Planning is so important when you have been sleeved. There will be times when you are starving and in a rush and need to eat instantly. If you get your food wrong at this point you could suffer badly with blocked stomach pain. Because you are hungry, you will eat faster than normal. You will also make a quick decision on what to eat without allowing time to process what the outcome will be in your tummy.
A bag of crisps initially could be ok to start with but if you don’t stop and slow down to eat them they will turn into a gooey mess and stick together at the entrance of your sleeved tummy. How many times in the past have you crammed down a packet of crisps easily when hungry? Now is the time to banish those crisps as they are not going to help you. Puffs like Quavers or Wotsits are ok but nutritionally not much good and could have the reverse effect of making you more hungry. Grabbing a sandwich is also not the best move.
So what do you eat when you are starving and sleeved? I find a couple of digestive biscuits - not the chocolate-coated kind, unfortunately - with a smear of either smooth peanut butter or cream cheese works incredibly well. And if you have planned well and are out and about, you could have a few digestive biscuits packed in your bag with a mini tub of peanut butter.
But what if you are out and have nothing? Let me say that I have found that when I become hungry I am truly hungry. I burn a lot of calories and because I can only eat small amounts I get hungry often. So back to you being out and hungry, what do you do? Firstly take stock of what is around you that sells food. Don't give in to cravings as these can become little evil moments.
If you are only close to a local shop then I recommend buying a packet of plain (not chocolate) biscuits and a small bag of peanuts. Chew well before swallowing. If you are near a coffee shop chain, do not rush in a buy a toasted sandwich, you could just buy a small latte to tide you over until you can decide what it is you can eat safely. But this is about rushing and eating and in which case I would suggest buying a slice of cake, this being the simplest cake on sale such a lemon drizzle or banana cake. Stay away from chocolate lavish cakes. The cake tends to break down well before entering your small tummy. The portion size of a slice of cake should be about right. I do not suggest that you eat cake all the time you are out. I recommend planning your food to fit into your life. Take a banana with you wherever you go!
What I would say to you very loudly is to stay away from slices of hot pizza, overfilled sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips, toasted sandwiches and foods like sausage rolls. Why? Because you cannot gauge portion control or the food is wrong to fit into your sleeved tummy especially if you are in a rush.
Remember food planning should be fun and even exciting. When you are sleeved you might not be able to gobble up large portions of food like you used to but instead enjoy small amounts of good tasty food that makes you feel well.
Note: Where I have mentioned nuts if you have any allergies to anything please use your common sense and replace with safe alternatives.
Want to chat about snacking and eating when you are in a rush? Contact me about a personalised session on being sleeved.
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