. Ignore comments from relatives or friends that suggest you are not eating enough. If your weight loss is slow – write down what you are eating over a 3 day period and calculate the calorie content. You may be able to reduce the intake by changing some foodstuffs.
- Maintain a good fluid intake. Don’t drink with meals. Drink at least 1.5 litres of fluid a day. Fluid should be low calorie and taken in sips rather than large gulps.
- Avoid high calorie fluids. Calories in fluids are easily absorbed and pass through the band easily. Avoid sucking lollies, alcoholic drinks, dunked biscuits, ice-cream etc.
- Don’t eat or drink for two hours before lying down – could experience heartburn. If you still experience heartburn, can try a teaspoon of Mylanta before going to bed.
- Your doctor may suggest a daily multi vitamin – these are available in soluble form or can be crushed with a small amount of honey.
- Constipation can be a problem because of the reduced roughage in your diet. Try adding some bran to your porridge or weetbix.
Sample daily diet
Try a few new foodstuffs regularly to test what will and will not agree with you. Avoid spices and oils in preparations. Use skim milk rather than full cream milk.
Breakfast
Weetbix with a teaspoon of bran added and warm skim milk. Allow to go soggy but not dry before eating. Porridge is another alternative. Slice of toast with vegemite, cheese or tomato maybe tolerated. Soft boiled or poached egg is easily digested and adds vitamins and minerals.
Lunch
Cruskette biscuits topped with cheese, egg, salmon, vegemite or pate. Many patients can manage half a sandwich or fine cut salad so long as they have time to eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
Dinner
Soft boiled vegetables, mashed potato and pumpkin together with some white meat is usually well tolerated. Pasta with some sauce is satisfactory.
Fluids
Drink 500mls of shape or skim milk a day. Overall need to try and drink approx 1500mls a day especially if it’s hot. Avoid fluids with meals.
Eat 3 meals a day
Do not snack between and do not skip meals
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