Although I'm only reading one lapband group regularly anymore (that's because it's on one of my feeds), this is something I've come across for ages. It's one of those things that I've used to compare myself to other bandsters, which is stupid anyway because we're all different and blahblahblah I know. Anyway, some people seem to have this idea that if you can eat bread and pasta with no problems, then you don't have good restriction. It's like not being able to eat those two types of foods are some kind of status symbol, denoting that you are "a good bandster" or something.
I find that pretty odd. Neither of my docs ever said anything like that. The info I got from the dietitian stated that those two types of foods were potential problem foods, but that's it. I saw no reason to remove either from my diet completely. I don't eat either of them on a daily basis, but I don't avoid them like the plague either.
I don't do well with very soft white bread. I tend towards crackers and crispbread (like Wasa) most of the time. If I do eat sandwich bread, it's whole grain and I toast it. But hamburger buns, for example, or rolls, unless they're very crusty, have a lot of stuck potential. They tend to get gummy. I can eat tortillas with no problem most of the time, especially corn ones. As for pasta, I mostly eat a white/whole wheat blend because Beau refuses to eat whole wheat pasta. I'm careful about the amount, but eating it poses no issue at all. I eat it just like everything else, slowly and carefully. I think the whole grain aspect helps because they tend to be firmer than regular white breads and pasta.
I have been losing weight steadily, between 1 and 3 pounds, since my last fill. That says good restriction to me. I do think sometimes that I eat more than the average bandster, but again, if I'm losing at a good pace, so what?
I guess I said all of that to say this: hearing how others do it is interesting, but comparing yourself is pointless. If you're doing OK, then so what? And I am. So nyah to everybody else. ;)
mental exertion vs physical exertion
8 years ago
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Saying nyah to everyone else (in your head or your own blog anyway!) is pretty much right. =)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think some people only do well when they follow "rules" or anything other idealogy that they perceive to be black and white. For these people, there is no grey. For them, bread = bad, which as you know is hogwash because for some people, it's fine. Everybody is different, etc.
(Some of these people who can't handle grey also can't handle unertainty. They also only feel comfortable believing in what they believe by assuming it is "correct" and "true." They cannot even humor the notion that maybe their faith is wrong, but they believe it anyway because it is just that... faith! No, they want certainty that they are correct. Anyway, I'll get off this soapbox now...)
I posted a question in one of the lap band forums recently asking about first bite syndrome cures. I explained my experience for people who don't know what FBS is. In that story, I mentioned eating a toasted half bagel very slowly (and successfully). One woman replies with just "You know that only 5% of people can tolerate bread, right??" So effing what? Obviously, since I said I successfully ate it without FBS syndrome I must be one of those 5%! Yeesh. I replied to her and said that it was one of the foods that didn't trigger the FBS. =)
Anyway, it mostly irks me because she didn't look at the whole picture. Like you said in comment in my blog, it's all about learning. I'm still learning what my body can do and can't do. And the only way to find out if I can tolerate bread is by eating it carefully the first time after a fill. I either can or can't. But I won't know if I don't try.
This is all a roundabout way of saying that I think you have the right approach. You are losing at a wonderful rate (not too fast, not too slow), and you have a very open outlook. You do what is right for your body, whatever that may be. I applaud you! =)
Sorry, I didn't see your comment before now!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that. I have noticed that people are pretty uncomfortable with shades of grey. Um, sorry, not everything is black and white. The band and how it works in your body certainly isn't!
I have never heard that only 5% of people can tolerate bread. I guess I too am one of the illustrious few.