No bread EVER again?

Everything in moderation. If you have it, don't have it often and don't have a lot of it. I'm talking 2 bites and the rest of your meal is protein. If you can't handle carbs without freaking out, don't do it. Some people swear by no carbs but other people don't lose if they starve their body of carbs. Some people will tell you that is bull**** but everyone's journey is different and no one can say what works for your body and what your body responds to despite the so-called "statistics" 

There really are no never, ever again foods with the sleeve except the ones you decide belong in that category. And that may well depend on what you can eat without loosing the craving monster or losing control.

There were a lot of things I didn't eat during the loss stage because no food was as important as getting to goal. The foods you list were among them, as were many other carb foods.

Foods for me now that I'm in maintenance fall into 4 categories:

1 Good on my plan eaten regularly

2 Good as an occasional food and I can manage them without starting down a slippery slope

3 Good only in special situations. Bread is in this category for me - if I start eating it at home, I don't feel comfortable that I'll be able to moderate it, so part of a slice out in a restaurant is my limit. Crackers are another.

4 Here be dragons. Pasta is in this category for me, I think it's better for me to never, ever have it again because I have such problems with it.

As for those foods getting stuck, I've never had food get stuck. I ate very carefully for several months post-op (and still do to an extent because eating quickly still makes me uncomfortable), but no particular food type was a problem for me.

You unfortunately will be able to eat them again, lol. I didn't touch bread, rice or pasta for a whole year after my surgery while I was focused in my losing phase. Now that I have reached goal, I do treat myself to a bite or two of bread when we go out to dinner but now, I really only like to fill my tummy with things that will provide me with some benefits and breads, rice and pastas really have none for my sleeve. Also, those things fill me up really fast and therefor leave no room for the protein that I am required to get in everyday. So I say, why waste the room with something that isn't helping when I could be filling it up with things that will.

Thank You all for your input!  I was really bothered by the idea of something "getting stuck" in my stomach and what did that mean?  Would I have to have surgery to have it removed?  Everything I had read about the sleeve said once it was healed and once you reach your goal you can have anything in moderation without endagering your life.
I feel much better now.
THANK YOU :o)

As for things getting stuck in your stomach, in my experience only, nothing gets 'stuck' in your stomach.  However, some things seem to move fast through it and some things seem to take forever.  Popcorn flies through my stomach for example...I'd say thats my 'slider' food. I avoid it because of that.  White bread, rice and those types, are slow moving and just take up lots of space.  I get very uncomfortable when I eat more than a bite or two.  Pasta as well. 

With those, what it feels like is that they swell up.  They may actually not but it feels like they do.  I eat a certain quantity and I'm fine, 10 minutes later, I'm just uncomfortable.  A tightness high in my chest.  Almost feels like my sternum is getting poked from behind....very weird.  So, knowing that, I signifigantly limit them. 

The same goes for meats.  I find pork doesn't move very fast and can cause discomfort.  Beef is so so.  Some drier meats take much longer.  Chicken seems to go quickly.  So you'll just have to test for yourself. 

That being said, refined carbs generally are best avoided or limited simply because they offer little nutrionally.  When your intake is limited so much, why not stick to things that offer some nutrional value?  If you want bread, I suggest Oro Wheat brand breads, if you can find them....delicious and do offer some nutrional value.  I have a single slice a day with my egg and bacon for breakfast.  I am in maintenance and trying to find that balance to stop losing.  While losing, I attempted to avoid all breads....though my attempts at avoidance failed many times.....

I hear where you are coming from, I really do. It is the constant head hunger, and that urge to fill your stomach to capacity to satisfy the head hunger, that is gnawing at you now. After your sleeve, when you have been on "plan" for a year or so, this carb obsession we all had, will slowly go away. Trust us, after awhile you will be craving proteins and can bypass the carbs with minimal will power. Just will take time. I have been wheat free and gluten free since last Dec 12th and very low carb for 15 months now. I had health problems to address and wanted to reverse any cardiovascular disease I had. I read the book "Wheat Belly" and that changed my life and my thinking forever. Giving up the wheat 5 months ago finally got rid of the residual visceral belly fat I had and has eliminated the cardiovascular problems (that one can glean from blood work done and the meds I have ridded myself of.) The healthiest lifestyle is clean, healthy, non-processed food made up of healthy fats, proteins, vegetables, berries, nuts, and no white carbs or wheat. I have pushed my BMI down to 20.6 with this regimen and now have the will power not to obsess over the "evil" carbs. It is a journey but the change in your body will totally amaze you. Good luck. PS--not sure why your surgeon told you that stuff about getting food stuck. I think he is trying scare tactics on you or maybe you misunderstood him. I would hate to think he would resort to such measures to get you to not eat carbs, when he could educate you and teach you the REAL reasons not to eat carbs.

My plan states no untoasted bread for 90 days after surgery, no rice or pasta for 120 days.  "Well-toasted" breads are allowed after 6 weeks. (examples: melba toast, well toasted flatbreads/bagel thins)

They're still not great choices, but I at least have the option for now to spread some tuna salad on something crunchy. (Still not allowed any raw vegetables, or I would use cuke slices)

I don't consider these foods off limits at this point, but they make up a very very small part of my diet.  As others have said, if you're not eating a lot, you should try to get good nutritional value out of what you do eat.  That being said, as long as I'm eating what I consider good protein and veggies for a day, I'm fine adding in other carbs.  The thing is that they are no longer my go-to foods.  If I eat bread, I do better if it's whole wheat and toasted.  I am not drawn to eating a lot of rice or noodles, and they don't sit so great for me any more, and I don't really miss them.  I hope that turns out to be true for you, too:  that you want what you can and should eat, and those foods that aren't as good for you don't appeal as much.  Good luck!

Interesting discussion!  I think most docs give you a list of No, no, never agains - white foods (milk, pasta, rice potatoes, bread, crackers, popcorn, etc.), sugar, creamers, chips, for example, were all on my doc's list.  They want to see people make a lifestyle change, not just diet and revert back to old (bad) habits.  Thus, the no no list!

I enjoy baking and still bake homemade bread every week, plus bake cakes and cookies and coffee breads for others in my family, but I am no longer eating any of them.  Someday I may have a bite or two, maybe, but certainly not until I am at or past my goal weight and even then, I won't eat much.  I do intend to eat popcorn again someday -- I will not give up popcorn forever, but I will control it.  I also fully intend to enjoy a glass of wine or two occasionally, although all alcoholic beverages were also on the no no list.  Again, I know they are empty calories and I will need to use moderation, but NEVER is a long time -- too long for some of life's simple pleasures!

Remember what got you to your heaviest weight.  You don't want to go there again.  Remember that you are making long term changes and that you, ultimately, are in control of what you will and will not eat.   (And it's BS/scare tactic about things getting 'stuck'!  Disregard!)  Good luck in your journey!!

~Sandi

I know you are asking a different question (like, does everyone's surgeon ban bread, pasta and rice for a lifetime).  And I know some things are tolerated well by everyone after surgery.  But here's where I go with that question.

No matter what your surgeon says, this isn't the army and you will probably be able to eat just about anything you want to, whether or not it's a good idea.  You'll see people on here writing stories about how they can eat all kinds of bad food.  You'll be able to as well, if you want to.

For me, it's really important for me to remember that it's up to me, all up to me, about how I'm going to manage my relationship with food.  Not my nut or my surgeon or my parents or my kids or someone on this board.  I have the complete freedom to make any choice I want, even stupid ones. 

Unless my doctor tells me a solid, sound medical reason that makes sense to me, he doesn't get to tell me what to eat.  This helps me because I have a big rebellious streak.  No human being controls my food anymore.

BUT, the flip side of that is have to be teachable.  Some people clearly know better about managing their relationship with food than I do.  I can't be in a smaller body eating the same way that made my body big to begin with. 

And most importantly, I may not be giving other people the power to control my food, but I assure you food can control *me*.  I can be desperate, depressed, and even suicidal about my eating.  I have stolen food, stolen money to buy food, eaten food out of the freezer or the garbage, just to have a fix.  Being obese is a drag for sure, but so is being the ***** of useless, empty carbs.

I think for me the important thing is that I have to be willing to give up eating the foods that control me, if I want peace of mind around food.  Just for today, maybe not forever.  I have to have that willingness in order to get better.

(((Hugs))) to you!  And here's to not being any food's ***** again!